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ANYTIME COOKIES

Sweets and Treats

October 25, 2026

ANYTIME COOKIES – paleo recipe

Makes 24 cookies A certain blue-furred monster has been known to say that cookies are a “sometimes” food. Normally that’s absolutely true, except in our house we make cookies entirely out of healthy foods and eat them anytime! They remind us of a flavorful shortbread (or peanut butter) cookie. They’re so good you’ll want them for your snack. We like to add blueberries, chopped nuts, dates, raisins, and all kinds of other ingredients. Make them plain or add your favorite flavorings, and pack one in your next lunchbox ! INGREDIENTS • 1 banana, peeled • 1 apple, cored and peeled • ½ C almond butter (crunchy preferred) • 3 Tbsp (45 ml) palm shortening or butter • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vanilla • 1½ C almond flour • 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda • ½ tsp salt • ½ C of your favorite ingredient (Optional) INSTRUCTIONS AND HOW KIDS CAN HELP 1. Purée banana and apple together in a food processor. 2. Add purée, almond butter, shortening, and vanilla to bowl and beat until combined. 3. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. 4. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until dough forms. 5. Form into tablespoon-sized balls and place on greased or lined cookie sheet (press with a fork in opposite directions for a pretty design). 6. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes. 7. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day or two, otherwise store refrigerated or in the freezer.

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Anytime cookies earn their name honestly: the dough is a puréed banana and apple bound with almond butter and almond flour, baked into something between a shortbread and a peanut butter cookie with no grains and no added sugar. The recipe leaves a half-cup slot open for your favorite mix-in, which is how blueberries, dates, and raisins all end up in lunchboxes around here.

Pro Tips

  • Purée the banana and apple together first in the food processor — that smooth fruit base replaces both the sugar and most of the fat moisture in a classic cookie.
  • Crunchy almond butter over smooth: the nut pieces give these cookies the texture their soft crumb otherwise lacks.
  • Press each ball with a fork in opposite directions for the crosshatch; it flattens them evenly and makes humble fruit cookies look bakery-made.
  • The ½ cup of mix-ins is a true blank — blueberries, chopped nuts, dates, and raisins are all proven — but fold gently so fruit doesn't streak the dough.
  • Watch the 8 to 12 minute window closely at 350°F; they go from set to dry fast, and they firm further as they cool on the sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these cookies actually sugar-free?

Added-sugar free, yes — all the sweetness comes from one banana and one apple, which is exactly why they pass as an anytime snack rather than a treat.

Can I leave out the mix-ins?

Absolutely — that half cup is marked optional. Plain, they bake up closest to the shortbread end of the spectrum and take mix-ins beautifully later if you change your mind.

How do I store anytime cookies?

Airtight at room temperature for a day or two; beyond that, refrigerate or freeze them — the fruit base keeps them soft, so freezing works better than you'd expect.

Why didn't my cookies spread?

They're not meant to — almond flour dough holds its shape, which is why you press the balls flat with a fork before baking.

Recipe Card

ANYTIME COOKIES – paleo recipe
Stav Kogan

ANYTIME COOKIES

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • A certain blue-furred monster has been known to say that cookies are a “sometimes” food. Normally that’s absolutely true, except in our house we make cookies entirely out of healthy foods and eat them anytime! They remind us of a flavorful shortbread (or peanut butter) cookie. They’re so good you’ll want them for your snack.
  • 1 banana, peeled
  • 1 apple, cored and peeled
  • ½ C almond butter (crunchy preferred)
  • 3 Tbsp palm shortening or butter
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 1½ C almond flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ C of your favorite ingredient (Optional)

Method
 

  1. 1. Purée banana and apple together in a food processor.
  2. 2.
  3. Add purée, almond butter, shortening, and vanilla to bowl and beat until combined.
  4. 3. In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  5. 4.
  6. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until dough forms.
  7. 5.
  8. Form into tablespoon-sized balls and place on greased or lined cookie sheet (press with a fork in opposite directions for a pretty design).
  9. 6.
  10. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes.
  11. 7. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day or two, otherwise store refrigerated or in the freezer.

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