Spiced Tigernut Cookies (gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free)

Today I have a special recipe to share with you. This grain-free tigernut cookie recipe comes from the book The Autoimmune Fix, for which I developed all of the recipes. Dr. Tom O’Bryan wrote an incredible book addressing the current epidemic of autoimmune diseases. As a skilled functional medicine practitioner, he explores the root causes of autoimmunity—and in essence, the roots of all chronic disease. For decades, Dr. O’Bryan has traveled the world educating others about gluten’s role in illness. In this book, he expands his focus to include the key drivers of autoimmunity: genetics, environmental exposures, and intestinal permeability.

You may be thinking, I’m fine and healthy. I don’t have an autoimmune disease. And maybe that’s true. But chances are, you know someone living with lupus, eczema, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, psoriasis, or celiac disease. What most people don’t realize is that you can have circulating autoantibodies—what Dr. Tom calls “messengers from the future”—silently attacking parts of your body without any obvious symptoms. This process can continue for years, often with only mild signs like joint pain, weight gain, brain fog, digestive issues, low mood, or fatigue.

Dr. Tom’s book is a must-read because it explains, in his clear and compelling style, how this process unfolds—and what you can do to test for early-stage autoimmunity before it progresses into full-blown disease.

It’s estimated that 70 to 80 million people in the United States currently have some form of autoimmunity. That’s nearly 22% to 25% of the population. Yet only about 24 million have been formally diagnosed. That leaves tens of millions of people walking around not feeling well—and not knowing why. The Autoimmune Fix is an empowering guide to help uncover these hidden immune imbalances and take steps toward true healing.

Now, here’s my recipe for Spiced Tigernut Cookies, also featured on page 276 of the book. Tigernuts—despite their name—aren’t nuts at all, but tiny tubers ground into a sweet, nutty flour perfect for grain-free baking. Tigernut flour is rich in prebiotic fibers that feed beneficial microbes in the gut.

It’s one thing to take a probiotic or eat fermented foods—but it’s another thing entirely to consistently nourish those microbes with the fibers they need to thrive. Your good gut bacteria flourish when fed resistant starches and fibers from tubers, root vegetables, legumes, plantains, and other whole plant foods. In turn, they produce short-chain fatty acids to nourish the cells lining your gut, synthesize B vitamins and tryptophan, and secrete digestive enzymes to support your meal’s breakdown.

These beneficial microbes are vital in regulating immune function—helping to keep your immune system calm, balanced, and responsive, not reactive. So every day, remember: you’re not just nourishing yourself—you’re feeding an entire inner ecosystem.

What have you eaten today to nourish your microbes? :)