I ate two of these healthy sugar cookies, straight from the oven!
It’s officially December now, which means you have a great excuse to make cookies. Why not go ahead and bake a batch of these to find out if your self-restraint is better than mine?
(As if anyone needed an excuse to bake cookies.)
The perfect sugar cookie should be soft, buttery, and so incredibly delicious it makes you want to polish off the entire batch in a single sitting.
This healthy sugar cookie recipe fulfills all of the above requirements… and yet these cookies are whole-grain, lower in sugar, and cholesterol-free at the same time.
Yes, healthy sugar cookies!
Do you bake cookies during the holidays? My grandmother loved baking Christmas cookies more than anyone else I know. Each year, she’d make at least ten different kinds of cookies. Michelle and I liked to help: she helped by rolling out the dough… and I helped by eating all the finished cookies! My grandfather nicknamed me “Cookie Monster” because, even before my head was tall enough to reach the table, I was stealing cookies off the tray.
Some things haven’t changed much.
Healthy Sugar Cookies
Healthy Sugar Cookies!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup spelt, ww pastry, or all-purpose flour (Update! Click for Grain Free Sugar Cookies.)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt (just under level)
- 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup white sugar, or sucanat, coconut sugar, or evaporated cane juice (or xylitol for a sugar-free version)
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons milk of choice
- 1/4 cup butter-type spread, such as Earth Balance (Some readers say you can use coconut oil, but I haven't tried it. I wouldn't recommend using a low-fat buttery spread.)
Instructions
Healthy Sugar Cookies Recipe: Combine dry ingredients and mix very, very well. In a separate bowl, melt the vegan butter, then stir in vanilla and milk. Pour dry into wet and mix again. Form balls or roll out (not too thin), then use a cookie cutter to make shapes. If you want soft cookies, you’ll need to get the dough very cold. (So roll the balls first, then fridge until cold.) Cook in a 325F preheated oven for 9 minutes. They will look very underdone when you take them out, but that’s ok!! Just let them cool for 5 minutes before touching. (I know it’s hard!) These cookies will keep at least four days, in a lidded plastic container. As a general rule, you should store soft cookies in plastic containers and crispy cookies in glass ones.
These are the same vegan sugar cookies I decorated as baby animals and brought to the football party.
More Healthy Cookie Ideas:
I always bake tons of cookies during the holidays! I love making a bunch of different kinds, and then giving out cookie platters to friends, neighbors and family! It’s such a great excuse to bake.
I am always looking for a healthier sugar cookie recipe – might be trying these tonight! 🙂
Yes I do bake for the Holidays. This year I’m going to be giving some vegan cookies along with presents. I think it’s a nice way to open people’s minds.
I just have to say that your hair is gorgeous in your last post. Like, gorgeous. Cen we please trade?
Ohhhh… these cookies. I’m going ot have to try them and attempt to refrain from eating more than two out of the oven. ha! And sprinkles just make everything better.
My mom makes the best sugar cookies, but I swear she uses soooooo much butter. I’m going to have to give her some competition with these. 🙂
Aww, Kristin, thank you so much! I love when my hair is curled… but I hate curling it! Such a pain lol.
When I read “Healthy Sugar Cookies” in my twitter feed, it felt like pretty much all of my dreams came true. I LOVE those darned soft sugar cookies (I usually get my daily chocolate requirement from my coffee, or actual chocolate, don’t worry) and knowing that I can make them healthier is so. Super. Exciting!!!
Totes making these when I have oven access! 🙂
Oh HECK YES I am making these tonight! I have been WAITING for a sugar cookie recipe! The snickerdoodle one was awesome, and I have been looking for any excuse to bake those again. My fiance gets so mad at me for baking because he can’t help himself eating all the cookies, but now that I’ve found healthy ones he BEGS me to bake them all the time! So thanks, Katie!
And LOL at how many people don’t read the other comments before asking. The frosting is Pillsbury! YUM!
Haha YES! I think I said the same thing five times lol!
I am glad you posted a sugar cookie recipe, I love sugar cookies.My grandma & me would bake around my birthday because it’s two weeks before chirstmas.
Yum!!! These look fantastic!!! I’m thinking about baking a lot of goodies this holiday season and giving out bags of them as Christmas presents.
YES, who doesn’t bake cookies during the holidays? My mother always make her traditional Hanukkah-shaped sugar cookies, with a frosting and sprinkle topping. They look somewhat like what you’ve got above, except in dreidel shapes, with blue and white frosting, and likely far less healthy.
I usually bake some treats for my friends; this year I’ll be trying out some of YOUR recipes!
Soft sugar cookies are my favorite to bake! Cant wait to try these ones!
I am already a baking fiend and the holiday’s just give me one more reason to fire up the oven! These sugar cookies sound yummy!
These look great! I love that you managed to make a delicious sugar cookie with minimal sugar, too. 🙂
The pink icing is very cute, and I’m a fan of anything with those rainbow sprinkles. Adorable!
Yum! Cookie baking is my absolute favorite part of the holidays!
Christmas means sugar cookies! And these look delicious!
thanks for making me drool all over my keyboard.
yummmm! and your raw gingerbread cookies made it onto my blog today! cannot wait to whip up a batch for the boyfriend!
Katie,
How long do you think I could make the dough in advance & keep in the fridge? I am getting ready to head out of town tomorrow to join vegan friends for our 3rd annual CHristmas cookie baking day, I am in charge of bringing the sugar cookie dough. Today this came across my FB wall – it must mean it’s “the One” I’m meant to bring 🙂 We are not baking until Saturday but I want to mix a bunch of this dough tonight (Thursday). Okay you think? ALSO – do you think this dough will work with the new cookie stamps being sold? I bought some to use along with cutters. THANK-YOU!
Hmmm… I think it will last around 3-4 days in the fridge (at least). But you could always roll into balls and then freeze the balls. Just thaw a little before cooking them, after you take them out of the freezer. Then they’ll last for months!! 🙂