Healthy Cut Out Christmas Cookies - This low sugar, whole grain cookie recipe is perfect for Christmas-themed cookie cutters. NO chill time needed!
These cookies are a family favorite! They're so easy to make and there's NO chill time needed.
The best part about them is that they have very little added sugar.
Because we frost Christmas cookies with a powdered sugar icing and sprinkles, I try to keep the sugar that's actually in the cookie to a minimum.
My kids all love helping stir, roll out, cut out, and frost these babies, and let me tell you, these are the BEST healthy Christmas cookies!
These cookies are soft, easy to roll out, and delicious!
Ingredients needed
Flour - The best flour for these cookies is gluten-based. Our favorites are whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, and whole spelt.
Baking powder - This helps the cookie bake and get a little puffy.
Sea salt - Salt adds great flavor to any recipe, I'm never without it!
Butter AND coconut oil - The combination of the two fats is our favorite, though you could go with just one or the other. Be sure the fats are in a 'softened' state, not melted.
Maple syrup - This is what we use to sweeten the cookies. I wouldn't substitute a dry sugar, as you will lose the moisture provided by the syrup.
Applesauce - Without any egg, the applesauce plays a role in holding the cookie together, and it lends a natural sweetness. Try my Instant Pot Applesauce, if you need a good recipe.
HOT water - Hot water is used to help the ingredients come together better.
How to Make Healthy Christmas Cookies
Begin with mixing the dry ingredients. Add in the butter, oil, syrup, and applesauce until the dough looks 'pebbly'.
Add in enough hot water to create a dough.
The dough shouldn't be too sticky! It should be moist and pliable, but it should not come off on your fingers.
Roll out the dough to about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thickness.
Get out your favorite cookie cutters and begin making!
This is a great cookie for kids to decorate and have fun with!
Frosting/Icing Ideas
These cookies are soft and hold together well, which makes them a great vehicle for frosting or icing.
Frosting is thick and viscous, while icing is more of a thin glaze.
We like to ice our cookies with a simple mixture of powdered sugar and milk (this cookie icing is a good base; just add tiny amounts of milk if you like it thinner).
If you're feeling fancy and want to add color to your cookies, this Royal Icing would be a good choice!
If you're feeling adventurous, you can try this bean-based frosting already on the blog!
FAQs
I haven't tried, but I've read that Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour works well as a direct replacement for gluten flours.
You can try using Greek yogurt in its place. If you're not watching your sugar intake, you could also use an equal amount of maple syrup. In that case, you would be using three tablespoons TOTAL maple syrup.
Yes, that's fine. I just like the combination of the two.
This dough rolls out very easily, so we just sprinkle a tiny bit of flour on the table, though it is hardly needed. The best way to roll out cookies is between two sheets of wax paper, as using flour can make the dough tough, but we don't bother.
These taste best when the dough is rolled out to about 1/8 - 1/4 inch in thickness.
Other Christmas recipes you might enjoy
Healthy Cut Out Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole grain flour (spelt, whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, einkorn) about 230 grams
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ Tablespoons soft butter
- 3 Tablespoons soft coconut oil
- 1 ½ Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ½ Tablespoons applesauce
- 6-8 Tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add in the butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, and applesauce and stir until 'pebbly' in texture.
- Stir in four tablespoons of hot water and continue adding it one tablespoon at a time until the dough is moist, but not sticky to the touch. This is usually around 6 1/2-7 tablespoons for me.
- Don't knead the dough or it will become tough and difficult to roll out.
- Once you have your dough, roll it out using a little flour or two sheets of wax paper until it is about 1/8 - 1/4 inch in thickness.
- Begin cutting out your cookies using your desired cookie cutters.
- Place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Cool them, then frost or ice them as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Shared with: Sundays on Silverado, Full Plate Thursday
Gail
Re: homeschooling
Cooking is a great vehicle for teaching fractions and clock-math. Then there’s chemistry!