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Made with just a handful of everyday ingredients, no refined sugars, and boasting a soft, fluffy texture, these healthy sugar cookies are perfect for any special holiday or everyday cravings.
Table of Contents
- The Best Healthy Sugar Cookies
- Ingredients
- How to Make Homemade Sugar Cookies
- How thick do I Roll Sugar Cookies?
- Simple Sugar Cookie Icing
- Tips for Success
- Tips for decorating sugar cookies with the kids
- Storage Suggestions (In the Fridge and Freezer)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Healthy Cookies
- Healthy Sugar Cookies Recipe
The Best Healthy Sugar Cookies
Here’s go-to cookie recipe that’s not only good for you but also a breeze to make! This healthy sugar cookie keeps things simple with just a bit of butter (way less than the usual recipes), swaps out refined sugar for honey, and adds in whole wheat flour for that wholesome twist.
I’ve been making these cookies (and these healthy gingerbread cookies) for years with my kids, and I’m so excited to finally share the recipe with you!
While we mainly bake these soft sugar cookies during Christmas (hello cookies for Santa!), they are perfect for Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthdays (also check out this first birthday cake), and any other special occasions on your calendar.
It’s such a sweet way to create lasting memories with your little ones and establish a family tradition. And yes, decorating with kids will most likely get messy, but that’s all part of the experience. I do provide some helpful tips to minimize the mess below.
Table of Contents
- The Best Healthy Sugar Cookies
- Ingredients
- How to Make Homemade Sugar Cookies
- How thick do I Roll Sugar Cookies?
- Simple Sugar Cookie Icing
- Tips for Success
- Tips for decorating sugar cookies with the kids
- Storage Suggestions (In the Fridge and Freezer)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Healthy Cookies
- Healthy Sugar Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.
- White whole wheat flour – I love baking with this flour because it’s the same nutritionally as whole wheat flour but is lighter in texture and a little sweeter in flavor. You can also use all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Unsalted butter – helps make the cookies light and prevents them from becoming too dry or crumbly.
- Maple syrup or honey – great unrefined sugar alternatives!
- Egg yolk – makes the dough easier to work with and produces rich, soft, and chewy cookies.
- Vanilla extract
- Icing – you can use homemade or store-bought. Details below.
How to Make Homemade Sugar Cookies
Step 1: With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter and honey. Beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Do NOT overmix.
Step 3: Shape the dough into a flat disc and cover with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the dough is firm. Chilling the dough will make it easier to roll out and cut into shapes so do NOT skip this step.
Step 4: When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make it easier to work with. Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Lightly sprinkle with a small amount of flour. Place the dough in the center and place a second sheet of parchment paper on top. Gently roll from the center outwards, using light, even pressure and turning the dough occasionally to maintain an even thickness, about 1/4-1/3 inch is ideal.
Step 5: Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes and position them closely together on the dough to minimize waste. Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes, and then transfer the entire parchment paper with the cut-out shapes to the cookie sheet.
Step 6: Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown. In the meantime, you can re-roll the leftover dough scraps (may need to refrigerate again if too soft) and cut out more shapes. Repeat until you’ve used up all the dough. Remove from the oven (they might seem under-baked but they’re not!) and cool for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy as is or have fun decorating!
How thick do I Roll Sugar Cookies?
It depends on your texture preference. If you prefer soft and chewy sugar cookies, roll out the dough to about 1/3 inch thickness.
If you are a lover of crisp and crunchy sugar cookies, 1/4 inch thickness will be perfect. Start monitoring around 6 minutes as they can brown quickly, especially around the edges.
Simple Sugar Cookie Icing
All you need are powdered sugar, vanilla, a little bit of milk, and food coloring (optional). This is my favorite natural gel food coloring.
Alternatively, you can grab any of your favorite royal icing from the store for convenience, which I totally get! Even though this icing recipe is easy, you’ll still need to gather the ingredients and dirty dishes, which can feel like a lot especially when you’ve had a long day.
You can also skip the icing and sprinkle colorful sanding sugar or sprinkles before baking.
Tips for Success
- If the dough is too soft and sticky, add more flour, up to 1 tablespoon.
- Cut as close together so you will get as many cookies out of your dough as possible.
- Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes rather than lifting them from the parchment paper and onto the baking sheet. This prevents the shapes from getting distorted.
- Icing – if too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk.
- Work quickly – immediately after icing, add sprinkles over the wet icing.
Tips for decorating sugar cookies with the kids
Set up your decorating station with all the necessary supplies beforehand. Use disposable tablecloths or placemats to make cleaning up easier.
Instead of spreading icing with a knife, consider using small squeeze bottles and paintbrushes. Place sprinkles in small bowls to prevent spills. Place a baking sheet pans or trays under the cookies as kids decorate so they can catch any stray sprinkles or icing drips.
Also limit the number of icing colors (if using). A few well-chosen colors are all you need.
And most importantly, keep it fun! Remember, it’s okay to embrace the mess a little. Let the kids enjoy the process, an don’t worry too much about perfection. The fun and creativity are what make the experience memorable.
Storage Suggestions (In the Fridge and Freezer)
In the refrigerator:
You can store both decorated and non-decorated cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature or a week in the refrigerator.
For decorated cookies, place them in a single layer in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper.
In the freezer:
You can either freeze the dough by shaping into a flat disc and wrapping in plastic wrap. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bring to room temperature for at least an hour.
OR
freeze baked cookies. While you can freeze both decorated and non-decorated, I recommend the latter. Flash freezing method will work best, just like when freezing muffins, as it prevent the cookies from sticking together and allows you to grab only the amount you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prepare and refrigerate for up to 2 days before use. If you need to store it for a longer period, consider freezing it. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature until it slightly softens, about 8-15 minutes, depending on how long it’s been refrigerated.
You can! What I recommend is to divide the dough into two, flatten into disc shapes, and wrap them tightly in plastic wraps to make it easier to roll out.
More Healthy Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Healthy Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (130g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk of choice
Instructions
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter and honey. Beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Do NOT overmix.
- Shape the dough into a flat disc and cover with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the dough is firm. Chilling the dough will make it easier to roll out and cut into shapes so do NOT skip this step.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make it easier to work with.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Lightly sprinkle with a small amount of flour. Place the dough in the center and place a second sheet of parchment paper on top. Gently roll from the center outwards, using light, even pressure and turning the dough occasionally to maintain an even thickness, about 1/4-1/3 inch is ideal.
- Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes and position them closely together on the dough to minimize waste. Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes, and then transfer the entire parchment paper with the cut-out shapes to the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown. In the meantime, you can re-roll the leftover dough scraps (may need to refrigerate again if too soft) and cut out more shapes. Repeat until you've used up all the dough.
- Remove from the oven (they might seem under-baked but they're not!) and cool for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy as is or have fun decorating!
Icing
- In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine all the ingredients. Stir well to combine. If the icing is too thick, add an additional teaspoon of milk one at a time until you reach your desired consistency. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Video
Notes
- If the dough is too soft and sticky, add more flour, up to 1 tablespoon.
- Cut as close together so you will get as many cookies out of your dough as possible.
- Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes rather than lifting them from the parchment paper and onto the baking sheet. This prevents the shapes from getting distorted.
- You can store both decorated and non-decorated cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature or a week in the refrigerator.
This recipe is SO good, I’m so impressed! Not only did the bubs love it, but hubs and i also loved them too!!
These worked perfect for a healthy alternate at a Valentine’s party!
Oh I’m SO glad!!
Hi there! Can I chill the prepared cookie dough overnight in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi! You can! But make sure to take the dough out of the fridge at least 15 minutes prior to make it easier to work with.
These cookies were a hit with my family!! I made them with maple syrup and the whole house smelled so yummy after I baked these! My son kept asking for more and didn’t want to save any for Santa 😅🤣🤣 great recipe!!
Haha sorry santa :). I’m SO happy that you guys enjoyed these cookies so much!
I made these today and perfect! My favorite part is how it makes a smaller batch, most recipes make too many cookies but this recipe is perfect! I used maple syrup and they tasted wonderful! I will definitely use this recipe again, thank you!
Yay!! Thank you for taking the time to share. It’s super encouraging!
I made these for the first time this week with my 16 month old. I used maple syrup and they turned out delicious! The dough was easy to work with and I can’t believe how good they taste. This will probably be our main sugar cookie recipe now. My only suggestion to fellow bakers is to make sure you leave them in the oven long enough other wise they are super crumbly and fall apart easily. Thank you!!
So good right?! And thank you for your tip!
Delicious!!! I was hoping for a sugar cookie recipe that would cut back a little on the refined sugar for my kids at Christmas time but still be tasty and a fun family activity and these fit the bill perfectly. Everyone love the taste and had no idea there was no refined sugar in the dough. Our family preferred the maple syrup version to the honey version and recommend that one! With the maple syrup the dough rolled and cut like a dream! Will definitely be saving the recipe and making again in future years!
So happy to hear that you guys enjoyed these cookies!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share :). Means a lot!
Good cookies! Soft and slightly chewy when they come out. This made a nice portion for my toddler to make and eat over a few days. I used honey to follow the recipe as written, but I found the taste really came through and I wish I had used maple syrup. Could have easily halved the icing recipe for this amount of cookies. Thanks for another great recipe that my little guy was able to help with and eat!!
Thank you for your feedback! We actually like the flavor of honey but a great reminder that not everyone does!
These sound amazing!! Would you happen to have a suggestion for a flour alternative? Mine needs to be gluten free. Would oat flour, buckwheat flour work?
I haven’t tried so can’t say for certain but I would try with GF baking four or oat flour first. let me know how they turn out!