Add these healthy Christmas cookies to your holiday baking list so you can indulge without an ounce of guilt this holiday season. Plenty of vegan + gluten-free options.
It’s that time of year again! I feel like sweets pop up in my home pretty much year round, but they’re extra prevalent during the holiday season. I’m all for treating myself and think that planning for healthy treats is actually a key part of staying on track.
With that in mind, I wanted to round up some of my favorite healthy Christmas cookie recipes so that you can treat yourself this holiday season with some festive cookies, made a tad healthier.
In addition to sharing a variety of lightened-up Christmas cookie ideas, I also thought it would be fun to share some tips for hosting a cookie exchange party and for packing and shipping Christmas cookies this holiday season. I don’t know about you, but homemade, edible gifts are always welcome among my friends and family and who doesn’t love cookies?
Healthy Christmas Cookie Recipes
So let’s hop right in. Here are some of my favorite recipes – ones I’ve shared and made over the years. Everything from gingersnaps to chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies… mmm! I love the holidays!
Healthy Sugar Cookies
These healthy sugar cookies are made with whole wheat flour and are naturally sweetened with maple syrup. They have a delicious, buttery flavor and the perfect texture for making cut-out cookies!
Healthy No Bake Cookies
Peanut butter chocolate healthy no bake cookies made with half the amount of sugar in traditional no bake cookies and coconut oil instead of butter. Dairy-free, vegan and refined sugar free.
Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies
These easy and healthy almond flour thumbprint cookies are made with just six simple ingredients. They’re festive and perfect for the holidays.
Healthy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
These soft and fudgy healthy chocolate crinkle cookies are made with whole wheat flour, applesauce, maple syrup and coated in confectioners’ sugar. They’re the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray!
Gluten-Free Gingersnap Cookies
These gluten-free gingersnap cookies are made with quinoa flour. They’re crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and absolutely delicious!
Almond Cookies
These almond cookies are made with almond flour, almond extract and topped with sliced almonds. They’re buttery, soft and melt in your mouth delicious. Gluten-free + grain-free.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
These chocolate peppermint cookies are soft, chewy and topped with crushed candy canes for the perfect holiday treat. They’re flourless, naturally sweetened and come together quickly in just one bowl!
Healthy Peanut Butter Blossoms
With only six ingredients and about 15 minutes to whip up, these heathy peanut butter blossoms are an easy addition to your holiday cookie tray! Vegan and gluten-free.
Oatmeal Scotchies
These flourless oatmeal scotchies are made with almond butter, maple syrup, rolled oats and studded with butterscotch chips. They’re soft, chewy and absolutely delicious!
Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles
These easy gluten-free snickerdoodles are fluffy, chewy and loaded with cinnamon flavor in every bite. They’re made with a combo of almond flour and oat flour and come together in one bowl!
Lemon Ricotta Cookies
These lemon ricotta cookies are made with oat flour and topped with a delicious light lemon glaze. They’re soft, moist, fluffy and absolutely delicious!
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies (Cut-Out Cookies)
These gluten-free sugar cookies are made with coconut flour and super easy to make. They have a delicious, buttery flavor and the perfect texture for making cut-out cookies!
Almond Butter Espresso Cookies
These almond butter espresso cookies are the perfect combination of crunchy and chewy. They’re super easy to whip up and require only six ingredients and one bowl. Plus, they’re flourless, vegan and gluten-free!
Peanut Butter Cookies
These delicious and healthy peanut butter cookies are made in one bowl and with only 4 ingredients. Sweetened with maple syrup and made without eggs or butter!
Almond Crescent Cookies
These almond crescent cookies are buttery, nutty and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! They come together quickly with only 6 simple ingredients and are the perfect healthy holiday treat.
Oatmeal Date Cookies
These oatmeal date cookies are guaranteed to be your new favorite cookie recipe! They’re studded with sweet dates and crunchy walnuts and have the perfect texture – crisp edges with a soft and chewy center.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These oatmeal raisin cookies are soft and chewy with crisp edges. They’re absolutely addicting and guaranteed to be a new family favorite!
No Bake Almond Cookies
These tasty no bake almond cookies are packed with almonds, dates and cacao nibs. They’re sweet and delicious as is, but insanely good dipped in chocolate as well.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Peanut butter oatmeal cookies made with just 10 ingredients and one bowl. These cookies are healthier than most — gluten-free, made without butter or oil and only about 100 calories per cookie!
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
These chocolate chip tahini cookies pack a nutritional punch with fiber, healthy fats and protein, plus they’re vegan & gluten-free!
Healthy Peanut Butter Balls
Make the best healthy peanut butter balls with only 5 simple ingredients! No powdered sugar or butter needed. They’re so easy to make and absolutely addictive!
Healthier Magic Cookie Bars
Healthier magic cookie bars made grain-free, gluten-free and vegan with homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk.
Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
These dark chocolate avocado truffles are made with avocado instead of heavy cream. They’re rich, creamy and absolutely delicious. Made with just 4 simple ingredients they come together quickly! Gluten-free + vegan.
Healthier Christmas Crack
Putting a healthier spin on a not-so-healthy classic! This healthier Christmas crack recipe is made with almond flour crackers, coconut sugar and dark chocolate. It’s also gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free if needed!
Tips For a Successful Cookie Exchange
Now that you have all these recipes, wouldn’t it be fun to host a healthy Christmas cookie exchange party? Here are some of my top tips for a successful exchange!
- Invite friends! I’ve read that anywhere between 8-10 friends is a perfect amount. Just make sure everyone you invite loves to bake!
- Figure out how many cookies to make for everyone. Some websites recommend a dozen for each person, but in my opinion that’s wayyyy too many! I typically like taking home 2-3 of each cookie. So do the math: # of cookies per guest x # of guests = how many cookies each person needs to make. Also, remember some of the cookies will get eaten at the party.
- If possible, have some sort of sign up sheet so people can see what everyone’s bringing! It’s definitely more fun when you have a variety of treats.
- Containers! Either have each guest bring their own storage containers or purchase containers so that everyone has something to take their cookies home in.
- Make snacks (besides the cookies)! I like making a party of the cookie exchange so I’ll typically make some appetizers and have a holiday themed drink so we can all hang out and celebrate the holidays before we exchange cookies! This is also helpful so that attendees have something to snack on rather than just sweets.
How to Store Cookies
Whether you participated in a cookie exchange or just made a bunch for yourself, storing cookies properly is key! Some cookies will have specific instructions on storing (if they need to be refrigerated or frozen) but in general, there are two simple steps to take when storing your cookies.
- Make sure they have cooled completely.
- Store them in an airtight container!
That’s it!
How to Pack and Ship Cookies for the Holidays
Cookies (and other homemade gifts) are such a thoughtful idea for friends and family during the holidays. Instead of stressing about buying gifts for everyone, why not gift/ship a variety of Christmas cookies? Who doesn’t love mail and who doesn’t love cookies? NO ONE.
If you’re hand-delivering the cookies, you can go light on the packing and just put them in cute containers or tin, but if you’re shipping the cookies through the mail, be sure to use a good amount of protective padding so that the cookies don’t arrive broken. Here are some additional tips:
- Let your cookies cool completely. Please don’t pack up warm cookies! Even if they are just sliiiightly warm, they will create condensation in your package and create soggy cookies.
- Pack in an airtight container! You can use a simple disposable container (brands usually release cute themed containers around the holidays), but there are cute reusable airtight containers that you can package the cookies in and gift. Not only will the recipient get cookies, but they’ll also get a cool reusable container. I love stainless steel and glass containers, but these are probably only practical if you’re delivering the cookies in-person rather than shipping.
- Wrap it up. Don’t worry, you can still make the package cute, but make sure you use lots of padding! Bubble wrap, tissue paper, crinkle strips, etc. will all help pad your container and make sure the cookies make it to their final destination in one piece.
More Collections to Check Out
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Preheat the oven to 325°F.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
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Mix almond flour, softened butter, 3 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt in a small bowl until a cohesive dough forms. It will seem a little dry at first, but just keep mixing. Once combined, mix in chopped pecans. You can use your hands to help mix the pecans in if needed.
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Roll tablespoons of the dough into a ball and place on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes or until they start to turn light golden brown on the bottom.
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Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a rack to cool 10 minutes more. Place 2-3 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each cookie until coated. Let cookies cool completely and enjoy.
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Store any leftover cookies in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to a month. I’ve found storing in the fridge helps the cookies keep a crisp texture and ensures that the powdered sugar doesn’t soak into the cookies.
- Using powdered erythritol (such as Swerve) instead of confectioners’ sugar makes these cookies even lower in sugar.
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 272mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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