Healthy Holiday Cookies
This past week I set out to make some healthy holiday cookies. I had a few requirements like lower in fat, calories, sugar, using ingredients that weren’t too hard to find, and lastly, gluten free. Since many athletes and possibly some of your family and friends are going gluten free/are gluten intolerant, I wanted to make cookies that they could enjoy. Now, let me say, if you aren’t gluten intolerant, or have Celiac’s disease, going gluten free is not healthier for you. You are welcome to substitute in 100% whole wheat flour in the place of gluten free flour.
I made 5 types of holiday cookies and these 2 came out the best:
Gingerbread Molasses: a more traditional New England holiday cookie (4g of added sugar per cookie)
- *Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 1. In a large bowl mix the flours, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.
- 2. In a medium bowl cream the butter. Add the egg and mix.
- 3. Add the Truvia, molasses and orange juice. Mix.
- 4. Add the molasses mixture by hand to the flour mixture folding gently.
- 5. The batter will be soft, however roll the batter into 12 even sized balls. The size will be approximately the size of a silver dollar.
- 6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the top is cracked and the bottom is a golden brown.
- 7. Let cool on a wire rack and store in an air tight container.
- 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ginger
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter/coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup Truvia
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tbsp orange juice or water
157 Calories (kcals)
29 Carbohydrate (g)
3 Protein (g)
6 Fat (g)
1 Fiber (g)
108 Sodium (mg)
29 Carbohydrate (g)
3 Protein (g)
6 Fat (g)
1 Fiber (g)
108 Sodium (mg)
Oatmeal Spice Cookies: (2g of added sugar per cookie)
- 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour-I used Bob’s Red Mill
- 2 cups oats-gluten free if needed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Dash of cloves
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar Truvia
- 1/4 cup Stevia
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Zest of one orange
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup Craisins
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2. In a medium bowl place flour and oats. Stir.
- 3. Mix in baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir well and set aside.
- 4. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter.
- 5. Add Truvia and Stevia and blend.
- 6. Mix in egg, applesauce, vanilla and orange zest and mix until blended.
- 7. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, a little at a time.
- 8. Mix gently with the mixer, or remove and continue to mix by hand.
- 9. Stir in walnuts and Craisins by hand.
- 10. Roll the batter into balls about the size of silver dollars.
- 11. Place on baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown. My oven took 12 minutes.
- 12. Remove from pan and let cook on a wire rack.
121 Calories (kcals)
16 Carbohydrate (g)
5 Protein (g)
5 Fat (g)
2 Fiber (g)
80 Sodium (mg)
16 Carbohydrate (g)
5 Protein (g)
5 Fat (g)
2 Fiber (g)
80 Sodium (mg)
I hope you like these cookies as much as we did. Remember, it’s ok to indulge a bit, as long as you are eating 80-90% healthy and unprocessed foods. But when you’re at a party or holiday meal where almost everything is loaded with fat and sugar, it’s nice to have something you know is a good choice.
Happy Baking and let me know what you think!
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