25+ Healthy Christmas Cookie Recipes
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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!
Table of Contents
- Healthy Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Diet Preference Key
- Classic Christmas Cookies
- No Bake Christmas Treats
- Nutty & Festive Cookies
- Oatmeal Favorites
- Unique & Seasonal Twists
- Tips For a Successful Cookie Exchange
- How to Pack and Ship Cookies for the Holidays
- Healthy Snowball Cookies (+ More Healthy Christmas Cookies) Recipe
- More Collections to Check Out
Diet Preference Key
DF = Dairy-free GF = Gluten-free V = Vegan
*Any recipe labeled V is also dairy-free.
Classic Christmas Cookies
No Bake Christmas Treats
Nutty & Festive Cookies
Oatmeal Favorites
- Oatmeal Scotchies GF
- Oatmeal Date Cookies GF, V
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies GF,DF
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies GF,DF
Unique & Seasonal Twists
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 Pack and Ship Cookies for the Holidays
Cookies are one of my favorite homemade gifts to share at Christmas. There is something so fun about surprising friends and family with a box of sweet treats in the mail. If you are planning to ship cookies this year, here is how I like to do it so they stay fresh and actually make it there in one piece:
- Make it festive with ribbon, twine, or a handwritten note. Opening cookies should feel like opening a present.
- Cool completely before packing. Please do not pack up warm cookies. Even if they are just slightly warm, condensation will sneak in and turn them soft and soggy.
- Use an airtight container. Disposable containers work fine, but around the holidays you can usually find cute themed ones. If you are hand-delivering, reusable tins, glass jars, or even stainless steel containers make the gift feel extra special. I love those, but they are not the most practical if you are mailing.
- Add padding like bubble wrap, tissue paper, or crinkle strips. You can still make it look festive while keeping the cookies safe and snug.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Snowball Cookies (+ More Healthy Christmas Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely ground almond flour
- 3 Tablespoons softened organic butter, ghee or vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
- 5 –6 Tablespoons organic confectioners’ sugar, divided*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
- Using powdered erythritol (such as Swerve) instead of confectioners’ sugar makes these cookies even lower in sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
This looks delicious! I will try to make a fig salad and will tell you how my friends found it. Thank you for sharing such a nice salad recipe!
These all look so good! I serisouly love all the sweets this time of year!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
All of these look so amazing! Never too many cookies.
Thanks sweetie for highlighting our sugar cookies on your list 🙂 xoxo
Of course!