25+ Healthy Christmas Cookie Recipes
Updated Sep 02, 2026
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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!
Classic Christmas Cookies
1
Gingerbread Cookies
These soft gingerbread cookies are perfectly spiced, chewy in the center, and crisp around the edges. They hold their shape beautifully, making them great for decorating during the holidays!
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2
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!
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3
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!
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4
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!
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5
Gluten-Free Gingersnap Cookies
These gluten-free gingersnap cookies are soft in the center, crispy at the edges and coated in sparkling sugar. They come together with simple pantry ingredients and bake into the most delicious holiday cookie.
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6
Healthy Peanut Butter Blossoms
These healthy peanut butter blossoms are soft chewy and topped with warm melty chocolate chunks. The cookies are flourless, gluten free and come together with just a few simple ingredients.
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7
Healthy Sugar Cookies
Soft and lightly sweet healthy sugar cookies that are perfect for cut outs. The dough rolls out easily and bakes into clean edged cookies ready for decorating.
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No Bake Christmas Treats
8
Easy Oreo Balls (Oreo Truffles)
These no-bake Oreo balls come together with just 5 simple ingredients and taste absolutely decadent. They’re rich, chocolatey and perfect for holiday parties, gifting or any time you need a quick crowd-pleasing treat.
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9
Healthy No Bake Cookies
These healthy no bake cookies are made with peanut butter, oats and coconut sugar for a naturally sweet, rich chocolaty treat. They take just minutes to mix together and set up perfectly in the fridge.
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10
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.
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11
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!
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12
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.
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13
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!
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14
Healthier Magic Cookie Bars
Healthier magic cookie bars made grain-free, gluten-free and vegan with homemade sweetened condensed coconut milk.
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Nutty & Festive Cookies
15
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.
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16
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.
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17
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!
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18
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.
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19
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!
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20
Peanut Butter Cookies
Easy one bowl peanut butter cookies made with just 4 simple ingredients. No eggs, no butter, no traditional flour. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and completely vegan and gluten-free.
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Oatmeal Favorites
21
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.
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22
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!
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23
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!
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24
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
These soft and chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies are easy to make in one bowl with just 9 simple ingredients! Made with oat flour and maple syrup these cookies are refined sugar-free, gluten-free and oil-free.
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Unique & Seasonal Twists
25
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!
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26
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!
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27
Molasses Cookies
These ginger molasses cookies are a must-make for the holidays. They're crisp around the edges and perfectly soft and chewy in the middle. They're absolutely irresistible!
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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.
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!
THANK YOU. This list is amazing, and this is the perfect time for healthy cookie recipes!!! Can’t wait to try some!
xoxo
Lisa @ The Skinny on Health
I definitely need to whip up a batch of healthy cookies when I head home for Christmas tomorrow!
OMG thanks so much for including my cookies in your lovely roundup. What a nice surprise 😉 I’d like to have one of each of these!
You’re so welcome Beth. I love your blog! Just recently made your pumpkin spice almond butter fudge — so good!
I want to have a christmas cookie baking party and just make many different kinds!!!
Yum!! I can’t wait to check all of these out!! 🙂
Mmmmm! These all look so good!!! 🙂
Love this! I was actually looking for some healthier cookie options! Thanks for sharing this will be a post I can reference during my baking extravaganza! 🙂
Great list. I need to get a cookie swap going asap. I will definitely try some of these out!
Thank you for this! Can’t wait to try the pumpkin chocolate chip– love that grain free and of course anything with pumpkin and chocolate is heaven in my mouth!
I’d like to enjoy these goodies year round!