Here are 24 reader favorite cookie recipes that would make the perfect gift to bake for friends or coworkers. Or they’re also terrific for not sharing and eating all by yourself. Just saying…
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Levain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Snowball Cookies – 60 calories each
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Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
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Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
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(50 healthy recipes, including Emoji Sugar Cookies)
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The most popular cookie recipe on my blog is technically not even a cookie recipe at all. But it’s so good that you might want to just skip the cookie tray altogether and make one of these cookie pies instead.
Just a thought 😉
Erica says
Thumbprint cookies!
Erica says
Or chocolate peppermint cookies!
Kim says
I vote for mint chocolate too!
Kathryn says
I agree. Peppermint please!
j says
These are the healthiest and yummiest thumbprint cookies ever…
Ingredients:
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 large)
2 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
8 teaspoons jam
Peanut butter (or almond or sunflower seed butter), for serving (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, add the oats and pulse until a coarse meal forms (see picture in blog post).
In a large bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except the jam and nut butter. The mixture will be very wet and dense.
With a retractable ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into 8 mounds. The cookies do not need to be spaced far apart on the baking sheet as they don’t spread out. Press your thumb (or small spoon) into the centre of each cookie to create a well. Fill each well with 1 heaping teaspoon of jam.
Bake cookies at 350F for 11-13 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm, but soft and doughy in the middle. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack for 10 minutes or so.
If desired, serve cookies with your favourite nut or seed butter. They also taste great with a pat of coconut oil or vegan butter!
Note: To make the cookies nut-free, omit the peanut butter or swap it with sunflower seed butter instead. 2) For those allergic to banana, you might be able to sub it with applesauce (and you might need a couple tbsp of granulated sugar to make up for the sweetness of the banana). I haven’t tried this yet, but I will update this recipe if I do!
Love Low Fat says
Too many awesome choices! Not sure i can resist the Peanut Butter Tagalongs though, might have to start with those…
Ann says
Nutella cookies please! Anything with Nutella!
I love your chocolate chip cookies. They are my favorites 🙂
Alex says
Wow, Katie… what an impressive array of cookies you have created! They all look so delicious- I cannot decide which recipe to try first 😉
Some of my personal favorite cookie flavors include: Samoas, s’mores, salted caramel, dulce de leche, red velvet, lemon shortbread, white chocolate peppermint, molasses, lemon ricotta, banana chocolate chip, dark chocolate almond-oat lace, and salted dark chocolate!
Karen says
I’ve seen a lot of recipes on pinterest for sugar cookie bars, but they are always loaded with sugar and butter. Can I request those?
Or something with chocolate and coconut. Magic squares would be great!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I actually do have a sugar cookie bar recipe I meant to post last year. I will try to get it up sometime this month for you 🙂
Danielle says
I would really love a healthy shortbread cookie recipe – I’ve tried at home and it’s so hard to get the same soft texture and taste!
Whit Meier says
I would love this too!!
Leslie says
I have no idea if this is possible, but it would be amazing if you could come up with a vegan and healthier version of a cookie similar to the French macaron!
If not, I would love another variation of breakfast cookies, or some soft baked funfetti cookies!
jessica says
This was going to be my request too! A French macaron…. crispy outer “shell” and yet airy inside… with an amazing filling… hmmm lemon, pistachio, or nutella. This would be the ultimate victory!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I have failed with this in the past but will definitely keep trying!
Abby says
So many healthy cookie choices to choose from! :DD
I can’t have any sugar at all, so I substitute stevia for all the sugar in dessert recipes, but my family usually doesn’t like it very much. I really do enjoy sugar(stevia) cookies! But my favorite cookie this season would probably be spicy oatmeal cookies with icing! I haven’t yet found a decorator icing for cookies without any sugar, though. Any type of sugar-free cookie that the whole family can enjoy for the holidays would be absolutely lovely!
Thank you so much Katie for your wonderful recipes! I don’t know what I’d do without them! 😀
andrea says
I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!! Jam-filled thumbprints please! The soft kind if possible 🙂
j says
Ingredients:
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 large)
2 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
8 teaspoons jam
Peanut butter (or almond or sunflower seed butter), for serving (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, add the oats and pulse until a coarse meal forms (see picture in blog post).
In a large bowl, mash the banana. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except the jam and nut butter. The mixture will be very wet and dense.
With a retractable ice cream scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into 8 mounds. The cookies do not need to be spaced far apart on the baking sheet as they don’t spread out. Press your thumb (or small spoon) into the centre of each cookie to create a well. Fill each well with 1 heaping teaspoon of jam.
Bake cookies at 350F for 11-13 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm, but soft and doughy in the middle. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack for 10 minutes or so.
If desired, serve cookies with your favourite nut or seed butter. They also taste great with a pat of coconut oil or vegan butter!
Note: To make the cookies nut-free, omit the peanut butter or swap it with sunflower seed butter instead. 2) For those allergic to banana, you might be able to sub it with applesauce (and you might need a couple tbsp of granulated sugar to make up for the sweetness of the banana). I haven’t tried this yet, but I will update this recipe if I do!
Jules @ WolfItDown says
Peanut butter and gingerbread?! I am in!
Also the pixie cookies looks so cute, in fact- they all do! Great post with a lovely collection of recipes 😀 x
jessica says
Macaron!!! My first choice.
Here are some other ones that would be cool…
white chocolate blueberry coconut oatmeal cookies: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2014/06/white-chocolate-blueberry-coconut-oatmeal-cookies/
or an apple pie cookie with chunks of apples and lots of spices??
Andrea says
Hi Katie,
I commented on this post previously but I had a very random question. I’m a senior in high school and in the midst of applying to colleges, one of them being Bryn Mawr. I remember reading that you went there but transferred–was it strange being at an all-girl’s school? Any input/thoughts from a former student who attended would be very helpful! Sorry if this is too off-topic
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Bryn Mawr is beautiful, and I loved being so close to Philadelphia. For me, it was just too small. Classes filled up quickly, and it was not uncommon to end up having to take a class not in one’s major when all of the desired classes were filled. There are many positives to the school, though, so please don’t let me sway you against it if you visit and love it. It was also quite a while ago that I was there. https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/06/25/my-real-life-part-1/
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
These look insanely tasty! I can’t wait to see all the recipes you re-make!
Kaitlin says
Snickerdoodles!!!
j says
Here is her just ONE of her snickerdoodle recipes: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/11/08/skinny-snickerdoodles/
It’s yummy!
Jessica says
I made your ginger butter and used it in your peanut butter cookie recipe, following it exactly except I subbed greek yogurt for applesauce and I omitted the 2 tbsp of brown sugar because I only had full flavor molasses to make the ginger butter. I love how they turned out! It tastes kind of like a soft gingerbread cookie, but with a bit of peanut butter.
Lydia says
Biscotti cookies would be fantastic!
Nicole says
Gingersnaps please!!! Not the crunchy kind, like gingerbread men, but the soft chewy kind. 🙂
Sarah Lister says
Hi. These all look amazing, but the one I really want to try is no.2, the pixie one, but the link and the photo just take me to your book and I can’t see the recipe! It’s probably me doing something silly but the other links work?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Sorry for the confusion. That one is exclusive to the cookbook, so I’m not allowed to publish it on the blog. I definitely would it I could!! 🙂
Kimberly Taylor says
Dear Katie,
We are totally in love with your recipes! We are raising two young daughters and we are totally dedicated to their health. We have childhood memories of candy canes and butter cookies but feel like we can offer our girls the lovely experience of family cookie baking without using sugar or animal products. So far so good! I think, however, I might need your help: my eldest daughter, aged 3, is completely in love with The Little House on the Prairie books, and sees Pa bring in a skillet of snow. Ma and the girls then use it to make molasses candy. Me, NOT thinking of how they did this, promised at the first snow that we would learn how to make molasses candy. So here I go looking up a recipe thinking I’m gonna get the CoolMomAward for the week when I’m ready to follow through on this fantasy and the recipe is basically straight Sugar Syrup. Help! How can we make this using whole plant based sweeteners? The recipe mentions using a candy thermometer and I am way out of my area of expertise!
EVA says
I’ve never had a macaron, so I’m kind of diggin’ those suggestions!
I’m just going to spew off a couple of cookies I miss from back in the day and see if it gives you any inspiration:
-Nilla wafers
-Teddy Grahams (okay, these first two aren’t technically “cookies”, but they’re definitely not crackers, nor healthy or GF/vegan!)
-Sugar wafers (ya know, that come in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry and only cost like a buck for a pack the size of a keyboard?)
No chocolate in these….I might have to re-comment when I’m feeling more myself!
Kimberly Taylor says
http://www.littlehousebooks.com/fun/snowcandy.cfm
This is the recipe for the Snow Molasses Candy. Thank you!!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
That sounds interesting! You could try blackstrap molasses (which is actually super healthy– it has over 40% of the RDA for both calcium and iron!). And coconut sugar or sucanat if you want an unrefined sugar in place of the brown sugar.
Candy thermometers are cheap and can be found at Bed Bath Beyond or even some grocery stores.
Please do report back if you try it. I’d love to hear the results!
Kyea says
Shortbread and gingerbread men would be fantastic!
EVA says
YES! Shortbread that doesn’t require vegan butter in the recipe (sorry Earth Balance, don’t need you and your chemicals)!
Emily @ Life on Food says
I would throw a few of these in the mix. I am loving the oatmeal almond butter cookies.
Kay H says
How about Scandinavian sandbakkels! (shortbread tart cookies with almond flavoring)??
here’s a link to a typical recipe (note the high amounts of butter and sugar!!!)
http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/1850/sandbakkels
Lauren says
Hi Katie!
Do you have a recipe for healthy caramel corn?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I do 🙂
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/02/01/healthy-caramel-popcorn/
Lauren says
Oh yay! This makes me happy! Thank you!
Lucy says
We need a healthy gingerbread men recipe! Ones you can roll out and cut rather than cookies. That would make my Christmas 🙂
Mia (Mia in Germany) says
No cookie request, but: How do you make the coloured frosting of the sugar cookies? Probably I’ve missed it somewhere, but – well, I didn’t find it LOL
Chocolate Covered Katie says
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/06/12/creamy-dreamy-frosting/
Mia (Mia in Germany) says
Thanks 🙂
Deanna Turton says
I have a recipe for a Portugues custard tart that I grew up learning to bake (and eat) from my mom. They are always a hit whenever I bake them for friends, gatherings and parties. The problem is that they’re full of dairy, sugar and fat. Now that I’m mostly vegan, I either have to avoid this food I love so much, or make an exception. They can be somewhat temperamental, so I haven’t tried to substitute anything so far. Perhaps you could help me with this? I’ll post the ingredients and if you are willing to take this on, I can send you the rest of the recipe. I wish I could attach a picture too. They look as delicious as they taste!
3 cups milk
2 tbsp butter (plus more for greasing muffin tins)
Lemon skins (about 2-4 pieces)
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour, accurately measured
3 eggs
Cinnamon for sprinkling
Deanna Turton says
Oops! *Portuguese.
Chocolate Covered Katie says
They look delicious! I will put it on my to-try list, but in the meantime I did a quick google search and this recipe looks intriguing if you wanted to experiment! http://www.seitanismymotor.com/2010/06/pasteis-de-nata-vegan/
Deanna Turton says
Awesome, thanks! Oh, and just FYI: the custard tarts sold in the stores/restaurants, like the one in your link, typically have a crust. My recipe is for a crust-less version, which I actually like even better (and mine also have a slightly different texture). 🙂
Deanna Turton says
Here’s the rest of the recipe:
Pre-heat oven to 325 Fahrenheit. Grease 2 muffin tins well with butter. Using a fork, mix well the sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Add the flour, a bit at a time, until completely blended. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, slowly boil the milk, butter and lemon
skins. Be sure to stir continuously. Once boiling, remove the lemon
skins and remove milk from heat. Add the milk to the sugar mix, but do NOT pour it in all at once. Make sure to pour only a small amount at a time, and mix well with a mixing spoon, repeating this process until all milk is added. This will ensure to slowly warm the sugar mix,
without cooking the eggs. Add to the muffin pans evenly, stirring mix
about half way to prevent separation.
Place in oven. Bake until edges are golden brown and tops are slightly golden (or to preferred color). You may need to lower the heat if it appears edges are cooking too quickly. Tarts may rise out of pans, and/or bubble up in the middle while baking, but they will go back down. Estimated time is 20 min, but could vary greatly (I once had themin the oven for 40 min at a lower temperature, but normally 20-30 is typical), depending on your oven. Remove from pans
immediately (using a butter knife and fork to separate edges from the pans and lift them out are found to work best) and place on cooling racks or plates. Sprinkle cinnamon across the tops and let cool. If eaten immediately, centers will be soft and may appear not completely cooked. Texture will change as it cools. May be eaten at room temperature or chilled as well. Enjoy!
Note: Don’t be surprised if some of the batch turns out well and some don’t. These tarts tend to be temperamental.
Cara says
This isn’t a cookie but how about a healthier version of chocolate peppermint pretzels? I am OBSESSED with chocolate and peppermint in the winter. Actually, any chocolate peppermint combination will do 🙂
Mary Ann says
Hi Katie,
I can’t get to the melt in your mouth chocolate pixie cookie recipe. Can you help?
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Hi Mary Ann,
Sorry for the confusion. That one is exclusive to the cookbook, so I’m not allowed to publish it on the blog. I definitely would it I could!! 🙂
Maria G. says
I would like to know how to make healthy lace cookies!
You Oatmeal Almond Butter Cookies do look tempting for sure!
Jessica says
Not sure if you have one of these already but a regular old ginger snap cookie would be cool!
MC says
We just made the Peanut Butter Gingerbread cookies last Friday (doubled the recipe) for Sinterklaas (the Dutch Santa that comes the night of December 5th). They turned out great! We loved them! Bonus – watching an 18 month old eat these soft yummy cookies – every crumb went into her mouth:>
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Thank you so much for making them!
Carolina says
Gluten free (preferably grain-free) gingerbread men!! And/or GF gingersnaps!
GF peanut butter blossoms and GF biscotti would also be great!
Do you think you could do a gluten-free Christmas recipe roundup?
Thanks for all the great recipes you’ve provided us with already!!
EVA says
Actually, ALL of her recipes can be made with GF flour. She always has an option, and I’ve personally made 80% of her recipes (I’m GF too) with Bob’s All Purpose, and each one turns out awesome.
But a GF biscotti sounds like a good idea! I’ve never had a biscotti before, so I’d love to try it out!
D says
Something with oat flour, please. I love all your recipes but would love to know how to use oat flour in more of the cookies or baked goods because it is my favorite flour to use. Love your blog!
Whit Meier says
Baked Gingerbread soft cookies, and then gingerbread for gingerbread men, and gingerbread houses please!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
There’s a soft gingerbread cookie in the cookbook. I’m unfortunately not allowed to post it on the blog. But I can definitely experiment with gingerbread men! If I don’t get one up this year, then hopefully by next year for sure! Love the idea!
Whit Meier says
Oh my gosh I am even more excited for your book then! (I didn’t think it was even possible to be more excited 😛 ). I preordered your book as soon as it was available and I can’t wait to see the gingerbread men at some point!! Thank you so much for taking the idea into account!!!
Ps. Are you going to be doing any book signing with your release?!
Ivy says
A traditional Jewish macaroon is made with eggs. If you could come up with an *easy* egg-free version, I’d be so happy. Also, I don’t know if this is even possible to veganize, but those Italian rainbow cookies? They’re actually more like little cakes, with red yellow and green layers of cake surrounded by chocolate.
Karen says
Katie already has an easy vegan macaroon recipe. I’ve made them and they are very good. They don’t taste exactly like traditional macaroons, but I think they taste better! Here’s the link to the recipe: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/26/four-minute-coconut-macaroons/
Ivy says
Yum! One down, one to go! Now about those rainbow cookies?? Karen? Katie?
Birdie says
I was turned on to your blog and my introduction was to the cake-in-a-mug creation. It is so easy to whip up for celebrations and everyone mixes in their own mug. Ever since, I look for what’s happening’ with attention to no bake or micocookin’. I dig your blog and your personality really shines through to your readers. Shine on, chick! Hint: coconut flour is jive flour, but coconut flakes with another tablespoon of milk is groovy.
Hannah says
Wow, I must get baking! So many awesome choices!
I’d love to see a gingerbread, or shortbread cookies!
Thanks Katie 🙂
Gemma says
I’m blown away by the deliciousness of all these cookies! wow, can’t pick just one…I’d bake them all right now! =)
Great post Katie!
Linda @ The Fitty says
Love how you started with something flourless! Can you do a low carb recipe roundup?
Carolina says
I would love a low carb roundup, as well!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I’m admittedly not very knowledgeable what constitutes “low carb” but I can definitely make a note to include flourless recipes this month! 🙂
Linda says
Please do a gingerbread and linzer cookie!! Thanks:)
Jessica says
Do you have a recipe for healthy eggnog cookies?
Ella says
I would love to see a gingerbread cookie recipe firm/crunchy enough to be decorated! Forgive me if I’ve missed it 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Sharon says
Hi Katie, I am a recently diagnosed diabetic and am so grateful and happy to have found your blog. As a former dessert fanatic I am so relieved to know there’s still hope to enjoy yummy treats without jeopardizing my health.
I am not sure these are too unhealthy to start with, but how about a healthy twist on a kolacky?
Alexandra says
oh my. All of those recipes! I don’t know what I want to make first! for recipe suggestions what about a holiday flavored chia pudding recipe? or those holiday candy cane/peppermint cookies, tiramisu, eggnog cookies, strawberry shortcake. my favorite childhood recipe that I used to make all the time were cream puffs. I first was introduced when I visited a bakery called Bearded Papas on the upper west of Manhattan. Loaded with butter, white flour, and sugar though!!! I would LOVE to find a healthier version 😀
Laura says
Almond roca!!!!!! Just something about it that screams CHRISTMAS to me!!
Heather Mason says
wow, those pixie cookies look amazing! I will have to get your cookbook for Christmas!
Anna says
I would love to see some healthier ginger snap cookies. 🙂 and I’m so excited to see the chocolate crinkle cookies in the cookbook. and i’m definitely on the mint chocolate cookie vote too. oh or salted caramel cookies. maybe with dates.
Jayni @ Fit and Lively Mom says
Hi Katie! You already have so many things I would love to try. One of my Christmas favorites is Divinity. I would love to see it with given a healthy makeover.
sheri says
Hello Katie
This is my first time to request a makeover recipe for my grandmother’s crunchy cookies that go well with coffee, and are super tiny. She called them Danish Hermit Cookies. Her ingredients were: 1 1/2 C. Sugar, 2 eggs, 2/3 C. Butter, 2 T. water, 1 t. baking soda, 3 C. of flour (or more), 1/2 t. nutmeg, 1 C. chopped raisins, 1 C. chopped walnuts, 1 t. salt, 1 t. cloves, and 1 t. cinnamon. Mix all, roll into long thin strips, cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces, then flatten pieces to bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees on lightly greased cookie sheets. I have no idea what the nutritional info would be. Probably not terribly healthy, but I am hoping you can make it happen . I’ve asked my husband for your cookbook for Christmas. Thanks for all your great ideas!
Danie says
Katie do you ever make cocktails? I’ve been trying to find a vegan recipe for Hot Buttered Rum that doesn’t use margarine or “vegan butter”? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Sheri dakan says
I’d also love a healthy cocktail for hot buttered rum!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
I will put it on my list of things to try!
sara says
triple chocolate cookies!
Sara says
Ginger snaps please!
Devon says
These look delicious!! I cannot wait to try making the pumpkin pie stuffed cookies. I’m curious if you’ve heard of the Perfect Bake from Brookstone? I just ordered it because is perfect for making small batches of desserts, great for baking with my children and something they can use as well. You can choose from hundreds of recipes in the free app, or upload your own custom recipe and then it shows you exactly how much to pour depending on serving size. If anyone else is interested in ordering it it’s currently on sale and you can even get discounts on your order if you visit the Brookstone coupon page (http://www.brookstone.com/brookstone-coupons) and use one of the current coupon codes! Thanks again for sharing your recipes!
Beverly says
I love your site, Katie. I hope you can answer a question for me. Although I don’t switch ingredients, and my oven is the correct temperature, my cakes and quiches fall once out of the oven. I also have tried opening the oven door once baked and leaving the item in the oven with the door open for a few minutes before removing it – doesn’t work. Nothing works. Oh and my baking powder is totally fresh.
Any ideas, suggestions, fixes?
Thank you very much, Beverly
Andy S. says
I am a huge fan of your site! I would love if there was a healthy shortbread recipe. 🙂
Terezie says
I am so happy I found this post as I am definitely a cookie monster and eat farrr to many. I love the Healthy Sugar Cookies recipe idea. I am going to try baking this with the kids this weekend.