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Chocolate Covered Katie

Healthy Cookies

Healthy Sugar Cookies!

by Chocolate Covered Katie

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I ate two of these healthy sugar cookies, straight from the oven!

healthy sugar cookies

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It’s officially December now, which means you have a great excuse to make cookies. Why not go ahead and bake a batch of these to find out if your self-restraint is better than mine?

(As if anyone needed an excuse to bake cookies.)

The perfect sugar cookie should be soft, buttery, and so incredibly delicious it makes you want to polish off the entire batch in a single sitting.

This healthy sugar cookie recipe fulfills all of the above requirements… and yet these cookies are whole-grain, lower in sugar, and cholesterol-free at the same time.

Yes, healthy sugar cookies!

Do you bake cookies during the holidays? My grandmother loved baking Christmas cookies more than anyone else I know. Each year, she’d make at least ten different kinds of cookies. Michelle and I liked to help: she helped by rolling out the dough… and I helped by eating all the finished cookies! My grandfather nicknamed me “Cookie Monster” because, even before my head was tall enough to reach the table, I was stealing cookies off the tray.

Some things haven’t changed much.

sugar cookies

 

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Healthy Sugar Cookies

Healthy Sugar Cookies!

Total Time: 15m
Print This Recipe [mrp_rating_result show_count="false" show_rich_snippets="false"]

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup spelt,  ww pastry, or all-purpose flour (Update! Click for Grain Free Sugar Cookies.)
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt (just under level)
  • 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup white sugar, or sucanat, coconut sugar, or evaporated cane juice (or xylitol for a sugar-free version)
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons milk of choice
  • 1/4 cup butter-type spread, such as Earth Balance (Some readers say you can use coconut oil, but I haven't tried it. I wouldn't recommend using a low-fat buttery spread.)

Instructions

Healthy Sugar Cookies Recipe: Combine dry ingredients and mix very, very well. In a separate bowl, melt the vegan butter, then stir in vanilla and milk. Pour dry into wet and mix again. Form balls or roll out (not too thin), then use a cookie cutter to make shapes. If you want soft cookies, you’ll need to get the dough very cold. (So roll the balls first, then fridge until cold.)  Cook in a 325F preheated oven for 9 minutes. They will look very underdone when you take them out, but that’s ok!! Just let them cool for 5 minutes before touching. (I know it’s hard!) These cookies will keep at least four days, in a lidded plastic container. As a general rule, you should store soft cookies in plastic containers and crispy cookies in glass ones.

These are the same vegan sugar cookies I decorated as baby animals and brought to the football party.

 

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More About The Cookbook

 

More Healthy Cookie Ideas:

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Coconut Macaroons

Macaroons – Coconut Cookies

 

Healthy Cookies Recipes

 

Keto Cookies

 

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

 

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Published on December 1, 2011

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Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
featured on The 
Today Show, CNN, 
Fox, The 
Huffington Post, and 
ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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Reader Interactions

422 Comments

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  1. Ali @ Peaches and Football says

    Last year took part in the office’s ‘cookie exchange’ where you made 6 dozen cookies and packaged up 6 in a bag and then you got 12 different 1/2 dozen cookies in return. Lots of different things to try.

    Only I realized I like MY cookies better than most other people. I’m a fan of butter, not margarine, and I like knowing what ingredients went into the cookies. So this year I am thinking if I do make cookies, I’ll just make 1/2 batches so there’s less scattered around tempting me. 🙂

    Reply

  6. Krystina says

    Isn’t the point of sugar cookies to have a good amount of…sugar in them. By making “lower sugar sugar cookies” with 1/4 cup sugar, this doesn’t make them sugar cookies, it makes them whole wheat biscuits.

    Reply

      • Anonymous says

        And for those of us who have to watch our sugar intake (diabetes) a lower sugar option that still tastes just like a sugar cookie is very much appreciated!!
        (And even if they did taste like whole-wheat biscuits, pretty sure any recipe of Katies would be delicious)

        Reply

    • Beth says

      1/4 cup of sugar doesn’t sound like a lot, but this is a TINY recipe. It only makes about a cup of dough, so proportionally it’s still a decent amount of sugar.

      Reply

  11. Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life says

    I am having a christmas cookie decorating party in a few weeks and this seems like the perfect recipe to whip up for the kids to decorate! But, how do they bake, would they hold their shape well if made with christmas cookie cutters?

    I bet we will be eating a TON of cookies that day, so a healthier version might be a great idea!

    Reply

  12. Jennifer JCD says

    Oh, delicious!!!

    I LOVE baking cookies year-round, and at Christmas is my favourite. Instead of regular presents, most people I know get a huge tin of cookies from me instead. Gingerbread, ANZAC biscuits, shortbread, sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin, and lots of slices and squares too. Mmm… I think I’ll start some Christmas baking this weekend!

    Reply

  16. Lea @ Healthy Coconut says

    The holidays is when I baked the most, my oven is working non-stop. I love that I get to try all different recipes and I get to have a taste and then give them away to friends and family during our holiday parties.

    Love the pink icing. Do you have a recipe for that too?

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      It’s actually Pillsbury. The sugar cookies taste so yummy without icing, but I decided to use it for the photoshoot to make them LOOK prettier. (Oddly enough, Pillsbury frosting is vegan!)
      But if you did want to make a frosting, maybe try my vanilla-fudge frosting?

      Reply

  19. Lisa Broadley says

    Yes I do bake for the Holidays. This year I’m going to be giving some vegan cookies along with presents. I think it’s a nice way to open people’s minds.

    Reply

  20. Kristin @ STUFT Mama says

    I just have to say that your hair is gorgeous in your last post. Like, gorgeous. Cen we please trade?
    Ohhhh… these cookies. I’m going ot have to try them and attempt to refrain from eating more than two out of the oven. ha! And sprinkles just make everything better.
    My mom makes the best sugar cookies, but I swear she uses soooooo much butter. I’m going to have to give her some competition with these. 🙂

    Reply

  21. Leanna C says

    When I read “Healthy Sugar Cookies” in my twitter feed, it felt like pretty much all of my dreams came true. I LOVE those darned soft sugar cookies (I usually get my daily chocolate requirement from my coffee, or actual chocolate, don’t worry) and knowing that I can make them healthier is so. Super. Exciting!!!

    Totes making these when I have oven access! 🙂

    Reply

  22. Krysten says

    Oh HECK YES I am making these tonight! I have been WAITING for a sugar cookie recipe! The snickerdoodle one was awesome, and I have been looking for any excuse to bake those again. My fiance gets so mad at me for baking because he can’t help himself eating all the cookies, but now that I’ve found healthy ones he BEGS me to bake them all the time! So thanks, Katie!

    And LOL at how many people don’t read the other comments before asking. The frosting is Pillsbury! YUM!

    Reply

  24. Gen says

    Yum!!! These look fantastic!!! I’m thinking about baking a lot of goodies this holiday season and giving out bags of them as Christmas presents.

    Reply

  25. Meredith says

    YES, who doesn’t bake cookies during the holidays? My mother always make her traditional Hanukkah-shaped sugar cookies, with a frosting and sprinkle topping. They look somewhat like what you’ve got above, except in dreidel shapes, with blue and white frosting, and likely far less healthy.

    I usually bake some treats for my friends; this year I’ll be trying out some of YOUR recipes!

    Reply

  28. Amanda says

    These look great! I love that you managed to make a delicious sugar cookie with minimal sugar, too. 🙂

    The pink icing is very cute, and I’m a fan of anything with those rainbow sprinkles. Adorable!

    Reply

  32. Susan says

    Katie,

    How long do you think I could make the dough in advance & keep in the fridge? I am getting ready to head out of town tomorrow to join vegan friends for our 3rd annual CHristmas cookie baking day, I am in charge of bringing the sugar cookie dough. Today this came across my FB wall – it must mean it’s “the One” I’m meant to bring 🙂 We are not baking until Saturday but I want to mix a bunch of this dough tonight (Thursday). Okay you think? ALSO – do you think this dough will work with the new cookie stamps being sold? I bought some to use along with cutters. THANK-YOU!

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Hmmm… I think it will last around 3-4 days in the fridge (at least). But you could always roll into balls and then freeze the balls. Just thaw a little before cooking them, after you take them out of the freezer. Then they’ll last for months!! 🙂

      Reply

  33. Kit-Kat says

    Oooh, yes! My family bakes LOTS of Christmas cookies (and other goodies) during Christmas time! It is the time of year when we pull out all the baking stops and pull out every family cookie recipe from old cookbooks and pour out every bit of love and joy in our creations! Rolled out and cut sugar cookies, using my great grandmother’s tin shaped cookie cutters and wooden rolling pins, and decorated with frosting, sprinkles, and little candies, are the number #1 cookie of the season, and our freezer is always filled with them (for a little while…. we end up baking these guys once every few days because we eat them faster than anything!).
    I also like baking gun cookies (the cookie dough is pressed out of a cookie gun to form a spritz cookie, which is doused in colored sugar or sprinkles).

    Reply

  34. Eva says

    Just finished making these (and cooling them! 😉 and they are absolutely delicious! This is our first holiday season while following a vegan diet, so it’s a whole new baking experience for me. Thanks for helping make it both fun and delicious! 🙂

    Reply

  35. Emily @ Glitz Glam Granola says

    Mmm I’m not that into sugar cookies (I’d rather have chocolate!) but when you add on frosting and sprinkles, I’m all about them! My favorites are those cheap ones from the grocery store that they have for all the holidays? I find them delectable so this is a good replacement! My Grandma goes all out when it comes to Christmas cookies too! She makes tons of different kinds!

    Reply

  36. Megan says

    What beautiful cookies! They resemble a certain soft, sugary, delicious (but not nutritious) frosted cookie sold at grocery stores…(*hint, it starts with ‘loft’)…will definitely try these cookies! I usually make a sugar cookie from an old Double Day cookbook of my mother’s because they are the perfect combination of firm and soft. They aren’t too sweet and the dough works very well for cutting shapes and then frosting. At Christmas, my sister and I always make gingerbread cookies! I have also made candy cane twists, chocolate with peppermint sprinkles, and various others for parties. Thank you for making a healthy recipe!

    Reply

  39. bitt of raw says

    those cookies look so bright at pink, just like the smoothie next to me that is cherry based.

    I have a question: what happens if you don’t follow those storage rules with the cookies? I usually just store everything in glass because I don’t care for plastic.

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure! I hear you on the plastic thing. I make sure to get bpa-free containers.

      Also, someone must’ve seen my post a long time ago about the bake sale… this girl (Rebecca) asked me for the recipe for your cookies! She asked how to contact you, but I don’t want to give your email address out without your consent so I thought you could contact her if you wish. Here’s her profile if you’re interested in getting in touch with her: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1224767111

      Reply

  40. DawnW says

    So these are soft cookies? I know you mentioned they are soft,I just want to make sure they’re what I’m looking for.I’ve been searching for a vegan recipe for soft,chewy sugar cookies. All I’ve found are the hard cut-out kind.

    Reply

  42. Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit says

    My colleagues and I are having a bake off before winter break. They’re choosing 3 types of cookies and I’m going to make them the healthy way, and they are going to make them the normal way. Sugar cookies are going to be one of the cookies! I’m totally going to use your recipe! Generally I’m gluten-free, but I won’t be doing the judging, so this will be great!

    Reply

  43. Ellen says

    Hehe, I go crazy baking our family’s favorite Christmas cookies every year! Cookies are the one thing I can afford to give people as gifts that they can’t get anywhere else, or buy for themselves.
    I am happy to have discovered your blog-this year I can sneak some healthy options in the mix:)

    Reply

  44. Maya says

    I am totally like your grandma! I love baking tons of different things at Christmas and making platters for people.

    Katie I have a totally random question for you! What is your system for storing ingredients? I love buying different types of flour, sweeteners, etc. etc. but it’s hard to keep them organized. maybe because my pantry is deep rather than wide/shallow, but things seem to get lost in there! Do you have containers you’ve found that work really well?

    Reply

      • Maya says

        Haha I am totally the same way. I do know where everything is, but it is just one big mess in there. I’d like to count myself as a “organized mess” but I secretly think it’s just because I have a good memory.

        Reply

    • Anonymous says

      Hello Katie and THANK YOU!!!!! AND a BIG THANKS to WFAA Chanel 8 for bringing your story to the public. I work in a highschool setting and needless to say there is no lack of “goodies” that teachers/staff bring to share. Well my personal motto this year is “I want to bake the cake and eat it too in a healthier way”. I’ve always been conscious of how I bake and cook leaving just a little sugar or butter that is normally called for and it really doesn’t change the taste or texture but thanks to you I’m omitting/exchanging alot more than that. With that in mind I made the chocolate chip/garbanzo cookie and brought it to work. I’ve let everyone taste it and they LOVED it!!! When I told them the ingredients the mouths dropped and wanted the recipe. Thanks again and I’ll be “having my cake and eating it too” and sharing it with family and friends.

      Reply

  46. Avery says

    Hey Katie! I’m a 19-year-old college student who has been following your blog for a decidedly lengthy period of time without coming out and introducing myself (not because finding desserts whimsical, merry, and childhood memory-inducing is shameful, but because most people attach a bit of stigma to those who strive to be healthy). I so appreciate your offering healthier dessert alternatives, not because I think indulging in them disguises an attempt to deprive myself (I have no problem with your desserts’ full-fat, full-calorie counterparts, in moderation), but because it’s fantastic to be able to feel good about treating myself on a more semi-regular basis. Not to throw stones or name names (ah, the age where it’s socially acceptable to hide behind screen-names), but I’ve heard that certain people online like to accuse your recipes of being triggering to those with eating disorders. Whether this is or isn’t the case for some (really anything can be triggering to different people, I’ve found, including cookbooks full of comfort food . . . you can’t win), I can attest to the fact that I find your writing charming, your recipes sweet, indulgent, and delicious, and your weakness for chocolate something that I can certainly sympathize with. Please continue to do what you’re doing. The naysayers need to jump in a vat of chocolate of something.

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Hi Avery,

      Thank you so much for your sweet comment! Yeah, I think I probably know the forum you’re talking about. When I first found it, I did check it sometimes out of curiosity. But they were basically saying the same things over and over(most of which was completely untrue and some of which was seriously ridiculous), so I got bored and I actually don’t even bother to check it anymore. I know the people there must be going through their own issues. Normal, happy people don’t spend their day writing mean things about people, and I only wish they could see that they’re hurting themselves by wasting so much of thier own time putting others down.

      (Also lol I agree with you about eating normal desserts. I actually want to do a post about it sometime in the near future. My blog is based on healthy treats, but that doesn’t mean I always only eat healthy treats! If my friend makes me vegan brownies, with white flour and lotsa sugar, those suckers are GONE! ;))

      Reply

      • Anna Crouch says

        Wow…really? There’s a forum out there with CCK haters? How is that possible?! You’re like…the sweetest (pun intended 🙂 ) blogger in the dessert blogging world!!! I have never found any of your posts to be triggering…. But your right, everyone is different, and as Avery said, you can’t win with everyone. It’s much like when we get a new president. We vote him in to office, yet there’s ALWAYS someone who ends up hating him 🙂 lol

        Keep it up Katie….99.99999% of the people who come across your blog LOVE it….that’s what matters.

        Reply

        • RE says

          Wow I can’t believe I’m reading that there’s haters on a blog just for CCK. Lol. That’s just pitiful.

          I’m thankful for your blog. I’m a breastfeeding mother of a 15 mo old boy and I love sweets and love to make them for my family. Unfortunately my son and I are allergic to gluten/wheat and dairy and eggs. Although I (sometimes) use quail eggs with no reaction. I also stay away from refined sugars for health reasons for my family. My husbands side of the family has a high incident of diabetes and he’s reforming from being addicted to white flour and white sugar.

          So it’s a blessing to have recipes for sweets to lovingly feed my family, myself and friends that I don’t feel guilty about loading them up with poisonous white refined sugar and I can eat them and not be tortured bc they’re gluten free

          And I’m excited to try this sugar cookie recipe!!

          Reply

      • jo @ including cake says

        I love the fact you are totally cool with eating actual ‘naughty’ things too! It could be very easy to feel as though you should keep up a constant ‘example to others’ as you have become such a role model in many ways, and i imagine that would just get you down. it’s simply about stricking a balance for yourself and you seem to do that so well.Getting that balance is what i also aspire to…..keep going!!

        Reply

  47. Jess says

    I love baking cookies any time of year, but there’s just something special about baking Christmas cookies. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy 🙂

    Reply

  48. Sarah says

    Ok, how did this happen? that I, who checks your blog 10 am and counting, am checking at 4:30? well all i have to say is… OH. NO. YOU. DIDN’T. I am makin these stat. Perfect with a gingerbread latte, no? Done and done 🙂

    Reply

  53. Heather @ Bake, Run, Live says

    I am baking lots of cookies this year! I am posting 12 days of Christmas cookies (1st recipe today!), and in addition, I bake 12 different kinds of cookies for cookie trays. I buy flour 25 pounds at a time…and my house smells wonderful!!

    Reply

  55. Kathryn says

    Made these today for the kids! Fantastic recipe! Put the balls in the freezer for about 15 min., then baked. They came out soft and scrumptious!

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      I am so so excited you made them!
      Sel-restraint… yeah, I wish I had that. I burned my tongue on one, and I have such a hard time waiting for them to cool. It’s the same with things like banana bread. I hate that you have to wait 45 minutes for the bread to cook, but it starts to make the house smell good after only ten. Torture! 😉

      Reply

  57. Kris (everyday oats) says

    these look delicious katie! totally adding them to my “cookies to bake this holiday season” list! 🙂

    Reply

  60. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says

    Do you bake cookies during the holidays? = Is the sky blue?

    🙂

    These look so good and love the pink!! frosting and sprinkles. They look like they would melt in my mouth and soooo good!

    Reply

  62. Mari says

    Hi! I read your blog alot and appreictae your healthy takes on desserts…but I feel like if you are going to show something with frosting there should be a frosting recipe! Im not trying to troll or anything, just saying… (kind of like thet latte the other day being shown with whipped cream). Frosting is pretty easy to make if you use earth balance instead of butter! and homemade frosting is wayyy better than anything store bought (plus you can crontol what goes into it!)

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Hi Mari,

      For the latte, there WAS a whipped cream recipe. I used my coconut cool whip, which I posted awhile back. As for these sugar cookies, I was in a hurry and need to save time where I can. I usually make at least 2 desserts a day, so I appreciate shortcuts sometimes :).

      Reply

  66. Emma (Sweet Tooth Runner) says

    I can’t WAIT to make these!! I LOVE YOU KATIE for making the best things vegan and easy to make!! 😀

    I make gingerbread cookies every Christmas and hang them on our tree! Maybe this year it’ll be sugar cookies instead 😉

    Reply

  67. emilie says

    I love your recipes! I’m a huge “healthy baker”. I just can’t seem to justify the full fat/sugar kind (although I do it for special occasions!). I can’t wait to try some of your recipes!

    Emilie

    Reply

  68. michelle says

    What kind of frosting was that? HAHA I read your answer over and over…
    Who would ever say mean things to you? I love your recipes ..had the chocolate pumpkin pie fir tgxhvg…finally made your whip cream I could’ve ate that alone! These look great im gonna try them soon!

    Reply

  71. Jeanna says

    Made these tonight and both my husband and I loved them!! I made one batch with cinnamon added and they tasted a little like graham crackers. I cut them into 2″ rounds and they made 1 dozen. Not that there are that many left anymore….I had to chase my husband out of the kitchen to let them cool a bit!!!
    I think I will substitute coconut extract for the vanilla next time and see what happens??? Have you thought of replacing the vegan butter with coconut oil? I was reading that you can use it as a butter substitute in baking but have not tried it yet.

    Reply

      • Stephanie says

        I made these today subbing coconut oil for Earth Balance and they still came out delicious and soft! 🙂 I only used 3 tablespoons though because I read that the rule for replacing butter with coconut oil is to use 75% of what the recipe calls for.

        Personally, I don’t think adding salt is necessary…I might actually cut down the salt a bit next time and use a heaping 1/8 teaspoon! I prefer things on the less salty side but that’s just me 😉

        Reply

  72. Moni'sMeals says

    Great pic here Katie!

    I hope to make these. I am a sucker for very crisp, yet buttery Sugar Cookies so I am curious to how these hold up. Since it is one of your recipes I know I will LOVE IT!!

    Reply

  73. Katie @ Nutrition in a peanut shell says

    Thank you Katie! My best friend’s birthday is coming up and all she wants is sugar cookies! I have no doubt she’ll enjoy these…and I can sneak some too 🙂

    Reply

  74. Maddy says

    Oh my goodness, these look amazing! Hmmm…which of the sugars did you use for this batch? I have some coconut sugar in the cupboard!

    Reply

  75. Robin says

    I always bake cookies, not just during the holidays. Although I have to say that the holidays are a good way to excuse the way too big batches I tend to make.

    Reply

  77. Diandra says

    I love baking cookies. This year, I have had three sessions so far: One for a swap, one with the BF’s family and one just for fun. I think I will have at least one more, this weekend, for the office, and maybe one or two with friends. You cannot have “too many” cookies, right?

    Reply

  79. midzee says

    Hey Katie, I know that this is the raziest question, and that it is completly out of the blue, but what are you doing right now and what part of Texas are you in? If you are anywhere in the north-eastern part of the state, i really would love to meet you and tell you my story. If not then please email me the instant you get this post. Beause i feel the need to tell you this, i just have the strangest feeling that i an trust you.

    Reply

  80. [email protected] says

    I had no idea about the soft vs crispy cookie storage. Thanks! I love a soft sugar cookie, and baking during the holidays happens because, though I love it always, the holidays are an excuse!! Vegan cookies for all 🙂

    Reply

  81. J.Godbolt says

    Them cookies looks delicious! I’m getting married on Dec 17,2011 I wish you could send me some for that day or week! Great Job!

    Reply

  83. Emma says

    This really isn’t related to this post at all, but I have a question for the dessert queen: I have never used brown rice syrup before but would like to try it. Does it have a distinctive taste, like maple syrup or honey (sorry vegans!), or is it more “neutral” like….I don’t know, a simple sugar syrup? What about viscosity– thick like molasses or more runny? What about agave, I have never used that either?

    BUT thank you so much for this recipe! For the past 2 years my go-to sugar cookie recipe has been Cooking Light’s slice and bake icebox sugar cookie recipe (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/basic-icebox-sugar-cookies-10000000222237/ — not vegan either, it uses an egg white but I usually just leave it out and add a little milk instead) for its simplicity and the fact that it only uses 1/4 c butter for 1 cup of flour, but holy cow! Even cutting the 2/3 cup of sugar down to 1/2 cup makes me need to brush my teeth afterwards! I like using part brown sugar too. You say that these cookies are soft– are they chewy soft, or cakey soft? Thank you again, I am starting my must-bake Christmas cookie list and these are at the top!

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Hmmm… it *looks* like caramel, and it’s thick like that too. I can’t really describe the taste, though!

      Agave is more like pure maple syrup, in that it’s not extremely thick. (Maybe a little thicker than maple syrup.) And it tastes like… lol once again I can’t explain it! People say it tastes kinda like honey.

      The cookies are cakey-soft… as long as you don’t overcook them :).

      Reply

  84. Jay says

    Don’t you think it’s misleading that for photos you use things that are not part of the recipe (like this store-bought icing)?

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Umm no, that’s ridiculous. Photographers (or cookbook authors) do that all the time. Ice cream on top of pie, whipped cream on a hot cocoa recipe, syrup on pancakes… I really don’t see how saying I used store-bought icing is a problem. If you want to use it on your cookies, you CAN. It’s not like I’ve done something in my photos that people can’t rerceate at home.

      Reply

  85. Stephanie says

    Your sugar cookies are so dainty looking! I will have to try this recipe as sugar cookies do look great on holiday platters!

    I would like to also request some breakfast/brunch, drink, or ‘hearty” recipe ideas that go along with the holiday season. I love the idea of gingerbread flavor! A gingerbread oat breakfast of some sort sounds amazing to me!! I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  86. belle (tinkeringinthekitchen) says

    this looks so yummy! Ive bookmarked it ready to get the ingredients next time I brave the supermarket, thanks! Belle

    Reply

  87. Midge says

    Hi, Katie! I made these cookies tonight (I live in the middle east, so it’s nighttime here) and they were very tasty. I’m not vegan so I used full-fat dairy milk and real butter. I also used white sugar and whole wheat pastry flour. Not sure how healthy these actually were given all of my substitutions, but I don’t eat cookies for their nutritional value. At any rate, thanks for the recipe! Quick question: I made your chocolate chip blondies a few weeks ago and they tasted like sweetened chick peas, not blondies. I mean, they were tasty (I happen to like chick peas — sweetened or not) but my husband could taste the beans and didn’t dig them so much. What did I do wrong?

    Reply

  89. LizAshlee says

    Back in my unhealthy days..I remember buying a box of iced sugar cookies and eating nearly the entire container in one evening!! These cookies remind me of those-YUM-but obviously much more HEALTHY!! Great recipe! 🙂

    Reply

  90. Carrie says

    These cookies didn’t work when I subbed almond flour (needed gluten free and did not have GF baking mix on hand). Don’t have a lot of experience with almond flour though–it worked for me as a sub in some muffins. Maybe that was the problem? Dough was DELICIOUS though. What do you think is the best GF flour option for baking cookies?

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Yes, I wouldn’t recommend baking with almond flour unless you combine it with other flours and xantham gum. It needs something to hold it together. A good gf option is to buy a gf mix, such as Arrowhead Mills. Or google for how to use xantham gum in gf baked goods.

      Reply

  92. Laura says

    so funny – actually checked your blog over a week ago to see if you had sugar cookies. Ended up making something up – they were actually quite similar to yours! Thanks for posting! love you blog!

    Reply

  94. Jenna says

    So excited to do some cookie baking! We just decorated our apartment for the holidays and I found a bunch of christmas themed sprinkles and cookie cutters. I need to perfect some recipes before going home to Chicago so I can impress my family.

    Reply

  95. Erin says

    I made them tonight but all they tasted like was baking soda for some reason.. I doubled the recipe, which equals to 3/4 tsp baking soda and I specifically remember using the 1/2 + 1/4 teaspons, but they still tasted like baking soda. Hmm..

    Reply

  97. Amanda says

    Those look so good! I love sugar cookies and haven’t made them in so long, thanks for the reminder and a healthy one at that! Where is the icing recipe that you used? You rock BTW!!!

    Reply

  98. Honey What's Cooking says

    Katie, I love that you come up with such healthy recipes, I’m always trying to do so. It’s so easy to put on weight during this time of year, and this is a great recipe to make for the kids. Love it.

    Reply

  100. stephanie k says

    ok so i just made these subbing with peanut flour!!!! (using a full cup and a bit more almond milk because it was a little too sweet) OMG not only are the cookies amazing and moist and indulgent (i made jam thumbprints), the dough tastes like the PERFECT base for peanut butter truffles. Next batch, I’m gonna roll them around in cocoa for at-work distribution!

    this is a great recipe to get my creative juices working 🙂

    Reply

  101. Kristine says

    Love all your recipes…so creative! I made these tonight and did it to a tee, but used the Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour as suggested, Earth Balance & palm sugar. Everything else exactly as instructed. The dough was really sticky (enough that I couldn’t roll them). So I added about 1/4 cup more flour so I could roll them, but once they were chilled and baked, they tasted flour-y (probably cause I added the additional after the fact).

    But then again, I’m not a super big fan of that flour anyway…tastes kinda beany to me…lol. I think I’ll sacrifice a bit of a tummy ache to try it with ww flour, cause they look AMAZING!

    Just wanted to let ya know in case anyone tries with that particular flour and it doesn’t work out… 🙂

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Yikes! I’d actually not tried that particular brand of gf dough :-?. I do know that someone used buckwheat flour, almond flour, and xantham gum for a gf version. (I really need to practice my gf baking skills more!)
      If you use ww, make sure it’s the pastry flour :).

      Reply

      • Kristine says

        Duh, I just realized you posted Arrowhead Mills…my bad! Yah I saw that variation with the buckwheat, but its so strong tasting, not sure how that would be. I wouldn’t worry about practicing your gf skills unless you ‘had’ too. So darn finicky! I may give it another go with oat flour…usually have pretty good luck using that…when I’m in the mood to experiment.

        Oh yes, I’d use the pastry flour…such a difference between that and regular ww.

        Reply

  102. Jody says

    I went to make these last night and I must of used too much liquid, my batter was super wet (but delicious, crazy good delcious) so instead of lots of little cookies I dumped the batter in a pie pan, spread it out, put it in the fridge for about 1/2 hour and then baked for 15 minutes. It still looked not-done, but when it cooled it looked really good. Tonight, I’m frosting it with your Vanilla (Tofu) Frosting and decorating it with lots of fruit. (Kiwi, strawberries and raspberries) to take to a holiday party. I’m so exicited to see how my ‘Katie’ inspired creation comes together. (I’ll send you a pic on twitter) I’m also thinking about taking the fruit bar batter and rolling it into a pie crust and then filling it with your chocolate mousse for “our” next creation. Thanks again for all the amazing recipes that inspire me to get my booty baking in the kitchen!

    Reply

    • Jody says

      Ah, after I read all the other comments I realized I used the wrong flour. Ah well, I think I still have a success on my hands but I’ll know for future reference. I’m not worried, I mean who doesn’t like cookie pie or cookie pizza? I still haven’t decided how I’m going to display and transport it. Pie pan is easy, but its blue glass. (So not Christmasy) If I make it more like a pizza I can put it on a clear plate. I’m planning on precutting it before I frost it too regardless of how I display it.

      Reply

  105. nicolita says

    What about coconut butter instead of vegan butter? Do you think that would work? I have never cooked or baked with it before.
    I am excited to make these for my vegan friends for Christmas. :o) yum

    Reply

  106. Priscilla says

    Hi Katie, We just baked your delicious healthy vegan sugar cookies and they are “AMAZING!” We are always looking for healthy alternatives to baking, especially with having a 2 and 4 year old. Thank you so much! Wishing you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday. 🙂

    Reply

  107. Jill says

    I used coconut oil, which made the dough hard to work with too cold. So I cooked them for only 7 minutes and they puffed up so nicely. The teens I made them for LOVED them. They were so soft and tasty even using White Whole Wheat & Spelt flour.

    Reply

  110. Colette says

    wow! so many comments but i can’t not leave one!

    these cookies are fantastic. my husbands hardly ever impressed when i make vegan desserts (he’s not much of a dessert guy in general). but with these cookies he said “i could eat a lot of these cookies.” of course my kids love them too. and then we added frosting. they are amazing with or without frosting and sooooo easy to make! thank you!

    Reply

  111. Nicci says

    Question – why do you say that refrigerated dough makes softer cookies? I’ve never heard that and can’t find anything else about it anywhere on the web… Just wondering, because I LOVE softer cookies! Thanks

    Reply

  112. Lexi @ A Spoonful of Sunshine says

    Do these taste at all like the lofthouse sugar cookies that they sell in stores? That would seriously make my day 🙂

    Reply

  113. katia says

    Just tried these today, warm out of the oven: OHMYGOSH. My vegan sister loved them:) all of your recipes that I’ve tried out have been a success so far! Thank you, you make it easier to be healthy. 🙂

    Reply

  114. JoAnn says

    Hi there,

    I just found you & am so excited to try your recipes…my little boy is allergic to eggs & peanuts, so baking has become quite challenging for me!

    Anyway, i was curious which type of nondairy milk is your favorite to use in baking? Is there much of a taste difference?

    Thanks!!!
    JoAnn

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Hi JoAnn!

      I really like Blue Diamond almond breeze. Yes, there definitely is a difference among nondairy milks. Coconut milk has a sweet aftertaste, ricemilk is thin and watery, soymilk is thicker, etc. Try out different types until you find a favorite… or maybe you’ll find that you like a certain type best depending on the recipe you’re making :).

      Reply

  115. Malinda says

    Katie, I tried these and they flattened out like paper. 🙁 Any ideas??? But BOY did they taste great!!!! We still ate them!!! Any ideas would be helpful! I want to try them again.

    Reply

      • Malinda says

        I did chill them…and I used regular flour. I am determined to try them again. I did bake them longer than you suggested, so now I’m wondering if that was it! They looked undone, so I added cooking time. I do typically need to do that in my oven, but perhaps I really over-did it. They were not burned at all. Thanks!!! And sorry I just now saw that you replied. 🙂 My husband said they tasted awesome, which they did, but they fell apart picking them up and were flat as paper. haha!

        Reply

  116. Chloe says

    Oh my goodness these are the best sugar cookies I’ve ever had! I’ve been searching for one with my gluten-free veganism, and these didn’t even crumble with gluten-free flour! My non-vegan siblings (even one who is allergic to dairy and refuses to give it up) loved the dairy-free version! Thanks, Katie! 🙂

    Reply

  118. Rachel says

    Yum-would these be available in a smaller serving? Ie 4 biscuits instead of 12?
    I love Anzac biscuits too, and they can easily be made vegan. I made a huge batch for Australia day yesterday to take to work too make up for the fact we had to work on a public holiday. All the other nurses loved them!
    BTW I am following you on Pinterest now-lots of fun 🙂

    Reply

  121. Ann says

    Last night my husband and I had a sweet tooth. I made these sugar cookies using coconut oil and they were TO DIE FOR! Addicting really. THANK you for all of your amazing recipes! Your website is always a go-to when I want sweets but don’t want to compromise my waistline 🙂

    Reply

  122. Lisa VB says

    Hi Katie! I made these yesterday with a heart cookie cutter and pink frosting and of course sprinkles 🙂 They are so soft and yummy!!!! They have better flavor than a typical sugar cookie. Thank you so much for sharing the LOVE and your awesome recipes! Happy Valentines Day

    Reply

  123. Trisha says

    My daughter and I made these today and they are awesome!!!! My sister has a liver disorder so she has to limit calories and fat- your site has been a huge help in finding healthy sweet treats to make for her. Thanks so much!!!

    Reply

  124. grace says

    hey I’m like ten and me my family eat nothing but healthy so i was so looking forward to something sweet and healthy i wil be trying these soon thanks a bunch.

    Reply

  127. Susan says

    Just wanted you to know I made these today. Altered them a bit by adding 6 packet of “true lemon” to the dry ingredients, and rolling them in two packets of true lemon with some sugar before baking. Made wonderful Lemon cookies 🙂

    Reply

  128. Jaime says

    I couldn’t find in the comments–did anyone try coconut oil? How did it turn out? Please say soft. Oh please, please say soft!!!

    Reply

  129. Chelsea says

    WHOA! I just made these and OH MY GOSH! This is the first recipe of yours I’ve tried (I just found your site and it’s one of the only things in which I have everything on hand) but I will definitely, definitely be making many more of your recipes. Thanks, these were insane!

    Reply

  130. Emily says

    Katie,
    These are awesome. I’ve made them about 4 times in the last few weeks. In the process, I discovered that adding sprinkles to the batter makes them even more exciting! Also, I decided I like the dough better than the baked cookies, so today I mixed up a bowl of dough (with my hands, I might add) and stuck it in my freezer to nibble on whenever I so choose. Just thought I’d let you know. Thanks for a(nother) great recipe!

    Reply

  131. Tara says

    Just made these and tinted them green for St. Patrick’s Day! I used real butter (since that’s not a huge issue for me) and coconut sugar. Not too sweet (thank God) and a nice rustic taste which I love as well as pillow-y soft. I will definitely be making these again!!

    Reply

  132. Andrea says

    Hey, was going to give this recipe a go. The colour attracted me! What frosting recipe do you use?
    Thanks,
    Andrea

    Reply

  134. Rachel says

    Katie, how many cookies does this recipe make? Would you mind adding the amounts to your recipes? I have wantd to try a bunch of recipes but sometimes can’t figure out how many the recipe will make, whether I should double it for a large crowd, etc.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Lanaya says

      I only got 12 from this recipe and I just made little balls out of mine then pressed (like pb cookies) next time i will double it.

      Reply

  136. Jennifer says

    I was wondering do you know how many calories are in these cookies? A few of the girls I work with were wondering. I am so excited to try out this recipe.

    Reply

  137. Lanaya says

    I just made these (gluten free) and they turned out awesome. I used gf flour, substituted the sugar with xylitol, and coconut oil for the butter. Wow no need for any icing on top they just melt in your mouth just like this. I did leave them in the oven for 4 minutes longer since I like my cookies a little more crisp on the bottoms. Thanks for the great recipe!!!!

    Reply

  138. Crystal says

    I made these for the kids for Easter. I double the recipe and it made 15 medium sized bunnies. They were incredible! I’ll probably always make these instead of a standard sugar cookie. Kids and grown-ups both LOVED them!

    Reply

  139. Chris says

    I just found these this morning…..and I REALLY want to help those gluten-free bakers out there!! I don’t buy the g-f baking mixes; I always mix up my own. I realize this can make for a messier kitchen but I’m so picky, I prefer to cater to each recipe depending on what I think it needs. I want to say that, when I first started baking g-free, my standard substitution was equal parts sweet sorghum flour, white rice flour, and tapioca starch. It’s still the formula I go with if I want something really ‘naughty’ and ‘white flour-like’ in a dessert!! Otherwise, I play around. For this recipe, although I haven’t made it (yet!) I’d say I would definitely go with that formula, maybe using a fine brown rice flour instead of the white. Also, my standard leaning is to add about one additional tablespoon of the sweet sorghum per cup of regular flour called for…..if weights are given, it’s easier to get it right on the first try but with cup measurements you have to go with look-feel. I hope this helps all who are trying like mad to eat better and not feel so rotten but are just getting their feet wet with g-free baking! We DO need our sweets after all!!!

    I’m glad to hear that coconut oil works since that was the direction I wanted to go. I can’t help but to think a little coconut flour subbed in wouldn’t hurt either! Maybe a touch of coconut flavoring….and then the frosting? More coconut with chocolate drizzle? And here I thought I wasn’t going to bake today!

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      I love all your ideas!
      Also, I really need to start experimenting more with coconut flour. I love the flavor, but I never know what to do with it.

      Thank you so much for taking time to leave help for gf bakers. I’m trying to learn more about gf baking, but I’m admittedly new at it!

      Reply

      • Maise says

        wow..I’m going to sound like a pig…but I am a HUGE frosting lover (can eat straight from the can)..I shouldn’t have read the comments..haha 🙂

        Reply

  142. Laura says

    Hmmm… I have a cookie business, and maybe I should try using these as our sugar cookies and seeing if anyone notices. ;). Due to health issues, too much sugar makes me sick, but I have a major sweet tooth so I usually just put up with being nauseous. Your recipes are a perfect solution!

    I am probably heading off to make the cookie dough dip tonight.

    Reply

      • Amy says

        I tried it with veg oil and white flour. They were a little greasy to touch but great texture. They needed a little more flavor though. I think the oil took away a lot of it. I still liked them i just need to try it with the earth balance and see how it was different. Thanks for giving us so many options love your site.. I am on nere every day…:-)

        Reply

  145. Sarah says

    Question for you, in recipes (such as this one) that you’re using all-purpose flour, could it be substituted for oat flour? (I have a bunch in my cabinet that I used to make cookies and I wanted to use it up!) Thanks!

    Reply

  146. Trish @ MyBigFatBundt says

    Katie, these were sooooo good! I will admit, they are every bit as good as my non-vegan sugar cookie recipe, which includes real butter, eggs, and a touch of brown sugar. I thought nothing could match that recipe. Well this one is right up there and requires less ingredients! I halved your recipe, and then just took the dough and rolled it into two big cookie dough balls. No chilling, just straight into the oven at a about 350 F for about 11 minutes. Took cookies out and once they cooled, they flattened out into perfectly shaped cookies. Just barely crisp on the edges and super soft and tender on the inside. Goooood!

    Reply

  147. Jennifer says

    Katie Thank you for this recipe it was soo yummy!!! But I wanted to reduce the fat I have older family members who have heart disease so I try to make treats everyone can enjoy they turned out awesome!!!!! So I used ww pastry flour, sucanat, soy milk, 1/8 c coconut oil and 1/8 c applesauce, everything else was per your recipe They were just a little cake-like and I had to increase the cooking time to 16 minutes and they were awesome!!!!!! Thank you so much everyone loved them!!!

    Reply

  150. Maise says

    Wow, SOO YUMMY! I made these AND the sugar cookie milkshakes for fathers day (Sugar daddy shakes?YES PLEASE!).Both recipes were delicous, as for the cookies..I did add only 1 tbsp. extra sugar, and had only regular butter…but I swear, they were THE BEST sugar cookies, I have EVER tasted! And the shake was just HEAVEN…& I don’t even like bananas! 🙂 Thanks Katie, for helping me serve amazing (yet healthy) treats to the ones I love!

    Reply

  151. Jackie says

    I just made these, but I added some canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices (I am channeling autumn!!). They turned out AMAZING. I rarely cook with real sugar, but I followed your recipe exactly and it was great. Had to add a little more flour to compensate for the pumpkin…but wow. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

    Reply

  152. April says

    AMAZING! My favorite dessert (the one both my partner and I can’t live without) is fruit pizza. Essentially a giant sugar cookie baked in a cookie sheet, topped with whipped cream (mixed with lemon yogurt), and lots-o-fruit! We have been vegetarians for years but recently switched to a vegan (and sugar free) diet and I have been on the hunt for a way to still make our delicious fruit pizza. YOU HAVE SAVED THE DAY! Between this sugar cookie recipe and your whipped cream recipe we are able to delight ourselves and our families (as they have been missing the sweet treat at BBQs and various functions) in a much healthier version of our favorite dessert. Thank you so much!!

    Reply

  154. Mackenzie says

    Best sugar cookies ever!! I made the dough and just stick it in the fridge and whenever I want some cookies I just take some dough and stick it in the toaster oven!

    Reply

  155. Grace says

    Ok, these were delicious. We put a dollop of hot fudge on top. Our variations were..I did use the coconut oil and it worked…but I also used a combo of 1/4 c oat flour and 1/2 ww pastry flour. I used sucanant. So good! My husband even said, these are delicious…they can’t be good for me :0) Our little secret. However, ours turned out a little darker in color than yours appear to be. So far we LOVE everything you have shared with us!

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Many of my recipes call for agave :).
      As for ww flour… I have a few, but mostly I stick to whole wheat pastry flour or whole-grain spelt flour because they yield lighter-texture baked goods than regular ww flour. I have a ww flour bread recipe I want to post soon, though.

      Reply

  160. Krista says

    My daughter was very happy with these cookies. She has food allergies. Planning on using the cookie recipe to make a Fruit Pizza for her for her 2nd birthday.

    Reply

  163. Jennifer says

    Has anyone tried to make these cookies with flavoured sugar? Last night I made them with lavender sugar and they were amazing! I have also made these cookies with M&Ms and they were equally as amazing. Great recipe! 🙂

    Reply

  166. Mary H. says

    I’d love to try these, but would need to try one of the sugar substitutes. Never used xylitol before…can u tell me a little about it? Do you sub directly for sugar, or is there a formula?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  167. Tamaira says

    Hey! Curious could I use AP spelt flour or oat flour? Or is it worth the hunt to try and find WW pastry flour ( never seen it before in my city).
    Thanks !!!!!!

    Reply

  168. Jacqueline says

    I stared at this recipe for a good week before deciding to make it. No words can describe how amazing these are. Lets just say we are on our 2nd batch in 24 hours. We try to eat as clean as possible so I substituted have of the sugar for coconut crystals, used half white whole wheat and half brown rice flour. Delicious!

    Reply

  169. Jeanine says

    Hello!
    I was just curious about which frosting you used for this amazing recipe? I really look forward to trying it out!!!

    Reply

  171. sheri says

    How can these be healthy if using vegan butter which has soy in it or smart balance which is a man made science project. I make mine from Wholesome pure butter. The Pillsbury frosting contains (SUGAR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN AND COTTONSEED OIL), WATER, CORN SYRUP, CORN STARCH, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SALT, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, COLOR ADDED INCLUDING YELLOW 5 AND RED 40, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, POLYSORBATE 60, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), SOY LECITHIN, CITRIC ACID. CONTAINS SOYBEAN INGREDIENT). I don’t want all those chemicals on my cookies that I serve to my family.

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Hi Sheri,

      I don’t think Earth Balance in moderation is harmful, but hopefully you will like the sugar cookie recipe I’m posting tomorrow much better–they will have no soy, no vegan butter, and no refined sugar :).

      Reply

      • Kailey says

        I agree. I think that butter substitutes and things like veggie shortening are not harmful in moderation, especially since they contain significantly less fat than their non-vegan counterparts. Also, it is very, very difficult to make sugar cookies without butter substitutes. I can make chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, and more without using any substitute for butter or any shortening but sugar cookies require it.

        What are the cookies called? Can you link me to the recipe?

        Reply

  172. Hannah says

    I’ll say I bake cookies during the holidays…Lots of cookies! I love making cookie platters! This year, I’m making my mother her own special cookie platter, because of food allergies.

    We tried this recipe today. I changed a few things, like I used honey for sweetener, and coconut oil instead of the vegan substitute. The results were delicious, and my mother ate just about the whole batch. Thanks!

    Reply

  173. Tanya says

    This is my first vegan Christmas and I’ve always been the one to go over board with the baking. I’m excited to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing it 🙂

    Reply

  174. Laura says

    Hey Katie,
    Please please PLEASE can you come up with a version of these cookies using almond flour? You would be my favorite person ever. I have celiac disease and haven’t gotten to eat a sugar cookie in so long :(.
    Alternatively do you have any recipes that use almond flour, and if you do can you tell me which ones?

    Sincerely,
    Missing Sugar Cookies Like Crazy

    Reply

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Okay, I will do it. 🙂
      Or I’ll try at least. I first attempted your challenge this morning, subbing almond meal for the flour in this recipe (and subbing the earth balance for oil, but making very few other changes). The results were pretty crumbly and just not good. I’m going to try again, replacing the sugar with a liquid sweetener this time. Hopefully it’ll work better than my first attempt and I won’t let you down!

      Unfortunately, I don’t think I currently have a single recipe that calls for almond flour. I bought a bag of it awhile ago, after getting numerous requests for almond-flour recipes… but it was neglected in my kitchen cabinet until today.

      Reply

  176. Emma says

    Hi Katie!!
    My good friend that is vegan and I just made these cookies! WOW so so good. We couldn’t believe they were actually vegan AND low in sugar. Love love love them! To make them more festive for the holidays, we rolled them in red and green sprinkles and they turned out great.
    Thanks so much for the awesome recipe! 🙂

    Reply

  177. Anononon says

    They look yummy, albeit not healthy (not sure why they would be labeled as such), yummy, yes. I consider Fresh caught salmon and organic chia seeds healthy, but not sugary cookies, lol. Anyway, will try with gluten-free flour.

    Reply

  179. amber says

    i made some both times i did they were sticky how do i make thim the way they are sapose to be . i used all purpose floure. cane juice , smartbalance butter , 2% milk and evrything else was the same

    Reply

  180. Shayna says

    These look DELICIOUS! I want to try them but I can’t find the nutritional info. I’m just curious how many calories are in them. In another comment, you said there was a link to the nutritional info but I searched everywhere and it isn’t here – could you re-post or just let us know the calories? Thank you!!

    Reply

  182. Katie H says

    Katie this recipie is perfect!! I am really into health but I love baking (just like you!…even our names are both Katie lol). Anyway I bake “unhealthy” sugar cookies for my family all the time until I came across this recipie! My family didnt even know I switched recipies! They taste so similar (unlike my brownie to black bean brownie switch…that was a tad more obvious). I used sweetener so my family calls this ” sugar-less sugar cookies” :). Thanks so much for sharing this…. My next recipie I will try is flourless oatmeal raisin cookies!

    Reply

  185. Sara A says

    Hi Katie,
    These sugar cookies look superb! I just wanted to give you a head’s up that there is no nutritional information link for this post. I thought I was crazy, but even used the search function within my browser; the link is definitely missing. Thanks for your tasty recipes and gorgeous food photos!

    Reply

  186. Susan says

    Hi Katie,
    I made your delicious sugar cookie recipe today and I thought I would let you know how happy it made a bunch of college students. I’m a student in Boston, and due to the lockdwn I’m stuck in my brownstone w/o access to a dining hall, so I made your cookies to share and they definitely helped brighten everyone’s day! As a student I really appreciate that your recipes use easy to find (and cheap!) ingredients. Thanks again! =)

    Reply

  187. jennifer trumbo says

    I’ve always made these with coconut oil, and oh my gosh- they are amazing!!! this is my new go-to cookie recipe. Since coconut oil is solid in colder temps, I just measure out 1/4 cup and throw it in the microwave for a minute, then stir in the milk before adding it to the dry ingredients. Sometimes I also just freeze the dough and dig in 😛 thanks for such a yummy recipe! All of my friends ask for it 🙂

    Reply

  188. Thikra says

    Hi, I am going to attempt to make these cookies, so I was just wondering. Could u clarify what was stated in the ingredients: 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp of baking soda. Do u mean add a 1/4 tsp of baking soda and then add another 1/8th tsp of baking soda again?

    Reply

  189. Melissa Kelley says

    Katie…I’ve made these cookies several times and they are awesome! I was wondering what frosting you put on them. I’m pregnant and I’ve been craving the Lofthouse cookies…you know…the ones that are buttery soft with the delicious frosting on them! These are the closest and healthiest option I’ve tasted minus the frosting…but I’m desperatley needing the frosting on these cookies right now! Thank you so much!!!

    Reply

  190. Nicole says

    Hi Katie! Just came across your recipe and it looks delicious! Just wondering what kind of frosting you put on the cookies? Do you have a recipe for a healthy frosting? Thanks!

    Reply

  192. clause says

    Thank you for this recipe! I did this recipe with almond extract and it was so “merveilleux”…I ate them within three days… Sorry if my english isn’t quite good, my maternal language is french…

    Reply

  194. Karla says

    Hi, Im currently in a yeast-free diet and I want to bake some cookies that I am able to eat not just my family or friends (because I cant stop myself from baking). How could I incorporate stevia and stone ground white rice flour into this (or any other non-chocolate/peanut) cookie recipe? please help!!

    Reply

  195. Natalie Heiman says

    WOW!!! Just made these!!! BIG, SOFT, CHEWY, PERFECT for after dinner on a Friday night!!! YAY!!! I LOVE your website!!!! 😀

    Reply

  196. Ashli says

    I love these and have made them many times. I usually form balls and cook them that way and they turn out really soft and pillowy in shape. Are the photographs of cookies that you refrigerated and rolled? My cookies come out super soft even without the refrigeration but the photo makes them look slightly crispy. How do I get mine to be flatter and browner? Even if I can’t get them to look like the photo, thank you for the recipe! I love them and I will keep making them!

    Reply

    • Chocolate Covered Katie says

      Hi Ashli,
      Mine are definitely soft as well… maybe not like pillows but certainly not crispy. However to make them more crispy, just flatten the balls before baking. Bake a little longer. And also store in a glass container as opposed to plastic. Not sure why that last one works, but it does.

      Reply

  197. Olivia says

    Me and my boyfriend’s anniversary is next week, and I really want to try making these for him – he’s a big fan of the sugar, so I’m including sprinkles…. approx how much should I put in? How sweet are these on their own (in the opinion of someone who loves their soda and candies)?
    FYI…. I’ve been getting him to eat much more healthy, and he’s transitioning to vegetarianism c: . But, for things like these…. well, I’ll give him the sugar c;

    Reply

  200. Mrs. D. says

    Great basic recipe! I made these last week (with coconut butter), and they were great! They didn’t last long in this house. I will be making another batch this afternoon, and experimenting with Fall colors…

    Reply

  201. Sophie says

    These were so good! I used all natural, no sugar added applesauce instead of butter spread, and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar instead of white sugar, and they tasted like molasses in a cookie. Wonderful, thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

  202. Kj says

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for including nutrition facts on your recipes. I have a (vegan) 6 yr old boy with type one diabetes, who would like to have a treat on occasion and having the carb counts makes it just a little easier for this family.

    Reply

  204. Faith says

    Amazing! 😀 easy and so delicious! We used coconut oil instead of earth balance only because I was out and wanted to make these ASAP for Halloween! Best sugar cookies I’ve ever had! Thanks for this great recipe! We put some trader joes cocoa cookie butter on some and sprinkles on some. Delicious! Perfect Halloween treat! Thanks again!

    Reply

  205. Lee Marie Christopher says

    Mmmm…Cannot wait to get started making these….You are a very smart young lady to have these recipes spreading all over…..WE are mostly vegetarians and some of us ae vegans and these sound like they will be our favorites…thank you again…Lee

    Reply

  206. Rachel says

    Hi Katie,

    I have these cookies in the oven now, but I am fearful that they won’t turn out well. The dough was extremely greasy and barely held together. I had wanted to do roll-out cookies (for my son’s first time to bake cookies), but there was not way these would roll-out. I thought followed the recipe exactly, including melting the butter-type spread, which seemed odd to me. Any thoughts on what I did wrong?

    I am still hoping these turn out. The dough tasted yummy, so I suspect that they will. But I am a bit disappointed that we didn’t get to use the cookie cutters.

    Thanks,
    Rachel

    Reply

  207. Ariana says

    These were so delicious! I kind of turned them into pb cookies though but they still came out great .After putting them the balls in the freezer for 10 to 15 min they came out super soft. I couldn’t help my self and I eat FIVE!

    Reply

  211. Faith says

    Just made these for the first time! Love your blog Katie <3
    The texture of these cookies was great – soft and chewy. I used whole wheat pastry flour. The flavor was very good but maybe a little salty for my taste, and otherwise a good basic sugar cookie. Not SPECTACULAR but a great vehicle for icing/sprinkles, etc. I used a 1-tbsp cookie dough scoop and got a perfect dozen, and after my test batch (which my kids and I devoured with no toppings) I made a double batch for my husband to bring to a gift exchange. Rather than doubling the salt to 1/2 tsp, I did 1/4 + 1/8 so I'll see how this batch turns out. I'm planning to top with peppermint icing and red sugar crystal sprinkles. I'd like to try these in the future with coconut oil and/or sucanat.

    Reply

  213. Faith says

    My comment after my first time making these is up a couple – I had great success using ww pastry flour, organic white sugar, and earth balance. I’ve since tried using coconut oil in place of the EB and it worked great! Today I tried using sucanat in place of the white sugar and it did not work so great. It really affected the texture – they were sort of dry and crumbly instead of moist and soft/chewy, and they tasted less sweet to me. Would coconut palm sugar work better? I don’t have any but might buy some.

    Reply

  214. Cherlyn says

    Tried making these for Christmas but used coconut oil instead of butter spread and honey instead of sugar. The first ones in the oven turned out fantastic, delicious and kept their cut out shape up. However, the dough became dry really fast, and the coconut oil became really springy and hence the dough got bumpy and hard to cut out because it just kept shrinking. Did anyone who used honey + coconut oil like me experience the same?

    Reply

  215. Anastasia says

    Hey Katie, so how many cookies does this recipe make? I’m looking to make around 50 or 60, i know its a lot! Thanks for always great recipes 🙂

    Reply

    • Chocolate Covered Katie says

      Hi Anastasia,
      I never actually count, but this is from another commenter:

      I rolled them into one ounce balls and I got 9 cookies that came out about 2 inches in diameter. They were kind of puffy. If you roll them out and cookie-cut them you should be able to get about a dozen in the same 2 inch size. They’re really yum.

      Reply

  216. NinaBean says

    Hey Katie I think my girls would really enjoy decorating these cookies. How many does this recipe make? Have you successfully doubled this recipe?

    Reply

          • NinaBean says

            Katie,
            Thank you for this recipe. I used coconut oil and a mix of spelt and ww pastry flour(1 part spelt to 2parts ww flr). They had a buttery flavor and tasted better than loft house cookies. I tripled the recipe, used my 1&1/2TBS cookie scoop and ended up with 20 cookies. My girls enjoyed frosting and adding sprinkles to the cookies. My 5 year old said it was her favorite part of the day. Will be making this a part of our Christmas tradition. Thanks again for the great recipe. Keep them coming.
            Merry Christmas,
            NinaBean

          • NinaBean says

            Katie,
            Hey I made these again recently. I quadrupled the recipe. Used 1/2 spelt and 1/2 WW pastry flour. I also used Coconut oil (again). Using my 1 & 1/2 TBS cookie scoop it made 35 cookies. The results were just as good as before. I will be making this recipe again soon for Valentine’s Day, but I will have to make 2 quadruple recipes. Loving this recipe,
            Nina

  218. Sarah says

    Made your healthy chocolate chip cookies, delicious! Waiting for the sugar cookies to cool now. Vegan, gluten free, but dont taste like either. Yay for you!

    Reply

    • Unofficial CCK Helper says

      Well unfortunately you obviously could not have followed the recipe to a T if they didn’t turn out well, because many people before you (including me) have successfully made the recipe. Perhaps you omitted something accidentally and didn’t even realize it? Have you checked out Katie’s FAQ page at the top of the blog for troubleshooting?

      Reply

  221. Crystal says

    We made these this morning for my boys to decorate for valentines day. We used coconut sugar, coconut oil and coconut milk ( had to add a few extra Tbs to get it a bit more moist to roll out for hearts) they turned out GREAT. Thanks for the healthier version of sugar cookies 🙂

    Reply

  223. Kirsten says

    These were so yummy. I ate two straight out of the oven too! I used water instead of milk because I was all out and it was still AMAZING. Very soft after butting the uncooked dough in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Will definitely make again : )

    Reply

  226. Chelsea says

    I just made these but they turned out all crumbly 🙁 I added more Earth Balance and milk to try to make the dough more “packing” like. Is it because I used Coconut flour?

    Reply

  227. Faith says

    For anyone eyeing the frosting in Katie’s pictures, I’ve found a recipe for a raspberry buttercream frosting that’s this exact color and out of this world. It’s from the sticky fingers sweets cookbook: 1 cup + 2T shortening, 1/4 cup + 2T earth balance, 1/3 cup raspberry puree (make by cooking fresh/frozen raspberries until they cook down, transfer to blender, then back to stove to reduce liquid), 4 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, 1.5 tbsp lemon juice. It makes A LOT of frosting so I usually halve or quarter the recipe, which I’d definitely recommend for spreading a little on sugar cookies vs piping high on cupcakes.

    Reply

  228. Conor Cara says

    Am I going crazy or did I miss the nutritional info link? I feel like I’ve looked 25 times, but maybe my brain is just skipping it too look at the delicious cookie pics…?

    Reply

  229. Katie says

    I have recently turned over a new leaf and have started really watching what I eat and what I serve to my family. That being said, I still love baked sweets. These cookies were perfect! I used butter flavored grapeseed oil and french vanilla coconut creamer and they turned out great! Thanks for all of your kitchen research! It’s so nice to have go-to recipes that I know have been tested and will turn out great and be healthy too!

    Reply

  231. Rose says

    I made these with whole wheat flour and coconut oil! The dough was hard to make into a cookie shape so I rolled them into balls after cooling them. While in the oven, I checked after about 6 minutes and saw that they did not flatten out at all (probably because of the choice in flour) so I took them out and just flattened them with a spoon. Then, I just put them back and baked them for another 3 minutes 🙂
    They turned out so soft and delicious! The next time, I may try to reduce the oil.

    I was afraid that I was going to eat more than half of them in a row, so I quickly put them in the fridge!

    Reply

  233. tricia says

    hi! I was wondering if I could use real butter instead of spread. I am not trying to make vegan cookies, just low sugar—butter type spread is hard to find where I am. Also, should the baking sheet be greased?

    Reply

    • Unofficial CCK Helper says

      Earth Balance is basically vegan butter, so you can always use it in a 1-to-1 ratio in recipes that call for butter and vice versa. Lightly grease the baking sheet.

      Reply

  235. Heather says

    This was posted so long ago, I have to wonder if I will get a response! Sorry for finding this recipe three years later 🙂

    I just made these with my kids… well, they are getting cold before baking… and I have a question. Is the dough supposed to be super greasy or oily? I followed the recipe, but doubled everything to make a bigger batch. The dough was so oily that I actually had to add extra spelt flour so I could roll it. Maybe doubling everything was my problem???

    Reply

    • Unofficial CCK Helper says

      Some recipes just can’t be doubled exactly. Not sure why, but I’ve found this with many recipes in general. But I can say for sure that the recipe not doubled turns out REALLY well!

      Reply

  237. cherie says

    I love your recipes. How to I make the sprinkles? either the ones on your original sugar cookie recipe or the ones on the grain free? Thank you

    Reply

  239. Stacey says

    I just made these and they are delicious! I used 3 T. melted coconut oil. Don’t leave dough in fridge for too long. It got very hard. It made 22 cutouts. I did very small stars and some larger Christmas trees. Thanks Katie!

    Reply

  240. Laura says

    These cookies were a lifesaver! I’m pregnant and was REALLY craving a sugar cookie. This recipe saved my husband a trip to the bakery! The best part is they are quick to make and since they are vegan, I could eat the dough!

    Reply

  241. meredith says

    Hi,
    Just wanted to say I made these tonight. We got 10 cookies out of this recipe. This will be my go to sugar cookie recipe from now on. Our family of 4 just devoured them!! My husband said he could eat a whole plate of them! Thanks again and buying your cookbook! Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  242. Jenna says

    I just made these because I’m trying really hard to eliminate all white flour and butter from my holiday baking this year. So far so good:) this recipe…although it does APPEAR that they will taste like “biscuits”…IS AWESOME. They truly taste like a sugar cookie. I opted for whole wheat flour, coconut oil (zero coconuty taste) and I also added 1/4 teaspoon of butter extract since I used coconut oil. They turned out perfectly. They might not look like the pretty white sugar cookies you are used to but one bite proves your eyes wrong. Nice job, Katie!

    Reply

  243. Kathryn says

    My son and I made these for Santa yesterday! In Gingerbread man and Christmas tree shapes. I wanted to just eat the dough! “Santa” thought the cookies were delicious but was nice enough to leave one for my son to eat as an early morning snack 🙂

    Reply

  244. Madison Levine says

    Wow! I finally got to try this recipe tonight and this is going to be my new go-to for sugar cookies! I made 3 batches as each one made me about 9 cookies. I used 2 T butter and 2 T coconut oil to equal the 1/4 cup buttery spread called for and thought they turned out fantastic! Katie, I have told so many people about your site! Thanks for creating the recipes that I wish I could invent myself (not possible).

    Reply

  246. Morgan says

    I doubled the recipe and replaced half of the oil for avocado and they turned out beautifully with 70 calories per cookie in a 22 cookie double-batch but of course you can refrigerate them and roll them out thinner for more & lower calorie cookies

    Reply

  247. Michelle says

    Made these with my son. His first time making cookies. The recipe was easy to follow and the cookies were so yummy! Might try the coconut oil. I bet that would be delicious too.

    Reply

  254. Samantha says

    How would you substitute using agave nectar? I don’t use any sugars… and agave has worked wonders in all the other baking recipes I have tried. I’m nervous about the texture of sugar cookies without sugar though 😛

    Reply

  255. Dhara Liyanage says

    OH MY GOSH THIS COOKIE RECIPE IS MY ENTIRE LIFEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! THEY ARE ACTUALLY THE BEST COOKIES I HAVE EVER HAD. I’M ABOUT TO MAKE MY 3RD DOUBLED BATCH! ALL OF MY FRIENDS AND EVERYONE IN MY JAZZ BAND HAS LOVED THEM! This will be my go to cookie recipe for LIFE (unless of course you change it; i would then use that one, because YOU ARE SO AMAZING AT WHAT YOU DO AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO WITHOUT YOU, BECAUSE I CAN’T HAVE EGGS, AND YOUR RECIPES NOT ONLY DON’T HAVE EGGS, BUT ARE SO INCREDIBLY HEALTHY! THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE BLOG FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS NOW, AND I HAVE BEEN USING YOUR RECIPES SINCE THE MOMENT I SAW IT! Thank you so much for what you do, so many many people, including myself, love you, and what you do! I honestly can’t even think of my life without Chocolate Covered Katie! Thank you so much again!

    Reply

  256. Maya says

    Hi Katie, I love making sugar cookies. I made christmas cookies, Today i ate 1 cookie. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
    Maya

    Hi Katie,
    My little daughter wrote the above. This was the first time ever that she could make Christmas cookies, thanks to you! Due to health reasons, other recipes have not been okay for her but this was perfect in every way! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for giving us this experience!

    Reply

  257. Daynah says

    These cookies are so yummy and easy! I made these cookies and used an avocado icing on top. It worked really well together. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  258. Kari says

    Really want to make these for a New Years party tomorrow! I have one question – I have Truvia Baking Blend, where it says you use half as much Truvia as the sugar in the recipe, so in this case, 1/8 cup of Truvia, instead of 1/4 cup of white sugar. Do you think this would work, or will the batter consistency be different? Thanks!

    Reply

  261. Lena says

    Just made these and they turned out amazing! I really can’t believe the calories count and low fat/sugar content…super impressed!

    Reply

  264. TIna says

    Thanks for this – super easy to make and I love the fact that I can eat the raw dough. 🙂 We used your glaze recipe and added orange coloring to decorate Halloween cookies.

    Reply

  267. Hannah Albert says

    These cookies are so good! I will definitely make them in the future. Also, I did try using coconut oil instead of the vegan butter, and it worked really well! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  270. Annemarie says

    Hi. Love this recipe! Made it a few times and came out great! I don’t know if anyone asked this but can we freeze this recipe to make cookies later? If not what is the best way to freeze a dough for baking later (ala, kids want cookies but don’t have time to make the dough)

    Reply

  271. Jo says

    Katie, these are so good!!! My husband made them tonight. We managed to roll out 10 balls in total. We used olive oil instead of “spread” or butter. He did have to add a little extra almond milk to get the dough to stick together as it was very crumbly. Overall we were very impressed.

    Reply

  273. Nate says

    Refined white sugar is poison and causes disease, including diabetes and cancer.

    Please edit your recipe to remove white sugar and substitute honey, maple syrup, or some other raw sugar.

    Reply

    • Jason Sanford says

      The sucanat, coconut sugar, or evaporated cane juice listed in the recipe are all unrefined sugar options. Hope that helps!

      Jason

      Reply

  275. Spirit Wandering says

    Loved these sugar cookies. They are very delicate without being full of sugar. I used real butter which worked well. Also used sprinkles to jazz them up. I’m going to try a variation with almond extract instead of vanilla and finely chopped almond instead of sprinkles.

    Reply

  276. Mar says

    I am thinking of venturing to use the homemade ghee/clarified butter for the buttery spread. The thing is, i made it like a few weeks ago and the lid is loose fitting. It has been on the counter, not in the fridge. Wow, this post is from December 2011?

    Reply

  278. Cookie Cat says

    In class we were trying to figure out how many cookies were in the recipe. Our answers were from 13 cookies- 60 cookies! Still looks yum!

    Reply

  279. Rachel Martin says

    Do you know the calories and carb count? And are these acceptable for a diabetic ? Is there anything you would substitute ?

    Reply

    • Jason Sanford says

      Hi, it looks like this is an older recipe that hopefully Katie will update soon because she wasn’t posting calories on her recipes back in 2011 when it was posted. For Diabetic-friendly cookies, I would definitely recommend asking a doctor (because everyone is different), but I know many Diabetics use xylitol in Katie’s recipes in an equal amount to replace sugar, and that usually works fine: https://amzn.to/2rqX1ER

      Reply

  281. Megan says

    I found myself desperately craving a sweet treat tonight, so I cut this recipe in half and turned it into one big whole wheat cookie! I like soft cookies, so I refrigerated it for about 30 minutes and then gave it almost 15 minutes in the oven because of the larger size. It was a perfect way to satisfy my late-night sweet tooth without feeling like I overindulged!

    Reply

  284. Stephanie says

    Made these today with my daughter and they turned out great. We added in some vegan sprinkles and they were a hit!

    Reply

    • Jason Sanford says

      We haven’t tried so honestly have no idea! It sounds like a fun experiment, but I’d think you would probably have to play around with the liquid ratio.

      Jason (media relations)

      Reply

  287. Sis W. says

    This was delicious! I did not cool the dough and put them straight in the oven and they still came out all nice and soft. I only got to try one cookie since my son ate them all…

    Reply

  290. Palyn says

    What size should the cookie dough balls be and do I flatten them before baking? I’ve never made sugar cookies before from ball forms so I’m clueless. If I missed these details when reading the recipe, my apologies!

    Reply

  291. Summer says

    Hi! Can these be used to cut out shapes? Seems like a silly question but I’ve made some that really didn’t work for that.
    Thank you!

    Reply

  293. Joyce says

    Chocolate Covered Katie,
    I love these cookies. I made them with red and green MnMs in them for Christmas. They were great! And I used cacao butter (also cocoa butter would work) instead of a butter spread, and for the record, it worked amazingly. FYI!

    Thank you,
    Joyce

    Reply

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