‘Tis the season of treats and sweets! Have no fear, Mudders, you can indulge, guilt-free, with these yummy holiday cookies. All are made with healthier ingredients than your usual desserts, and some even offer real fuel for athletes in training.
Cinnamon Sugar Pillow Cookies
These soft and delightful cookies from healthy dessert blogger Chocolate Covered Katie are like a cinnamon roll, a sugar cookie, and a cream cheese danish all in one. Light and fluffy, these cookies are low in sugar and high in manganese and selenium. Plus, each cookie has more than one gram of protein.
Healthy Soft Gingerbread Cookies
These soft gingerbread cookies from Sonja and Alex, the married couple behind the food blog A Couple Cooks, use almond butter to replace most of the butter, wheat flour to add a few extra nutrients, and a bit of applesauce to keep them soft. Finished with turbinado sugar instead of icing, which is a more “natural” sugar, this recipe is perfect for baking up a nostalgic batch of gingerbread men.
Cranberry Flax Blondies With White Chocolate Chunks
These blondies from Helen at Holistic & Happy, a real food health blog, are made with white beans, flax seeds, whole wheat flour, and dried cranberries. All those healthy and delicious goodies mean these treats are high in protein, fiber, and tons of vitamins and other nutrients. Plus, they taste amazing!
Linzer Torte Thumbprint Cookies
Gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly, these sweet bites from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen are soft, sweet, and nutty. Made with almond flour, raw honey, coconut oil, and applesauce, these festive bites clock in at 85 satisfying calories.
Fruitcake Cookies
Soft and sweet with a subtle hint of warm cinnamon, this take on the classic fruitcake from Amy’s Healthy Baking has just 2.5 grams of fat per cookie. Natural dried fruits—marinated in brandy for a kick or grape juice for a tang—add chewy texture and vibrant colors.
Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Cookies
Set out a glass of milk with a plate of these gluten-free goodies on Christmas Eve, and Santa will be glad he visited your house this year. Chock full of whole grains, dried fruit, nuts, and dark chocolate, these cookies from Jeanette’s Healthy Living food blog have more fiber and protein and less fat and sugar than many cookie recipes but will still satisfy your sweet tooth.
Grain-Free Butter Cookies with Sprinkles
Grain-free and gluten-free, these butter cookies from real-food blogger Alyssa at Everyday Maven look and taste like the classic holiday staple. Made with blanched almond flour, each cookie has less than one-quarter teaspoon of organic sugar and is just 41 calories.