Healthy Sugar Cookies (4 Ingredients, No Eggs, No Refined Sugar)

These Healthy Sugar Cookies are delicious 4-ingredient cookies made with no eggs and no dairy. They have a sweet taste and a delicate texture, perfect with a coffee or a cup of tea.

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I love making cookies for Christmas and when I don’t make my Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies or my Easy Gingerbread Cookies, I like to bake sugar cookies. I normally bake my Almond Flour Sugar Cookies, but my kids wanted a more traditional taste, so I had to go for regular flour.

These cookies have all the taste, texture, and looks of traditional sugar cookies, but they are made with all-around healthier ingredients.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need 4 base ingredients for this recipe:

• All-Purpose Flour – Regular flour provides structure and a delicate, crumbly texture, typical of sugar cookies. You might be able to substitute it with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if needed, but I recommend a mix of 3/4 of gluten-free flour blend and 1/4 of almond flour for a moister cookie dough.
• Maple Syrup – Maple syrup naturally sweetens the cookies without refined sugar, adding a slight caramel flavor. Alternatives include agave syrup, coconut nectar, or date syrup, though each may affect the flavor slightly.
• Coconut Oil – Coconut oil adds richness and a subtle coconut flavor. It should be solid for the right texture. Dairy-free butter works too for a more buttery taste. If using liquid oil, reduce slightly to maintain consistency.
• Almond Milk – Almond milk adds moisture and helps form the dough. Substitute with other plant-based milks like oat, soy, or rice milk based on your preferences.

How to Make Healthy Sugar Cookies

This is a super simple recipe to make, here are pictures of the key steps:

Pour all the 4 base ingredients into a mixing bowl.

Work the dough until it forms a ball.

Roll the dough into a flat shape of uniform thickness and use cookie cutter to form cookies. Reuse and re-flatten leftover dough.

Bake the healthy sugar cookies for 8-10 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) and let them cool down for a few minutes before decorating.

Carine’s Baking Tips

I have a few more tips for you to make the best cookies:

• Chill the dough thoroughly for the best texture. Cold dough holds its shape better, preventing spreading and helping achieve that perfect, clean cookie cut.
• Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure an even thickness. It makes transferring easier, especially for intricate shapes.
• Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking to ensure even browning, especially if your oven has hot spots.
• Use a light touch when handling the dough after chilling, as it can be slightly crumbly. Press gently to reform it as needed.
• For a crisper cookie, bake for an extra 1-2 minutes; for a softer, chewier texture, bake on the lower end of the time range.
• Use a ruler or rolling pin rings for uniform thickness. Consistency helps the cookies bake evenly.
• Add zest from lemon or orange to brighten the flavor. Citrus zest pairs beautifully with the vanilla and adds a subtle aromatic note.
• Make ahead and freeze the dough for easy baking later. Wrap well and freeze for up to 2 months; just thaw in the fridge before rolling and baking.
• Decorate with natural colored icing for a festive touch. Consider using coconut butter or powdered sugar mixed with plant milk as a simple glaze.

More Sugar Cookie Recipes

3-Ingredient Sugar Cookies

Almond Flour Sugar Cookies

Oat Flour Sugar Cookies

Vegan Halloween Sugar Cookie Recipe

Healthy Sugar Cookies

These Healthy Sugar Cookies are delicious 4-ingredient cookies made with no eggs and no dairy. They have a sweet taste and a delicate texture, perfect with a coffee or a cup of tea.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 30 small cookies

Calories: 32.9 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 cup All-Purpose Flour - (note 1)
• ▢ ¼ cup Maple Syrup - (note 2)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons Coconut Oil - firm and not liquid, or dairy-free butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Almond Milk - (note 3)

Optional – highly recommended for flavors

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, add flour, maple syrup, dairy free butter, almond milk, vanilla extract, and salt – if used.
• Use the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, or stir with a rubber spatula, or use your fingers to rub the dairy-free butter or firm coconut oil with the flour. Since your hands are warm, the butter/coconut oil melt in the flour, gently forming a dough as you knead
• If too dry, or crumbly, add an extra tablespoon of almond milk, if too wet, sprinkle a little more flour.
• Knead until it forms a smooth cookie dough. Divide it in two pieces of the same size, wrap each in plastic wrapping, and press them into a circular shape.
• Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, or until the dough firms up a bit.
• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with a cooking oil spray. Set aside.
• Remove the plastic wrapping and knead the dough again as it's hard and cold after spending time in the fridge and the dough could be a bit crumbly.
• Place the cookie dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it with a rolling pin into a thin sheet of about 0.2 inch (1/2cm) in thickness.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut out the shapes and place each cookie on the prepared baking sheet. The cookies won't spread in the oven but keep a little space between each of them to make sure they don't touch each other.
• Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C) until lightly golden-brown on the edge. The longer you bake them, the harder they will be.
• Let the cookies cool down for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then on a cooling rack.
• Serve the sugar cookies plain or decorate them with my royal icing recipe.

Notes

Note 1: You can also use whole wheat flour and spelt flour. I haven’t tried this recipe with gluten-free flour, but I suspect it should work fine if you use 3/4 cup of a 1:1 GF blend and 1/4 cup of almond flour.

Note 2: Any unrefined liquid sweetener works, like coconut nectar or agave syrup.

Note 3: You can use any milk alternatives like soy milk or coconut milk, though the latter might give a slight coconut aftertaste.

Equipment

Christmas Cookie Stamper

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Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 32.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 1.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 29.5mg | Potassium: 10.9mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1.6g | Calcium: 4.2mg | Iron: 0.2mg | Magnesium: 1.5mg | Phosphorus: 4.6mg | Zinc: 0.05mg