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.
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.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Healthy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 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 or coconut oil, 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, they will stay white pale overall it doesn't mean you have to bake them more! 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
Equipment
Nutrition
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. For a gluten-free version, use my gluten-free conversion guide.
- 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.
- 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.
which gf conversion do you recommend? I’m assuming mire structure, but neither says cookies.
I have developed my own gluten conversion chart here.
love the sugar cookies
Thank you so much!
How do you store these? Room temp?
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze up to 1 month in zip bags. Thaw at room temperature the day before.
can you use regular milk?
Absolutely!
Hello! Can I make this dough night before and leave in fridge overnight to roll out next morning? Thank you!
I haven’t tried that, I usually like to bake them ahead. Refrigerating cookie dough change their spreading and texture.
Would honey instead of maple syrup work?
Sure!
i will try for my baby
Amazing! let me know how it goes.
Hello, great to see a fellow Kiwi thriving in the food blog world. Can I change out maple syrup for caster sugar?
Kia ora! but no sorry you can’t swap a liquid sweetener for a granulated sweetener in egg-free baking. But you can use my 3-ingredient sugar cookie recipe to use sugar instead.
Hi,
Great recipe and very easy to make! We made halloween cookies with my 5 Yr old daughter. Is it possible to add a nut spread in this recipe, such as peanut butter? Thanks in advance
I haven’t tried to replace the coconut oil for peanut butter, it might work, but nut butter will make them a bit crumbly I am guessing. If you add nut butter without changing the remaining ingredients, you will definitely need more flour or the dough will be too wet.
Can I use regular butter?
Absolutely!