Healthy Sugar Cookie Recipes

Here's a great, all-purpose recipe for sugar cookies, but the real gem is the method for making a beautiful set of royal icings to decorate them. We've used a trio of berry powders to make the colors here, but you can make other colors with almost any freeze-dried fruit (or vegetable).

You won't believe how easy it is to make these seriously impressive cookies. Crushed ard candy melts in the center of these festive sugar cookies, making a gorgeous stained-glass effect. Use any shape cookie cutter you like, just make sure you have two--a big one for each cookie, and a slightly smaller one for the hole in the middle.

It's hard to imagine a classic buttery sugar cookie without the butter, but trust us, it's possible. Here, we use coconut oil instead of butter for dairy-free eggless cut-out cookies that taste delicious and are fun to make and eat. Decorate with a citrus glaze colored with a little food dye, sprinkles and/or sanding sugar as you wish.

The red and white design makes these white chocolate and peppermint cookies especially colorful for holiday cookie trays and casual gatherings.

This recipe for the famous pretzel-shaped Scandinavian cookie has been remade so it's lighter but still just as tasty.

These cream cheese-based sugar cookies are flavored with almond paste. They're beautiful right out of the oven but try one of our decorating ideas for added pizzazz.

These vanilla ice cream sandwiches are a great dessert option - vanilla cookies sandwiched around vanilla ice cream. Sometimes simple is actually best!

Suit your taste by using your choice of almond or mint extract for these crisp cookies.

Here's a low-calorie, lower-fat version of traditional sugar cookie dough. Roll out and shape it for all your favorite holiday cookies.

These classic treats can be made ahead and frozen for holidays and bake sales.

Classic sugar cookies are a treat for lunchboxes, after school, or with a fresh pot of hot tea or coffee.

These easy and classic cookies incorporate mild-tasting white whole-wheat flour for extra fiber and nutrients.

Everyone can get in on the festive fun with this gluten-free cut-out sugar cookie recipe. Use naturally dyed sugar and icing to decorate these easy cookies.

This healthy sugar cut-out cookie recipe uses white whole-wheat flour, honey and lemon zest to make a delicious cookie perfect for decorating. Pull out all your cookie cutters and decorate these adorable cookies with natural decorating sugar and icing.

This healthier sugar cut-out cookie recipe uses white whole-wheat flour, honey and lemon zest to make a delicious cookie perfect for decorating. Pull out all your cookie cutters and decorate these adorable cookies with natural decorating sugar and icing.

This healthy sugar cookie recipe makes delicate, thin cookies by using the bottom of a glass to press the dough into cute wafers. To give the cookies a festive look, top them with naturally dyed red and green decorating sugar and flakes of unsweetened coconut before baking.

This healthy sugar cookie recipe makes delicate, thin cookies by using the bottom of a glass to press the dough into cute wafers, which are then pressed with a small cookie cutter to make an etched design. The cookie thins are sprinkled with fiber- and omega-3-rich chia seeds, which add a little health boost. Make them look extra special by adding a bit of naturally dyed orange icing.

This healthy sugar cookie recipe makes delicate, thin cookies that are a great accompaniment to coffee or tea. You press the dough into cute wafers using the bottom of a glass and can sprinkle the cookie thins with dried cranberries and pistachios, as in this recipe, or use your favorite dried fruit and nut combination as decoration.

It's quick and easy to mix together these slice-and-bake cookies whenever you need something sweet. The recipe makes enough dough so you can bake half and put the other half in the freezer--ready to pull out and bake up a few fresh cookies anytime.

It's quick and easy to mix together these slice-and-bake cinnamon-sugar cookies whenever you need something sweet. The recipe makes enough dough so you can bake half and put the other half in the freezer--ready to pull out and bake up a few fresh cookies anytime.