Healthy Cookie Recipes

We gave no-bake cookies a healthy makeover, bumping up the peanut butter and cutting back on added sugar and butter. The result is a chewy, peanut buttery, oat-packed delicious cookie. It's easy to whip up a batch of these—only a few simple ingredients are needed to make these chewy peanut butter cookies and there's no baking required.

A double dose of lemon juice and zest brings fresh and tangy flavor to these easy brownies. They're the perfect dessert for any holiday or special occasion—or when you just need a little something to brighten your day.

Classic chocolate chip cookies get a fall update by mixing in pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Not only are these pumpkin cookies even more flavorful than regular chocolate chip cookies, they're also oh-so-soft and cakelike. Use chocolate chunks for big gooey bites of chocolate or opt for mini chocolate chips to ensure a bit of chocolate in each bite.

You can make these bars ahead of time and freeze them, tightly wrapped in foil, for up to 3 months.

Almond butter and coconut oil melt together to bind these stovetop cookies without using any eggs. To take the flavor to the next level, try subbing in your favorite nut butter.

These cardamom-spiced shortbread cookies were inspired by the Indian sweet kaju katli.

These sweet, cinnamon-flavored apple bars are the perfect accompaniment for your afternoon cup of coffee or tea.

This spin on snickerdoodles packs a bright lemony punch. The sugar on the outside creates such a crisp, sweet crust to contrast the soft, pillowy inside.

Cocoa powder and brown sugar make this easy drop cookie recipe taste like rich brownies.

Perfect meringues depend on totally yolk-free whites. The seemingly fussy step of separating each egg into a small bowl before combining them guarantees yolk-free whites for bakeshop-quality meringues every time. These crispy little morsels travel well and make great gifts too.

These tender pumpkin-oatmeal cookies have the perfect amount of sweetness from brown sugar and raisins and a slightly nutty flavor from almond butter. Enjoy them as an after-school snack or a healthy dessert. Several testers also said they'd love to eat them with a cup of coffee in the morning.

This dark chocolate vegan mug cake is a brownie in a flash! It's moist and rich and made extra decadent with vegan chocolate chips melted on top.

These easy apple-cinnamon fruit bars make a big batch--perfect for fall potlucks and parties.

Easy to make at home, these nut-free granola bars can be adjusted to your taste preferences. Simply vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the apricots and seeds in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

We took two classic desserts—banana bread and brownies—and combined them into one sweet treat. Be sure to use very ripe bananas, which will be easier to mash and also add natural sweetness.

This chocolate chip skillet cookie is just like a classic chocolate chip cookie but with less sugar and saturated fat and a boost of fiber from whole-wheat flour. It's soft in the center and crispy around the edges, with plenty of warm, melted chocolate throughout.

There are plenty of granola bar options at the grocery store, but they're also easy (and often healthier) to make at home. Feel free to vary the add-ins to your taste, swapping 2 cups of any combination of small (or chopped) dried fruit, nuts, seeds and/or chocolate chips for the dried cranberries and nuts in this version. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best.

Natural almond butter gives these gluten-free cookies a wonderfully rich flavor and tender, slightly chewy texture. Folding in chopped toasted almonds along with mini chocolate chips ensures plenty of chocolate and crunch in every bite.

Sweetened with dates, these whole-grain bars provide energy and protein, thanks to nut butter. With just 5 ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, you can make these delicious, chewy brownies with no added sugar. Whip up a batch as a healthy dessert or for grab-and-go energy bars for a healthy snack.

If you like zucchini bread, you'll love these moist zucchini cookies with melted chunks of dark chocolate. We love the pieces of chocolate you get by chopping your own, but chocolate chips will work well too.

People likely won't even notice that these delicately nutty, just a little chocolaty, blondies are gluten-free. They use quinoa flour, which you can find in well-stocked supermarkets and natural-foods stores, in place of all-purpose flour. To make your own quinoa flour, grind raw quinoa into a powder in a clean coffee grinder. (Adapted from Quinoa Revolution by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming.)

This makeover recipe was one of the favorites chosen for our 30th anniversary issue. Tahini gives this cookie a subtle sesame flavor.

These one-bowl, no-bake energy squares ensure a quick way to refuel during long meetings, tough workouts or that mid-afternoon energy slump. Feel free to swap the blueberries for your favorite dried fruit and the pistachios for your favorite nut--but keep the maple syrup as is; we found using less than 1/2 cup resulted in crumbly bars.

Make a batch of these granola bars ahead of time and you'll have a tasty, lunchbox-ready snack on hand. These nut-free granola bars are packed with chocolate chips and shredded coconut for a sweet treat. Whether you like a chewy granola bar or a crunchy one, the bake time is easily adjusted to suit your preferences.