Dairy-Free & Lactose-Free Cookie Recipes

We can't resist big, soft, fudgy cookies, like those found in glass jars on bake-shop counters. These freeze exceptionally well-layer them in a freezer-safe container between sheets of wax paper; thaw 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

These easy peanut butter cookies will satisfy your sweet and savory cravings. Make a batch the next time you want a healthy dessert the whole family will love.

These tiny, lemon-flavored meringues must be cooked slowly so their outsides are powdery and crisp, while the insides are chewy and yielding. Serve with sorbet.

Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld, a hypnotherapist and writer, started improving the nutritional profile of a friend's mother's ginger cookie recipe by substituting whole-wheat pastry flour for all-purpose flour and canola oil for shortening. “Experiment with these cookies,” she advises, “as they taste great either slightly underdone or crispy.” She calls them “the quickest cookies you'll ever bake.”

The deep flavors of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg make these wholesome pumpkin cookies delicious without the addition of butter--and they lend themselves beautifully to the inclusion of whole-wheat flour. They are also the perfect texture for a sandwich cookie--fill them with a slightly sweetened cream cheese frosting.

The Italian name of these almond cookies, Brutti-Buoni, roughly translates to “ugly but good.” These delicious cookies are traditionally dropped directly on a cookie sheet, but shaping them as directed here gives a more elegant look. Enjoy them for dessert with an espresso.

We love the rich chocolate flavor in these chewy cookies that are like a cross between higher-fat coconut macaroons and low-fat, low-calorie, egg-white-based meringues.

These pretty streusel-topped bars are quick to make and easy to transport. Made with unsweetened apricot preserves, they are a good source of potassium and beta carotene.

Applesauce rounds out the flavor of this quick, low-fat remake of classic oatmeal cookies.

These festive bars are easy to make for a cookie swap or holiday treats for friends and family.

Working on this makeover of a classic Russian Tea Cake made Bridget Klein feel closer to her late sister, Gina, because they are “a great match for her personality: delicate and refined, pretty to look at, and yet a definite character that inspires adoration and loyalty.” Gina's middle name, Sarah, means “princess,” in Hebrew; hence the name of these confections. Klein's mom “swore these cookies couldn't be made without butter,” she says, “until she tasted them.” Klein continues: “Gina was a traditionalist, too, but I think I might have been able to fool her with these.”

Delightful with fruit, these crisp golden slices also make a charming partner for a morning caffe latte.

Strategy and operations director Josh Gitlin gave this low-fat cookie three layers of chocolate flavor with cocoa powder, grated bittersweet chocolate and cocoa nibs.

Bite into one of these cookies and you'll discover the subtle flavor of spice kissed with a hint of citrus. And the best part? Just 9 calories each!

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.

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 chocolate, coconut and almond meringue cookies are so light and airy, they are a perfect little treat that's not too heavy.

These wholesome cinnamon-sugar-crusted apple-oatmeal cookies--without a gram of saturated fat--make snack time enjoyable for everybody.

These flourless orange-and-chocolate-flavored meringues are an easy and healthy dessert cookie recipe perfect for after dinner or alongside a cup of afternoon tea. If you don't have a star-tip and pastry bag, improvise with a gallon-size plastic bag (snip 1/2 inch off one corner). Look for orange flower water and cocoa nibs in the baking section of natural-food markets and well-stocked supermarkets, or substitute dark chocolate shavings.

Toasted oats, maple syrup, walnuts and dates are a great combination in these crisp biscotti.

Coconut oil stands in for butter in this dairy-free, eggless cookie recipe for completely mouthwatering gingerbread cut-outs. Decorate cookies with a simple vegan icing or sanding sugar.

In this pretty marbled cookie, one half of the dough is almond-flavored like the traditional biscotti di Prato, and the other half is chocolate/coffee flavored.

Quick and easy to make, these apricot-based bonbons are perfect for gifts or last-minute bake-sale contributions.

The pumpkin puree in these delicious vegan pumpkin cookies gives them a great orange color and fall flavor and also acts as the "egg" to help bind everything together. Coconut oil takes the place of butter in these cookies and should be solid when you use it--if it's not, stick it in the fridge for a few hours until it firms up. When we were developing this recipe, tasters said they wouldn't have known the cookies were vegan if they hadn't been told. We call that a win!