Low-Carb 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 retired writing professor and mother of two daughters, Jessie Grearson got inspiration for these mini tarts from a pineapple-coconut bar that her mother used to make. Her version successfully uses whole-wheat pastry flour and less butter and sugar.

In this healthy coconut macaroon recipe, Key lime curd brightens the center of a lightly sweetened coconut cookie. If you can't find ripe Key limes, you can substitute bottled Key lime juice, which is widely available, or try another citrus flavor like more traditional Persian limes, lemons or even bright blood oranges that will produce a coral-colored curd.

Chocolate, nuts, and caramel are certainly hard to resist so it's easy to see why turtle brownies are always a favorite. This recipe has black beans in the batter for added fiber. We won't tell if you won't--and we promise nobody will ever know!

This healthy shortbread cookie recipe uses white whole-wheat flour instead of white flour. The light-colored flour is mild in flavor, adding nutrients without overpowering the classic shortbread taste. These cookies are easy to make, so they're perfect for a holiday cookie swap or afternoon tea. These cookies are also wonderful to bake with small kids because they'll love poking the buttonholes in the shortbread dough.

Dip bite-size pieces of brownie into melted chocolate for an easy treat to satisfy your chocolate craving.

Magical aquafaba--the liquid from canned chickpeas that often gets poured down the drain--mimics egg whites in these airy vegan meringue cookies. The other magical thing? These cookies require just three ingredients! Save the chickpeas themselves for hummus, stew or any one of our other recipes that call for canned chickpeas.

This crisp, paper-thin cookie recipe of northern European descent makes a wonderful low calorie dessert. Just 50 calories for two cookies.

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.

This thumbprint cookie uses honey as the only sweetener and tender ground almonds to replace much of the butter found in similar cookies. Just a touch of butter mixed with honey in the filling gives it a rich flavor without too much saturated fat.

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.”

You'd never know that these delicious gluten-free cookies are made without wheat flour. A blend of gluten-free flour and almond flour--plus butter and brown sugar--gives them a classic chocolate chip cookie flavor and the ideal balance of crispiness and chewiness. Make a batch as a treat for your family or to bring to parties, potlucks and picnics.

These melt-in-your-mouth polvorones (Mexican wedding cookies) get a chocolate makeover by replacing all the nuts in the traditional version with ground chocolate. Addictive just as they are, you can also grate a little cinnamon stick over them before serving.

These fruity cookies have the taste of sweet plums and almonds.

It's quick and easy to mix together these slice-and-bake chocolate-chocolate chip 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.

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.

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.

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.

These citrus-flavored sugar cookies are a lovely addition to any holiday cookie platter.

These airy coconut cookies get an upgrade with a simple dark chocolate drizzle in this healthy dessert recipe.

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.

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.

These meringue cookies have a puffy, fragile exterior and a moist, soft interior. They deliver an enticingly bold, knock-your-socks-off bittersweet chocolate experience. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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.