Healthy Holiday Cookie Recipes

Looking to enjoy holiday treats that are vegan and gluten free? These cookies satisfy various health preferences and food intolerances.

Gingerbread Cookies 

Ingredients 

2 cups oat flour 

2 teaspoon ground ginger 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

¼ teaspoon ground cloves 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

⅓ cup fancy molasses 

⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce 

1-2 tablespoon plant milk only if needed 

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add all your dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk well. Then add the molasses and applesauce and mix until no floury bits remain. Add 1-2 tablespoons of plant milk ONLY if needed. (If you weighing your flour, you won’t need it.)
3. Divide the batter into 12-14 portions, rolling each one into balls that are appx. 1-1.5″ in diameter.
4. Then roll them in the sugar (if using), slightly flatten them and place on your baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes until set. Enjoy!

*recipe credit This Healthy Kitchen 

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies  

Ingredients 

Flax egg 

1 Tb ground flaxseed 

3 Tb water 

Cookies 

1 cup ground hazelnuts 

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts 

1/2 cup Medjool dates- pitted 

2 Tb cocoa powder 

1 Tb water 

a pinch of salt 

Instructions 

1.Preheat the oven to 160°C/320F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 

2. Make the flax egg, set aside for at least 5 minutes to thicken.
3. Take 1 cup of hazelnuts and grind them into a coarse powder in a food processor. Don’t worry if you get some bigger chunks. They will add extra texture to the cookies. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
4. In the same food processor, blend the Medjool dates into a paste by adding 1 tablespoon of water and the flax egg.
5. Chop the remaining 1/3 cup of hazelnuts into chunkier pieces and spread them onto a tray or a plate.
6. Combine the ground hazelnuts, date paste, salt, and cacao powder in a large mixing bowl. Mix it all well to bind all ingredients together and produce a thick, sticky dough.
7. Divide the dough into 10 equally sized pieces. Roll each portion of dough between the palms of your hands to form a ball. Squash the ball a bit to give it a cookie shape, then lightly press each one into the chopped hazelnuts to coat.
8. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool down before moving them to a plate or airtight container. Be careful as they are pretty soft when they are hot.

*recipe credit Gathering Dreams 

Spritz Cookies 

Ingredients 

2 cups gluten free flour* 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

½ cup maple syrup 

2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted 

2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

4 teaspoons almond extract 

4 tablespoon flaxseed meal 

½ cup water 

½ teaspoon powdered spirulina (for green coloring) 

1 tablespoon red beet juice (for red coloring) 

spritz cookie press 

*Ingredients for Gluten Free Flour 

1½ cup almond flour 

1 cup arrowroot flour 

1 cup coconut flour 

½ cup tapioca flour 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

RED SPRITZ COOKIES 

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1 cup flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons almond extract, 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal, ¼ cup water and beet juice.
3. Mix thoroughly until well-combined.
4. Choose cookie shape and then spoon mixture into the cookie press.
5. Use the cookie press to spritz cookies onto a lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

GREEN SPRITZ COOKIES 

2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine 1 cup flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons almond extract, 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal, ¼ cup water and spirulina.
3. Mix thoroughly until well-combined.
4. Choose cookie shape and then spoon mixture into the cookie press.
5. Use the cookie press to spritz cookies onto a lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8–10 minutes

Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients 

For the cookies 

2 cups almond flour 

5 Tb white almond butter 

or cashew butter 

6 Tb maple syrup 

1/2 tsp vanilla powder 

For the jam

1 cup frozen berries 

2 Tbsp. maple syrup 

(or 1/2 cup store-bought jam) 

Instructions 

Make the jam 

1. If making your own jam, place the frozen berries and maple syrup in a small saucepan and bring to medium heat. Once bubbling, reduce the heat slightly and keep stirring while mashing the fruit using a wooden spoon. Continue cooking for 10-12 minutes, occasionally mashing the fruit to combine, until you reach a jam-like consistency. Then set aside, and let it cool while you prepare the cookies.

Make the cookies 

1. Preheat the oven 1. to 320F (160C).
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla until it all comes together into a soft dough ball.
4. Divide the dough into 20 equally-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a-1 inch ball. Place onto the baking sheet, flatten each ball down slightly with the palm of your hand, then press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, 1/2” deep. Fill each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon of berry jam or enough to fill the hole.
5. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden. The cookies themselves will still be quite pale.
6. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on a cooling rack before enjoying them.

*recipe credit Gathering Dreams 

Almond Crescent Cookies 

Ingredients 

Cookies: 

2 cups almond flour 

5 Tb white almond butter or cashew butter 

6 Tb maple syrup 

1/2 tsp vanilla powder 

1 orange zest 

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 

1/8 tsp of cardamom & 1/8 tsp cinnamon 

generous pinch of salt 

Vanilla Sugar: 

4-5 Tb powdered sugar 

1/2 tsp vanilla powder 

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 320F (160C).
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Mix the almond flour, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, orange zest, spices and nuts in a small bowl and make a soft dough.
4. Divide the dough into 14 equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a small cylinder and then shape into a crescent. Arrange the cookies on the baking sheet. They won’t spread in the oven, so don’t worry about keeping too much distance between them.
5. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until the edges are beginning to turn golden. The cookies themselves will still be quite pale in color.
6. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for about 3 minutes. While the cookies are still warm, place 4-5 tablespoons of powdered sugar and vanilla powder in a small bowl and mix well. Roll each cookie into the vanilla sugar until coated.
7. Once the cookies are completely cooled, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to a month.

*Recipe adapted from Gathering Dreams 

Vegan Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Ingredients 

⅔ cup tahini 

1 cup light soft brown sugar 

4 Tb chilled canned full fat coconut milk 

2 Tb unsweetened applesauce 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 ½ cups plain flour (sifted) 

1 tsp baking soda (sifted) 

½ tsp salt 

5 oz chocolate chunks or chips 

Instructions 

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line 2 baking trays with a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Add the tahini, soft brown sugar, coconut cream, apple sauce and vanilla extract to a large bowl beat together using a whisk (electric if possible).
3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix using a spatula until the ingredients stick together to form a dough. Add in the chocolate chunks and knead the mixture to evenly distribute throughout the dough.
4. Use an ice cream or cookie scoop to measure out the cookies and place them on the lined baking trays, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.
5. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.
6. 6. Allow the cookies to sit on the baking tray to cool for about 5 minutes. Next, carefully slide the sheet of parchment paper with the cookies off of the tray and onto a cooling rack. Cool for another 15-20 minutes until they reach room temperature. Sprinkle with some flaky sea salt before serving.

*Recipe inspired by Addicted to Dates