Bake a Batch of Better-For-You Holiday Cookies

A warm kitchen, floury handprints on the counter, and when all is said and done, the sweet aroma of fresh-baked cookies wafting through the house. A winter afternoon spent baking is one of those small moments with the power to bring bountiful holiday cheer.

To help you make this sweet tradition a little more wholesome, here’s a sugar-free sugar cookie recipe that uses better baking essentials like organic flour, ethically sourced Madagascar vanilla extract (it comes from beans grown on a local farm co-op), and a very convincing 1:1 sugar replacement. We’ve recommended dipping and drizzling with melted chocolate chips, but with a basic recipe like this, there’s no limit to your topping creativity; try naturally colored icing, sprinkles, candy, or chopped nuts.

Want more healthy holiday ingredient swaps? Text Bailey, our Thrive Market holiday shopping expert, at (855) 419-9390.

Sugar-Free “Sugar” Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1 ¼ cup Swerve Granular Sugar Replacement
1 egg, preferably organic and/or pastured
1 3/4 cup Thrive Market All Purpose Flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon Thrive Market Organic Vanilla Extract
Lily’s Stevia-Sweetened Milk Chocolate Style or Dark Chocolate Baking Chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for easy clean-up.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and Swerve using a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Next, add the egg and mix until well combined.

Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract.

Using a tablespoon, scoop dough into balls. Place dough balls onto cookie sheet about 1 ½ to 2 inches apart. Lightly press each dough ball with the bottom of a glass until slightly flattened.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks.

Melt chocolate chips in a bowl, either in the microwave (in 20-second intervals) or over a double boiler. Once cookies are cooled, decorate with the melted chocolate by drizzling or dipping. Allow chocolate to set before serving.

Recipe adapted from Swerve

Want more better-for-you cookie recipes? Try these next:
Allergen-Free Black and White Cookies
Celiac-Safe Chocolate Chunk Shortbread
5-Ingredient Keto Peanut Butter Cookies