The 11 Best Healthy Cookie Recipes to Stock Your Jar Wisely

Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Photo: Kritsada Panichgul

Everyone deserves to enjoy a delicious homemade cookie every once in a while. But if you've got dietary restrictions or are cutting back on sugar, you're probably looking for some healthy cookies that actually taste good. Whether it's a chewy chocolate chip cookie or a crunchy ginger cookie, here are some of our best healthy cookie recipes (or healthier versions) to whip up next time your sweet tooth strikes.

01 of 11

Easy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Easy Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Carson Downing

These healthy peanut butter cookies are some of the best you'll ever taste. There are only 3 ingredients (peanut butter, sugar, and egg) involved in this delicious cookie recipe that just so happens to be gluten-free if anyone in the family has allergies.

02 of 11

Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Kritsada Panichgul

The main benefit of baking with whole grains is the fact there's less processing involved, leaving more nutrients in the seeds. Here we've created delicious healthy chocolate chip cookies by utilizing whole grains such as oat bran, wheat bran, and barley flour. If you're concerned about the sugar content, try using no-sugar-added chocolate chips.

Buy It: Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips ($7, Target)

03 of 11

Carrot Raisin Cookies

Whole Wheat Carrot Raisin Cookies
Kritsada Panichgul

Fans of carrot cake will swoon over these healthy cookies. There may not be any cream cheese frosting here, but it's packed with carrots, raisins, and the same cinnamon-sugar notes as your favorite cake. This healthy cookie recipe uses whole wheat flour and includes applesauce to add natural sweetness and moisture.

Buy It: King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour ($5, Target)

04 of 11

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bites

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oat Bites
Andy Lyons

Your search for healthy no-bake cookies is over. These bite-size treats require pulsing just seven ingredients in the food processor. Opt for dairy-free chocolate pieces and swap agave syrup for the honey to make these healthy cookies vegan.

Buy It: Cuisinart Elemental Collection 8-Cup Food Processor ($110, Kohl's)

05 of 11

Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies

Chewy Molasses Ginger Cookies
Blaine Moats

If ginger cookies are on top of your holiday baking list every year, this is the healthy cookie recipe for you. There's less than half the amount of sugar (about 1 cup versus 2 cups) in a typical ginger cookie recipe. Bonus: molasses is linked to promoting bone health and heart health.

Buy It: Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Hand Mixer ($16, Target)

06 of 11

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Jason Donnelly

Protein-rich almond flour not only makes healthy chocolate chip cookies taste amazing, but it keeps them gluten-free! For a different gluten-free take, try making these healthy cookies with coconut flour.

07 of 11

Cornmeal Sandies

Cornmeal Sandies
Alison Miksch

With only ¼ cup sugar in the whole batch, these delicious cookies come in at just 3 grams of sugar per cookie. Shredded lemon and orange peel add a nice bright flavor to these healthy cookies. Cornmeal adds an irresistible texture as well as a bit of fiber and protein.

08 of 11

Oat, Fruit, and Nut Cookies

Oat Fruit Nut Cookies
Andy Lyons

Oatmeal is well-known as a heart-healthy and antioxidant-rich food. It's also known to help keep blood glucose levels down and even promote weight loss. These healthy oatmeal cookies get chunks of delicious flavor with your choice of dried mixed fruits and nuts.

09 of 11

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Joyce Pool

How do you make healthy chocolate chip cookies? Add tofu! Before you go running away, the plant-based protein has a neutral flavor so you won't taste anything funky. The tofu only adds its nutritional benefits (plus a bit of moisture) to these healthy cookies.

10 of 11

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars
Blaine Moats

Bar cookies can be healthy, too. Not only is pumpkin the star flavor of fall, but it's actually packed with vitamins that may boost immunity. This healthy pumpkin cookie also features whole wheat flour.

11 of 11

Apple-Walnut Crunch Cookies

Apple-Walnut Crunch Cookies
Blaine Moats

Here's another healthy cookie that could be enjoyed as a quick breakfast, but sweet enough for dessert. The cookies have a chewy-sweet bite from dried apples and applesauce. For the crunch, it's packed with fiber-rich bran cereal.

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