Healthier Treats: Sugar Cookies
Recipe

Healthier Treats: Sugar Cookies

Published on Tuesday, December 14, 2021
by
Amanda Hernandez

Acid Reflux
GERD
IBS
Jump to Recipe

Looking for a lighter treat option to satisfy your sweet tooth?

Holiday baking can be so much fun! A simple cookie like sugar cookies are fun to decorate and cut out into holiday shapes. These healthier sugar cookies have less butter than a traditional recipe and are made with white-whole wheat flour. They have way less sugar than many sugar cookie recipes as well. They are wonderful for anyone (my kids love them!) and are a better choice than some other heavier desserts for people with GERD.

In even better news, the dough freezes well and can be enjoyed whenever you want for fresh baked sugar cookies anytime. Double or triple the recipe and freeze the dough to make into heart shapes for Valentine's Day or any other shape you like. 

Baking with white whole-wheat flour is a great choice because it is higher in fiber and nutrients than all-purpose flour. It bakes just like all-purpose flour and is lighter in color than regular whole-wheat flour. The reduced amount of butter used in these cookies keeps the recipe lower in saturated fat which can be beneficial for someone with GERD. They are by no means a health food at all but can be a lighter treat option.

Even though the cookies are lower in sugar, no one will be able to tell once you top them with your icing or frosting of choice. I made these sugar cookies with my kids and there were no complaints about them being lower in sugar or being healthier. They are a fun activity to do with kids or with any family members this holiday season. A wonderful tradition that is GERD friendly. My kids have fun mixing the ingredients, tasting the dough, rolling out the dough, cutting the cookies into shapes and after they bake, decorating them. Throw on some holiday music and have a great time.

[[ recipeID=recipe-8kwpe3u0s, title=Healthier Sugar Cookies ]]

This makes quite a large batch. You can cut it in half if you only want a little bit of cookies but I recommend making the entire batch and putting some of the dough in the fridge if you can't use it right away.

Want to make these a gluten-free option? Try these 1:1 gluten-free flour alternatives:

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour

Krusteaz Gluten Free All Purpose Flour 32 oz Resealable Bag with Krusteaz Pastry Knife

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Expert Contributor

Amanda Hernandez

MA, RD

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Healthier Sugar Cookies

Servings: 20

Keywords:

  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 7 mins
  • Total Time: 32 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 3 cups White Whole-Wheat Flour
  • 1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ¾ cup Butter
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp Lactose Free Milk
  • 1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Frosting and sprinkles of choice.

Instructions

  1. Mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl with your hands. Mixture may be a little crumbly.
  2. Take a ball of dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate dough to make it easier to roll out. Allow at least 30 minutes to get cold.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Take two large pieces of parchment paper and lightly flour the insides of them. Place the ball of dough in between the two pieces of parchment paper (to prevent sticking).
  5. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick and use any cookie cutters you like to cut out shapes. Place the cut out cookie dough on your baking sheet. You may use a spatula to remove dough shapes from parchment to carefully place on a baking sheet.
  6. Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned. Remove cookies from the oven. Let cool. 
  7. Frost cookies with whatever frosting and sprinkles you like. These cookies store well on the counter in a sealable container for about 5 days.
  8. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1

Serving Per Recipe: 20

Amount Per Serving
Calories 100
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7.2g 11%
Saturated Fat 4.5g 22%
Trans Fat 0g
Sodium 207mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 8.7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0.5g 2%
Sugars 5.6g
Protein 1g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

Notes

Baking time may take 7-9 minutes. Nutrition facts do not include frosting or sprinkles.