Don't Poison Santa! Make This Healthy Sugar Cookie Recipe Instead (2024)

By Food Babe

157

I posted this photo below on facebook the other day and it caused quite a stir!

Don’t poison santa (and yourself) with these cookie brands with terrible ingredients… whether you choose Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Nestle or store brands like Great Value – you can almost be guaranteed they have GMOs linked to infertility, allergies, and cancer, trans fats that cause 8,000 deaths per year and 20,000 heart attacks, aluminum linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and/or very controversial artificial ingredients made from petroleum that are contaminated with carcinogens.

Luckily you don’t need to buy these ingredients or brands to have fun this season. This healthy sugar cookie recipe below will get you through the holidays! You can roll out the dough and make shapes or just simple round cookies, it’s totally up to you.

If you decide to decorate your cookies be sure to choose ingredients that do not contain artificial food dyes linked to hyperactivity, allergies and asthma. Dyes fromIndia Tree work great to color cookies and icing. You can get it at natural food stores (like Whole Foods) and on amazon here.

These cookies come out crisp and a bit chewy inside – the perfect consistency! I use almond flour because it’s naturally a bit sweeter than whole wheat flour and tastes amazing!The last batch I made went quick. So you might want to double your batter if you’ve got a lot of mouths to feed.

Healthy Sugar Cookies

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour
¼ cup coconut oil melted (or grass-fed butter at room temp)
½ cup coconut palm sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all wet ingredients together and combine well
Slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well
Drop a tablespoon of dough on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet
Bake cookies for 8-10 mins (until edges are golden brown)
As cookies are cooling, sprinkle with a little coconut sugar after baking if desired
Cool cookies for at least 5 mins before serving
(Alternatively, if you are cutting out shapes, refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour and then roll out using a rolling pin and additional almond flour and bake the same way)

Notes

***Please use all organic ingredients if possible***

Thank goodness it only takes 15 mins to keep Santa and ourselves a little healthier this season. If you know someone who could revamp their sugar cookies recipe or buying habits, please share this post with them. We don’t want anyone poisoning Santa!

Happy Holidays,

Food Babe

November 18th, 2021

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Almond Flour, Betty Crocker, christmas, Christmas Cookies, Coconut Oil, coconut palm sugar, GMOs, Great Value, healthy dessert, Nestle, Pillsbury, Santa

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157 responses to “Don’t Poison Santa! {Make This Healthy Sugar Cookie Recipe Instead}”

I made these the other day and they were SO delicious, I couldn’t stop eating them! Thank you for this healthy and delicious cookie recipe to satisfy my sugar craving! I may have to make these again very soon….
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1. Hi,
  I was wondering if you followed the recipe exactly? I did everything it said but the dough stayed exactly the way I dropped it onto the sheet and they just did not expand at all.
  Reply
  1. Hi, I did follow the recipe except the almond flour I used was not blanched. I think that is what makes the difference, my almond flour was more course and I had the same problem, my cookies did not expand. To fix that, just pat them out flatter before baking. Or buy the blanched flour, if you do did not use it the first time. They were still delicious though, I loved them!
These are so tasty!! Thanks for the healthy and simple recipe. I’m a huge fan of coconut oil and absolutely loved the flavor of all these hearty ingredients combined.
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These are so tasty!! Thanks for the healthy and simple recipe. I’m a huge fan of coconut oil and absolutely loved the flavor of all these hearty ingredients combined.
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I have read some studies about Almond Flour being unhealthy when cooked due to the way it changes it chemically. They claim coconut flour to be a better choice and better calorie wise.
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1. I was going to ask if we could use coconut flour instead. What do you think? Will they still turn out ok? I new to using it.
  Reply
  1. My apologies for not having the measurements, but I know for sure you could not do a 1:1 substitution. If it would work, you would do less coconut flour and more eggs. Coconut flour absorbs more and is more dense. Sorry, not much more help.
What can I use instead of coconut palm sugar. I don’t have any.
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1. i used stevia in the raw and a bit of organic turbinado style raw sugar and they turned out great. I also used a bit of organic ghee with the coconut oil (to conserve my cocnu*t oil) and thry turned out great. I also added dark chocolate chips and cinnamon
  Reply
Great, simple recipe and I love coconut sugar but will never buy it again since finding out that it’s unsustainable – http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/coconut_palm_sugar.htm Vani I know that you are trying to be ethical and so maybe this is not something to promote the use of. Although campaigning for sustainable coconut sugar is!
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1. Hi Sophie,
  Try NUTIVA coconut palm sugar. It is sustainable, as are all their products.
  They are http://www.nutiva.com
  Reply
My mom and I have a traditions of making sugar cookies for holidays (i.e. Christmas, Valentine’s day, Easter, etc…) We are definitely going to switch up the tradition by making these! Is there a way to shape these delicious treats into something more festive?
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I would like to know the calories,fats carbs, and protein make-up of your recipes. It will be a great help for me ,in keeping my weight loss under control. Thanks
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We have nut allergies in my house. What’s another type of flour I could use instead of almond? Thanks.
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1. Coconut is a member of the palm family, which is not related to nuts or peanuts so maybe coconut flour?
  Reply
2. Coconut flour is a different beast. You will have to use another nut or seed flour, however the flavor will be very different..almond flour has a really buttery flavor compared to other seed and nut flours, and with such simple ingredients, you might get the taste results you’re happy with. But functionality wise, you should fine!
  Reply
if a vegetarian … can you use tofu instead of eggs or something else, just NOT eggs?
just checking …. thanks
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1. I have an egg allergy and I use organic unsweetened applesauce in place of eggs. It’s 1/4 C per one egg. My recipes turn out great!
  Reply
2. you can use 1 tablespoon psyllium husks or a gelatin egg (3 tablespoons water mixed with 1 T gelatin)
  Reply
Hi! I used Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend (Gluten free) and noticed that once all ingredients were combined, it wasn’t anywhere near what the picture looked like so I added more coconut oil. When I pulled them out of the oven, they literally crumble in my hands. Any ideas why? Is it the flour I’m using? I went to the store yesterday to buy the blanched almond flour listed in the ingredients, but it was $10 for a bag that will probably only last me through this recipe (I need to make two batches). That’s too expensive for me. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated as I’m trying to make a healthy cookie for my son’s class for St. Patty’s Day tomorrow.
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1. I have noticed that too much oil always makes my baking items crumble.
  Reply
2. Try using almond flour, not the GF flour blend you noted? And use blanched almond flour. Makes a difference. Be certain of using the ingredients as stated…altering ingredients can make for a different texture, etc… Happy Baking!
  Reply
Michelle I had a similar problem. When I mixed the wet and dry the consistency was no where near the picture so I added two more eggs. They’re in the oven right now.
Reply
See Also
Baked Avocado Egg Cups Recipe (Paleo, Gluten Free)
1. same thing happened…followed the recipe exactly and the dough didnt look like the picture and the cookies did not turn out thin and crispy from the outside
  Reply
Well, lesson one read the entire thread. I used coconut flour and not good for this recipe. Darn it, I was looking forward to these cookies. Oh well!
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How many calories are this delicious cookies Food Babe? Thanks.
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LOVED them. My kids added the extra Sun Drop candies as an extra treat. It’s nice knowing I can feed them special treats that won’t cause unnecessary health issues. Thanks Foodbabe!
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These cookies are wonderful! I like a crispy cookie so I cooled the dough in the fridge then placed 1 TBS in plastic wrap and flattened it out. Baked them for a shorter amount of time… and it’s a great little crisp ( healthy ) cookie. 🙂
Thank you Food Babe!
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I can’t stand the taste of coconut so I’m scared to try the coconut palm sugar. Can you taste the coconut?
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1. To me, coconut sugar tastes more like maple syrup! Should be fine.
  Reply
2. Coconut palm sugar has no taste of coconut! Just nicely sweet
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I made these cookies today, but made two changes to the recipe. (1) I used only one TEASPOON of vanilla. (2) The first batch of cookies remained as little balls during baking. The second and third batches, I first flattened the cookies with my fingers before baking. The cookies were a hit with my friends and family. Everyone wanted the recipe … with my changes, of course.
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I got coconut flour and oil from the store two days ago for this recipe and realize that I was supposed to get the sugar and almond flour instead! Pooh.
I did also get organic whole wheat pastry flour. So I’m thinking I can do 1/2 coconut flour and 1/2 ww pastry flour? Should I change the liquid/egg ratio too?
I’ve never worked with coconut flour or oil before this so I need help!
Thanks!!
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1. Coconut flour is very different than all other flours. You must use much less and increase liquid. I do not recommend changing this recipe.
  Reply
WOW! These cookies are FANTASTIC!!! I made them for a finicky cookie eater and after grumbling about them being, “good for you” cookies, I had to stop him from eating all of them AND the plate too! 😉 I LOVE your recipes…PLEASE keep ’em coming!! THANK YOU Foodbabe!!!
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I’ve made these several times, but have never had them spread out as shown. (I end up flattening them with a fork, and the dough stays exactly where it’s put.) They turn out chewy and wonderful, though, so I’m disinclined to lose a batch to experimenting with more liquid.
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Lol!! Love what you said! Don’t poison Santa!!ha!ha!
I will give them a try. The ingredient are so eassy, I’ve been look for one to make. Thank you!! And Marry Chrismas!!
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Do you think I could substitute almond meal for the almond flour? Or are they quite different? Thanks 🙂
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1. Definitely! That should work fine.
  Reply
  1. I did and wound up with a disaster! Almond meal is too coarse. My cookies did not spread and they fell apart. So I went back the next day and made them with blanched almond flour. Better but the mixture has yet to look as pictured and they did not spread. I think as much as I would love to make these and make them correctly, I am not willing to spend the money again. The flour was $10 for 16 ounces.
Do you think I can substitute honey instead of the sugar? What would the ratio be? My husband can’t have the sugar. Thanks!
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1. Hi Eva,
  You’ll have to play with the recipe, but yes, you can swap out the sugar for honey. However, you’ll want to use less wet ingredients then. So maybe cut back on some of the coconut oil you use. Try to obtain the consistency that you see (where the cookies are in balls on the cookie sheet). They will flatten out as they cook.
  Take care!
  Reply
  1. Thank you! I’ll let you know how they come out after I play with it.
  2. Hi Eva,
    Several people have said they followed the recipe exactly and the cookies did not flatten out during baking like you stated they will. Any thoughts on that? I’m hesitant to try this recipe due to the issues others expressed they had with it.
I’m allergic to almonds. What substitute do you recommend for the almond flour?
Thanks.
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1. What alternative flours have you used in the past? Coconut flour? Tapioca? Rice?
  If you are sticking with pseudo-grains, then try to use a combination of them instead of straight swapping almond for coconut. See what works best for you! 🙂
  Reply
  1. I usually use a gluten free version (with no almond flour). I will try that. Thanks for the response!
hey ladies,
I twisted a bit the recipe and they are just SO DELICIOUS!
2 cups ground hazelnuts, 1/3 cup coconut flour, 1/3 cup coconut sugar, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1 egg, 1/2 tbs vanilla, 1 tbs cinnamon, pinch of salt.
https://www.facebook.com/SpelaGroharLifestyle
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Could I use a flax egg?
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Finally made these but used coconut flour and organic cane sugar. I read that coconut flour is more dense and tends to be more dry, so adding more liquid is advised. I didn’t know what liquid would be good to add, so I just put in 1 cup of flour instead of two. They came out exactly as formed (didn’t expand) but tasted like light coconut and I sprinkled a little of sugar on top. Cute!
I’ll def make these again but would like to add more liquid to make them a bit more moist. Can someone tell me what I could add? More coconut oil? More sugar? More vanilla? Or another ingredient altogether? Thanks so much!
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1. Applesauce 😉
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These are great…I added 1 cup of coconut and hit it out of the park. Thanks!
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my daughter cannot have nuts. is there another flour that you can substitute for the almond flour
thank you
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Using organic sugar is a no-no?
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For those of us who are allergic to almonds all of those recipes you supplied in your email about not poisoning Santa won’t work for us.
Hopefully you will find alternatives in the future.
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I was very dissatisfied with the cookies. The picture is NOTHING like how they look!
Paleontology cookies don’t expand. I have made them twice and they just look and taste blah. I’ve used the exact ingredients. This was not a hit !
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This are amazing. You cannot even tell that they are gluten free. The almond flour definitely sweetens the cookies. I will make these again!
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my childhood recipe for sugar cookies includes sugary sweet butter/vanilla/powdered sugar icing. Can you recommend a substitute? i would love to bake these and ice these instead!
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I made these cookies and while the consistency did turn out like the pictures they were super good! I got a little creative and added a tablespoon of Chia seeds and also sprinkled a few more once I had the dough on the parchment paper. I also made one batch of cookies with grass-fed butter and one batch with coconut oil. While they were equally wonderful the butter turned out a tad more moist.
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You can substitute the eggs for applesauce and baking soda. The conversion is:
1 egg = 1/4 cup of apple sauce + 1/2 tsp extra of baking soda
You can make your own apple sauce in a Vitamix:
4 organic apples with or without peel
2 Tablespoons lemon juice.
Blend for 20 seconds, use the tamper to press the apples into the blades.
So for the conversion for these cookies is: 1 cup of applesauce + 2 tsp baking soda.
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I made these using almond extract instead of vanilla and they cake out delicious!
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Like others have said, the cookies remained as a scoop—never spread out. I decided to flatten out when checking at 8 mins—but nowhere near the shown, or described end cookie. Tastes good but very crumbly and not “sugar type cookie”. I literally used the same exact brand ingredients, and followed recipe exactly. ‍♀️ (Could there be a missing ingredient or step?)
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Any suggestions for a topping other than icing?
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Don't Poison Santa! Make This Healthy Sugar Cookie Recipe Instead (2024)

FAQs

What will happen if I dont put white sugar in cookies? ›

It'll be less recognizable if you use a little bit of cocoa powder, but it is there. Skipping sugar in cookies isn't the end of the world, but it changes things: Flavor flat-out: Cookies won't be sweet, obviously! Sugar adds sweetness and balances other flavors.

What happens if you forgot brown sugar in cookies? ›

What happens when you bake without brown sugar? To be succinct, the resulting baked good could be slightly drier or more crisp. Without the excess moisture from the molasses in the brown sugar, the final cookie won't be as chewy and the final bread might be drier.

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Chocolate Chip cookies

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

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What happens when you don't add enough sugar to cookies? ›

When you decrease the sugar in a cookie recipe, you won't just get a result that's less sweet. You'll get cookies that are harder, drier, crumblier, and spread far less. It was also interesting to note that decreasing the sugar also yielded 1 less cookie dough ball.

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What happens if I use regular sugar instead of powdered sugar in cookies? ›

"This means, cup for cup, there would be more sugar in a cup of powdered sugar than in a cup of regular sugar." In addition to inconsistent measurements, regular sugar won't dissolve and mix as well into recipes like frosting and icing. You'll end up with a grainy, unappealing texture.

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What happens if you use powdered sugar instead of granulated in cookies? ›

All levels of powdered sugar grind can be used interchangeably with each other in cookie recipes. But take note: powdered sugar is not to be substituted for granulated sugar or brown sugar, since the added cornstarch in powdered sugar changes cookie chemistry and texture.

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Can I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar? ›

You require approximately half as much granulated sugar as powdered sugar. So for example, if a recipe asks for 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, you can substitute it with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar with no change in the overall sweetness of your recipe.

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Should sugar cookies be brown on the bottom? ›

A fully baked sugar cookie will have a light, golden brown undertone on the bottom with lightly golden edges. Colored dough darkens the longer it is baked so be sure to remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the edges turn golden brown.

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What is Santa's phone number? ›

Father Christmas can be reached at 605-313-4000, his official hotline. Those wishing to call Santa can also visit FreeConferenceCall.com/Santa-Hotline to call the Santa Hotline through the official website.

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What is Santa's wife's name? ›

The Santa Claus that we know lives in the North Pole. According to some North American sources, his original name was Kris Kringle before he changed his name to Santa Claus. Kris Kringle was a toymaker who married Jessica. Other names found for Mrs Claus are Mary Christmas, Gertrude, and Carol.

What country invented cookies? ›

Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.