18 Guilt-Free, Simple Cookie Recipes

By Min-Ja Lee
March 01, 2016
Cookies like chocolate chip, oatmeal, ginger, even Snickerdoodles taste just as great with less fat and sugar.
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Classic treats

Whether it's chocolate chip, sugar or peanut butter, cookies are deliciously comforting, practically irresistible—and bad news for your diet. To help you with this delicious dilemma, we've collected 16 cookie recipes made with healthful ingredients. So go ahead and ease your sweet tooth with these delectable treats, from Snickerdoodles to Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies.

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Banana-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yunhee Kim
Chocolate chip cookies get a wholesome upgrade when you add a heaping dose of heart-healthy oats and potassium-rich banana. You'll want to cut down on fat, so use soy milk and canola oil instead of whole milk and butter.

Ingredients: Oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raw sugar, canola oil, soy milk, vanilla extract, banana, walnuts, vegan chocolate chips

Calories: 138

Try this recipe: Banana-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Sandwich Cookies

Oxmoor House
This recipe turns your childhood favorite into a tasty treat. We suggest using all-natural peanut butter, which is full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, iron and immunity-boosting zinc.

Ingredients: Peanut butter, margarine, calorie-free sweetener, sugar, egg whites, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, strawberry spread

Calories: 97

Try this recipe: Peanut Butter-and-Jelly Sandwich Cookies
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Caramel-Cream Cookie

For a low-cal dessert that tastes decadent, top off a chocolate wafer cookie with a dollop of whipped cream and dulce de leche, a yummy caramel treat found in many ethnic supermarkets.

Ingredients: Chocolate wafer cookie, dulce de leche, whipped cream

Calories: 77

Try this recipe: Caramel-Cream Cookie

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Cherry-Almond-Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

Tart cherries, bittersweet chocolate and crunchy almonds come together in a cookie that's packed with flavor and texture without being overly sweet.

Ingredients: Bittersweet chocolate, cherries, almonds, flour, butter, egg white, vanilla extract, baking soda, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, salt

Calories: 94

Try this recipe: Cherry-Almond-Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

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Kiss Cookies

These adorable treats would look fantastic on a party buffet. To cut down on a third of the fat, use fat-free condensed milk, reduced-fat peanut butter, and low-fat baking mix.

Ingredients: Condensed milk, peanut butter, baking mix, vanilla extract, cooking spray, sugar, chocolate kisses

Calories: 109

Try this recipe: Kiss Cookies
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Mocha Cookies

This is the perfect blend of chocolate, butter and espresso. We just had to steal this recipe from Keegan Gerhard, executive pastry chef of D Bar Desserts in Denver.

Ingredients: Butter, semisweet chocolate, one egg, instant espresso powder, sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt

Calories: 90

Try this recipe: Mocha Cookies

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Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Quentin Bacon
Chocolate, walnuts and oats are three of the best superfoods for women. Get all of the health benefits from one delicious cookie.

Ingredients: Unsalted butter, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, oats, salt, egg, vanilla extract, walnuts, bittersweet chocolate

Calories: 92

Try this recipe: Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

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Supercharged Cherry-Almond Cookies

Need a post-workout pick-me-up? Stave off that energy slump with these supercharged cookies. You’ll get heart-healthy fats from the almonds, and a heaping dose of antioxidants from the cherries will help ease your sore muscles.

Ingredients: Whole-wheat flour, almond flour, sea salt, baking soda, unsalted butter, light brown sugar, large egg, unsweetened applesauce, almond extract, dried tart cherries, almonds

Calories: 75

Try this recipe: Supercharged Cherry-Almond Cookies
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Ginger-Molasses Cookies

This spicy cookie tastes just like Christmas, but you can have it with a cup of tea at any time of year. It's low-cal, and weighs in at just 2 grams of fat.

Ingredients: Crystallized ginger, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, flour, butter, egg white, vanilla extract, baking soda, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, salt

Calories: 61

Try this recipe: Ginger-Molasses Cookies

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Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

For a cookie that's full of flavor and texture, try mixing black and white chips together with heart-healthy pecans and Kahlua.

Ingredients: Cake flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, butter, vegetable shortening, water, egg substitute, Kahlua, vanilla extract, semisweet chocolate mini chips, white chocolate chips, pecans

Calories: 87

Try this recipe: Black and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Linzer Thumbprints

Raspberry jam and toasted hazelnuts are a delicious combination, and it all comes together in this 87-calorie treat.

Ingredients: Hazelnuts, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, raspberry jam, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, butter, egg white, vanilla extract

Calories: 87

Try this recipe: Linzer Thumbprints
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Oatmeal-Date-Chocolate Cookies

The oats and dates to this cookie recipe are packed with fiber, helping you feel full on less calories.

Ingredients: Unsalted butter, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, oats, salt, egg, vanilla extract, dates, bittersweet chocolate

Calories: 91

Try this recipe: Oatmeal-Date-Chocolate Cookies

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Snickerdoodles

These cookies are light, crisp and so easy to make. You'll enjoy the delicious aromas of cinnamon and vanilla—which also have feel-good benefits such as pain and anxiety relief.

Ingredients: Flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla, egg, sugar, cinnamon, cooking spray

Calories: 54

Try this recipe: Snickerdoodles

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Cinnamon Streusel Crisps

Upgrade refrigerated cookie dough with a sweet, crumbly topping made of pecans, cinnamon and brown sugar.

Ingredients: Refrigerated sugar-cookie dough, light brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg

Calories: 87

Try this recipe: Cinnamon Streusel Crisps
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Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cookies

This recipe by Tina Haupert is a lighter twist on her favorite dessert. Just like its inspiration, this cookie is soft, fluffy and filled with nutrient-rich raisins, walnuts, and coconut. As an added bonus, it's gluten-free.

Ingredients: Almond flour, egg, carrot, shredded coconut, raisins, walnuts, honey, canola oil, baking powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt

Calories: 153

Try this recipe: Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cookies

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Cranberry-Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chips and cranberries make this cookie a decadent treat. But looks (and taste) are deceiving, since it's also packed with healthful ingredients like whole wheat, fiber-rich oats, and omega-3-rich walnuts. Plus, it's 75 calories per serving!

Ingredients: Flour, whole-wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, dried cranberries, walnuts, semisweet chocolate mini chips, brown sugar, butter, honey, vanilla extract, eggs

Calories: 75

Try this recipe: Cranberry-Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Honey-Dipped Cookies

John Kernick

If you’re looking to serve up some top-notch gourmet cookies, but don’t want to spend hours laboring over a complicated recipe, whip up these honey-dipped cookies. Simply pick up some quality shortbread cookies and upgrade them by dipping them in homemade honey-lemon syrup and sprinkling them with chopped pistachios. Is that easy, but will look ultra-impressive to your friends!

Ingredients: sugar, honey, water, lemon juice, lemon slices, shortbread cookies, pistachios

Calories: 161

Try this recipe: Honey-Dipped Cookies

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Almond Butter Cookies

Change things up from your usual peanut butter cookies, and try these almond butter versions instead. These nutritious little treats are packed with healthy ingredients like dates, almonds, cherries, and oats. And the best part? They’re sweetened with dates and maple syrup, which means they don’t contain an ounce of refined sugar.

Ingredients: Medjool dates, raw almonds, almond butter, maple syrup, almond extract, cinnamon, cherries, oats.

Calories: 128

Try this recipe: Almond Butter Cookies

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