37 Healthy Cookie Recipes That Will Actually Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth (2024)

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

If you really want to skip the decorative confectioner’s sugar, go right ahead. But these lemon cookies only contain 1 gram of sugar, 3 grams of fat and 101 calories each.

Erin McDowell

As long as you don’t eat the whole dozen in one sitting, these cuties can be diet-friendly.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

Chopped, toasted nuts are a tasty twist on sugar cookie dough. (Oh, and each cookie has only 94 calories.)

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

It’s massive, so split it two or three ways to start the day with lots of energy and protein.

Erin McDowell

Call it holiday magic, but these pie crust-inspired gems only contain 102 calories per cookie.

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

They’re bright, citrusy and only 88 calories each—no frills, no special ingredients.

Ambitious Kitchen

They’re vegan, gluten-free and only take 20 minutes to whip up from start to finish.

Well Plated by Erin

It’s like cookies and pumpkin pie had a soft, cinnamon-laced baby. The pumpkin purée keeps this treat super moist.

Two Peas and Their Pod

The hardest step of this recipe is waiting 20 minutes for the cookies to set in the fridge. We won’t tell if you don’t make it past 15.

Broma Bakery

Sure, these breakfast bars are prime for first thing in the morning or after a workout. But they’re honestly tasty, easy and festive enough to make on Christmas day.

Skinny Ms.

The Girl Scouts have nothing on these 74-calorie treats made with peppermint extract, maple syrup and dark chocolate.

Cotter Crunch

These 30-minute morning glories have a secret. (It’s gluten-free pancake mix.)

Life Made Sweeter

Low-calorie enough that you can snack on a handful, pretty enough to include in your holiday dessert spread.

Wholesome Yum

This six-ingredient wonder is paleo and sugar-free. Bonus: It’s an afternoon baking project that’s satisfying but won’t take over your whole day.

Cotter Crunch

The cookies are made with oat flour, almond flour, maple syrup and a dash of amaretto or almond extract. But zippy raspberry jam is what puts them over the top.

Detoxinista

Raw almond butter, coconut sugar and chia seeds make these 20-minute beauties possible. Might we suggest making an ice cream sandwich with them on cheat day?

Food Faith Fitness

A blend of raw cane sugar and baking stevia give the recipe the sweetness it needs, minus some of the calories.

Well Plated by Erin

Honey, creamy peanut butter and semisweet chocolate chips make these sweets taste more decadent than they are.

Gimme Some Oven

Yeah, you read that right. We’ll take a dozen to go, please.

Well Plated by Erin

Quick oats, ground cinnamon, honey and chopped apple? We’d better fish a cardigan out of our closet.

The Simple Veganista

Fetch yourself a glass of milk: These babies will be ready in 25 minutes.

Ambitious Kitchen

Play with all the add-ins your heart desires, like dried cranberries, chopped nuts, coconut flakes or peanut butter chips.

Food Faith Fitness

TBH, if we’d known our post-workout snack could be covered in sprinkles, we’d have actually exercised weeks ago.

Ambitious Kitchen

These almond-coconut cookies are healthier plain. But one decorated with fresh vanilla buttercream and sprinkles only clocks in at 163 calories. So yeah, we’ll take the frosting.

Minimalist Baker

Sunday brunch just got a lot more sophisticated. The biscotti will keep for four days…if you manage not to eat them all in one shot, of course.

Detoxinista

Pecans, chia seeds and Medjool dates give the cookies body and natural sweetness.

Skinny Ms.

The recipe calls for strawberry jam, but we’re betting blackberry, blueberry or apricot would also taste divine.

Minimalist Baker

Vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened and oh so fluffy. Feel free to substitute aquafaba for canned pumpkin purée.

Minimalist Baker

Each cookie only contains 75 calories, plus a little protein, fiber and carbs to boot. Have a few for breakfast and they’re sure to hold you over until lunch.

Minimalist Baker

There’s no need to add butter or oil to this dough—creamy peanut butter has it covered.

Detoxinista

Like Larabars? Meet their from-scratch, eerily similar cousin.

Broma Bakery

Because no allergy or diet should keep you from the most beloved cookie of all time.

Ambitious Kitchen

Cashew butter? Check. Flaxseed meal? Check. All the rainbow sprinkles? Check, check and check.

Hey Keto Mama

We’re as surprised as you are to see this iconic mashup on the list. But each low-carb brownie-cookie hybrid only contains 181 calories, plus 5 grams of protein to boot.

Sally's Baking Addiction

Start your day with whole grains, warm spices, fresh fruit and decadent apple butter instead of refined sugar, oil and butter (looking at you, pancakes).

Well Plated by Erin

This gluten-free pick boasts minimal carbs, no refined sugar and 4 grams of protein per cookie. So go ahead, have three.

Detoxinista

These vibrant handhelds are Paleo and vegan, since the dough is made with almond flour and coconut oil and sweetened with maple syrup.

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...