3 Healthy Holiday Cookie Recipes

By Nicole Spain, Registered Dietitian

With more time spent at home this year, many families are finding themselves spending extra time in the kitchen. As you are pulling recipes for holiday baking, try some of these Grow Fit inspired healthy holiday cookies!

Nut or Seed Butter Snowball Bites
Makes 12-15

Ingredients:
½ C quick oats
1 tbsp Powdered sugar
¼ C flour
¼ C nut or seed butter
¼ C honey

Directions:

1. Pour the oats into a food processor and pulse until they are a coarse texture, but not quite powdery.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, nut or seed butter of your choice, and honey. Mix until it forms a dough (add a little water if it is too dry).
3. With wet hands, roll 12-15 small balls of dough.
4. Put the powdered sugar in a small shallow dish.
5. Dry your hands and roll the balls in the powdered sugar. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a week in a tightly covered container.

Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 12-15 cookies

Ingredients:
1 C quick oats
¾ C whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
¼ C pure maple syrup
¼ C molasses

For Icing:
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp nonfat milk

Directions:

1. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg and vanilla.Stir in the maple syrup and molasses. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Drop the cookies into 12-15 rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten about half of the cookie dough’s original height using a spatula.
5. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a baking rack.
6. While the cookies bake, prepare the icing by stirring together the sugar and milk in a small bowl. Transfer the frosting to a small zip-topped bag. Once the cookies have cooled completely and just before serving, cut a small piece of one corner of the bag, and drizzle the cookies with icing in a zig-zag pattern.

Recipe adapted from: https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2017/10/12/iced-gingerbread-oatmeal-cookies/

Cinnamon Maple Meringues
Makes 50-75

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 pinch salt
1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. In a medium pot bring a couple of inches of water to a low simmer.
3. In a large heatproof bowl (such as a glass mixing bowl), add the egg whites, maple syrup and salt. Place the bowl over the simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
4. Whisk the egg whites over the simmering water until the mixture is warm to the touch. This may take 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Immediately, start beating the egg whites on high speed using a whisk attachment on a stand mixer.
6. Beat until the egg whites have turned thick and shiny (like marshmallow crème) with stiff peaks. This may take approximately 3 minutes.
7. Gently fold in cinnamon with a spatula.
8. Transfer meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (or tip of your choice) and pipe cookies onto the parchment lined baking sheet. (Approximately 1 inch diameter)
9. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and crack the door with a wooden spoon.Leave the meringues in for an additional hour to finish letting them dry out.
10. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature. They should last for up to 3 weeks.

https://www.ourpaleolife.com/cinnamon-maple-meringue-cookies/