A round up of holiday cookies including gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, vegan and easy-to-make options!
The holiday’s are around the corner, which means that it’s time to start baking! I love making special holiday treats with my kids, and now that they’re nine, six and four, they can all take part in the fun! Tasks that they love are to help mix ingredients, role out dough, use the cookie cutters, crack eggs and add the finishing festive decorations. They love to eat and share their creations, which helps boost their self-confidence and skills in the kitchen. Win-win!
It’s not just about Christmas
There are several different holidays celebrated during the month of December–not just Christmas! There’s also Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, Festivus, and more! This got me thinking about various holiday traditions and being inclusive, as well as being sensitive to those with food allergies when I started planning my cookie-round up.
Food allergies–although manageable–can be a real bummer, especially for kids. Treats are everywhere this time of year, and for parents of little ones with diabetes, celiac disease, peanut allergies, and so on, what you bake for treats may be different from what I bake.
With that in mind, below you will find some yummy holiday baking recipes created by some amazing dietitians (and myself!). Some of these cookies have nuts, some will be dairy-free, some gluten-free, some vegan… and some just super easy to make! I hope you enjoy. If you have any favourite holiday baking recipes feel free to share in the comments below.
Happy holidays and happy baking!
If you are a fan of ginger, you will absolutely LOVE this recipe. I would double the recipe, because they will disappear in no time over the holidays. They make for a great hostess gift too!
These perfectly moist Brown Sugar-Cinnamon PB Cookies are vegan-friendly and only use 5 ingredients!
This is one of our go-to holiday baking recipes because it’s SO easy, and everyone loves them. These chewy, brownie-like cookies are delicious and are perfect for a holiday dessert or snack, or a cookie exchange!
If you want a festive treat this holiday season, look no further than these vegan and gluten free ginger snaps. With both a deep sweet flavor and a little spice from the ginger – these are the ultimate cookie to warm you up on a cold winter night.
Need a super easy homemade Christmas gift? These quick chocolate dipped oreos with peppermint are the easiest gift you can make for your friends and family. Dip tasty oreos into silky smooth semi-sweet chocolate and sprinkle with crushed peppermint for a chocolate peppermint crunchy cookie treat. Plus they're oreos so they'll definitely be a crowd pleaser.
Oatmeal Raisin Peppermint Cookies (Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies)
Oatmeal Raisin Peppermint Cookies are the perfect combination of chewy, chocolate and mint for your new favorite Peppermint holiday cookies.
These whole wheat oatmeal raisin cookies are made with oats and whole wheat flour, they offer up a healthy dose of fiber too!
Need an easy, delicious and edible holiday gift idea? Look no further than these cookies.
These little gingerbread energy bites are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. You’ll love this holiday-inspired recipe!
I’ll be the first to admit, I did not grow up much of a snickerdoodle fan. Chocolate chip cookies will always be my #1, but I’ve found myself making them and actually enjoying them, too! These vegan snickerdoodle cookies with sweet potato were the upgrade that I needed to make this cookie a staple.
This recipe makes a chewy, flavorful cookie spiced with cinnamon and cardamon, along with ground and crystallized ginger. If you can't find crystallized ginger and the need to bake is urgent (I understand completely) then increase the amount of ground ginger to 2 teaspoons.
You'll love these white chocolate covered Ritz Cracker Cookies because they are simple to make and perfect for Christmas!
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies w/ Sea Salt Caramel Rum Raisin Filling
These Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies with Sea Salt Caramel Rum Raisin Filling are absolutely scrumptious. Soft, moist, and delicately spiced, they’re a delicious holiday treat!
12 Cookies for Holiday Gifts: Double Chocolate Cookies & More
I was going to make my usual chocolate chip cookie recipe and add Christmas Smarties to them, but instead, experimented with a double chocolate cookie recipe- and I am so happy that I did, let me tell you.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 4 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups mint holiday smarties or m&m's (or white chocolate chips, mint chocolate chips or butterscotch chocolate chips)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together until you reach the consistency of wet sand
- Beat eggs, maple syrup and vanilla in to mixture until smooth
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to sugar/egg mixture and stir by hand until almost combined
- Add in Smarties or chocolate chips and stir until combined
- Roll inch-thick balls of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes at 325 degrees, until just set around edges and soft in the middle. If you want them soft and chewy, don't over-bake.
- Enjoy!
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For more ideas of yummy holiday baking to share with loved ones, check this blog post for 15 Holiday Baking Recipes That Are Too Yummy Not to Share.
You might also want to check out My Top 5 Tips For Staying Sane When Feeding Kids During The Holidays and my 5 Holiday Eating Rules You Should Throw Out the Window!
Happy Holidays!
![[AD] Ready to make your new favourite chocolate chip cookies?? 🍪 Trust me – make a double batch because they’re going to fly off of the baking sheet before you’ve even had a chance to try one yourself. They are SO yummy, soft and tender… exactly how a chocolate chip cookie should be🙌🏻
As a registered dietitian I love finding creative ways to incorporate locally sourced nourishing ingredients into my baked goods, like…LENTILS! Lentils are packed full of plant-based protein, dietary fibre and vitamins and minerals. They are also budget-friendly, SO versatile and accessible.
Not only have I included Canadian lentils, but I’ve also used other Canadian-grown ingredients like wheat flour, eggs, butter, and oats. Visit Canadian Food Focus (canadianfoodfocus.org) to learn more about nourishing Canadian ingredients, from farm to fork !
Makes 12 large cookies
Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg (room temperature)
• ¾ cup cooked red lentils
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour (all-purpose or whole wheat are both fine)
• ½ cup rolled or quick-cooking oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (or chunks)
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375F and line a baking sheet
2. Cook your red lentils as per the package (or as I’ve described above)
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (butter, brown sugar, egg, lentils, vanilla)
4. To that bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt)/ Fold those into the wet ingredients (do not over-mix).
5. Fold in the chocolate chips
6. With a spoon, scoop out about ¼ cups worth of batter (for one cookie) and evenly distribute one dozen onto the cookie sheet. Top with a tiny bit of coarse sea salt if desired.
7. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, checking at the 13-minute mark (as some ovens are hotter than others). You want your cookies slightly under-baked. Enjoy!
#lovelentils #lovecdnfood #lovecdnfarms #lovecdnrecipes](https://www.sarahremmer.com/wp-content/uploads/sb-instagram-feed-images/382016981_140634385792877_1677666589623245277_nfull.jpg)
Comments
Great round-up Sarah. So many great, healthy options for the holidays!
I really like your 12 Festive Cookies for Holiday Gifts or Baking Exchanges it is very interesting and innovative I will surely try this at my home