After stumbling across a decent deal on artificial trees in my area, I made a spur of the moment decision to purchase one to give my new house a festive feel for the holidays. As much as I adore real Christmas trees, we have enough family members with fir allergies that I didn’t want to risk it!
My parents and brother helped me set it up (my short height prevented me from reaching the tippy top!) and fluff out its branches to give it a fuller, more realistic look. After nestling tiny white twinkle lights all around its branches, we stood back and admired our work.
“Are you going to buy ornaments for it too?” my mom asked.
“I’m not sure… Maybe? I don’t want to get a bunch of ornaments just to fill up space… But if I find cute ones I like, then sure!” I replied, thinking out loud in the process. “I still think it looks really pretty without them though—thank you guys!”
My mom smiled back at me. “We didn’t put up any ornaments one year, only the lights, and we still liked our tree then, too.”
Two days later, an email from Target popped up in my inbox, offering a good deal on all Christmas décor. I clicked over to the website, intending only to look at their holiday wreaths, but…
I ended up browsing through their Christmas ornaments online, too. Within just a few minutes, I had found multiple sets of beautiful dainty glass balls, pinecones, sleigh bells, and icicles… All of which found their way into my online shopping cart.
I opted to pay online and pick up in the store, and I totally intended to return anything I didn’t like, including the somewhat iffy-looking wreath and tree skirt I threw in on a whim. Yet an hour later, once I picked up my purchase from the Target store and returned home, I laughed.
I absolutely loved everything! So the next day, with classic holiday music playing in the background, I fully trimmed my tree, from the glittering star topper down to the chic white tree skirt, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of decorating my first Christmas tree.
And these Healthy Eggnog Sugar Cookies were the perfect treat to nibble on while I worked! They’re soft and chewy with lots of sweet holiday flavor. That indulgent eggnog taste, along with warm nutmeg and cozy cinnamon… True perfection!
Yet these cookies contain no refined flour or added sugar, and they’re really easy to make! (No mixer required!) Even better, they’re just 22 calories!
Pure holiday cookie bliss!
So let’s go over how to make these healthy eggnog sugar cookies!
You’ll start with whole wheat pastry flour (like this!) and two spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. I can’t imagine enjoying eggnog without nutmeg—such a classic holiday treat!—and the cinnamon rounds out that warm and cozy spice flavor.
Whole wheat pastry flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits, but whole wheat pastry flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the sweet flavor of these healthy eggnog sugar cookies truly shine!
Unlike traditional sugar cookie recipes with a full stick or two, you only need 2 tablespoons of butter in this healthy recipe. Yes, just 2 tablespoons! You’ll also melt the butter for two reasons: (a) melted butter creates softer and chewier cookies and (b) it’s much easier than remembering to set out butter in advance with enough time to let it properly soften.
I’m all about easy and healthy cookie recipes, especially during the holidays!
Then you’ll skip the eggs and mix in eggnog instead! I actually used this vegan almond milk “nog,” which contains no eggs yet tastes just like eggnog, because of my brother’s egg allergy. I wanted him to be able to eat these cookies too!
Just remember, you need to use room temperature eggnog. Don’t use pour it out straight from the fridge! If your eggnog is cold, it will immediately re-solidify the melted butter, causing the mixture to look curdled. Not good! So just set out your eggnog ahead of time, or pop it in the microwave for a bit if it’s the vegan kind, before adding it to your mixing bowl.
Hint: If you use that same almond milk nog, then your healthy eggnog sugar cookies can be vegan! (And just as delicious!)
You’ll actually use two extracts in these healthy eggnog sugar cookies! The first is vanilla extract, which is fairly predictable… But the second extract is my secret ingredient. Any guesses? If you’ve made my ultimate healthy sugar cookies before, then you may know what it is…
It’s butter extract! Butter extract adds that same rich buttery flavor to your healthy eggnog sugar cookies that extra butter would—but for a fraction of the calories! It’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages, just like vanilla extract. You can typically find it on the baking aisle right near the vanilla extract. I promise it’s worth buying to make these healthy eggnog sugar cookies!
And of course, you’ll need to sweeten your cookies with something… But that’s where things get a bit tricky—and a bit nerdy!
Nerd Alert! In order to give your healthy eggnog sugar cookies a strong eggnog flavor, you’ll use 6 tablespoons of eggnog. However, that adds a lot of liquid to your cookie dough… Which means if you added “regular” sweeteners (like coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey), that would add way too much liquid to your cookie dough. Your cookies would have a bready or muffin-like consistency, and you wouldn’t be able to roll out the dough or cut it into shapes!
So instead, you’ll use a combination of liquid stevia (this one!) and erythritol (like this!). Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s also highly concentrated, so you just need 1 ½ teaspoons.
That really helps with these healthy eggnog sugar cookies! The liquid stevia adds the equivalent of nearly ¾ cup of granulated sugar, but it barely adds any liquid to the cookie dough. Hooray!
Hint: This is the liquid steiva I use because I love its flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertastes like with some other stevia products. I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
However, the liquid stevia doesn’t add quite enough sweetness, at least for my taste, so that’s where the granulated erythritol comes in! When you add it to your cookie dough, it doesn’t create nearly as much “liquid volume” as regular granulated sugar, which means your healthy eggnog sugar cookies still turn out with (a) the perfect sweetness level and (b) the perfect soft and chewy texture {not bready or muffin-like}!
Kind of nerdy… But totally worth it!
After chilling your cookie dough, it’s time to roll it out. I use a special trick for rolling out the healthy eggnog sugar cookie dough…
I leave the cookie dough in between large sheets of plastic wrap, which means I don’t have to flour my work surface or my rolling pin—and it makes clean-up a breeze! Such a nifty trick, right?
Time to cut out the shapes! I used the smallest star cookie cutter in this set. Remember to pull away the unused dough from your cookie dough cut-outs, instead of the other way around. By pulling away the unused dough first, your cut-out shapes easily peel away and maintain their perfect shape. (Instead of turning out stretched or lopsided!)
Then pop your healthy eggnog sugar cookies in the oven, set a timer, and…
Enjoy your festive holiday cookies! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your healthy eggnog sugar cookies!
| Healthy Eggnog Sugar Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup + 6 tbsp (165g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp butter extract
- 1 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- 3 tbsp (45g) granulated erythritol
- 6 tbsp (90mL) light eggnog or vegan eggnog, room temperature
- Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, vanilla extract, butter extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the erythritol. Stir in the eggnog. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap, and shape into a 1”-tall rectangle. Cover the top with another large sheet of plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days*).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Leaving the cookie dough between the sheets of plastic wrap, roll it out until between ⅛” and 1/16” thick. Carefully peel back one piece of the plastic wrap. Lightly flour your cookie cutter, and press it into the dough, making sure each shape lies as close to its neighbors as possible to minimize unused dough. Peel the unused dough away from the shapes, and place them onto the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the unused dough between two sheets of plastic wrap, and repeat.
- Bake the cut out cookie dough at 350°F for 5-8 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend (like this one!) for the gluten-free option, but make sure you measure it carefully, like this or with my favorite kitchen scale!
It’s very important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much will dry out your cookie dough and make your sugar cookies crumbly.
This is my favorite cinnamon. It has a stronger, richer, and slightly sweeter flavor than regular cinnamon (and it’s really affordable!).
If using coconut oil, the cookies may have a faintly detectable coconut flour.
Vanilla extract may be substituted for the butter extract, but the cookies will not have the same iconic “sugar cookie” taste.
This is the liquid stevia that I use. It’s one of my favorite ingredients (you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!), and I buy it online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found. You cannot substitute pure maple syrup, honey, agave, or any type of sugar (coconut, brown, granulated) for the liquid stevia because cookies require a precise balance of wet and dry ingredients. (See Nerd Alert in my blog post above for more information.)
This is the granulated erythritol that I used. I buy it online here. If you prefer, you may substitute 2 tablespoons (24g) of granulated, brown, or coconut sugar. If using coconut sugar, your sugar cookies will have a darker color and speckled appearance.
The eggnog must be at room temperature. If it’s cold, it will immediately re-solidify the melted butter or coconut oil.
I actually prefer using vegan almond milk nog in these cookies! This is the one I found at Target, and it tastes just like regular eggnog. Since certain family members are allergic to eggs, it allows my entire family to enjoy these sugar cookies!
This is my favorite plastic wrap. It clings SO much better than other brands I’ve tried! And this is my favorite rolling pin. Its surface is much more even than traditional wooden rolling pins, and it’s perfect for rolling out cinnamon roll dough too!
If chilling the cookie dough longer than 2 hours, it may be necessary to “thaw” the cookie dough on the counter for 15-20 minutes before trying to roll it out. It gets stiffer the longer it chills, so letting it rest on the counter for a short period of time makes it easier for you to roll it out!
If your cookies have air bubbles in their tops after baking, place another (room temperature!) baking sheet on top of them shortly after removing the cookies from the oven. Leave the baking sheet on top while they cool to room temperature.
I used the smallest star-shaped cookie cutter in this set (about 2 ½” tall).
For more information regarding the ingredients and instructions, please see the text of my blog post and the Nerd Alert in my blog post above.
{gluten-free option, vegan, low fat, low sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthier Eggnog Snickerdoodles
♡ Healthy Eggnog Pound Cake
♡ Healthy Eggnog Scones
♡ Healthier Eggnog Fudge
♡ Healthier Baked Eggnog Donut Holes
♡ Healthier Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls
Target holiday decor + sugar cookies of any kind (but especially ones made by you, since they’re not sugar bombs) = perfect holiday/Christmas components.
Can I substitute coconut or almond flour for the wheat flour? I like to stay grain-free whenever possible. If so, what would the measurements be?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Rebecca! Coconut flour won’t work, but you can use almond flour instead of the whole wheat pastry flour. Almond flour is a 1-for-1 substitute for the whole wheat pastry flour in this recipe. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these sugar cookies! 🙂
Your sweet comments always make my heart glow Liz! You’re just the sweetest!! 🙂
Hi Amy.Would the taste of these cookies be different if i didn’t use eggnog? Sadly there is no vegan eggnog here in Australia. Hope to hear from you 🙂
I’m honored that you’d like to make these cookies Renae! Regular or light eggnog is fine. Do you have either of those? I just used vegan eggnog so my brother could have them! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your cookies turn out!
Sorry Amy,I forgot to mention I’m vegan(gluten free too). That vegan Eggnog sounds super yummy.Australia are so behind with with vegan options,it’s ridiculous.It looks like this recipe might be no go for me,so I’ll have to make something else! But thank you for replying to me 🙂
It’s my pleasure Renae! Thanks for the additional information — super helpful to know! 🙂 I think it’ll probably be easier to make my classic sugar cookie recipe vegan and gluten-free. I’m not sure what your favorite gluten-free flours are, but almond flour will work just fine! Maple syrup or agave will work in place of the honey.
Then you can use an egg replacer instead of the egg. My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute. Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white, and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if you’re vegan!} for each egg yolk. I can’t wait to hear what you think of those sugar cookies if you try them!
Hi Amy! These look great. Quick question, do you think Almond milk eggnog like the below would work or no since you aren’t using eggs anywhere else. Thanks!
https://www.target.com/p/califia-farms-holiday-nog-almond-milk-48-fl-oz/-/A-51247539
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Katie! I actually included a link to the exact almond milk eggnog that I used in the Notes section of the recipe, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss that section! If you click on that link, then you’ll see exactly which almond milk eggnog I recommend. It’ll probably look familiar! 😉 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cookies!
ah yes! sorry, questions like that when it’s right in front of your face are super annoying haha but I appreciate your response 🙂
No worries Katie!! It happens all the time. 🙂 I’m so excited to hear what you think of these sugar cookies!
Could I use xylitol rather than erythritol? Would the texture be different?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Aly! I don’t have very much experience with xylitol, so I’m not sure and don’t want to lead you astray. However, if you’ve been able to substitute xylitol for erythritol in other similar recipes, then it should probably work here too. I’d love to hear what you think if you make these sugar cookies! 🙂