Thick and chewy homemade sugar cookies made healthier! These soft cookies taste even better than store-bought sugar cookies and are so much healthier for you.
I know what you’re thinking. Sugar-less sugar cookies? Not possible. But before you close this window, just hear me out. These cookies look, taste, ARE exactly like sugar-filled sugar cookies. Difference? Instead of being sweetened with sugar, these cookies are sweetened completely with xylitol.
Don’t know what xylitol is? Check out this very informative article for more info!
I am sooo ecstatic about these cookies!! I mean, sugar-free sugar cookies?? Sign me up!
These cookies are unbelievably thick, soft, and chewy—just like store-bought (but so much tastier AND healthier!) I was so pleased with how well the cookies turned out, I even went a little further and drizzled them with a pink-tinted icing. The perfect finishing touch! It just made them so nice to look at. And it didn’t taste half-bad, either. 😉
The icing is totally optional, though. You can simply omit it and have perfectly simple sugar cookies. Or you could frost these cookies with any frosting you want! I’m thinking that a chocolate frosting, or even a cream cheese frosting would be simply divine atop these gorgeous cookies. Oh, the possibilities…
Start by making your sugar cookie dough. Be sure to plan ahead, because the cookie dough requires a 1 hour chilling time before baking, to ensure that your cookies will be thick and chewy.
Here’s a list of the ingredients: Pretty basic cookie stuff. (keep reading for the full instructions version) Butter, powdered xylitol, sour cream, 2 eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cream the butter and xylitol in a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, until smooth and creamy. Mix in sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture, beating on medium speed until a dough forms. (dough will be slightly sticky) Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Once your cookie dough has been thoroughly chilled, remove from refrigerator and roll into 1-in balls. Place balls on parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake cookies at 350F 11-12 minutes. (cookies will be slightly soft when they are done) Cool cookies on baking sheet 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. It’s important that you let these cookies cool completely before serving, because they will be very soft while they’re cooling and need time to firm up.
Once your cookies are cooled, feel free to drizzle with your choice of icing. Tint your icing with (artificial-free!) food coloring for a fun and colorful finishing touch.
Rachel, otherwise known as the Pink Princess, was all over these cookies. She absolutely loved their pink icing.
These cookies are so perfect for this time of year—just because they’re so cheery and spring-like. Bring ’em to baby showers, potlucks, or ANY little girls birthday party and watch them disappear. My batch didn’t even last to the end of the day, so doubling the recipe might be a good idea if you’re making them for a big crew.
Soft-Baked Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup powdered xylitol
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Icing of your choice optional
Instructions
- Place butter and xylitol in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth and incorporated, about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until combined. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to liquid mixture, mixing on medium speed until a dough forms. (dough will be slightly sticky) Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
- Roll chilled dough into 1-in balls and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake cookies at 350F 11-12 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft) With the bottom of a glass, slightly flatten cookies. Cool cookies on baking sheet 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Once cookies are cooled, drizzle with icing if desired.
Notes
Cookie baking happens pretty often around here…Can you tell? 😉
Soft-Baked Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(My family’s #1 favorite cookie recipe!)
(More colorful cookies!)
(Yes, a caramel apple in cookie form—pure awesome-ness)
Ginger Molasses Snickerdoodles
(My favorite kind of snickerdoodle!)
See all my cookie recipes.
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