Who doesn’t love cookies after a hard day at school? Just the thought conjures wonderful childhood memories. But more often than not, cookies are made with white flour, white sugar and hydrogenated vegetable shortening, not to mention boxed cookies often come with preservatives, artificial colors and other added chemicals.The good news: With some simple changes in ingredients, you can turn a favorite, not-so-healthy cookie recipe into one you’ll feel good about serving.
Flour
Most cookies – homemade or store-bought — are made with all-purpose white flour. In your recipes, it’s simple to substitute natural, whole grain flour for some or all of the white flour. Consider using whole wheat pastry flour along with barley, buckwheat or brown rice flour. Basic Whole wheat flour and oat flour may be too heavy for cookies, and many children won’t like the texture or flavor. Whole wheat pastry flour is a better option for baking as it is lighter in texture. Mix and match whole grain flours for fun and an assortment of flavors and textures. Here’s a helpful guide for using a variety of Natural and Whole Grain Flours. opens in a new tab
Sugar
Instead of bleached white sugar, there are plenty of less refined options available, including natural cane sugar, Sucanat, granulated maple sugar and coconut palm sugar. When white sugar is a must, natural cane sugar is not bleached and it works very well. Remember, many recipes call for more sugar than is actually needed. Experiment by reducing the amount by 1/4 to 1/3. Use dried fruits such as raisins, dates, bananas, cranberries, etc. in place of sugar for good nutrition and natural sweetness. Here’s a post on Natural Sweeteners opens in a new tab.
Fats and Oils
Personally, I love butter and coconut oil for baking, but if a recipe seems a little too fatty, consider using half the amount called for and substituting with equal parts apple or pear sauce, or mashed banana. In many cases, cookies can be baked with chopped or ground nuts in place of added oils. Fat-free cookies bake up cake-like and are softer than cookies made with added fat.
Bake up some of these cookies for your family’s after school snack.
Carrot Walnut Cookies opens in a new tab – These gems have no added sugar, plus the benefit of rolled oats, walnuts and whole wheat pastry flour.
Tahini Oat Cookies opens in a new tab – These are made with maple syrup and whole wheat pastry flour.
Honey Granola Cookies opens in a new tab – Honey sweetened and made with low-fat granola.
Ginger Cookies opens in a new tab – These cookies can easily be made with whole wheat pastry or spelt flour and a little less sugar (try natural brown sugar or Sucanat).
Thumbprint Cookies opens in a new tab – Perfect just as they are!
Mincemeat Cookies opens in a new tab – These have added whole wheat pastry flour and no added sugar.
Mexican Tea Cookies opens in a new tab – These are delicious when made with a little whole wheat pastry or barley flour. The only sugar they contain is for rolling after baking. You can control the amount. The addition of raisins or chopped dates makes these cookies naturally sweet.
Spicy Cut-Out Cookies opens in a new tab – The kids may want to help with these. They are made with whole wheat pastry flour and dried grated coconut.
Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal Cookies opens in a new tab – These are delicious. In place of brown sugar, try some coconut palm sugar or granulated maple sugar.
Got a good after-school cookie recipe your kids love? Let us know.
