Some might say that Christmas desserts are treats that should not be messed with. Perhaps whole wheat flour does not belong in a Christmas cookie. Maybe “low sugar” should not be included in a Christmas cookie title. It’s a treat, right? Can’t we just leave it well enough alone?
Sure.
But the more I experiment with cutting down the sweetener in my baked goods, the more I’m discovering that treats still taste like treats even with the sugar cut in half or more.
Wait. I don’t know how to write that. “…with the sugar cut in half or more.” Or should it be “…with the sugar cut in half or less.” I’m talking about cutting out even more than half of the originally called for sugar. Less sugar. Cut it by more than half, so that it’s even less. That is what I’m trying to say. Sometimes writing good sentences is so hard. Who decided that fractions would be smaller every time their bottom number gets bigger? Do you know how hard it is to explain to a small child that 1/8 is bigger than 1/16?? It’s the fraction inventors that are making my sentence writing so complicated right now.
Just for that, I’m not giving the fraction people any of my cookies. They can figure out their own half or more or less sugar fraction in their own cookie recipes. Merry Christmas, fraction people.
Well, there’s no good way to segue after this slightly embarrassing but mostly justified outburst. All any of us really needs to know is that we can cut the sweetener in most baked good recipes and not taste the difference. Truly this sugar cookie is still so sweet I can barely eat it. My kids – who love sugar-covered-sugar just like all the other kids – cannot tell that these cookies are low in sugar. I daresay that if we left these on a plate for Santa, he’d be like, “Wow, these are the best cookies I’ve had all night, but without the sugar crash. This mother must have used half or more (or less) of the sugar called for in the recipe.”
Good ol’ Santa. He totally gets it.
Low Sugar Christmas Cookies
- 1 cup melted butter
- ½ cup sucanat or raw sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3½ cups of whole wheat flour (give or take)
- Stir together melted butter and sugar.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and baking powder.
- Stir in flour until a solid ball of dough forms.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.
- Roll chilled dough on a well-floured surface and thin or thick as you like.
- Cut with cookie cutters and place them about a half inch apart on a baking sheet.
- Bake in a 350° oven for about 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.
- Makes 20-30 cookies depending on the thickness and size.
If you’d like to frost your cookies but keep them low sugar, I recommend this stevia sweetened frosting.
Stevia Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid stevia to taste (I use 2 droppers full)
Whip ingredients together until smooth. Frost cookies just before serving.
This frosting is not like regular powdered sugar icing. It’s delicious on these cookies, but does not harden or hold up well for the long term. I recommend only frosting a few cookies at a time, as needed. I use the term “as needed” loosely because we are talking about cookies here. Although these are low in sugar so the half or more or less sugar fraction does the lessen the guilt.
Take that, fraction people.
Do you have any suggestions for DF frosting? I was planning to make these cookies for our homeschool coop Christmas party. My old standard is a powdered sugar glaze, but I know that negates the low sugar. My kids would be fine with coconut milk, but I’m not sure the other kiddos would like it. Do you have any experience with the THM stevia? I’m curious how that would compare to liquid stevia.
I wish I had a suggestion, but I really don’t know. The whipped cream and cream cheese give this frosting the bulk to make up for the lack of powdered sugar. Sorry I’m no help! Maybe someone else will see this and have something to offer!
Hi Laura,
Thank you very much for posting this lower sugar version. Sugar of any kind makes my children hop all around the house. I am wondering if you have experimented with a low sugar ginger bread man cookie recipe yet? If so, can you PLEASE share it with us? Thank you so much!!!!
I’m sure I can come up with something!!
Recipe looks great. Can’t wait to try it. Yours is one of my very favorite websites. We have never met, but I can almost hear you talking when you write. Would love to win, of course. Fractions, yucko! I use drawings of cookies, cakes, and pizza to explain anything math-y (or would that be mathish?). Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Yes to gingerbread–my kids have been begging to make gingerbread men this year!!
Hi Laura – How long will the frosting keep in the refrigerator? I might need to make a smaller batch for my 2 person household. I really enjoy your blog.
A couple of weeks. :)