Healthy Sugar Cookies | With Coconut Sugar
Ishan WijewardanaShare with friends. For bragging rights.
Sugar cookies are meant to be simple.
Soft centres, lightly crisp edges, and that nostalgic vanilla sweetness that somehow tastes like childhood.
The problem? Traditional sugar cookies are basically flour, butter, and a lot of sugar wearing a friendly face.
So we rebuilt them.
These are better for you sugar cookies made the Maybelle way: lower sugar, higher fibre, and still very much a real cookie. No "health-bar" vibes. No weird aftertaste. Just comfort baking you can feel good about.
If you’ve been searching for sugar cookies that hit the spot without the sugar crash, welcome home.
Psst… want more healthy bakes like this? Join the Maybelle Cookie Club. Guilt-free joy, delivered weekly.
Why We Love These Cookies
- Soft and classic (no dry, crumbly nonsense)
- Lower sugar than traditional sugar cookies
- Higher fibre thanks to oat flour and inulin
- Simple ingredients you already recognise
- Perfect base cookie for icing, sprinkles, or just eating warm
These are the cookies you bake when you want something sweet… but don’t want to write off the rest of your afternoon.
Let's move onto the healthy sugar cookies recipe:
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Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1¼ cups oat flour
- ¼ cup inulin powder (adds fibre and gentle sweetness)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ⅓ cup low GI sweetener (coconut sugar, allulose, or a blend)
Wet Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sunflower oil or light olive oil
- 1 large egg (or flax egg for vegan)
- 2 tbsp milk of choice
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
Why these swaps work:
Oat flour gives a softer texture and more fibre than white flour. Inulin boosts fibre without tasting “healthy.”
Low GI sweeteners reduce sugar overload while keeping that classic sugar cookie flavour.
How to Make Sugar Cookies (Step-by-Step)
- Preheat your oven to 175°C (fan) and line up a baking tray
- Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl until evenly combined.
- Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl until smooth and glossy.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients to form a soft, scoopable dough.
- Scoop into 12 portions place on the tray, and gently flatten.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are just set and tops remain pale.
- Cool on the tray for 5–10 minutes (they firm up as they rest).
Pro tip: Pale cookies = soft cookies. Colour is the enemy here.
Pro Tips & Variations
- Want to make it Vegan? Use a flax egg (1 tbsp flax and 2.5 tbsp water)
- Need it gluten-free? Oat flour already does the job (use certified GF oats though)
- Need higher protein? Add 20g vanilla protein powder and 1 tbsp milk
- For a kid friendly version, roll in cinnamon sugar (lightly!) before baking
- To make iced sugar cookies: Cool completely, then top with yoghurt based icing. It's a lot healthier
Serving Suggestions
Here's how we love to have these classic sugar cookies
- As an afternoon tea or coffee companion ☕ - Our favourite. Especially when you have them warmmmmmm....
- A kids lunchbox treat without the chaos
- As a base for festive cookies and decorations
Storage & Shelf Life
- Counter: 2 to 3 days in an airtight container
- Fridge: Up to 7 days
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies or dough balls for up to 3 months
Warm for 8–10 seconds before eating. You’re welcome.
Nutrition Snapshot (Approximate, Per Cookie)
Here's how these cookies compare to traditional cookies nutritionally:
| Maybelle Chocolate Chip Cookie | Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookie |
| Calories 135 | Calories 180 to 220 |
| Fibre 4g | Fibre 1g |
| Sugar ~5g | Sugar 12g to 15g |
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Are These Cookies Actually Healthy?
Compared to classic sugar cookies, these:
- Use wholegrain oat flour instead of refined white flour
- Include added fibre to support fullness
- Rely on lower GI sweeteners instead of straight white sugar
- Skip fillers, stabilisers, and mystery ingredients
Ingredient Deep Dive: Coconut Sugar
Let’s get this out of the way first: coconut sugar is still sugar. We’re not here to pretend otherwise.
But how a sugar behaves in your body, and what comes with it, matters.
Coconut sugar is made from the sap of coconut palm flowers and is less refined than white sugar. That means it retains small amounts of naturally occurring nutrients and compounds that refined sugars lose along the way.
What makes coconut sugar different:
- Lower glycaemic impact (in some studies): Coconut sugar contains inulin, a type of soluble fibre that can slow glucose absorption. This may lead to a more gradual blood sugar rise compared to refined sugar.
- Contains trace minerals and polyphenols: While not a vitamin powerhouse, coconut sugar does contain small amounts of potassium, zinc, and antioxidant compounds that refined sugar doesn’t.
Our translation: Coconut sugar won’t magically make cookies “healthy.”
But it can make them gentler, more balanced, and more satisfying, which is exactly what we’re going for.
When to Eat This Cookie
Sugar cookies are simple by design and that makes them incredibly versatile. This cookies is best had with your morning coffee or tea. ☕
This cookie is lightly sweet and not dessert level. That makes it perfect for:
- Slow mornings
- First coffee moments
- When you want something, but not a lot
Think of it as a biscuit upgrade, not a sugar rush.
Ingredient FAQs
Are sugar cookies unhealthy?
Traditional ones can be high in refined sugar and low in fibre. These are a more balanced, better for you version.
Is oat flour better than plain flour?
Oat flour contains more fibre and nutrients than refined white flour and creates a softer cookie texture.
What does inulin do in baking?
Inulin adds fibre and mild sweetness without affecting taste or texture. It's also a prebiotic, meaning it helps the good bacteria in your gut
Are these sugar cookies low sugar?
They’re lower sugar, not sugar-free. But have enough sweetness to satisfy without overdoing it.
Can I decorate these cookies?
Yes! They’re sturdy enough for icing but soft enough to stay tender.
Our Final Thoughts
These sugar cookies are proof that simple doesn’t have to mean sugary.
They’re soft, comforting, and quietly smarter under the hood. Exactly how we like it. Bake them once, and they’ll become your go to base cookie for everything!
🍪 Join The Cookie Club
Want more better for you cookie recipes like this?
Join The Maybelle Cookie Club for weekly recipes, ingredient breakdowns, and behind the scenes kitchen experiments.
PPS: All recipes are developed in the Maybelle kitchen and tested multiple times for taste, texture, and better nutrition. We also work with our in-house doctor and nutrition expert to validate all our health claims!