Dark cocoa cookie is festive fun when they are decked out bon bon or made into twist candy bow shapes like these just in time for holidays. And festive candy wrappers. 🍬
They remind me of the sweet treat colors in a Swiss Colony catalog.
The good news is there’s no planning needed! Work I dug my heels in for many years where I holiday planned other people’s parties in private venues.
…I know what it’s like to be on my feet for hours in heels, hiking miles in a room. That was good enough exercise where I had no additional trekking outdoors need on the weekend. 😊
And if that’s how you feel no matter what you do all week… while kicking your feet up, holiday bakers can take a break. And make a guilt-free treat.
An enjoyable plate of no-bake Christmas cookies can be the pre or post-Advent fix (along with Advent chocolates).
How does that sound?
If good, holiday party celebration festive cocoa candy bows and balls are quick and no-bake easy.
You decide what shape you make ’em.
Your delightful no-bake cookies can be a joyful respite when you’re tired of standing or doing hours of prep holiday cooking.
Good for people who work all day in kitchens too.
And then the day of the event, the enjoyment flies by. Everyone is happy. You with your prepped plate making something creatively homemade and TASTY.
Because if it’s healthy only, it’s NOT happy. 😊
No one need know that it took minutes to make.
You get to be Mary with the guests.
The reward part is spending time with people, laughing and having a good time, and not having to do any cooking work.
And these dark cocoa cookies are like a delightful break you give yourself where you don’t cook or bake.
Dark cocoa in case it doesn’t ring a bell, are the tastes from the cookie sandwiches that start with “O” and end with “O.” The cocoa tastes different than traditional hot cocoa’s cocoa.
And you can make these with the same ingredient or use regular cocoa (or healthy cacao).
Either cocoa way, the best part is they’re sweet energy snacks in disguise.
They won’t last on a plate long.
Making them is as simple as rolling out the dough…
Then refrigerating for a few minutes to let the dough rest (and dry out a little).
And finally, cutting out your shapes.
Or you can roll the dark cocoa cookie into fun balls… probably blindfolded without refrigerating.
Add your decorations while the dough is still sticky. You can zhugh with powdered gold ginger dust or more (dark) cocoa decadence.
Or use elegant uniform sprinkles and coconut flakes for confetti. 🎉
You can dye the confetti with healthy natural powders like blue spirulina, green matcha, and beet that I’m suggesting here.
With a little magical water ingredient, they will make colors like pastel watercolors.
And if you want the colors to be more vibrant colors, you can use natural liquid gels like Pandan gel that will give a deep green.
You can pair your sweets with a festive pistachio layered cacao beverage that you freeze and bring to room temps to watch the naturally sand art unfold.
Oatmeal raisin cookie is one of my favorites. This one is all oats. And no flour.
Sure, you can add chocolate, but I sometimes like a pure wholesome oat-y raisin cookie (…maybe you too?) where the raisins are the stand out morsel-size ingredient.
And this gluten-free big cookie has 40 raisins. You can’t dodge ’em if you tried.
There’s a raisin reason (or raison in French) for the cookie … that makes it a good breakfast starter with healthy breakfast ingredients!
And if size matters to you…
This oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is for 6 inches across that is great on your 8 inch plates. Or take with you in your car trips when you want fewer crumbs.
It has crumbs, otherwise it wouldn’t be a satisfying cookie… but it holds together nicely.
And better than granola that’s droppable, and one jerky hairpin turn away from needing a vacuum.
You will have finished this cookie by then. 😋
Like my younger self would have. When I found the hard and crunchy store-bought ones worthy.
I thought they were the eat-as-many-as-you-like wholesome cookies. Ya know what I mean?
I was years from understanding why healthy really mattered… and knowing that a few baking minutes is all the difference between crunchy vs. soft-baked.
And not from an artfully messy table of food ingredients that I imagined.
For a Softer Cookie:
With ith the magical oven, you can make the cookie even softer if you want with a simple ingredient tweak.
If you want to make a smoother (less oatmeal bumpy) and cake-y cookie… and don’t mind the gluten, then you can add some whole wheat flour.
Or my fave way is to add buckwheat flour that’s naturally gluten-free despite “wheat” in the name.
If you add 1/2 cup gluten flour, you can fill a 9″ pan of cookie that’ll turn out more like a cookie-cake. There will be a little rise and it’ll be softer and spongier like a cake so it’s easier to cut.
You can even cut a cool geometric star pattern shape like this gigantic chocolate oat cookie (cake?) that’s doubly starred ⭐️⭐️ with an orange star inside the kaleidoscope cut star pattern. Do you see it?
The cuts are good for tearing and sharing, and will impress most and especially science fair aged-ones.
But if you prefer a solid cookie or wouldn’t miss the raisins, you can try this low-sugar oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that looks a lot like the signature C.C. cookie 🍪 I sat next to when I was a Doubletree Hotel catering manager.
But the baking recipe I share is without any of the sticks of butt-ah that made it paperweight heavy.
And now that we have all the cookies out of the bag, the ingredient that ties all the cookies together is the oats.
With all the grocery variety shelf options these modern days, old-fashioned oats are the best value… they cost minimal and are minimal processed (vs. instant oats). And wherever you shop, it’s usually next to the 1-minute oats.
The slow oats are the better option. And since you’re baking them and not making oatmeal, they’re time-less.
The magical oven will work out that cooking time process.
…Maybe why oatmeal is part of the famous oatmeal raisin cookie’s name.
And while oats bind the cookies together, what makes this oa-tea cookie recipe a special-tea is the Earl Grey tea choice added to the cookie batter.
The tea is good for a couple reasons (or raisins 😊). Earl Grey is a brisk bergamot black tea that can be strong. And maybe why it’s U.K.’s traditional tea. 🇬🇧
And I’ve been adding raisins to drinking Early Grey that gives it a bergamot forward citrus flavor. Earl Grey is good for breakfast or an afternoon tea. And a perfect cookie pair fit where you can do tastings with different cookies like starting with an oatmeal raisin cookie. You could try a holiday lemon cookie.
Early Grey is versatile, but had ladylike (adult) tastes. Like other black teas, it’s usually sweeter (vs. green tea = bitter). And raisins mellow out all those tastes and flavors for a smoother drinking ride.
The tea also plumps up the raisins. And you could plump up raisins in your enhanced puffery oatmeal raisin cookie if you pre-soak them in brewed tea before you add to your cookie batter.
But if you don’t have Earl Grey tea on hand, for cookie batter, you can sub with/use milk , coffee, or any liquid as substitution.
No need for a panic store run. You can get creative and use the same Dry January warm beverage you’re also brewing and drinking on hand. If it’s good as a drink, it’ll be better in a cookie! 🍪
How easy… as promised for this One-Bowl oatmeal raisin cookie.
And if you’re wondering if this cookie will be sweet enough (as it calls for no table sugar like most cookies), you can add healthier natural sweetness that come straight from the source like maple syrup or honey.
If you’re feeling Pitta (e.g. signs of feeling irritated, have warm skin to the touch, or breaking out signs) maple syrup will help you out as it’s a cooling ingredient. Fitting why it’s a staple up north. 🇨🇦
So now you have an American oatmeal raisin cookie with English-speaking cousin country ingredients.
And if you’re feeling cool, you may want a warmer ingredient.
Sinus-congested Kaphas can use honey in your cookie batter. Raw honey helps to loosen up the gunk and if you’re feeling slow going.🫖
Plus a dry oatmeal raisin will be good for drying out Kaphas that tend to have moist skin.
And with all the mouthful deets, I think you’re ready to make this ready-to-be-eaten cookie.
This is an easy cookie to bake that always pleases for any occasion!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Ingredients
2/3cupground oats
1Tbspmaple syrup (or honey)
1Tbspbaking powder
1Tbspyogurt
1/8cupEarl Grey tea
2Tbspraisins (or 40 raisins)
1tspcocoa powder
1tspvanilla extract
1egg
pinch of salt
Instructions
Spray your baking pan with baking spray or brush light olive oil. You can use your round cake pans.
Make the one-bowl cookie batter: Combine ingredients with a silverware spoon but reserve the Earl Grey tea and raisins.
Optional: brew your Earl Grey tea and add the raisins to the warm tea. This will help plump raisins up. You can do for some, all, or none. And then add the tea and about 3/4 of the raisins (30 raisins/1.5 Tbsp) to the cookie batter.
Shape your cookie with your spoon and a knife or offset spatula is helpful. This makes one 6 inch cookie or a few smaller cookies.
Add the remaining raisins on top so they're visible.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for 25-30 minutes for soft-crispy cookie doneness preference. Enjoy!
Matcha cookie is hard to match-ah. This one you don’t have to bake, tastes great and is low sugar. And sweet tooths, you don’t have to love green tea.
And the healthy benefits are BIG and green:
Matcha green powder comes from the chlorophyll pigment that’s anti-inflammatory (along with EGCG catechin found in green tea, some other teas, fruit, wine, cocoa, and most coffee, to name a few sources).
And matcha powder has L-theanine that’s also found in black, green, oolong and white teas that come from the same Camellis sinensis tea plant shown to be good for calming, sleep, and productive mental focus.
The downfall is matcha green powder is not naturally a sweet ingredient, so if you’re not a fan of the bitter and earthy taste… you’ll love this matcha cookie that turns out sweet as honey!
But is low-sugar.
There’s actually healthy honey in the cookie (but less than 2 tsp per cookie).
And you can make this without butter that most cookies are made with.
Coconut oil is a good healthy fat to use instead and is used in the recipe below.
It’s a recipe that fits the easy and fun mold.
And in the mold, you can simply refrigerate and enjoy.
These matcha cookie shaped-as-donuts are delicious on their own (and dare I say more satisfying than a donut! 🍩). But you can try for yourself.
And you can add a strawberry glaze with jam if you like (but is not needed especially if you’re counting low-sugar grams).
…Now we’re jammin’! 🍓
Oh, and if you want to pop these cookies (…yes, they’re cookies!) in the low temp oven and bake these for a little crunch, you can.
But I like ‘em (taste and texture) just as they are as a low-sugar sweet bite with healthy ingredients.
You can also make this matcha cookie gluten-free with buckwheat, coconut, tapioca, or all almond flour as substitution choices.
Since gluten-free flours usually make a more crumbly dough, if you find that happens, simply add a little more coconut oil and/or honey and you’ll see the crumbly bits come together when you press into the dough.
This is as easy as playing with dough and as fun as edible Play-doh!
Add flour to a bowl. Make a well/hole in the middle.
Add and combine honey, extract, and matcha to make the dough mixture. Tip; Combine with a spoon starting in the middle and moving out so the liquids are incorporated. Make another well.
Heat or microwave coconut oil (for 20-30 seconds) into liquid (if not already). Add coconut oil to the dough mixture warm.
Use spoon and fingers to make a dough. The dough should be a little wet and like Play-doh. The small pieces should stick together easily.
Press into silicone mold (if using).
Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
Dust with additional matcha powder. Add a a glaze if desired and/or enjoy!
Notes
Tip: If the dough is too dry and pieces aren't combining fully, then add a little more liquid (coconut oil, honey, or extract).
Cupcake is a comfort dessert that somehow isn’t as catchy as they once were in simpler dessert times (from my cupcake history memory).
But in my dessert world, I still think cupcakes are great… and maybe you do too 🧁 if you like simple sweets! And the ones here are low-sugar.
The low-sugar cupcake recipe below is for easy, foolproof cupcake that’s as easy as a cake mix box… but substitutes in more healthy baking ingredients without sacrificing taste or texture!
That’s exciting to me. Because cupcakes and I go waaaayy back. They remind me of grade school when someone’s mom sent their child to school with homemade cupcakes. Remember those days?
My Hi-Sugar Cupcake Journey: 🍥
I also grew up close to Georgetown near the original Georgetown Cupcakes in Washington, D.C. Then came Sprinkles. 🧁
And the chic destination cupcakeries like Magnolia Bakery that are nostalgic. And memorable for the pastel buttercream frosting. 🍥
Today of course, you can still enjoy a cupcake. And when you get a hankering, you can whip up a batch as quick as it takes to go out to get one.
Oh, and you can have these mini-cakes ready to enjoy watching Cake Week from the Great British Bake Off (#GBBO). 🇬🇧
You probably already have the cupcake ingredients in your pantry.
With healthier ingredients available to source, you can make a healthy, low-sugar cupcake version (for any occasion) that doesn’t sacrifice sweet taste or texture.
Cupcakes (that don’t get gobbled up 😋) can stay moist covered for days in the refrigerator.
That totally reminds me of an adult cupcake event in my past…
Where I took my Hi-Hats out of the fridge and to a church event. The cupcake recipe came from Martha Stewart’s Cupcake cookbook that I adore.
…And even though mine baked out of the oven looked imperfect with like low-er hi-hats, they tasted wickedly good… and I’m glad I made 2 per person.
They were a hi-hat hit.
…And that’s the beauty of cupcakes. They’re great no matter what!
So with that low-bar…
Make Your Low-Sugar Cupcake Batter:
From the same base batter, you can create white or chocolate cupcakes (or mix-n-match) where you divide up the batter. With just one ingredient (cocoa) add, you have a chocolate cupcake recipe.
That’s what cake box mixes sitting on shelves don’t want you to know. 😁
It’s an easy One-Bowl batter you can’t mess up!
Cupcakes always end up with a smooth dome top. And if you set your timer, they’re golden.
And it’s a great lazy bake or kid prepare bake because it doesn’t even matter if some of your batter bowl misses your cupcake holder.
So you can make these healthy-inspired cupcakes, relaxed with one-eye open. 😜 And no cake box mix.
You can substitute in these healthy ingredients:
Healthy Flour:
Using mostly almond flour (or another gluten-free flour like coconut or tapioca flour) and light oil (no butter needed).
The sunshin-y cupcakes below are mixed with whole wheat flour that has more fiber and protein than all-purpose or cake flour.
Because “whole” wheat ingredients preserve the bran and seed’s embryo (that has B-E vitamins and some minerals). You can B-E good.
So why not? Plus, whole wheat flour is usually around the same cost range.
Whole wheat turns out a little more beige brown but it will be covered by a cupcake glaze or frosting. And these look a little like sunflowers so they’re more wholesome and natural 🌻 And maybe attract bees.
Anti-Inflammatory Sugars:
And best of all… for this cupcake recipe, you won’t need a measuring cup for the healthy monk fruit sugar used.
Think: a little-little spoon of sugar if you use monk fruit sugar because it’s about 2.5 times more sweet tasting than refined sugar.
And many more times healthy, since it comes from an antioxidant fruit.
Then when you add a big spoonful of healthier maple syrup (or honey), these will not compromise sweetness.
And that’ll be enough sweet for the number of cupcakes in this cupcake recipe version that’s 6 of 1 or half-a-dozen of the other (as we used to say in my hotel catering days).
Or simply 6.
While baking is oven chemistry, there’s no complicated math to remember to make this cupcake recipe.
It’s either 1 or 1/2.
And for tools, all you need is a measuring cup (that has the equivalent of a 1 cup measurement). Plus a teaspoon.
And a tablespoon is handy, otherwise use 3 tsp =1 Tbsp.
I like to capitalize “T” for Tablespoon so it doesn’t get confused with little “t” t-spoon (teaspoon). That’s how I handwrite them down on index cards.
For easy amount size remembrance: the diameter is a half-dollar (for the Tablespoon if I remembered those right in the piggy bank?) or quarter size for a teaspoon.
Or convert to your country’s coin currencies.
And even easier than baking spray in paper cups is using reusable silicone cupcake holders.
Simply wash them out and then you don’t need any baking spray to prevent sticking.
They’re oven-safe for cupcakes at 350°F/180°C.
And actually safe for even higher temps.
And good news… you don’t need a mixer or a whisk (that can eat some of your batter you’ve measured out)!
Instead, you can use a spoon and sometimes I even use the Tablespoon measuring spoon.
So easy!
You’re simply combining wet and dry ingredients.
And there’s no butter to smoothly mix in so that makes it even easier.
Flavors:
Tip: Don’t leave out the capful of vanilla extract or you’ll miss the nice vanilla bakery scent.
You’ll enjoy the pre-baked aroma.
Which btw means it will be even MORE flavorful when it comes out of the magical oven on the other side.
If you want to make a chocolate cupcake batch, add 1 Tablespoon of cocoa (and a splash more milk).
For more almond flavor, add almond extract. This is great with almond flour.
Low-Sugar Frosting or Glaze
Depending on who these cupcakes are for (or what the occasion is), you have low-sugar sweet zhugh options.
Fruit pastry tart that’s jam berry-filled is berry filling and puts a smile on some days and faces. And you can make a healthier, low-sugar version with little butter, so you can save the calories and still enjoy the pastry anytime!
Like these clouds, star, and moons…
That have a zing-y blackberry glaze for your starry gaze!
For the pastry filling, you make your own jam or use a store-bought (organic) jam with 10 grams of cane sugar per tablespoon or less.
It’s not the low-sugar 5 grams per 100 grams, or half-a-cup… but it’s lower sugar that still counts.
And for this fruit pastry tart, the pastry is made from whole wheat flour that’s a little more fiber and protein vs. all-purpose flour more commonly used.
Every little healthy bit adds up.
For the fruit pastry tart below 👇, you could use the steps to make a wholewheat simple pastry dough… or use the dough you would use for a pie shell or shortcrust.
No proofing needed.
And there’s no need for folding pastry to make lamination layers like in puff pastry (that looks like fabric bolts in a fabric store if you need an imaginary visual).
But the difference is the ingredients below are modified to healthier ones.
And if that’s important, save these measured steps because this is a simple pastry recipe that you can use over and over again for many baking and dessert applications.
So let’s begin…
First off, allow about an hour from start to finish.
The baking itself will only take 15-20 minutes, but pastry dough is easier to work with when it’s cold. So stopping to refrigerate twice (or at least once) when you’re picking up the delicate cutout dough shapes, will pay off in the end.
…I’m just trying to prep you for what to expect.💭
And the good news is that the minimal extra time needed to refrigerate is about as complicated as it gets for this pastry!
Fruit Pastry Tart Ingredients:
And so starting with the easy prep, gather your pantry cupboard ingredients and combine in a bowl with a regular spoon:
Whole wheat flour, honey, and neutral (light) olive oil will add to the healthy aspects. You can also sub in coconut oil that has a different viscosity, so the amount can vary.
Small amount of butter: Keep in mind it’s easier to work with butter when it’s room temp soft so you can bring out what you will need (the 2 pats), a few hours or a day before.
If you forget, you can use heated, melted liquid butter. Both ways will work in the end.
But before you add to the other ingredients, let warm butter cool down because you want to work with a colder dough.
Water: Use coldish water after you combine the other ingredients.
Add flavor extract, salt, and baking soda.
And after you’ve combined all the ingredients together by hand or machine (if you wish), you can roll out your pastry dough onto a sheet pan (like a 17″ x 11″ cookie sheet pan with a Silpat setup works great).
Add some bench flour, so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands and rolling pin.
If you use a full size Silpat, you’ll know you’re done rolling when you reach the inner orange edges (or about 1″ from each side).
When you’re happy with your evenly rolled out dough, then take your chosen cookie cutter(s), and imprint-cut 12 shapes (2 for each shape if you use different shapes, as you’ll need a top and bottom).
Any regular size cookie cutters will work, and you will have extra pastry that you can make more with or save for another pastry project. I’m a scrapbooker, so this step makes me happy! 😊
And at this point, do not remove the excess pastry yet as it’ll be easier if it’s cold. It’s easier to move shapes when the pastry is cold.
I mentioned that already, but it’s worth repeating.
Imprint cut but easier to remove shapes when the pastry dough is cold. ☁ ⭐️🌙
So then this is a good pause point to refrigerate the pastry pan for at least 10 minutes. (You can do a few yoga moves if you don’t know what to do).
Then when cold, bring out and remove the excess pastry from your shapes with a knife or offset spatula that you’ll use to pick up the shapes. I find it easiest to put the matching cookie cutter shape ontop of where I’m removing the excess pastry as I move from left to right on the pan.
But you do you! …and the way that makes sense to you.
Then add jam to center of the bottom shapes (or 6 of the shapes). Leave some room for the jam to ooze out when you close up the pastries.
Refrigerate again: You can refrigerate the pan for the second time so you don’t mess up the shapes. This mostly depends on how quickly you work. I’m purposefully slow and detailed, so I refrigerate again.
You’re less likely to mess up the shapes when they’re cold and firmer.
When pastry sheet is cold again or easy to work with, use an offset spatula (or regular cooking spatula) to pick up the top fruit pastry tart shapes (without jam) and gently place on top of the bottom shapes.
Then crimp the matching tops and bottoms together with a silverware fork (no fancy tool needed).
I find this step very satisfying too. 😉
And if instead of vertical line patterns, alternatively, you can also use a toothpick to poke holes evenly spaced apart on the pastry shape edges, and then push down on the pastry making a line in-between the toothpick holes you’ve made. See the star and moon shape below.
You do this with the long side of the toothpick . . . like you’re connecting dots.
Then when you’re happy with your pastry creations, bake your fruit pastry tart pan.
It’s a quick bake… like cookies.
So stick around. And while you’re waiting for the bake, you can make the glaze.
You can use crushed berries. I like a blackberry, lime, and honey trio. You can use a sieve to filter the berry seeds and push the glaze through into a bowl so the consistency will be the same (consistent).
Let the fruit pastry tart pan cool before adding the glaze ontop.
These look like soft leather plushies. I could put a few faces on these. 🙂
Regarding freezing… yes, you can freeze them (and with a glaze), and bring them out and revive them with a smeared drizzle of honey (or maple syrup).
Like changing clouds, the smeared honey look like shadows… and now they’re glazed shiny again, happy, and ready to eat.
These are pastries that you can serve anytime with your favorite cookie cutters!
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 40 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 12pieces
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Equipment
cookie sheet pan
Silpat optional
offset spatula optional
Ingredients
2cupswhole wheat flour
2tbsphoney
2tbspbutter, softened
1tbspneutral oil (light olive oil)
1/2tspvanilla or almond extract
3/4cupwater
1tspbaking soda
pinch of salt
fruit jam
berries, maple syrup, juice and/or water for glaze
Instructions
Add the flour into a bowl. Then evenly combine the softened butter.
Add the remaining ingredients and form a pastry dough ball.
Roll out on a sheet pan. If you use a full Silpat (17" x 11-1/2") sheet, the dough will roll out to the inner orange edge or about 1" from the edge on each side.
Use your cookie cutters to imprint cut shapes but do not remove the excess pastry yet. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
Then remove excess pastry. You'll be left with extra pastry you can re-roll or freeze for another time or pastry project.
Add jam to center leaving an edge on the pastry shape bottoms.
Refrigerate again.
Add a top pastry with the same shape ontop.
Use a small silverware fork to make an edge pattern and crimp edges shut. Alternatively, use a toothpick to make evenly spaced hole indents and then press down with the long side of the toothpick to "connect the dots."
Bake pastry on 350°F/180°C for about 15-20 minutes. The bottom edges will look darker. Don't overbake.
For the glaze: crush berries and add milk, maple syrup, and water or liquid like lime juice until you get the right glaze consistency. Tip: push the glaze through a filtered sieve. If it's too thick, it won't go through.
But if you prefer a solid cookie or wouldn’t miss the raisins, you can try this 
