Sugar cookie is one cookie that I get along with. It’s my kinda pairing. …Maybe yours too?
And with strawberry (or any berry), that’s berry good! 🍓 Like this plate of cookies is made low-sugar, gluten-free… and tasty good. Recipe below 👇
How this low-sugar sugar cookie recipe is different and can be cookie controversial is that there is no white sugar (or sugar crystal substitutes like Stevia that alters tastes).
With an optional light strawberry chocolate glaze at the end, you can keep this naturally low-sugar without missing a sugar beat! 🎉
Think of the strawberry seeds as sugar seeds 😊 And the gluten-free cookie crumbly bits falling off as sugar bits to please your sweet cravings.
This is a cookie challenge because with sugar in the name, NO table sugar doesn’t make sense… but if you’re like me, you’re up for the low-sugar challenge for your healthy body!
It’s a good balance FOR sweet taste buds with a healthy mix so there’s NO compromise.
And this is an EASY challenge because there are only 3 wholesome ingredients needed for this one-bowl sugar cookie to come together.
But it was not easy to come up with this on my end…
This was a journey… because I remember the crunchy hard sugar cookie vividly with sugar crystals on top shaped in dainty flowers with a whole in the middle that I once happily dreamed about. 🧒🏻
I had a sweet relationship with sugar.
…Never in my wildest dreams did I think making and eating my own cookies would be a typical Day in the Life that I’m happy about.
…And I never thought I’d graduate to making my own sugar cookie… without sugar crystals.
Maybe you get it because you too ate spoonfuls of sugar (and enjoyed every sugary food thing out there) like those of us who have a sweet tooth (or a full set of sweet teeth 😊)?
Thankfully for us who also aspire to healthy… the less sugar we eat, the less we crave and the fewer sweet taste buds as we get older.
That helps us align happy and healthy living.
Happy living is good for mental health.
And so if you want to add a glaze top to cookies and desserts, you can balance the healthy and happy ways (…and that’s what pleases my healthy and ex-catering self 😊).
Here on this plate I use a melted chocolate. I chose strawberry chocolate, but white or dark chocolate would work great too.
But in reality, most people use powdered sugar with a flavored liquid for a quick sweet glaze.
And that’s where sugar amounts can be over the top (in more ways than one!). ☹️
Because powdered sugar glazes are using another form of potent table sugar and even more white sugar, that’s not good and can tip the scales.
…AND you need a-lottta powdered sugar to make very little glaze. About 1-3/4 cup of powdered sugar is needed to replace 1 cup of granulated sugar… UGH!
So finding healthier ways like melting real chocolate is a smart and sweet tasty idea…
And you can happily smear the melted chocolate glaze on tops as you anticipate your cookie plate.
That’s one glaze that will go far! A mere 2 oz. of chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil will give the shine and get the job done for half-a-dozen cookies.
…You can make this no-guilt, low-sugar cookie batch in minutes when you get the sweet hankering!
No-bake cookie recipes are not common, but I’ve got a delicious one you’ll love. And it’s gluten-free and dairy-free.
This dreamy one has rainbow healthy sweet flavors and a rainbow look… like an Italian flag colors. 🇮🇹
It’s a rainbow cookie.
To match, this one has the eat-from-the-rainbow 🌈 polyphenol healthy filled ingredients like matcha green tea to match-ah if healthy is your jam today!
And you can learn more 👇 about what else you can mix in that will make this one low-sugar, but sweet dessert… that’s also healthy gluten-free.
It’s made with delicious gluten-free almond flour.
You don’t need any other flours, but of course you have your choices available to fold in.
Adding regular or all-purpose (gluten) flour is not needed because there’s no baking in this recipe, so there will not be an oven rise…
But this cookie has the look of a cake that doesn’t fall flat!
The cookie-cake illusion is elevated by the interesting flavor layers like in spumoni ice cream… and they share in common no eggs.
You can make a pinkish or bright fire engine red color from beet juice and graduated green colors from combined green Pandan gel, pistachios, and matcha green tea.
Pandan if you’ve never tried has a strong vanilla, leafy, and earthy tasting quality that matches the bright spring green color. 🍃
And if you’re not a match green tea fan but like the idea of adding matcha, it can definitely drown out the matcha flavor.
Plus adding a healthy light olive oil drizzle is heart healthy good. And each individual layer has healthy raw honey… so there’s plenty of healthy sweetness rolled in.
…You could even call this a Mediterranean diet dessert.
To glue all the layers together, raspberry jam is a great option and is used in this recipe, but you can use another jam like apricot that is traditional, or omit altogether.
And you can make a happy plate of these rainbow cookies that you can share and impress your friends with.
It’s fun to have them wonder if it’s a cookie or a cake… 🍥
AND they definitely won’t guess that you didn’t bake these, but you did make ’em!
The best part is that you can make this shareable dessert without extra prep waiting time.
Because there’s no need to refrigerate in between steps or layers.
And if you have a tendency to forget, you also don’t need to take out ingredients in advance to get to room temps. How sweet is that!?
I mean… it doesn’t get easier than that for impressive tasting and crowd pleasing desserts.
This is enough to make one cookie or a shared cookie bite.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 0 minutesminutes
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Equipment
plastic wrap
3 bowls
Ingredients
3/4cupalmond flour
Pandan gel, several drops
pistachios, finely chopped and extra for topping (optional)
pinchofmatcha green tea
1/4tspbeet juice
1tspalmond extract
1tbspraw honey
1tbsplight olive oil
water
Instructions
Mix almond flour, honey, olive oil, and almond extract. Add enough water so the dough sticks together. There will be crumbles that fall off but can be put back together.
Then separate the dough evenly into 3 bowls.
Add small amount of beet juice to one bowl to desired color. Add green tea, Pandan gel, and pistachios to another bowl to desired color.
When you're happy with your colors in your dough layers, start with the red one at the bottom. Add into a large enough piece of plastic wrap to shape the dough into a 3-d rectange. Set aside. Then unwrap and replace the no added color dough to the same piece of plastic wrap and shape to the same size as the first dough rectangle. Do this step with the green dough and set aside.
Add a layer of jam to the top of the bottom layer and the middle layer. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap.
Assemble/stack dough layers starting from the bottom to the top. Zhugh with pistachio bits on top. Then wrap tightly with the same piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Vanilla cookie with no butter or margarine is not heard of if you want something delicious.
Like these vanilla whirls 🍥 …
That are healthy cookies (but you would never know it by taste).
Vanilla cookie is cookie that is anything but plain!
Below is this healthy and delicious vanilla cookie recipe using affordable healthy ingredients (PLUS some budget-friendly grocery tips your wallet will love 🛒).
But first things first… what makes this cookie so special is it has NO BUTTER!
…And it tastes so buttery cookie decadent like a cookie should.
These little ones are made like the Stella D’Oro assortment cookies I grew up with. One of the assorted cookies had a fruit filling that look like these (like raspberry hearts 💌 in the middle).
They discontinued making this cookie, but you can make a similar copycat cookie with the recipe below 💕.
That btw is made from plant based (aka Vegan) ingredients. And I already hinted it has a buttery taste. 🌱
So you could use a Vegan butter….
But I found them pricey and they’re not the same butter tastes. Some common vegan butter brands out there are:
Trader Joe’s, Smart Balance, Country Crock, Earth Balance, and Miyoko’s.
So now that I gave you that option, now I can tell you what I used instead of any butter look-alike… 😊
Because who says for a vanilla cookie you need butt-ah (or margarine that I grew up with?) 🧈
Butter types is not what makes the cookie desirable.
For me, it’s more of a childhood fond memory I grew up with (and maybe you did too).
…And maybe you have a buttery tub that reminds you of childhood or home?
But…
BUT-ter memories can stay part of our butterfly journeys that we can change. 🦋
They don’t have to stay as our daily habits for a healthy future if we choose.
And switching to more daily healthy eating ways (to substitute our old ways) is so much easier to do these days.
Sourcing longevity ingredients in a Mediterranean diet is easy.
…Like finding daily olive oil that no one I knew cooked with when I was growing up.
TODAY it’s a norm and an easy switch into healthy tastes.
When you’re grocery shopping, olive oil prices can be even better than butter.
Mostly because you end up using less of the golden liquid.
For $7 you can get 4 sticks of butter or a healthy EVOO bottle.
And if used wisely, you get more out of the liquid gold.
And yes! it can be used for light (more fluffy) cookie dough with the cookie textures we all love!
Which btw, I consider myself a cookie connoisseur (a ‘lil Cookie Monster if you will 🥠).
These days, I only bake my own cookies. I would’ve never have dreamed that would be my grown up destiny.
…But a nice crunch is a nice crunch.
Crunchy cookies like that in commercial cookies are so easy to home bake.
…That and pairing with the perfect low sugar sweet taste (that’s not too sweet and doesn’t make your skin crawl).
So in my mind, it’s the best of both worlds in cookie enjoyment.
Oh and plus, the healthiest cookie on the grocery shelves is not easy to find.
…I used to look at a graham cracker and think it was healthy because it was made with whole wheat. 🌾
…And back then in those days, if I knew how easy cookies were and are to make and bake with 2-3 basic ingredients, I may have made the switch much sooner.
Today, you get to make that decision for yourself. And you can start with an easy vanilla cookie.
In this batch I made, I include basic ingredients like honey (or maple syrup) for the sweetness, non-gluten plant-based flours (like coconut or almond flour), and olive oil (yes, oil instead of butter!).
These ingredient choices cost no more money or time to make and bake than the less healthy ingredients.
So why not?
…And when those around you are complaining about how much grocery costs have gone up.
I look at my grocery receipt total amounts and they’ve gone down. So I’m scratching my head happy because I get everything I want.
So the change is ME and my sourcing shopping mindset and habits.
And that’s something you can easily adopt!…
First, all I do is look for healthier ingredients. Then I get a ‘lil creative resourceful on how to make a delicious taste, texture, and healthy bake!
I have a rough idea in my mind about the final good. But I’m not stuck on the idea. That came from my catering work where I learned to be flexible.
It’s like dreaming up desserts but detaching from the outcome.
And for that to come true, it starts with choosing one ingredient at a time. And then pairing foods that taste good together.
In this vanilla cookie, I chose an extra virgin olive oil and you can use a lighter version or one that is infused with vanilla enhancing sweet flavors for baking cookies.
And even better… come up with infusing your own sweet blend ingredients.
You can squeeze in a ‘lil lemon juice and a capful of flavor extract that you can easily home make.
…With citrus fruity flavors, everything is enhanced brighter. Or you can infuse in zest or tea flavors. 🍋
Lemon goes with vanilla and creates a zesty moment.
You don’t have to visit gourmet specialty food stores or pay a price that you have to think twice about.
That’s the way of the past.
Healthy, delicious and whole ingredients today are comparable in price AND often less pricey.
When I go to the healthy food chains that people nickname Whole Paycheck, I come out saving money.
Healthy foods are NOT for the wealthy.
Like if you use bananas as your mirror… they are often pennies.
So when I’m shopping, I buy what works for the grocery bill wallet while using a planned list loosely.
That works every time and has for years..
…So I’m 100% sure you don’t have to have deep wallets to eat more healthy.
I’m like you and most of us who want good value and ingredients.
You don’t have to feel the effects of grocery bill inflation.
The main mindset I use is that if I don’t like the price I see, I keep looking at other store shelve items… or source online and for substitutes that work (and sometimes turn out even better).
Plus, I do a little research in advance that pays off, but I never go chasing coupons.
And actually, I can only remember using a coupon less than a handful of times in my adult life.
Coupons to me is too much work when you can coupon shop at actual products and prices available… looking for the discount on the shelves.
And having a home pantry full of ingredients to fall back on helps do that too because then you don’t feel like you HAVE to bring back something.
You can use an alternative already in your home.
And you can wait for the nice-to-have food ingredients to go on sale.
And that includes shopping for fruits that often cost less in-season because they have a short perishable shelf-life and their yield is abundant.
The stores can’t sell them soon enough!
And while I may not be balancing your budget, these tips have worked well for me.
And if you’re a green thumb gardener, you have an even greater advantage, as you can grow your own produce grocery store!
Prepared foods are more expensive and they are the ones with less-healthy ingredients.
For healthy, making your own healthy vanilla cookie is one good example. A healthy ingredient like vanilla pods are relatively expensive where I shop, and vanilla extract can also be.
Instead of using either, maple syrup or an infused vanilla tea can be a good sweet flavor substitute.
Honey is another good alternative that’s good in so many ways.
With those substitutes, you can make one mean swirl shape vanilla cookie, like the kind you found in the Danish butter cookie tins (but without the butter and all the sugar).
The best part is you can make delicious cookies with gluten-free flours.
Even if you’re not gluten sensitive, your body is sensitive to the tainted processed gluten flours these days.
For gluten-free flours, you can choose from rice, tapioca, almond, or coconut flour… just to name a few.
Combine ingredients. Use enough water to make a paste that can be piped through a piping bag. Let rest for at least 10 minutes in refrigerator. For gluten-free flours, you will need more water than you would for gluten flours. So if it feels like you're adding a lot of water, don't worry. Use enough for it to hold together without excess dripping water. This will be a soft dough.
Add the dough to a piping bag with a star shape decorative tip for Viennese whirls. Make a round loop (like a wreath or rosette).
Bake on 325°F/165°C for 12 minutes or until bottom edges are golden brown. For a more even bake or more crunchy cookie: flip cookies over and then bake tops for another 2 minutes.
Let cool, and take 2 cookies to make a top and bottom sandwich and then fill middle with jam or add a dollop gem of jam on the top.
Pitta is a heated situation where you want to get back to love and peace. And a cooling off like ice cream can do just that. Easy chocolate soft serve recipe below. 🍦🍫
You may not be a Pitta type, but you may have others in your life who dominate in this dosha body (and mind-body) type. If they are unaware, they can be impatient, irritated, and annoyed. Or maybe that’s you. We’re all just one step away from a Vata, Pitta, or Kapha imbalance. Restoring the balance helps us operate optimally.
And btw, this avocado tree that started from a seed in the summer, is a calming addition. It’s looking a little like a Jack and the Beanstalk, but it’s healthy. And if a plant is healthy, then it’s happy.
Happy Jack and the Beanstalk
…As humans we’re a ‘lil more complex and want it all (and have more areas that need TLC). Plus from others, we want our preferred 5 love languages met.
And if yours happens to be Gift, then I have a nice giant healthier (but just as tasty) oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe below that you can bake and gift to that Pitta someone (or yourself 😋)… and you can decorate with frosting words if you like. Remember the big cookies you could buy in the mall?
Finding ways to be kind like gifting a cookie, helps when we have someone dominant in our lives and relationships who has a Pitta imbalance. And they act less than, well… desirable or pleasant.
…and that’s because they’re probably stressed about something in their life. If things aren’t happening as they had hoped, this can be a source of sour cherry or bitter thorns that subtly weaves their way into other parts of life.
And chronic stress buildup we know is the silent ager and gateway to health inflammation. Feelings of stress can be masked inside the body. And whether anger is acted out, it’s more a personality trait (and violence is more a male species trait).
And, panicking and anxiety is a heavy Vata trait, so if you’ve been wondering why people naturally panic and others don’t, that’s the way they’re wired. And experiences along their journey can trigger their emotional or uncontrollable body reactions.
The tricky part is you can have a combination of body things going on. It’s better to nip in the bud so undesired tendencies don’t settle in, and you can live optimally free of inflammation and discomforts. (You can learn more about this by taking the Body Balance Quiz).
Today I wanted to talk specifically about Pitta as just about everyone has a dominant Pitta in their life whether it’s at home or work.
If another person’s Pitta imbalance is spilling over to you and causing angst in your life, then you should especially keep reading so you can be aware (and moving towards getting your life back).
Let’s start with…
What if you could silently help the Pitta person (a loved one, a housemate, a boss, a co-worker, or your Pitta self) or people in your life without saying a word? I mean, no one wants to poke (or provoke) the bear.
First of all, most people are unaware they are misbehaving or creating noticeable havoc affecting others if they haven’t already learn to control how they act, at least in front of people. They are naturally that way and you are naturally your way. And probably no one has stopped them (and maybe even encouraged them because they don’t have to encounter them regularly like you do).
Even if you have mentioned their behavior in passing, it may not register. What they are experiencing internally can be louder than your words. It’s their internal turmoil. And the oil spill is damage passes onto you.
Most dominant Pittas love (or should I say live for) productivity. Emotional drama is not going to embrace them and they may even avoid those situations. They’re not going to stick around for the gossip (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing as they have better things to do with their time).
How it can hurt is they may not have a plug-in cord with their heart and surface feelings. (Even though they may feel even deeper inside than those who wear their hearts on their sleeves). Whatever the case, we shouldn’t fault them for what they don’t have and they shouldn’t fault us for our lacks they perceive.
Pitta managers (think the managing directors) can act like a typical Type-A in Corporate America. The tradeoff is they’re not often good with focus on living balanced or taking daily joy time out every day unless there’s a definitive goal assigned to what they’re doing.
Working out, running, or bicycling can be a better work-life balance time-off activity in their focused eyes.
So, to a Pitta, starting a conversation with having a better work-life balance probably isn’t going to win them over, lol. Those of us who are Vatas can find that interesting as we love to enjoy and relax.
Having a happy life discussion may even enter a downward spiral if you’re looking for a promotion. Getting the right things done is more the language you want to use, and this could also be with a relationship partner.
If you can present spreadsheets, logical conclusions, and rationale, this will go over better than anecdotal evidence. You may even want to get to the bottom line first and then explain the backup story.
Strong Pittas make great finishers and competitors. Professional athletes are usually high Pittas because they can stay calm under pressure, so they continue to score when others could crumble.
For a Pitta relationship, you may want to suggest joint leisure physical activities or yoga. Emphasizing more active yoga poses like Warrior or Mountain standing poses where hands and arms are in movement.
A lying down Knee Hug or Happy Baby Pose won’t do much for a Pitta. But a stretch in hamstrings will remind them of working out and not having sore leg muscles the next day (healthy productivity).
A quiet practice like eyes-closed meditation can be good for a Pitta since there is a clear beginning and end when the eyes close and open. And if there’s a clear goal like helping to reduce stress, then they can be all in. “Being more intentional in life” can be a little too obscure.
Whoever your Pittas are in your life, here are 5 ways you can bring in more love for each of the 5 love languages (from Gary Chapman’s book).
5 Love Languages for the Pittas in your Life:
Quality Time:
For a Pitta co-worker, if you can’t physically spend time with them, silent prayer for them is a proactive way that would help. No one ever refuses a prayer no matter what beliefs they hold or don’t hold.
For a romantic partner, working out together (mentioned above), or an engaging activity like cooking a meal together, ice skating, or playing a game could be fun. If an activity is mentioned, even if it’s not favorable to you, think about what would be a benefit in taking a few hours.
We can spend that much time, cleaning and piddling around doing nothing or watching television where the time just disappears. Or in feeling guilt for not agreeing.
What if you did something that meant a lot to the other person? It’s time you put into the relationship and quality to them. Think of it as an act of service (love).
Acts of Service:
Maybe your Pitta friend or spouse needs a vacation, but they can’t take one just yet. You could change the situation around you. This works for babies. O how a fussy baby can be quietly silenced, being held in the air, or with a ‘lil playful drops of water trickling down their heads that you release from a straw.
For an adult, that won’t work (and will probably get you in hot water!) but the same strategy works.
You can similarly change their immediate atmosphere. And create ambiance (that’s what we would say in a restaurant).
You can play Kenny G or jazzy tone music around them. Music has a profound calming effect. You can explore a bunch of music play suggestions.
You can light up or gift them with a lavender or musky scented gift. This could bath be salts, a candle, or tea. This can help soothe them back to relax mode.
This can be coupled with quality time activities but also when they’re most stressed out, like when they first get home from work or had chaotic travel.
You know when they’re relaxed because they won’t be acting irritated by what was or wasn’t done.
Gifts and Physical Touch:
Maybe make a homemade or thoughtful gift like an avocado smoothie or a photo memory displayed that may go over very well. You may need to dig a ‘lil deeper to find a gift to evoke feeling from a memory vs. giving a thoughtful gift, like…
Bake a carrot cake, prepare a Middle Eastern meal (lotsa astringent tastes that will help balance them) or order one in.
…Or you can make waffles or pancakes.
…Or this irresistible and versatile healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookie (that can also be a breakfast idea). The printable recipe is found here 🍴.
Who wouldn’t love this cookie and if you hand frosted writing something nice?
2/3 cup oats
1/2+ cup whole wheat flour for a standard cake pan (this can vary depending on the size of your baking pan. Be sure you can cover the entire bottom of the pan for a whole cookie.)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup (for low-sugar)
1 Tbsp yogurt
1/4 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp chocolate chips (add on top like in my photo above if you don’t want a lumpy cookie. Then you can slightly heat the cookie up in the oven recommended for warm but intact chocolate chips when you’re ready to enjoy).
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 egg
Mix ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. I like to let the edges brown just a tad (for the crunchy bite). No muss, no fuss… just simple smiles.
Add milk and cocoa powder to a pot, and heat until you see a light boil (a few small boil bubbles). Then turn the heat off.
Take the pot off the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
Add your egg yolks to a separate mixing bowl and beat with sugar to emulsify until pale or lighter yellow color.
Add slightly cooled mixture to egg yolks and constantly stir with quick motions (prevent curdling).
When combined, set in refrigerator to cool down for about 15 minutes or longer.
Prepare ice cream maker machine and bowl if you will be using one to set the soft serve ice cream. Take bowl out of freezer for about 30 minutes if it has been in the back of the freezer. Freezer temps vary but you want the bowl cold enough but e.g. not with frozen icicles on the sides but not water condensation. Tip: for the balance, have the bowl a little less cold because you can always freeze the ice cream back up in the freezer. And soft serve is more creamy, watery, and soft than ice cream.
Alternatively, if you are not using an ice cream maker/bowl, be sure to stir the ice cream every half hour or so to remove any forming icicles.
Healthiest cookie vibes are almost unheard of, as they often have too much high fructose corn syrup, other sugar, fat content, artificial flavoring… and did I mention sugar? 😊
This spiced cookie is one powerful bite, loaded with anti-inflammatory spices. Recipe below. ⬇️
But, I share a piece of good sweet news… today, you could look for the healthiest cookie that tastes good (and not like the box it came in), and then feel better for your reduced sugar choice.
Included below is a helpful sugar content list next time you’re out cookie grocery shopping.
If you were born with a sweet tooth (ahem…Vatas!), eliminating sugar from your diet, may be one of the worst food elimination news you could hear.
But wait!… before you give up on all sugar, know that your natural makeup and desires are there for a reason, so you don’t have to give up all your sweets if your body and health allow.
Instead, you could look for better, daily choices so you don’t have to give up entirely one day.
Cookies are one sweet type and if that’s not your go-to sweet, what are some of the other daily sweet delights? Ice cream, cakes, pies, candy, and donuts.
Sugar is sugar. But some sweets are better for you and they originate in nature and from plants.
If a piece of dark chocolate or a juicy piece of fruit will give you the same effect, learn to let your healthy taste bud rule over your eyes that plays tricks.
Because the truth is if you or I tell ourselves, no, we can’t have that sweet piece of joy, then we just want it more as we have an internal debate.
And once we get a taste of the tasty stuff, our brain’s pleasure center can easily tempt us to go overboard in a weak moment, even if we consider ourselves self-disciplined in every other way.
That’s why lose weight diets (a.k.a. yo-yo or fad diets) don’t work long-term or lifelong because we feel we are missing out on what our mind and body know is out there. Short-term diets are not natural to our bodies. We want real tasty foods that we crave.
But, if you want to fit into that special dress or get your bathing suit body ready for the summer season, you’re better off doing it naturally so that you can stay the same size year-round.
Thankfully our abundant society has wised up with better accessible plant-based and healthier ingredient options (from farm to store), than when we were kids.
Decades ago, I wrote a lifelong diet guide with recipes that included enjoying more or less one day “off” a week.
A few years before then I had gone on a diet of eating low-fat cookies that came from a dark green healthy-color box (that was anything but healthy or plant-based).
I don’t see those cookies on the grocery shelves anymore, but they were a terrible food substitute that led to weight gain and adding unhealthy processed ingredients to my body. I learned the hard way, but that saved me a lifetime of going down the wrong eating path, and from then on, I wised up.
And I try to save others from making the same mistakes I made.
I still very rarely eat red meat, dairy, or more than one or two bites of a sugary sweet, not because I don’t like those foods or can’t eat them (au contraire!), but because I choose to, now knowing what I know. And like Oprah says, “when you know better, you do better.”
And you can do the same with knowledge and a little discipline, which then becomes second nature where you don’t even want those foods anymore because you know they don’t make you a healthier being and that is more satisfying to you.
There’s no guilt, either way… it’s just a choice.
Plus, as you get older, the bad foods and sugar your body could tolerate in your 20s aren’t the processed same in your body so you’re better off wanting to change instead of having to or being forced to.
So that’s where cookie consciousness came into the picture for me.
My sweet weakness is cookies (and decadent cakes and cupcakes). It’s wired in my DNA.
But, I’ve learned to be discerning and find the best ones out there.
I enjoy the cookie if it tastes great and has low sugar content, or if I make my own in a controlled sugar baking environment.
And mostly bake my own cookies or biscuits like these biscotti that uses natural sugars (fructose) to sweeten. The nutrients also offset some of the sweet downfalls without compromising adult taste! 😋
Healthy Biscotti (No Butter or Sugar) - Black and White Chocolate Biscotti
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Ingredients
2-1/2cup flour
3tspbaking powder
1-1/2tspaniseed, crushed
3/4tspsalt
1/4tspcinnamon
1/4tspnutmeg
1/2cupcoconut oil
1-1/4tspalmond extract
2eggs
1cupsblanched almonds
2tspmilk
finely choped dates, orange zest, dried fruits as sweet
Instructions
Make your dough with the ingredients. It should be cohesive and sticky enough to become a dough. You may need to add more oil or can substitute with yogurt or apple sauce.
Roll our two rectangular loafs flattened at the top in 350°F oven for 25 minutes.
Let cool completely. Then use a serated knife to make even-cut biscotti pieces.
Then flip over and bake for 10 more minutes for twice baked.
Let cool and dip in melted chocolate.
Refrigerate and then dip in white chocolate for duo-chocolate.
Keeping it real to yourself is what it’s all about…
And also celebrating your efforts, leaves you happy, your mental health improves, and your body benefits, so you want to balance health and happiness (btw, my blog name is healthy and happy 😊). I mostly do this through modern Ayurveda that my blog is about.
I also like to balance rules because they keep life simple.
So looking at nutrition facts is one practice that I like to do (and seriously I do find fun in a mature, adult sorta way).
And I started out my career out as a catering manager at a DoubleTree Hotel where they’re famous for their c.c. cookies you can make healthy 🍪 but yeah the original ingredients in the official recipe is not listed on the fresh brown paper cookie bags.
I know because I sat next to them and used them as a pound of butter paper weights for my BEO contracts I had on my desk, taking a bite here and there to curb my breakfast appetite.
Gosh, those were the early days!
And, on that note…
Quick trivia question:
Which of these cookies was famously credited as the first?… is it the Fig Newton, Animal Cracker, or Chocolate Chip Cookie? (Keep reading, as the answer is below ⬇️).
Choosing the Healthiest Cookie
This is a healthy chocolate chip cookie without added butter, white sugar, and flour.
In choosing cookies, the first step is acknowledging that all cookies are not created equal. You know this without having to think about it twice.
But when you’re in the grocery aisle, do you make mostly sensible decisions… or sensory-driven decisions?
If you’re not sure or your answer is it can vary, then take a photo of your grocery cart at the check-out line and evaluate when you get home.
Do some grocery introspection.
Take a look at the Nutrition Facts on the back of the food packaging as though you’re looking for the healthiest cookie out there that you want.
When you look closer and compare, you may find an oatmeal cookie may not be lower in sugar count than a chocolate chip cookie. So you are now informed and can make a better decision next time.
In those pleasantly surprising fact discoveries, if nothing else you get what you want and are happier for your choice! And sometimes you’re shocked at what your old favorites tell you.
You can also compare cookies in the same brand like a Girl Scout Cookie.
One GSC can be lower in sugar and another one can be off the charts. They may be made from the same factory, but they have a different makeup.
You can continue reading below how they rank in sugar content as I’ve included in the list. Today, gratefully we have so many healthier choices and from the same brands.
If the food item looks similar to another, the ingredients could be completely different, change over time or the next time, so it’s best to keep doing your due diligence.
This can become a healthy habit and you may end up doing a food pantry audit that’s not a bad thing.
It actually helped me when I discovered it was bothering my skin later in eczema where sweets or over-sweets could exacerbate flare ups. And any inflammation is not a good sign.
If you love a crunchy-style cookie, the list below is meant to open your horizons in search of the tastiest and healthiest cookie (best value). And one day, you may want to switch to even healthier options like making your own savory, plant-based, healthy good recipes and low-sugar summer desserts.
The average cookie listed here has 2 grams or less of added sugar. That’s pretty darn good in cookie terms!
Keep in mind, if a sweet food item or cookie has no sugar or low sugar, it could contain sugar substitute ingredients.
Sugar for sweetness I believe is the safest bet out there (next to pure juices and zests that come from whole fruits, or unprocessed honey or agave).
Be sure to read the actual list of ingredients and pay attention to artificial ones. A general rule of thumb: the fewer ingredients the better (closer to natural vs. processed or store packaged with additives for better taste or preservatives).
In Search of the Healthiest Packaged Cookie (That Tastes Good!)
If you want to be healthier driven, here is a better grocery list with less than 2 grams per cookie (but you should always do your research as cookies change):
Annie’s Chocolate or Neopolitan organic cookies –7 grams of fat for 31 cookies. (Compare that to other store-bought cookie or a deceptively high sugar-filled fig newton)
-Stella D’oro Stella cookies – 8 grams per 3 cookies (I wish they’d bring back the one in the assortment with the fruit in the middle)
-Stacy’s Cinnamon pita chips – 5 grams of fat for 7 chips
-Honey Teddy Grahams- 8 grams per 47 pieces – (wins the sugar healthiest cookie award from this list)
-Dansk Danish cookies (royal blue round tin) – 8 grams per 4 cookies
-Loacker Quadratini wafer cookies – 9 grams for 8 cookies
-Mulino Bianca Batticuori – 1.8 gram per cookie (when in Italy, you may want to stock up on this one)
-Girl Scouts Savannah Smiles – 11 grams per 5 cookies
-GS Trefoils – 7 grams per 5 cookies (the original is the GSC’s healthiest cookie by sugar count… go figure!)
-GS Thin Mints – 10 grams per 4 cookies (my fave stored in the freezer!)
-Nabisco Animal Crackers – 7 grams per 14 crackers
Compared to Not the Healthiest Cookie (above 3 grams of sugar):
-Vienna Fingers: 10 grams per 2 cookies
-Oreo Cookie: 14 grams per 3 cookies
-Chips Ahoy: 11 grams per 3 cookies
-Tate’s Cookies 11-13 grams per 2 cookies
-Carr’s English Tea Cookies (Ginger Lemon Cremes) – 11 grams per 2 cookies
-Girl Scout Do Si Do (peanut butter) – 11 grams per 3 cookies
-GS Samoas – 11 grams per 2 cookies (..was a personal fave until I learned the truth!)
-GS Tagalongs (chocolate/peanut butter)– 8 grams per 2 cookies
-Pepperidge Farm Verona Thumbprint/Brussels/Milano – 11 grams per 3 cookies
-Pepperidge Farm Mint Milano – 9 grams per 2 cookies – (…glad I got this one out of my system as a kid!)
-Pepperidge Farm Milano Dark Chocolate – 7 grams per 2 cookies (…huh, dark chocolate is less? – ok..noted.)
-Keebler Sandies shortbread – 7 grams per 2 cookies
-Keebler Simple Made butter cookie – 6 grams per 2 cookies
-Biscoff shortbread cookie 12 grams per 4 cookies (…good to know as you’re often handed these on some European international flights that don’t include nutrition facts)
-Honey Maid graham – 8 grams for 4 squares (2 whole rectangular pieces)
-Stella D’Oro Swiss Fudge – 11 grams per 3 cookies
Changing Your Sweet Habits
…If your fave is on this higher added sugar list (as my childhood ones are), maybe there’s a lower-refined sugar one in the list above it you can learn to love… maybe?
Just remember, sometimes all you need is a ‘lil something sweet. If you reach for a few raisins or a small handful of low-sugar cereal, that could do the trick to satisfy your want (and add some fiber at the same time ;-). … or maybe all you need is a juicy apple to satisfy your sweet tooth?
Have you ever tried an apple with all-natural peanut or almond butter? I think it’s delicious. If you choose a Granny Smith apple then you get a sweet and sour symphony of tastes, that’s better than a green apple Jolly Rancher… and can be very pleasing to a Vata.
What I’m suggesting here is a lifelong and year-round approach for your health success, and not a list of don’t do’s.
When you start looking at Nutrition Facts sugar content, then you get sugar conscious. Not eating high sugar foods helps you stay healthy and fit, lose weight, and reduce body inflammations (that are no fun).
When you do your household shopping for products at Target or wherever you go, on your receipt printout, most individual items are under say $10, but all those little costs add up… it’s the same with your daily sugar. It adds up daily and your body keeps score. Keep that in the back of your health-conscious mind.
Here are a few additional sugar rules I’ve created for myself and maybe you want to adopt in your life…
1.Be picky about your sugar choices. Think of your dessert as a treat for the day or week. When I was younger, I could’ve had a sugar IV drip in my vein and be happy eating spoonfuls of white sugar.
Weaning yourself gradually to better sweets is a better strategy than eliminating, especially if you have a sweet tooth (remember, the fad diet example I gave above).
2. If you don’t see the Nutrition Facts, ingredients, and the full-sugar content on the food packaging, skip the choice. If you order groceries online and the photos don’t show the written facts, keep going.
3. Eat candy sparingly, and maybe this is a good one to eliminate, as there’s no healthy nutritional value in candy. I think you can get a smile on your face another way. I know that one can be a downer as we all love candy (for the memories if nothing else).
When we were kids, our caretakers/role models could’ve helped us out if they informed us that candy is for kids. I’m serious. When you were a toddler, you were planning to get new adult teeth so cavities didn’t matter. That was the time to enjoy candy galore, not as an adult.
And If you love strawberry Twizzlers like I did and still do, you can stretch out your candy treat choice in moderation. It brings out the inner child happy in me. 👧🏻
You can be smart with your choices and find treats that have a longer shelf-life (e.g. keep in the freezer) so you’re not tempted to just consume more before your treat loses its freshness.
You could also buy a smaller quantity if the item is perishable. Remember telling yourself no, can backfire.
4. And finally, stay away from the gas station junk food aisle. I know that’s a no-brainer for healthy conscious thinking. You aren’t likely to find the healthiest cookie anywhere near those places, but reach for the healthy bar or nuts, or even a Hershey’s dark chocolate bar to fill you up if you get low blood sugar or feel you’re getting hangry with no other food source in sight.
Ok, so now you may know a little about sweet changes you could evaluate/make, and healthier cookies (and not-so-healthy cookies) out there.
Oh, and I didn’t forget…. here’s the Trivia Question Answer (from above):
Depends who you ask, but the Fig Newton made a debut in 1892 from Nabisco (The National Biscuit Company). Then Nabisco came up with the Animal Cracker in 1902. Chocolate chip cookies became famous in the 1930’s, credited to the (Nestle) Toll House Restaurant. You probably know which of these is lowest in sugar content… I’d choose the Animal Crackers.
And if you want a beautifully spiced cookie that’s usually a resurging trend around Christmas but you can enjoy year-round is a spiced cookie.
