Honey Cinnamon Cookies are perfect Holiday treat. Made with all healthy ingredients, whole grain and refined sugar-free, these cookies are festive as well as delicious.
Oh, the joyful Christmas season.... colorful decorations and sparkling lights, cheerful music and tables full of yummiest foods (including oh-so-sweet Christmas cookies). Everything is bright. People are joyful and happy... well most of them hehe ... What's there not to love about Christmas?! I'm one of those people who are always happy, constantly smiling, and this time of year fits my mood perfectly. I totally dig this positive energy that surrounds me, and I'm ready to enjoy the Holiday season.
With First Advent Sunday, holiday spirit definitely entered our house. Our front door is fully decorated. There's a big advent wreath on our dining table and next to it a jar full of Christmas cookies. Sparkling Christmas lights around our TV table gives us that cozy Christmas feeling at evening. Ok, ok we're slacking a bit with the Christmas tree. Mainly because customs in Croatia are quite different than ones in the US. Here people decorate the house and the tree on Christmas Eve. Not before. But we plan to break that tradition this year. Honestly, I can't wait that long for the tree to shine in our living room. We plan to decorate it this weekend. Yeey!
One of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes is this Honey Cinnamon Cookies as well. I've kinda promised that my Pumpkin Roll Cake will be the last pumpkin recipe this season and so with these soft and chewy, deliciously sweet Honey Cinnamon Cookies I am officially opening Christmas season on my blog. It's an oldie but goldie Christmas cookie recipe modified to be healthier.
To make these delightful cookies, you'll only need few simple ingredients. Did I mention that these Honey Cinnamon Cookies are super easy to make? Oh, yeah. Supeeeer easy, foolproof actually.
I used spelt flour to make these, but you can use any whole grain flour you have/prefer. I sweetened the cookies up with mild flavored raw honey and coconut sugar. I used warm winter spices - Ceylon cinnamon known for its health benefits and fragrant nutmeg that deepened honey and cinnamon tastes. You can play with spices here and add them to your liking. If you are a fan of cloves, you can add a bit of clove powder in the mixture. My hubby isn't such a fan, so I tend to omit cloves in cookies that I make for my family (although I love strongly scented cloves).
Make note that the dough needs to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before baking (for fats to harden and flavors to combine), so take this into account. If you are super impatient (like me) just put the dough in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Only watch out for the dough not to freeze completely as it will be hard to form the dough into cookies afterward.
These perfectly smelling and sweet tasting Honey Cinnamon Cookies are one of those cookies that people tend to devour quickly. They are sweet smelling, soft and puffy on the inside, with a caramelized crunchy outside. Sooo good! Luckily it's easy to make a bunch of these at once. I bake Honey Cinnamon Cookies throughout the year, but these are somewhat special during Holiday season. Well, my house smells like Christmas cookie factory for quite some time now. Not just because of these cookies.
As you all may know it, I've been busy working on my NEW cookbook for past months. Well, after months of preparation, baking and photographing, editing and writing, I can happily announce that my first Healthy Christmas Cookies Cookbook is finally OUT! Yeeey! This is the cookbook you healthy holiday baking junkies have been waiting for.
Healthy Christmas Cookies cookbook is a collection of healthy cookie recipes, that have been adapted to be more nutritious – High Nutrient / Low Calorie – by using only natural HEALTHY wholesome ingredients. All cookies are made with WHOLE GRAINS and REFINED SUGAR-FREE. Say hello to guilt-free, relaxed Holidays!
You can check out my Healthy Christmas Cookies Cookbook HERE.
SO now you all know what kept me super busy lately. I plan to have happy healthy Holidays. Hope you will join me. Grab the whisks and start baking.
Enjoy!
Honey Cinnamon Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
- ¾ cup extra virgin coconut oil softened (not melted)
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup raw honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl beat together softened coconut oil and sugar with an electric mixer for few minutes. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and honey. Beat until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet and beat until combined.
- Put the plastic wrap over the bowl. Refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes, until it is completely chilled.*
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into small balls (about the size of a walnut), using a scoop or tablespoon. Place the balls on prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes.
- Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for a minute or two. Then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
These are my picks for this recipe:
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Xoxo, Natalie
Sandy says
These cookies turned out great. I added 1/2 cup of ground walnuts and added 1/4 tsp of ginger, but followed the recipe aside from that. They aren't too sweet which is nice and I love the hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Natalie says
Wow, I need to try with added walnuts and ginger. Sounds delicious! :) Thanks for the lovely comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the cookies.
Paula Harrison says
I used brown sugar instead of coconut sugar, but other than that followed the recipe. Chilled the dough for over an hour. The cookies spread out so much they covered the sheet pan. That wasn't so bad, the worst thing was that they taste only like nutmeg. I used Ceylon cinnamon which has a more delicate flavor. I wish I would have remembered that. If I were ever to make these again, I would definitely use less nutmeg to cinnamon.
Natalie says
Thank you for your feedback, Paula. I really appreciate it.
Zoe says
I never comment on these things but I just had to tell anyone who’s thinking of making them to do it!!! Best healthy cookies I’ve made in a while. I substituted applesauce for the oil and it worked amazing. Thanks so much for this recipe :)
Natalie says
Woohoo I'm so glad you like them. :))))) Thanks Zoe for lovely comment and subs info. Much appreciated. Cheers!
Jhentea says
That looks so amazing! I will have to try this with my family. I can’t wait to try it! I bet it’s going to be delicious.
Heather says
These look wonderful and would be a great cookie exchange party cookie!
Terri Steffes says
I need a healthier Christmas cookie because I am going through 4-5 cookies a night! THanks for the delicious sounding recipe.
Leanne says
I love baking with whole wheat flour and spelt flour, so these are my kind of cookies! While I bake some decadent treats for the holidays, I like to have an equal amount of wholesome desserts too. I'll have to add these cookies to the list!