Low-Fat Holiday Sugar Cookies

By
Fiona Haynes
Fiona Haynes
Freelance writer and copy editor Fiona Haynes has published more than 100 published recipes focused on low-fat and healthy eating.
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Updated on 10/10/21
Low fat holiday sugar cookies recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
65 Calories
2g Fat
10g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Amount per serving
Calories 65
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 52mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 11mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

With almost half the butter of most sugar cookies, you can treat yourself to one (or two) of these low-fat holiday cookies without feeling too guilty—each cookie has just three grams of fat. They come together much the same way as typical sugar cookies, with a dough that needs to chill for a bit before rolling it out.

Top with festive holiday sprinkles before baking or add a glaze afterward using confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and some food coloring.

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Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons butter, softened

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for low-fat holiday sugar cookies
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy.

    Beat butter and sugar
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.

    Add eggs and vanilla
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter and sugar until dough forms. Don't worry if dough seems a little crumbly at first; it will come together.

    Whisk together flour
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for two hours in the refrigerator.

    Wrap dough in plastic
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Heat oven to 350 F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4-inch or 1/8-inch thickness.

    Roll out dough
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Use holiday cookie cutters dipped in flour to make cutouts. Gather scraps and reroll until all the dough is used.

    Cut out flowers
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Place cookies 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Wait 1 minute and then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Place cookies on parchment
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Feel free to customize the recipe a bit to your liking. For example, you can use a little more vanilla extract than what we've called for if you'd like to accentuate that flavor, or combine it with almond extract, or use almond extract all by itself.
  • Cut the ball of dough in half and keep one half in the refrigerator while you roll, cut out, and decorate the other half.

How to Store and Freeze Low-Fat Christmas Sugar Cookies

  • Store in a tightly covered container for a week to 10 days. You can also freeze butter cookies, albeit very carefully. Lay them out on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a zip-close bag that you then put in a tightly covered container. They should be safe from freezer odors and protected from accidental breakage for up to three months.