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These whole wheat cut out cookies are easy to make, don’t require any chill time, and turn out just as tasty as those made with white flour.
Cut-out cookies are a staple during the holidays. You can’t walk into a single bakery this time of year without finding a beautiful batch of Christmas cookies staring back at you from the display case. And whether you call these cut out cookies or sugar cookies, they are a quintessential part of our holiday season.
Many kitchens, especially those with kids running around, generally cannot get through the holiday season without producing at least one batch either. It just can’t be helped. Cookies are an integral part of the holiday season.
I have been trying for at least a year, probably longer, to come up with a clean eating cut-out cookie recipe. I tried many batches and got many different results.
Finally, I found a book called Sweet and Natural by Meredith McCarty. I fell in love with this book. With the exception of maybe one or two recipes, the entire book is filled with clean baking recipes!!
So I gave one of her cookie recipes a try and while I liked the outcome, it wasn’t quite what I was going for. So I tinkered around with the recipe a bit, and this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy them as much as Mini Chef and I did!
Can You Make Cookies With Whole Wheat Flour?
You can! And they are actually quite delicious without giving you the same huge spike in blood sugar. Whole grains take longer to digest, so the effect on your insulin levels is a lot gentler.
What Does Whole Wheat Flour Do To Cookies?
In some cases, and depending on the type of whole wheat flour you use, it can make cookies quite dense. So generally speaking, you probably don’t want to use whole wheat flour in a recipe that calls for white flour.
That said, if you really want to do that, use whole wheat pastry flour. It’s the closest you can get to using white flour without actually using it. And in the event you can’t find it at the store, White Whole Wheat Flour is the next best thing. Avoid using regular whole wheat flour. It’s not delicate enough for recipe substitutions. However, there are wonderful recipes that are developed using regular whole wheat flour that are great for the holidays.
How Do I Substitute Whole Wheat Flour For All-Purpose Flour In Cookies?
As mentioned above, the type of flour you use matters. If you use whole wheat pastry flour, you can substitute it in a 1:1 ratio. Though it will tend to soak up just a little extra liquid, so be aware of that. The heavier the whole wheat flour, the more extra liquid it will soak up.
Can I Make These With A Stand Mixer?
You can. Simply mix everything with your electric mixer instead of by hand. But keep the speed low until the dough really starts to combine. Use a dough hook. Once combined, you can move up to a medium speed. Do not mix this at high speed.
What Is The Trick To Cut Out Cookies?
While this recipe doesn’t call for it, you can chill your cookies for at least 2 hours or more. It will help keep the cookies from spreading in the oven.
And if you really have trouble with spread, chill them twice. Once as a whole piece of dough, and once after you’ve cut your cookies on the cookie sheet. But again, it’s not necessary in this recipe. Only do this if your cookies start to spread too much.
Other Flavoring Options
If you want to try these with different flavors, here are some suggestions. Pick one. Don’t combine these.
- Lemon – Add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract and 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon zest.
- Spiced – Add 1 teaspoon of nutmeg for more of a spiced cookie flavor.
- Almond – Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
- Vanilla– Add an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract and scrape a vanilla bean into the dough as well.
- Salt– You can add a small pinch of salt to the dough, if you wish, to help bring out the sweetness.
About The Ingredients
Whole wheat pastry flour – + extra on reserve
Baking powder – Make sure it’s newer so it works. Do not use baking soda.
Oil – Use any light-flavored oil you prefer.
Honey – Any type works.
Pure vanilla extract – Use the real stuff. Not vanilla flavoring.
Ground cinnamon
Largeegg – Room temperature eggs are best.
How To Make Whole Wheat Cut Out Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl except for the egg.
Crack the egg into a separate bowl and whisk with a fork. Set aside.
If the dough is so wet that it is sticking to your fingers, knead in some extra flour, 1 tbsp. at a time until you have a soft dough that doesn’t stick. (I used an extra 2 tbsp.) If it’s too dry, add a little more oil.
Roll dough with a rolling pin out to¼inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters.
Transfer cookies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush cookie tops with egg wash. (you can use a whole egg or just the egg white. I used the whole egg but only used about ¼ of the beaten egg for brushing on the cookies. No egg gets added to the dough. It’s just for brushing on right before baking.)
Bake for approximately 8-12 minutes, or until cookies have a nice, golden glow.
Cool them on a wire rack until fully cooled. Then decorate or enjoy.
How To Store Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies
These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing
You can freeze these cookies if you wrap them well for up to 6 months.
Recipe Supplies
More Whole Wheat Cookie Recipes
- Healthy Thumbprint Cookies
- German Oatmeal Cookies
- Waffle Iron Cookies
Whole Wheat Cut Out Cookies Recipe Card
Whole Wheat Cut Out Cookies Recipe
Cutout cookies don’t have to be a totally unhealthy indulgence during the holidays. With this recipe, you can feel a little better about what the kids (and you!) are having for treats.
4.50 from 4 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes minutes
Servings: 18 cookies, approximately, depending on size of cutouts
Calories: 66kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour + extra on reserve
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3 tbsp. oil
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl except for the egg.
Crack the egg into a separate bowl and whisk with a fork. Set aside.
If the dough is so wet that it is sticking to your fingers, knead in some extra flour, 1 tbsp. at a time until you have a soft dough that doesn’t stick. (I used an extra 2 tbsp.) If it’s too dry, add a little more oil.
Roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters.
Transfer cookies to a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Brush cookie tops with egg wash. (you can use a whole egg or just the egg white. I used the whole egg but only used about ¼ of the beaten egg for brushing on the cookies. No egg gets added to the dough. It's just for brushing on right before baking.)
Bake for approximately 8-12 minutes, or until cookies have a nice, golden glow.
Cool them on a wire rack until fully cooled. Then decorate or enjoy.
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 58mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted on 12/20/11.
