5 skinny cookies, 100 calories (or less!)

The Editors of EatingWell Magazine

I love cookies! Hands down, they're my favorite dessert.

People's jaws, including a few of my co-worker's, hit the floor when I say that. How could I, a dietitian, love something so inherently unhealthy-and (gasp!) eat them too?

Well, I do! But I like to keep my cookie needs in check-and not waste a day's worth of calories fulfilling a craving-so I often turn to EatingWell's cookie collection to find something satisfying, but not loaded with calories.

Here are my 5 favorite diet-friendly cookies (that don't taste one bit diet-friendly). They're all 100 calories-or less-so you can indulge without breaking the calorie bank.

Think you have a winning cookie recipe? Enter the 5th Annual EatingWell Holiday Cookie Contest today!

5 diet-friendly cookies:


Almond & Honey-Butter Cookies
ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 2 1/2 hours

This thumbprint cookie uses honey as the only sweetener and tender ground almonds to replace much of the butter found in similar cookies.

1 cup whole almonds, toasted (see Tip)
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup honey, divided
1/3 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds (see Tip) for garnish

1. Process whole almonds in a food processor or blender until finely ground (you will have about 1 1/4 cups ground). Transfer to a large bowl and add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt; stir until just combined. Beat 2/3 cup honey, oil and 3 tablespoons butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
3. Roll tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Press the tip of your index finger in the center of each cookie to make an indentation. Bake the cookies, in batches, until set and barely golden on the bottom, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 30 minutes.
4. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup honey and 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl until creamy. Use about 1/4 teaspoon to fill each cookie and top with 2 sliced almonds, if desired.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Per cookie: 94 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 43 mg sodium; 9 mg potassium.

Tip: To toast whole almonds, spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. To toast sliced almonds, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Ingredient note: Look for whole-wheat pastry flour in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets and natural-foods stores.


Boot Tracks
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

This quick, no-fuss, chewy chocolate cookie is made on your waffle iron. No need to haul out the big mixer, you can mix the batter with a small hand mixer or even by hand. Kids love these!

1/2 cup salted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. Preheat a nonstick (not Belgian) waffle iron.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, oil and espresso powder (if using). Beat until thoroughly combined.
3. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the preheated ungreased waffle iron. (To avoid burnt fingers, use two spoons, one to scoop and one to scrape dough onto the waffle iron.) Close and cook until the cookies are puffed and cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Waffle irons vary, so watch closely and don't let the cookies get too dark. Transfer to a wire rack to cool until just warm. Dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar while still slightly warm (see Variations).

Variations: Instead of confectioners' sugar, drizzle cooled cookies with melted bittersweet and/or white chocolate. Or make a peppermint drizzle: Mix 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 4 teaspoons water and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; add natural green food coloring, if desired.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Per cookie: 63 calories; 4 g fat (2 g sat, 1 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 22 mg sodium; 18 mg potassium.


By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.

Brierley's interest in nutrition and food come together in her position as an associate editor at EatingWell. Brierley holds a master's degree in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A Registered Dietitian, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont.



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