The winter holidays and cookies are my favorite combination. I love baking, and as soon as December rolls around, I start gathering my favorite recipes and planning my holiday cookie gifts.
I’m mindful to add allergy-friendly options to the mix when planning my holiday baking. I want to make sure there’s at least one tasty option for everyone on my cookie gift list. And, as my husband and I have gotten older, we’ve also gotten more health conscious — this year, I’ve been on the hunt for cookies that allow me to indulge in this winter tradition while still being mindful of the foods I’m consuming.
The main priority was taste. Each recipe was put to a taste test, with my family graciously filling in as my testers. After sampling every cookie, we ranked them and compared notes. Despite having different flavor preferences, most of us put them in the same order.
I also considered the ease (and accuracy) of the recipe. None of the cookie dough in this roundup needs refrigeration time, so you can finish a full batch within 30 minutes.
A note on baking for people with food allergies
When baking for people with food allergies, I’m really mindful of cross-contamination. Before starting, I wash all my baking equipment and fully wipe down the kitchen surfaces.
Once I start baking, I consider the order in which I bake the different recipes. I like to do my gluten-free items first. This is because flour is lightweight and tends to float around in the air when it’s being used. By doing my gluten-free baking first and then storing away those baked goods, I can help reduce the risk of flour getting into the food.
Nut-free recipes are second on my list. If anything in my first batch included nuts, I do a second, thorough wash before starting on my nut-free recipes. This is to try to ensure nut oils have been removed from my equipment.
And the most important part: When offering my baked goods to others, I share that my kitchen isn’t nut- or gluten-free, and I include a list of possible allergens with each cookie. In addition to nuts and gluten, other allergens I share include sesame, dairy, and coconut. I also say if something contains chocolate.
These were hands down the top choice among my family. This gluten-free cookie has a sweet, almond flavor. It’s very moist, which you don’t often get from gluten-free baked goods, and has a luxurious taste. It’s the type of cookie that anyone would be happy to eat, whether they can have gluten or not.
We don’t eat stevia in my house, so I opted to replace it with sugar using a 1-to-1 ratio. The added sugar means that the version we made isn’t keto-friendly, but this is a possible swap if you aren’t limiting your sugar intake.
This recipe was a little more complicated than the others I tried. There were a lot of steps, and chopping up the pistachios took extra time. But the flavors and textures were worth the extra effort. It’s also a beautiful cookie that captured the eye of everyone in my house and is sure to stand out on any cookie platter.
The orange zest gave the cookie a fresh, citrus flavor, and the nuts and coconut provided a nice texture. Even my anti-coconut older child was a fan. It also smelled amazing while baking — these cookies would be great to pop into the oven ahead of company to give your home a fresh smell.
This cookie contains nuts and gluten.
This cookie is gluten-free and delicious when made as is. But, if you need a good nut-free cookie, you can also substitute the almond butter for sunflower seed butter without sacrificing flavor. Just remember to also skip the almond extract. I opted for vanilla instead.
The sunflower seed butter version received top marks from my taste testers. It was also the easiest cookie to make out of the recipes I tried. It’s a good option if you remember at the last minute that you need to bring cookies to an event.
This cookie got top marks from my 4-year-old, who loves chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. The rest of my household preferred the other cookies but still enjoyed this chocolatey treat.
My batch was a little dry around the edges. As with any chocolate cookie, you’ll want to be mindful of bake time to avoid overcooking. Take them out of the oven when the center has just set (meaning it doesn’t sink down when you gently touch it).
You can bake delicious treats with nutritional needs in mind without sacrificing taste. Check out our recipe center for more ideas.
