Healthy Fall Cut Out Cookies (No Chill Sugar Cookies)

Healthy Cut Outs That Taste Like the Real Deal

If you are looking for a fall cut out cookie recipe that won’t give your kids a sugar rush, you have arrived at your destination 😀 Because these no chill sugar cookies are sweetened only with raw honey.

But don’t be fooled! This healthy version of cut out cookies is every bit as desirable to kids as the traditional sugar cookie recipe. To be honest, I was surprised how well these turned out the first time I made them.

I took a bite and thought, “Wow, this tastes like a cut out cookie,” as childhood memories floated into my mind. Memories of making, rolling and cutting out cookie dough with my mom and sister and sometimes friends too. Memories of frosting those cut out sugar cookies with various festive colors.

Making cut out cookies was always a holiday tradition in my family growing up. And I’ve tried several times over the years to make cut out cookies that didn’t contain processed sugar to make with my own kids. At one point, I used xylitol to sweeten cut out cookies. But I no longer use sugar alcohols (I won’t get into that here, but you can read my article on why I stopped using sugar alcohols if you want to know more).

So I had to find another alternative that did not involve processed sugar or sugar alcohols. And to my surprise and delight, raw honey worked perfectly for this roll out cookie dough recipe.

Nobody in my family – even the neighbor kids – can stop eating these Fall cookies. There’s your proof that a sugar cookie recipe made with honey can be every bit as mouthwatering and successful as regular sugar cookies.

And with my honey-sweetened buttercream frosting recipe, you can even decorate these Autumn themed sugar cookies without any processed sugar. These perfect sugar cookies are a big win all the way around 🙂

But don’t take my word for it. Just ask my toddler over there … Oh wait, she can’t answer. She has a mouth full of sugar cookie😋

When You Can and Should Make These Cookies

Okay, first of all, I have to tell you something I really, really love about these sugar cookies that is even better than the ones I made with my mom as a kid:

They require zero chill time 😮

As a matter of fact, it’s best not to chill them. How incredible is that?

Oh, also, these don’t spread in the oven. Even though they don’t get chilled before or after rolling and cutting the dough. Yep, you read that right.

So I just whipped up a batch of these the other night and it took me all of maybe 45 minutes, from the time I poured the first ingredient to the time I pulled the last tray out of the oven. It was so nice to not have to plan around a chill time. It was also so nice to be able to eat them sooner!

Oh, I mean, um, it was nice for the kids to be able to eat them sooner 😀

So the best time to make these is when you have an hour max to bake a Fall treat. How great is that? I’m picturing parents in their kitchens all over America right now throwing a batch of Fall cut out cookies together an hour before they need to pick up their kids from the bus stop.

The other obvious answer to when you should make these cookies is … on any fall day that you are in the mood to do a little seasonal baking for your kids.

These would also be an excellent kids treat to make for Halloween parties and Thanksgiving gatherings. Pair these honey sugar cookies with a bowl of healthy caramel corn and you’re covered for that traditional Thanksgiving potluck at Aunt Ethel’s house.

Ingredients

• Butter: Butter is an incredibly essential ingredient in sugar cut out cookies. I use Irish grass-fed or organic butter.

• Raw Honey: Raw, unfiltered honey makes the surprisingly perfect refined sugar substitute in this recipe. You can get raw, unfiltered honey on Amazon, from Trader Joe’s or sometimes from Home Goods.

• Egg: An egg acts as the binder for these cookies. I usually get farm-fresh eggs, but organic or cage-free are the next best choice.

• Lemon Extract: Lemon extract might sound like an odd flavoring for Autumn, but it really is a beautiful flavor for cut out cookies. My mom always used lemon extract in her cut out cookies growing up (even the Christmas cut out cookies) and it’s my favorite way to make them. However, you can substitute lemon for almond or vanilla extract instead if you prefer.

• Flour: Any all-purpose flour will work. I use organic unbleached flour from Costco.

• Baking Powder: A little baking powder helps the cookies rise just a tad. Make sure you have aluminum-free baking powder.

• Salt: A pinch of salt to help bring out the flavor in these cookies is invaluable. I use pink Himalayan sea salt, but you can use whatever kind you have on hand.

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2

In a stand mixer with a medium-size bowl, cream softened butter and honey.

Step 3

Add in egg and lemon extract. and mix until incorporated.

Step 4

Add salt, baking powder and half of the flour (220 grams) to the butter and egg mixture. Mix until incorporated.

Step 5

Add the remaining flour (220 grams) and mix until fully incorporated. Your dough will begin to roll into a ball when it is fully mixed.

Step 6

If you want to cut out your cookies later, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or remove the dough from the bowl and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the dough at this point.

Step 7

Lightly flour a clean, flat surface for rolling out your dough. Flour your rolling pin as well.

Be careful not to use much flour or your cookie dough will become too dry and your cookies will crack.

*See note.

Step 8

Roll out your dough until it is 1/2 inch thick. Using your desired cookie cutters, cut out your cookies and place them on a non-stick pan.

Step 9

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Step 10

Allow cookies to cool for at least five minutes on the tray before moving them to a plate.

Step 11

Store in an airtight container for up to one week on the counter or up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Step 12

To frost, use honey-sweetened buttercream frosting colored with India Tree natural food coloring.

Substitutions & Tips

• As I mentioned, you can substitute the lemon extract for almond or vanilla extract instead. However, if you do this, you will probably need to cut down the amount to 1-2 teaspoons instead of 3. I have not made them with an alternate extract yet, but I will update when I do.

• I highly recommend using a stand mixer to mix up this cookie dough. You will have a very difficult time trying to mix it by hand or with a handheld mixer.

• You can refrigerate this cookie dough for up to 3 days. If you choose to do this, pull your dough out of the fridge at least an hour before you want to roll it out so that it has ample time to soften. This is one cut out cookie dough that works the best when it is not chilled.

• When you are ready to roll out your cookie dough, be very conservative with how much flour you use. Extra flour will dry out your dough and cause it to crack. Simply sprinkle a dusting of flour on the surface on which you plan to do your cookie cutting. You will probably also need to lightly flour your rolling pin.

• If your dough does become dry, grab some fresh dough from the bowl and smoosh it down on top of the old dough to hold it together and prevent it from pulling apart. This will take care of the cracking. If you do have any cracks, they will at least be on the bottoms of your cookies this way.

• To get your cookies rolled out evenly, I highly recommend using a rolling pin with thickness rings. I have this rolling pin and the I used the 1/2 inch rings to roll out these cookies the last time I made them.

With previous batches, I just tried to eye-ball it (there’s the lazy baker in me coming out again), but I always end up with cookies of different thicknesses – which makes it impossible for them to cook evenly. Trust me, using a guide on your rolling pin is extremely easy and incredibly helpful.

• You can play around with the bake time on these cookies to figure out what your kids like best. For softer cookies that are just lightly underdone, they will need to come out at about 8 minutes (subject to different ovens cooking at slightly different rates). If your kids like their cookies just a little crisp, you will want to leave them in until about the 10 minute mark.

Also, note that the cookies will soften up a bit after being stored in an airtight container or sealed bag on the counter.

• If you want to frost your cookies, my buttercream frosting recipe works well as a naturally sweetened option (note that the cookies will need to be stored in the fridge if you frost them with this buttercream frosting). And to add fun colors, I recommend this natural, dye-free, sugar-free food coloring by India Tree. That is what I used to color the frosting on the decorated cookies pictured in this post.

Healthy Fall Cut Out Cookies (No Chill Sugar Cookies)

These Autumn themed sugar cookies could not be easier – or healthier – to make! Easy no spread sugar cookies that contain zero refined sugar, they are a big hit with kids of all different taste buds. Frost them to make colorful Fall cut out cookies or leave them plain to keep it simple.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Rolling & Cutting Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 Cookies

Calories: 125kcal

Equipment

• 1 Stand Mixer

Ingredients

• 113 g butter softened
• 170 g honey raw
• 1 egg
• 3 tsp lemon extract
• 440 g flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a stand mixer with a medium-size bowl, cream softened butter and honey.
• Add in egg and lemon extract. and mix until incorporated.
• Add salt, baking powder and half of the flour (220 grams) to the butter and egg mixture. Mix until incorporated.
• Add the remaining flour (220 grams) and mix until fully incorporated. Your dough will begin to roll into a ball when it is fully mixed.
• If you want to cut out your cookies later, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or remove the dough from the bowl and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the dough at this point.
• Lightly flour a clean, flat surface for rolling out your dough. Flour your rolling pin as well.

  Be careful not to use much flour or your cookie dough will become too dry and your cookies will crack.

  *See note.
• Roll out your dough until it is 1/2 inch thick. Using your desired cookie cutters, cut out your cookies and place them on a non-stick pan.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes.
• Allow cookies to cool for at least five minutes on the tray before moving them to a plate.
• Store in an airtight container for up to one week on the counter or up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
• To frost, use honey-sweetened buttercream frosting colored with India Tree natural food coloring.

Notes

• If you don’t want to use lemon extract, you can also use vanilla or almond extract.
• Be very careful to use just a dusting of flour on your surface for rolling out your cookie dough. If your dough starts to get too dry to roll without cracking, add fresh, unfloured dough on top and help hold the dough together. This way, any cracks in your cookies will only be on the bottom. 
• To roll your dough out evenly, it is helpful to get a rolling pin with changeable guides. See my note in the “Substitutions & Tips” section for more details. 
• Bake the cookies for 8 minutes to get softer, slightly undercooked cookies or 10 minutes for crisp cookies.
• See my recipe for honey-sweetened buttercream frosting for a healthy way to decorate your cut-out cookies. If you do decide to frost your cookies with this recipe, note that they will need to be stored in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Cookies | Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

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