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Christmas Sugar Cookies with Healthy Icing

By Holly Darnell, RD

December 18, 2023

The Christmas sugar cookie with colorful, buttercream icing is often one of the most popular holiday cookies. Kids, in particular, tend to gobble them up. The only issue is that the "sugar" in the title is no misnomer.

Instead, this holiday you can have that type of cookie but it'll be relatively sugar-free, gluten-free and with some good-for-you collagen. This Christmas cookie recipe checks all three boxes, and it's absolutely delicious.

Best Ingredients for Christmas Sugar Cookies

The recipe calls for gluten-free flour but you can also make your own, which will be even healthier. Simply make your own batch with 1½ cups almond flour, 1 cup arrowroot flour, 1 cup coconut flour and ½ cup tapioca flour in a bowl.

Mix well and then add in 1⁄2 teaspoon xanthan gum. Mix again and put into an airtight container and store in a dry place.

Now what about the sugar? Well, instead of the naughty white stuff, this cookie recipe calls for monk fruit sweetener. Monk fruit contains compounds that, when extracted, are an estimated 200–300 times sweeter than regular cane sugar but with no calories and no effect on blood sugar.

To get that great Christmas cookie texture and some good fats, we use old-fashioned unsalted butter and an egg.

Lastly, these sugar cookies also use our Multi Collagen Protein to add some skin, joint and gut benefits. You'll find that the unflavored collagen powder mixes seamlessly into the mix.

How to Make Christmas Sugar Cookies

Make sure the butter is room temperature. When ready, in a standing mixer, cream the butter and monkfruit sweetener together at medium speed until fluffy.

Grass-fed butter is the best ingredient for buttercream frosting but you can also use vegan butter. Monkfruit is my favorite sugar-free, natural sweetener for cookies. It mimics the taste of sugar the best.

Next, add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl and mixing together again on low speed. Add in the gluten-free flour (which can be your own blend), Multi Collagen Protein powder and sea salt. Mix at a low speed until well combined.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board, till the dough is about one-fourth inch thick. 

Next, cut the dough with cookie cutters of choice and place the cookies on the sheet, making sure that none touch. 

(Don't want to bake right away? The dough can be covered and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.)

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for five minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before decorating.

Lastly, make the buttercream frosting. In a large stand mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy, about one minute. Then add in vanilla extract and mix on low speed until combined. 

Add powdered monkfruit sweetener (looks like regular powdered sugar) in half-cup measurements and continue mixing until well combined and fluffy, scraping down sides as needed. 

If the frosting is too thick, add one tablespoon of unsweetened almond milk at a time until desired consistency is achieved. (For possible food coloring, see the directions below.)

Use immediately and top with sprinkles of choice. (Choose a brand that doesn't use artificial colors or dyes.) The frosting can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to one month.

Other Holiday Treats

• S'mores mocktail

• Pfeffernüsse cookies

• Peppermint mocha

• Elderberry jam

Recipe developed by Holly Darnell, RD. Holly is a registered dietitian nutritionist who unlocked self-love at the intersection of exceptional food and practical solutions for healthy living. She’s passionate about helping others make simple, positive lifestyle changes on their individual path to healing.