12 Best Low Calorie Cookie recipes! (2024)

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ByAmy Roskelley

The best treats from around the internet, homemade recipes for low calorie cookies!

Substituting healthier ingredients, and limiting the size of the cookies can reduce calories, help you eat better and still eat your favorite treats!

If you didn’t know this about me yet, I’m crazy for cookies! So much that I have a secret Instagram account, dedicated to local gourmet bakery cookies. But, of course, I also have a healthy side, and when I can eat cookies, and still stay on track for my goals, it’s definitely a WIN-WIN!

This list is the best low calorie cookies I’ve found online. It’s kind of a pet peeve of mine that recipes labeled healthy cookies can often be so high in calories, or when recipes don’t list the calories at all. Nut butters and coconut oil is both for sure healthy, but when you are eating a cookie… or 3, those calories can really add up quickly!

Hacks for Low Calorie Cookies

One of the easiest ways to reduce calories is to limit the ingredients that are high in fat. With 9 calories per gram of fat, it’s the first thing I look at.

Substitutes that can limit the calories via the fat include:

  • Substitute an egg for egg whites.
  • Sub out regular butter for light butter.
  • If the recipe calls for nuts, just cut it in half. It’s not necessary to to sub it or replace it.
  • Yogurt could be subbed for sour cream.
  • Substitute a fruit puree (like applesauce) for oils.
  • Powdered peanut butter can replace regular peanut butter with some experimenting.

Substitutes that can limit calories via carbs and sugars include:

  • Using sugar substitutes like Monk Sugar. This has worked well for me in baking. Takes hundreds of extra calories for the recipe, down to ZERO!

Size Matters- #AMIRIGHT?

Let’ be honest. Anyone on the internet can make a “low calorie” cookie if they make the cookies small enough. If I could weigh them all, I would. Because, by weight, many cookies are very close in calories. However, this is also good news. Because you could.

Low Calorie Cookie Recipe List!

1) World’s Healthiest Chocolate Chip Cookies { 6 calories }

Clearly, to make these low calorie chocolate chip cookies 6 calories, you are going to be portioning out the dough into teeny tiny cookies. However, overall the recipe is quite low in calories! The author says if you make them bigger, they are still only 15 calories each. A total calorie bargain!

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2 ) Low Fat Peanut butter cookie {60 calories}

This indulgent peanut butter cookie recipe from The Diet Chef is the bomb! He uses peanut butter powder, which I LOVE for making the cookies low in fat. He also lowers the fat by using applesauce. Check out the ingredients list and directions here.

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3 ) Low Calorie Thin Mint Cookies {43 Calories!}

43 calories everyone for this Copycat Thin Mint Cookie!! Seriously, do these not at least LOOK amazing? To be fair, regular packaged thin mints are the same amount of calories, but this recipe is not only healthier, but you don’t have to wait till cookie season to get your fix. I’m drooling. For real. I love Amy’s Healthy Baking blog. If you aren’t following her, you must!

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4) Soft Sugar Cookies {68 calories each and 2 smart points}

I found this site via Pinterest. A Weight Watchers recipe blog called the Pound Dropper. These sugar cookies look so delicious! She replaces full calorie sugar with the Monk Sugar I mentioned above. Great choice for these low calorie sugar cookies!

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5) Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Cookies {68 calories}

From Skinny Fitalicious, these cookies have only 68 calories! Made with yogurt, egg whites, and gluten free flour, you will want to save this recipe!

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6) Orange Sugar Cookie {50 calories}

Of course I needed to include some of my own low calorie cookies. I mean, I wouldn’t make them if I didn’t love them already! So first up from my Health Beet blog is these Orange sugar cookies. I used light butter for these, but could have further reduced calories with a sugar substitute!

7) Lemon Shortbread Cookie {71 Calories}

Mmm. I could eat these every day. Taste like shortbread and lemon. So fresh and perfect for spring! These low cal lemon cookies are made with light butter, and you would never even notice!

8) Maple Oatmeal Cookie {39 Calories}

It seems I have a handful of cookies that I only posted to Instagram. I do intend to give them all a proper home on the blog, but until then, I give you- the Maple Oatmeal Cookie! Sweetened with zero calorie maple syrup! Grab the recipe on my instagram here.

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9) The Peanut butter Macaroon {31 calories}

I call it a macaroon, because I whipped up the egg whites till fluffy like a macaroon. So, the final lightened up peanut butter cookie is a crispy, light, and delicious peanut butter treat! This one is a must try!

10) The Meringue Cookie {35 calories}

Meringue cookies (even the storebought ones) are incredibly low in calories! Plus, the egg whites give these low calorie cookies a nice boost of protein. Meringue cookies take some practice, but once you master it, you’ll be glad you did!

11) Coconut Macaroon {62 calories}

And finally, Coconut macaroons! This cookie is a miracle considering coconut is so high in calories, yet it’ displaced by the fluffing up of the egg whites, giving you a lot of volume for very few calories! Mmmm.

12) Kodiak Chocolate Cookies {20 calories}

These could possibly be my favorite cookie, just based on how simple they are! Chocolate Kodiak mix and Greek yogurt. That’s it! Grab the details here.

Oh man.. are you ready to start baking?? I know I am! I can’t wait to try some of these. For me, it helps knowing how many calories I’m getting in for, before I start baking. Hopefully this post is able to help you too!

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12 Best Low Calorie Cookie recipes! (20)
12 Best Low Calorie Cookie recipes! (21)

If you like this, you might also like

  • The Best Low Calorie Bread for 2022
  • Sugar Free Sugar Cookies! Only 44 calories
  • Low Calorie Peanut Butter Cookies
  • 85 Calorie Protein Peanut Butter Cookies

12 Best Low Calorie Cookie recipes! (22)

Amy Roskelley

Hi! I'm Amy Roskelley, a health & fitness professional and the owner of Health Beet website and blog. I have a Bachelors of Science in Community Health from BYU. Masters of Business (University of Utah) Certified Personal Trainer (ACE), RRCA Running coach, Certified Personal Chef (IAP), and Certified as a Nutrition & Wellness Consultant (AFPA), Certified Mind, Body, Eating Coach. (IPE).
I'm the creator of many low calorie recipes author of weight loss books. Mother of 3, runner, and NPC Fitness competitor.

12 Best Low Calorie Cookie recipes! (2024)

FAQs

What type of cookie has the least calories? ›

Shortbread and trefoils: They were the lowest in calories per cookie (30 and 32 calories, respectively), and lowest in saturated fat and added sugars.

What is the least unhealthy cookie? ›

Simple Mills. While not entirely organic, Simple Mills makes some of the healthiest cookies we found. The ingredients here are very clean, in addition to being grain-free. The flour is a blend of nuts, the fat is coconut oil, and the sweetener is coconut sugar.

Are cookies OK for weight loss? ›

BOTTOM LINE: The Cookie Diet may result in short-term weight loss, but no studies support its effectiveness. It relies heavily on prepackaged cookies, is highly restrictive, and does not provide guidance on how to maintain weight loss without cookies.

Is there a healthy cookie to eat? ›

Oatmeal raisin probably has the best fiber/whole grain, flourless chocolate is better if you're trying to be low carb, meringues are probably lowest calorie. I'd say oatmeal raisin is a very nutritious cookie.

Is homemade cookies healthier than store bought? ›

Baking at home gives you control over the ingredients in your baked goods, and can be much healthier than choosing store-bought breads, cakes, and cookies.

Is it OK to eat a cookie everyday? ›

While one cookie a day isn't going to completely derail your diet goals, it's often easy to eat more than one at a time, and soon enough, downing quite a few cookies throughout the day could lead to unwanted pounds.

Are ginger snap cookies healthy? ›

If you must have a cookie from time to time, a ginger snap is among your best options, compared to other varieties such as chocolate chip or sugar cookies. Most ginger snaps are lower in fat and sugar than other types of cookies, and you'll also get a good dose of certain vitamins and minerals, as well.

What to eat if you're craving cookies? ›

If you crave cookies, try reaching for protein-rich foods that contain nitrogen, like legumes, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Chromium is a mineral that helps regulate blood sugar, and if you're craving a sweet cinnamon bun or muffin, your body may be missing this mineral.

Are graham crackers healthier than cookies? ›

“There's also very little fiber and low nutritional value.” But it varies, depending on the brand. “This can be used as an example of why it is important to read food labels,” Gans says. But, she adds, “many brands have added sugars and very little fiber that make them on par with having a regular cookie.”

What is the 6 cookie diet? ›

He concocted a diet that allowed people to eat six special cookies containing a total of 500 calories every day followed by a 300 calorie dinner. The cookies are formulated from common grains, mainly oats, rice and wheat, and contain a secret blend of amino acids that Siegal claims reduce the craving for food.

Are oatmeal raisin cookies healthy? ›

Both whole grain oats and raisins are a good source of fiber. The presence of whole grain oats will also help you stay fuller longer. That said, oatmeal raisin cookies are still cookies with higher butter and sugar content than other snacks, so they should only be considered a healthy snack in moderation.

Why are Chips Ahoy bad for you? ›

Original Chips Ahoy!

These cookies aren't stuffed with brownies or topped with additional sugary ingredients, but that doesn't mean they're good for you. The original Chips Ahoy! cookies still contain 11 grams of sugar per serving and include high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient.

Do fat free cookies have less calories than regular cookies? ›

Kari Kooi, dietitian at Houston Methodist, says reduced-fat products often contain almost the same number of calories per serving as full-fat versions. Plus, reduced-fat foods have a perceived healthy image, and studies have shown that people tend to eat twice as much or more of these foods.

Are there any low calorie Girl Scout cookies? ›

Trefoils

Shortbread and Trefoils were the clear winner among all of the Girl Scout Cookies. Compared with other varieties, they were the lowest in calories per cookie (30 and 32 calories, respectively).

Does cookie dough have less calories than baked cookies? ›

Someone asked me why raw cookie dough had fewer calories than cooked. It's not a mistake or trick -it's because the calories are quoted in the same weight units & when you bake water is lost, concentrating the same calories into a smaller weight, so the calories per 100g goes up.

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