Awesome holiday cookie recipes. Share with friends or eat them all yourself.

Whether you are baking for a cookie swap or yourself, these recipes are sure to please. For the exception of the first recipe, all cookie recipes are created to be lighter on calories and fat. Healthy cookies, yessss. Happy holidays!

Oatmeal, Cherry, Toffee, Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Recipe from Martha Stewart

These everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookies are my absolute favorite. Every time I make these, people go crazy. Toffee pieces can be found in the baking sections of grocery stores.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup toffee pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the vanilla; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the oats, cherries, chocolate, and toffee pieces; mix to combine after each addition.
4. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat, spacing 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

(No nutritional information available. We probably don’t want to know.)

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies
Recipe from Self Magazine

This signature Payard treat delivers a delicious dose of heart-healthy fat and antioxidants, courtesy of the nuts and cocoa. 

Makes 60 cookies

• Parchment paper
• 2 1/2 cups walnut halves
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Heat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place walnuts on a work surface and finely chop. Transfer to a separate large baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 9 minutes. Let cool. Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Stir in walnuts. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat with a fork or an electric mixer on medium until batter is just moistened. (Do not overbeat batter or it will stiffen.) Drop batter by the teaspoonful onto baking sheets in evenly spaced mounds. Bake cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Nutritional Information
55 calories per cookie, 3.3 g fat (0.4 g saturated), 6.2 g carbs, 0.6 g fiber, 1.2 g protein

Chocolate Drizzled Macaroons
Recipe from Self Magazine

This chewy classic is dressed up for the holidays with a festive, to-die-for drizzle of chocolate. Oats replace part of the coconut to make this a lowfat yet still satisfying goody.

Makes about 40 macaroons

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 10 egg whites
• 2 cups unsweetened dried shredded coconut
• 2 cups plain quick-cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 slices salt
• 2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate morsels
• 1 teaspoon trans-fat-free soft-tub margarine

Heat oven to 350°. Spray 3 baking sheets with cooking spray; set aside. Stir egg whites, coconut, oats, vanilla, sugar and salt in a bowl until well blended. Drop tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets, half an inch apart. Bake macaroons until light golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Place chocolate morsels and margarine in a glass bowl or measuring cup. Microwave on high until chocolate melts completely, 40 to 50 seconds, or melt in a 350° oven 5 to 6 minutes. (Do not overheat chocolate or it will scorch.) Dip a metal teaspoon into warmed chocolate and gently drizzle chocolate over cookies in a zigzag pattern. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days.

Nutritional Information
52 calories per macaroon, 1.9 g fat (1.3 g saturated), 7.4 g carbs, 0.8 g fiber, 1.6 g protein

Hello Dolly Bars (7 Layer Bars)
Recipe from Cooking Light

These bar cookies are also known as seven-layer bars. They take less than 30 minutes to make and call for just 8 ingredients, making Hello Dolly Bars the perfect dessert for taking along, well, just about anywhere!

Makes 24 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cookie sheets)
• 2  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 1  tablespoon  water
• 1/3  cup  semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3  cup  butterscotch morsels
• 2/3  cup  flaked sweetened coconut
• 1/4  cup  chopped pecans, toasted
• 1  (15-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; cut off excess parchment paper around top edge of pan.

Place crumbs in a medium bowl. Drizzle with butter and 1 tablespoon water; toss with a fork until moist. Gently pat mixture into an even layer in pan (do not press firmly). Sprinkle chips and morsels over crumb mixture. Top evenly with coconut and pecans. Drizzle milk evenly over top. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly around edges. Cool completely on wire rack.

Kitchen Notes

They can create a sticky mess in the pan, so it’s crucial to line it with parchment paper. Because the milk needs to seep into the graham cracker crumbs, don’t pack the crumbs too tightly in the bottom of the pan.

Nutritional Information (serving size: 1 bar)
Calories 123 (32% from fat); Fat 4.4g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.6g); Protein 2.1g; Carbohydrate19.1; Fiber 0.5g.

Cocoa Fudge Cookies
Recipe from Cooking Light

You can mix these incredibly easy, fudge cookies right in the saucepan. When freshly baked, these thin cookies have crisp edges and chewy centers. You can make them with either Dutch process or natural unsweetened cocoa powder; we opted for the latter.

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 5  tablespoons  butter
• 7  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa
• 2/3  cup  granulated sugar
• 1/3  cup  packed brown sugar
• 1/3  cup  plain low-fat yogurt
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, soda, and salt; set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars (mixture will resemble coarse sand). Add yogurt and vanilla, stirring to combine. Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until almost set. Cool on pans 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Nutritional Information (serving size: 1 cookie)
Calories 78 (31% from fat); Fat 2.7g (sat 1.6g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.1g); Protein 1g; Carbohydrate: 13.4g; Fiber 0.5g.

What’s your favorite holiday cookie recipe?