Got a cookie exchange or holiday party to attend soon? December is practically cookie month with all of the cookie trays going around. I know members of my family love to bake tons of cookies to give away as gifts for the holidays. You know those delicious plates filled with several kinds of cookies. How can one resist!

 What if you could swap out ingredients to make your cookies and baked goods a little bit healthier without sacrificing taste? It IS possible. Check out my tips to clean up your cookies yet still taste decadent.

Healthy Baking Swaps:

• Instead of 1 cup sugar use ¾ cup sugar, no one will even notice, that is 4 tablespoons less sugar right there!
• Use less processed sugars like raw honey, maple syrup, turbinado sugar in place of refined white sugar. This is a 1:1 swap.
• Use fresh or frozen berries in recipes instead of dried fruit to cut back on added sugars.
• Instead of 1 whole egg, use 1 tablespoon ground flax plus 3 tablespoons water. Mix and set aside 5 minutes to allow flax egg to gel. This adds extra fiber and cuts down on fat.
• Instead of 1 cup oil use ½ cup oil and ½ cup applesauce or mashed banana or cooked pumpkin.
• Replace ½ cup of baking flour with rolled oats or quinoa flakes for extra nutrition, protein, and fiber.
• Use gluten free all-purpose baking flour with 3 grams fiber per serving instead of all-purpose white flour.
• Use ½ cup of mini chocolate chips instead of 1 cup of regular size chocolate chips to reduce sugar and fat.

What are your best baking swaps? I’d love to hear from you.