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We Tried It: DIY Healthier Cookies

By: Stepfanie Romine : 12/19/2009 9:34:30 AM : 68 comments : 7,943 Views

I'm a great cook, but I'm really only a mediocre baker, at least when it comes to cookies.

The truth is, I don't like sugar very much (chocolate, I like, but straight-up sweets aren't my favorite). But I alter recipes and end up with an unsatisfying healthy cookie that doesn't sate even my tame sweet tooth.

I was pretty excited to learn that someone else could do the work for me.

We've tried their trail mix, shakes and bars, so when they developed DIY better-for-you cookies, the folks at YouBar reached out to us and asked if we'd like to make our own batch for free.

Of course!

I was the cookie designer, and I created a cookie that contained whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, banana, walnuts, almonds, bittersweet chocolate chips, dried cherries and dried cranberries, among other ingredients. Each chewy, tasty cookie has just 107 calories, 2 g fiber, and 4 g fat (mostly from the nuts). But the part about these cookies is that they're fully customizable.

Like the rest of the YouBar family of custom-made products, these cookies are a little pricey: $39.99 for a dozen cookies. But they might make a good gift! While it's too late to order cookies in time for Christmas, you can order a gift certificate, which will be delivered immediately.

AND, the folks at YouBar were kind enough to offer to give away one free You Cookie Gift Certificate that is good for a custom box of cookies (or our custom bars, shakes, or trail mix) including free FedEx shipping.

Enter the contest by clicking here. The usual rules apply. The contest runs from today through 9 a.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 26.

What is your favorite way to make cookies healthier?

Click here to to redeem your SparkPoints

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Comments (Scroll to end to leave a comment)

NORASPAT 2/12/2010 4:12:24 PM	To make cookies healthier for the grandkids. I replace fat with Applesauce, I use white whole wheat flour from King Arthur and since their favorite is choc chips I use mini chocolate chips and add raisins and oatmeal. They love them. I also reduce the sugar on almost everything i bake. These days everything tastes way too sweet given the amount od sugar in recipes.	68
HEATHERHUSKER 12/29/2009 5:38:22 PM	To make cookies healthier, I make the smaller and try to make sure that I always have the nutritional information on the cookies I make. That way you can plan to have a cookie in your daily intake.	67
ALAFRENTZ 12/24/2009 11:43:16 AM	i think 40 per dozen is crazy. healthy food should be cheaper.	66
SUKIE23 12/22/2009 8:05:30 PM	in the picture that was shown, the cookie looks more like a praline than a cookie.	65
HOLLYTYSON64 12/22/2009 8:42:36 AM	I have switched to Splenda from suger; use applesauce instead of oil when I can. Every little bit helps	64
LEONALIONESS 12/21/2009 5:49:42 PM	Heh. The only cookies I'd pay over $3 a pop for are Liz Lovelys (OMG, LIZ LOVELYS) http://www.lizlovely.com/webstore/s hop.php?gr=PACK and even with those you get two huge, organic, fair trade absolutely to-die-for vegan cookies for the $4 price. Yeah, now I want LL cookies really badly. Darn it! I am also pleased to see the you cookies have a vegan option in the pre-made and I understand that custom stuff = big bucks. It's odd the pre-made varieties are the $40 price. You'd think non-custom would be less expensive. Hrm.	63
PROJECTLOSEIT 12/21/2009 3:57:50 PM	I certainly love cookies, but I feel like I'd rather eat one cheap unhealthy cookie than a dozen expensive healthy ones. Or, better yet, I could stick to salads!	62
JULIA75 12/21/2009 3:18:17 PM	The cookies sound great though I doubt they'd be shipped out of the US. But since you pretty much designed them, can you add the recipe to spark-recipes or just put it here? It's sounds delicious, and I'm usually baking cookies myself instea of buying them anyway.	61
MDTWEETY 12/21/2009 2:51:28 PM	Mmmmm...I LOVE cookies! Unfortunately, I love them a little too much. :)	60
GRANDMO1 12/21/2009 2:29:32 PM	Too much money, just do half anlf with white and whole wheat flour for a healthier cookie or use applesauce in place of the butter or margarine.	59
SMCCULLE 12/21/2009 1:20:05 PM	way too expensive!	58
LINDA6105 12/21/2009 10:25:38 AM	Too priecy	57
MAMMAGOOSE 12/21/2009 10:00:37 AM	Would never pay that for cookies and would hope no one I know would either.	56
SAMANTHAJEAN86 12/21/2009 9:03:55 AM	$40 is way to expensive, even if they taste amazing, it is not worth it to me.	55
SCHWINNER! 12/21/2009 7:59:15 AM	I have to add too that individually wrapped cookies (the first picture) is so incredibly wasteful! No wonder they cost $40, you're paying for packaging...	54
SCHWINNER! 12/21/2009 7:58:39 AM	Wow, $40/dozen? That IS insane. We make our own cookies at home quite often - my BF has developed recipes for zucchini cookies, pumpkin cookies, banana cookies, even a yam cookie!! We always use 100% whole wheat flour and reduce the sugar content. We freeze the dough and just bake a few at a time or so - nothing like fresh, warm cookies!	53
WILD4STARS 12/21/2009 5:41:09 AM	I'm not above an occasional splurge, especially this time of year, but $40 for a dozen cookies is too rich for my blood. I'll have to win them to try them. I was impressed that they have a vegan option.	52
SERPENTINE 12/21/2009 1:44:38 AM	i bought enough groceries to make 6 different kinds of cookies and i dont even think it was $40...thats crazy talk.	51
LESLIE_2B_LESS 12/21/2009 12:11:15 AM	I use egg beaters instead of eggs, applesauce or yogurt instead of oil and reduced fat cream cheese to help lower the calories in my cookies. Oh, I also used light margarine instead of butter.	50
VANANDEL 12/21/2009 12:01:13 AM	I like cookies with less sugar than most recipes call for. So that's one modification I make all the time. I also like to substitute things like applesauce (unsweetened) and bananas for sweeteners.	49
XENA1956 12/20/2009 11:39:06 PM	Way too much money in this economy I rather just use a low cal cooking sugar. I use to bake all the time so I have modified a lot of recipes.	48
MONKEYSHORTZ 12/20/2009 11:34:28 PM	Sounds pricey but it makes sense...some bakeries and dessert shop charge that much if not more---and you probably get 4x as many calories!!! I don't bake cookies very often because I love eating the dough and insist on trying as many as I can to make sure they are good!! :( But I am always on the lookout for healthy options. Kashi makes a great on (oatmeal chocolate) these aren't made with sugar or corn syrup and they have protein and fiber. You would never even know they taste so good!! I would like to try these cookies though and compare!! Who knows they might be worth the price!	47
SISTAK 12/20/2009 10:26:49 PM	I HAD A HARD TIME FINISHING READING THE ARTICLE THINKING ABOUT HOW I COULD BETTER SPEND THE $$$$.	46
KTSWEAR 12/20/2009 10:10:41 PM	I almost had a heart-attack in thinking about paying $40/dozen. Hungry Girl has some great cookie recipes! At $40/dozen I couldn't eat them, I'd want to bronze them.	45
MIMISU1 12/20/2009 9:11:02 PM	ohhh way to pricy for me. I would just make an oatmeal cookie with that substiute sugar forgot what it's called. I would also make it with whole wheat flour with walnuts n raisins and maybe dark chocolate drops. I think that is the healthest cookie for me or none.	44
GOALIE44 12/20/2009 7:21:38 PM	i use a little scoop ( like an ice cram scoop, but tiny) which makes the cookies uniform, and KEEPS MY FINGERS OUT OF THE DOUGH. That makes it healthier for me, because I am not nibbling as I fix the cookies on the cookie sheet. I also, keep my sink full of hot soapy water, and immediately put the pans and utensils into that water to keep me from "licking the pan." That is the only way I can make cookies healthier. ( other than just not baking them at all)	43
GOALIE44 12/20/2009 7:18:52 PM	wayyyyyyyyy too expensive, no matter how good or good for me they are	42
AUSOMEVOICE 12/20/2009 7:18:06 PM	to tooo expensive for my budget even as a gift to give.	41
EX-WIMPIE 12/20/2009 5:34:25 PM	Heh. My favorite way to make cookies healthier is to only make a couple kinds and only at Christmas time--for other people to eat! Oh, I guess I do make one healthier "cookie." I make Rice Krispie squares, stir some multi-color sprinkles into the mix, press mix into a 9x13 pan, then sprinkle red or green sugar sprinkles on top. I cut them into 32 smaller squares and ta da! A pretty, lighter calorie, lower fat "cookie" than the typical cookie. And people rave about them too.	40
GIVEUP30 12/20/2009 5:24:34 PM	I BAKE COOKIES, CAKES, ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT GOOD EVERY WEEK AND SINCE I STOPPED EATING THEM I'M LOST OVER 10 LBS AND STILL LOSING...THESE SOUND VERY HEALTHY THINK I'LL MAKES SOME BUT NEVER WIN SO WON'T EVEN TRY TO ENTER CONTEST...I HAVE COME UP WITH SOME REALLY SUPER GOOD DESERT OF MY OWN BUT THEY ARE NOT FOR ME SINCE I WANT TO LOSE.....	39
TAYOMAX 12/20/2009 5:17:06 PM	I am the original cookie monster and I would like to try those cookies. It's been a while since I deigned to eat those, so I would appreciate them very much.	38
SLAVEBLUERAVEN 12/20/2009 4:45:25 PM	I just eat regular cookies, but i try to eat less of them. It's hard this time of year.	37
JENCORINNE 12/20/2009 12:52:54 PM	good to have a GF option but really limits what can go in the cookie after that plus they basically say that they won't take the precautions to check that there isn't any cross-contamination. Lets see thoroughly clean everything and make the Gluten free 1st thing in the day before using the evil flours that will make some one with Celiac or gluten sensitivity very sick. One of the options is to have flax seed put in the cookie to add omega 3 - my understanding is you lose the omega 3's in flax when you cook them. I guess it'll still add some fiber - hmmm	36
SUZQ45 12/20/2009 10:45:20 AM	That sound like fun! To be honest, I don't think I'd splurge for a $40 batch of cookies but I'd sure like to win the gift certificate!!	35
SGMEACHAM 12/20/2009 9:37:20 AM	I am a great baker. Sometimes I do lessen regular sugar and replace it with splenda. Also, I use more brown sugar than white an SMart Balance for some of the butter. I splurge with great cookies on special occassions only now.	34
CBSPECIAL 12/20/2009 9:09:36 AM	Way too pricey!	33
NIGHTSKYSTAR 12/20/2009 8:58:03 AM	as a professional custom baker i'd love to try these. How come I cant get that much for my stuff? I'd be out of business in no time!!	32
DUMPINGTHEJUNK 12/20/2009 8:13:31 AM	Wow! I hope I win because that will be the only way I'd ever get a dozen cookies that cost that much. I'm thinking about a career change because if there really are people out there paying that much I see a future in cookies.	31
ESME25 12/20/2009 7:50:15 AM	they should be ashamed of themselves for charging that much money for a cookie. this is totally absurd.	30
CHELLIEB 12/20/2009 5:53:02 AM	I don't make my cookies healthier. My recipes are handed down through many generations and I leave them as is. However, I balance the number of less healthy cookies I make each holiday season with healthier ones such as the offerings from Chef Meg. My family doesn't know which are which; all the cookies are enjoyed. As far as the DIY idea, I'd rather pay 40 dollars for a dozen personalized tins and make up my own pre-batter to fill each one for gift giving.	29
PAPRINIKA 12/20/2009 2:37:44 AM	With that money I can make a lot of homemade cookies, to be honest.	28
SCOTMAMA 12/20/2009 12:52:45 AM	If you have money to just throw away it sounds great......but for me it's way out of my price range. I love to bake cookies, so I'll just continue to revamp cookie recipes that I like to cut out some of the fat and calories!	27
TAZZIE5 12/19/2009 10:55:13 PM	I am not impressed. In fact, it turns my stomach to think of that junk in my stomach, let alone the price others might pay for it.	26
NENATO2 12/19/2009 10:26:12 PM	There is no way I'd pay that much for cookies. I'm just being honest.	25
AGAPEJOY 12/19/2009 10:22:00 PM	Thanks for sharing.	24
KDDEITRICK 12/19/2009 10:20:00 PM	I agree with Texaslynn.	23
EJHEINRICH1 12/19/2009 10:13:40 PM	I have been baking cookies including Gluten Free and all organic and the price isn't over $1.00 a 3 1/2 inch cookie so that is way to pricey for me.	22
TEXASLYNN 12/19/2009 7:21:45 PM	$3.75 a cookie - you're kidding, right?	21
TWEETS9401 12/19/2009 6:44:42 PM	Sounds good	20
CATHEITE 12/19/2009 5:42:26 PM	But how do they taste? "Chewy, tasty" - is that it? For $40 they need to be pretty darn spectacular, in my book!	19