Cut Out Sugar Cookies Recipe with Whole Wheat and Oats
Love sugar cookies? This delicious cut out sugar cookies recipe is not only easy to make but also provides a healthier alternative to traditional sugar cookies with whole wheat, oats and the rich flavor of brown sugar. Your family and friends will adore these delicious, chewy, homemade whole grain cookies that are more nutritious but just as fun frosted with your favorite icing for holidays, showers, birthdays, and more.
My list of holiday cookie requirements usually includes things like: rich, chocolate, not complicated, and “wow” factor. Based on that list, this whole grain cut out sugar cookies recipe wouldn’t make the cut.
BUT these cookies have something else entirely going for them – the delicious flavor that comes from whole wheat, oats and brown sugar that perfectly compliments any frosting you use on them. Not only that, they are nice and chewy when rolled a bit thicker – with crisp edges that stay that way.
Even better, if you don’t want to deal with frosting I think they’re just as good with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar (or nothing at all) with a hot cup of coffee or tea!
Plus, cut out cookies are an important part of family holiday traditions, which make them pretty special.
As my kids were growing up, they just wanted to decorate and I liked the fact that this heartier cookie recipe contained whole grains and used less sugar than standard sugar roll-out cookies, which made them become my go-to cookie for decorating.
I hope they become your go-to cookie, too!
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this amazing cut out sugar cookies recipe:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour is the preferred flour – it gives you all the extra fiber and nutrition of whole wheat, but in a lower protein wheat that’s good for cookies and pastries. If you don’t have it, you can use half regular whole wheat and half unbleached all-purpose or all white whole wheat.
- Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats are called for, that you then blend until it’s more fine. You can use quick oats and blend them less, but not oat flour (you’d have to use less and I haven’t tested the recipe with oat flour).
- Butter: I use regular salted butter – if you’d like to use unsalted butter, increase the salt by 1/8 teaspoon in the recipe.
- Brown sugar: I love the compliment brown sugar gives to the whole grains, but if you want you can use regular cane sugar. Coconut sugar also works in this recipe.
How to Make Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Whole Grains
Here are a few helpful visual instructions and tips – the full instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the printable recipe card below
Step 1: Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
Step 2: Roll the dough out to about 1/4″ to 1/3″ thickness – I like this cookie thicker and a bit more chewy than a regular sugar cookie to get all that good flavor. Cut into shapes, placing the cookies on a lined cookie sheet and gathering scraps and re-rolling as needed.
Recipe Tips
TIP 1: The only thing to keep in mind when using this dough for cut out cookies is to use fairly simple sided cookie cutters like stars, trees, candy canes, bells, and ornaments (vs. cutters with legs or antlers). It is a rougher dough because of the oats so some of the smaller pieces can come off when cutting.
Tip 2: If you’d like to have these without frosting, you can add a sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar or coarse sugar to the cookies on the pan before baking – or leave plain, of course!
Step 3: Bake for 8-9 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack before storing or frosting.
Step 4: Frost if desired. Everything from a simple white vanilla glaze to full-on colorful holiday frostings are wonderful with these whole grain cut out sugar cookies.
In fact the heartier dough holds up better, I think, and seems to stay crisper longer than sugar cookies.
Storage
- Room temperature: Store in airtight containers for 2-3 days.
- Freezer: These cookies freeze perfectly when unfrosted! They will last for months in airtight containers. Simply thaw and frost when you want. You can also freeze frosted, but you’ll need to freeze in a single layer first and then move to an airtight container with waxed paper in between the layers to protect the frosting.
Are you ready for a new holiday recipe for your roll out cookies? I think you’ll love these!
Other Fun Cookie Recipes To Try
- Espresso Walnut Shortbread Cookies with Dark Chocolate Filling
- Peanut Butter Brownie Sandwich Cookies
- Grain Free Almond Chocolate Truffle Bars
I hope you love this cut out sugar cookies recipe with whole grains – if you make it, be sure to leave a recipe rating so I know how you liked it!
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Whole Grain Cut Out Cookies
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Simple cookie cutters
- Cookie sheets with liners or parchment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup oats chopped fine until just a few large pieces remain
- 2¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat white flour or half WW and half all-purpose
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- optional: frosting or coarse sugar toppings
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter together and then add the egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
- Add the oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder and beat until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough into two pieces, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease (or line with silicone or parchment paper) 2 baking sheets.
- Remove one dough ball at a time, roll out about 1/4" to 1/3" thick (I like this cookie thicker and a bit more chewy than a regular sugar cookie), cut into shapes and place on cookie sheets close together (they don't spread). Re-roll as needed to use up the dough. (Option to sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar or coarse sugar here if you won't be frosting them.)
- Bake the first sheet while rolling the dough for the second sheet. Bake the cookies about 8-9 minutes for thicker cookies (if you’ve rolled them thinner, they only need to bake 8 minutes).
- Remove the cookies to a rack to cool before decorating.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store in airtight containers for 2-3 days.
- Freezer: These cookies freeze perfectly when unfrosted! They will last for months in airtight containers. Simply thaw and frost when you want. You can also freeze frosted, but you’ll need to freeze in a single layer first and then move to an airtight container with waxed paper in between the layers to protect the frosting.
Nutrition
Adapted from a King Arthur Flour recipe.
This article is part of the 8 Weeks of Christmas Ideas series where you’ll find resources for cooking, gift ideas, time savers, recipes, traditions & more all November and December through the 24th.
I love whole wheat flour and oatmeal in cookies. Such a good taste.
I agree, Charlotte. 🙂