Festive funfetti cut-out cookies made with almond butter and no oil, so they’re a bit healthier than usual.
Even though this is supposedly a breakfast blog, I couldn’t resist filling this space with more Christmas cookies. After all, ’tis the season to be jolly, and haphazardly decorating sprinkle cookies makes me very jolly indeed.
Notwithstanding, these cookies are as close to ‘breakfast cookies’ as confetti cut-out cookies can be – there’s no (regular) butter, no oil, and less sugar than most cookies out there in the cookieverse.
Instead of dairy butter, the star of these festive treats is almond butter. Believe it or not, almond butter is an incredibly versatile and useful ingredient. It adds moisture to baked goods, makes granola crunchy, and – to me, at least – tastes a lot like cookie dough.
A while ago I was fortunate enough to receive some ‘Bestie’ almond butter from Peanut Butter & Co. It’s a natural nut butter made purely from almonds and salt – so there’s no added oil. In case you’re interested, Peanut Butter & Co. also make Bestie cashew butter and almond-cashew butter.
As well as almond butter, these cut-out cookies are also made with some Greek-style yogurt (to add moisture), an egg yolk (a binder), brown sugar and all-purpose flour. While I was tempted to make these with whole-wheat flour, sprinkle cookies really do need the tenderness of plain ol’ white flour.
Then, of course, there are the rainbow sprinkles! Whatever you do, make sure you use the long strands – also called jimmies – and not the little balls, otherwise known as nonpareils or ‘hundreds and thousands’. The little balls will bleed their colors, while the strands (mostly) won’t.
So, unless you’re looking for a crazy tie-dye swirl of colors, avoid the little sprinkle balls.
Other than that, the only other important thing to note about this recipe is that the dough needs to be chilled. Seriously, don’t even think about rolling, cutting and baking the cookies before the dough has had some time to chill in the fridge. You’ll just be making life difficult for yourself, and no one needs that.
By the way, if you’re looking for holiday-themed breakfast ideas (other than eating decorated sprinkle cookies for breakfast), then here are a couple of suggestions:
- Oatmeal: Christmas Pudding, Peppermint Mocha and Spiced Apple Cider
- Baked Oatmeal: Gingerbread and Christmas Cake
- Overnight Oats: Peppermint Bark and Salted Caramel Mocha
- Pancakes: Panettone, Gingerbread and Christmas Pudding
- French Toast: Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate-Hazelnut and Panettone
- Muffins: Panettone and Jelly Doughnut (or try Gingerbread Cupcakes!)
Merry Christmas!
As mentioned in the post, I was given a jar of Bestie almond butter by Peanut Butter & Co. As always, all opinions are my own.
- 1 egg yolk
- ⅓ cup (90g) almond butter
- ¼ cup (60g) Greek-style yogurt
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons (20g) sprinkles
- Extra flour, for rolling and cutting
- In a large bowl, combine the egg yolk, almond butter, yogurt, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix with a spoon until combined. Gently stir in the sprinkles.
- Form the dough into two discs, and wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line three baking trays with non-stick paper. Generously flour a flat surface, as well as a rolling pin and some cookie cutters.
- Place the chilled dough on the floured surface, and either sprinkle over more flour or cover the dough with a large piece of non-stick paper. Roll out the dough to approximately ¼-inch thick.
- Use the cookie cutters to cut out cookies, re-rolling the dough as necessary. Carefully place the cookies on the prepared baking trays.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack. Store the cookies in a metal or glass container.
Dough thickness: ¼-inch is just over ½ centimetre
Cool cookies completely before decorating.
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