The Best Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies (Easy No-Chill Dough!)

These sugar cookies…

• Don’t need to chill before rolling
• Roll out easily
• Keep their shape when baked

Plus they’ve got a little nutritional bonus because they use all whole wheat flour–yet are still tender and soft like cookies made with all-purpose flour.

The recipe is based on a roll-out sugar cookie recipe from a dear friend’s mom. I swapped in whole wheat pastry flour and tweaked a couple of ingredient amounts. Here’s how to make them.

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

• Butter: I use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the dry ingredients.
• Sugar: This recipe calls for white sugar
• Egg: Ideally at room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Baking powder
• Flour: You have a few options here–you can use:
  • Whole wheat pastry flour OR
  • Half regular whole wheat flour, half all purpose flour OR
  • All all-purpose flour

How to Make Whole Wheat Christmas Cookies

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (such as Silpat mats).

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder and set aside.In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) cream butter and sugar well with your mixer on medium speed. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, adding one cup of the flour mixture at a time and mixing after each addition. Be sure all the flour at the bottom of the bowl is mixed into the dough, but don’t over-mix.

Do not chill. That’s important! This dough does not work when chilled.

Divide the dough in half and form two dough balls. Roll the first one onto a lightly floured surface about 1/8″ thick. This is a soft, moist dough so make sure both your surface and your rolling pin are floured. (Cover the bowl with the other dough ball using either a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.)

Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes in the rolled-out dough. Keep rolling out remaining dough scraps until it’s gone. Repeat with the second dough ball.

Place shapes on the prepared baking sheets and bake cookies for 6-7 minutes. They may be ever-so-slightly golden brown–and may even look underdone–but if you want them to be soft, you don’t want to over-bake them! If you prefer a crisper cookie, increase the bake time by a couple of minutes, or until they are more golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies FAQ

Can I use regular whole wheat flour?

I have tested this cookie recipe a few ways. It works best with either ALL wheat pastry flour or ALL all-purpose flour or half regular whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour.

What is whole wheat pastry flour?

Whole wheat pastry flour is made from a milder white wheat and has lower protein content than regular whole wheat flour. It’s great for cookies, muffins, and cakes (but not yeast bread). You’ll find it next to the flour in the baking section of the store or on Amazon.

If you can’t find whole wheat pastry flour and only have regular whole wheat flour, follow the recipe above using 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour and 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (measure the amounts, then sift together). I tested them using that ratio and they came out well.

What can I frost these cookies with?

I used royal icing for the cookies shown here.

How do I store these cookies?

Place cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 5-7 days for best quality.

How long do leftover cookies last?

These cookies will stay soft for days when kept in an airtight container. They’re best if eaten within 5-7 days.

Can I freeze these whole wheat sugar cookies?

Yes. Freeze the baked, unfrosted cookies in a freezer bag, pressing the extra air out before sealing. Defrost cookies, then ice with frosting.