You will love the simplicity and the nutty flavor of these Whole Wheat Cookies. They are perfectly sweetened with honey and make a great breakfast cookie. These healthy cookies also hold up perfectly when dunked in your hot beverage of choice. The recipe includes a vegan variation.
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Introduction
These wholesome, healthy cookies will quickly become one of your favorites.
I use the word wholesome because they are made entirely with whole wheat flour.
Do you know that whole wheat flour provides more fiber when compared to white flour?
This is because whole wheat flour includes the bran, the germ, and the wheat grain’s endosperm. In comparison, white flour only contains the endosperm.
The fact that there is less processing also means retaining naturally occurring vitamins like folate and riboflavin.
There are so many wonderful baked goods that can be made with 100% whole wheat flour! This no-yeast, no-knead recipe for honey wheat bread is another example.
As was mentioned, these whole wheat biscuits are simple to make and they come together in no time.
There is, however, a waiting period of at least 30 minutes.
Not only will this allow for easier manipulation when rolling out the dough, but according to this article in the Kitchn, this rest period will allow the bran and the germ to hydrate and soften a little.
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me show you how this recipe comes together.
Ingredients
- Egg. We will need only one.
- Honey. A natural sweetener.
- Vegetable Oil. Feel free to use corn or canola.
- Vanilla Extract. So aromatic.
- Whole Wheat Flour. Make sure to use 100% whole wheat flour.
- Baking Powder. The cookies need just a little lift.
- Salt. Just a pinch.
- Orange Zest. Just a hint of citrus.
As far as accessories are concerned, you need a bowl, a whisk, a mixing spoon, a wooden board, and a rolling pin. To bake the cookies, you need a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, whisk together one extra-large egg and the honey (4 tablespoons), followed by the vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) and the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon).
Next, add the whole wheat flour (1¼ cups), baking powder (½ teaspoon), a pinch of salt and orange zest (½ teaspoon).
The mixture comes together easily.
Form into a ball, wrap the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190°C).
With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, ¼ inch thick. You can also roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper. If you prefer crispy wheat cookies, roll your dough thinner. If you prefer softer cookies, roll your dough thicker.
As far as the shape is concerned, you can cut them into any shape you want. Re-roll the trimmings to make more cookies.
If you have an embossed rolling pin, go ahead and use it.
Place the cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. These whole-grain cookies need to bake for about 12-15 minutes. If you prefer crispy cookies, keep them in the oven a few minutes longer. Remember to keep an eye on them as they will quickly burn.
The cookies also crisp up nicely as they cool down.
You have just made yourself a batch of these wonderful whole wheat breakfast cookies.
Tips
- Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than regular all-purpose flour.
- The idle time of 30 minutes is crucial for the bran and germ to become soft and this, in turn, makes the task of rolling the dough easier.
Can I make this a vegan recipe?
Yes. The ball of dough on the left is the vegan version of these cookies. Replace the one egg with 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of room temperature water. Replace the 4 tablespoons of honey with 4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. Since flaxseeds do not have any fat, add an extra ½ teaspoon of oil. Proceed as directed in the recipe.
More whole wheat flour recipes
If you are trying to incorporate more grains into your diet, try replacing some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. That is exactly what I did in this recipe for oatmeal pancakes and this healthy zucchini bread recipe.
You will also love this whole wheat pizza dough recipe which requires no kneading. This healthy homemade pizza is absolutely delicious, especially when topped with sauteed Swiss chard, caramelized onions, and mozzarella!
Italian breakfast cookies we love
If you like to have Italian cookies for breakfast, you might want to try these anise cookies, S cookies, or even these anise biscotti.
Recipe inspiration
This recipe for healthy breakfast biscuits has been floating around the internet since 2013. I’ve had it bookmarked for a couple of years and I am happy that I finally got a chance to make it and share it with all of you.
The one modification I made was to add orange zest.
It has quickly become one of my go-to grab n go breakfast cookies.
These whole wheat flour cookies also make a great snack.
Simple to make, wholesome and truly a great dunking cookie!
Just in case you are wondering, the honeycomb embossed rolling pin I used is from GoodyWoody on Etsy. (not an affiliate link).
I hope you get a chance to try them.
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
And if you are new here, welcome! You may want to sign up for my weekly e-mail newsletter. You can unsubscribe any time you want.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made these hearty grain cookies, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Whole Wheat Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 egg extra-large, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup whole wheat flour 195 grams
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and honey.
- Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and continue to whisk.
- Add the whole wheat flour, baking powder, and orange zest and combine with the help of a mixing spatula.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to roll out the dough, preheat the oven to 375℉ (190°C) -position rack to middle.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness. You can also roll out the dough on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Use any cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the dough -re-roll scraps.
- Place about 1/2 inch apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before transferring to a rack.
Video
Notes
- Whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid than regular all-purpose flour.
- The idle time of 30 minutes is crucial for the bran and germ to become soft and this, in turn, makes the task of rolling the dough easier.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on June 10, 2017, republished on March 29, 2019 and more recently on March 2, 2021 with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing!
Olivia
Ok so I altered this recipe by using 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp lemon extract
Also I subbed baking soda for 3 tsp baking powder
Which resulted in the cookies being puffed up and fluffy. Wish I could post a picture here. I rolled them into about one inch balls,
Then flattened with a spatula. And baked as direction state.
Came out so good! Husband and 2 year old (who are not too keen on me eating a healthier diet LOL) approve. !!
Maria
How wonderful Olivia! Thanks so much for sharing. If you are on Instagram, tag me!
Olivia
I mean I subbed baking powder for 3 tsp baking soda !
Maria
Thanks Olivia!
Purva
Hey Maria.. I tried this recipe and it came out pretty well. I was really looking for a healthy cookie receipe and I am glad I came across your channel. Thank you 🙂 Hope u will keep on sharing such beautiful and healthy recipes in future.
Maria
Thank you so much for your kind words Purva. So thrilled to read you enjoyed the cookies.
Nancy Taylor
I am looking for a honey cookie recipe from my childhood at Christmas time at my Italian grandparents house. They were very hard and the baker made them in shapes of carousel animals and the detail was done with a toothpick. Is anyone familiar with these? I mean they were very hard!! They were a brown color maybe wheat flour, molasses or ? They had a slight spice flavor. I’m 78 and I remember them at about 8 years of age. Any help will be appreciated. Also my grandparents were from Southern Italy Cosenza. The bakers name was Scarpelli from Portland Or.
Maria
Hoping someone will read this and provide you with a recipe Nancy.
The first thought that came to mind was a Mostaccioli cookie. If you click on the link, it will direct you to my mom’s recipe for these chocolate covered spice cookies.
J Modafferi
Hi
Someone gave me a whole lot of whole wheat flour and we have a lot of honey as my husband is an amateur beekeeper
I love your recipe
I added a little more of everything including homemade orange marmalade that was at the back of the fridge instead of zest
Dough was nice and soft and came together quickly all in one bowl ! Lovely easy cookies-thanks
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing!
Cyg
I love it! It’s not too sweet and you can taste a hint of zest. I love how it isn’t very oily or buttery for a cookie recipe. Quite healthy. Will probably make some more after my first try!!
Maria
Thanks so much Cyg!
Raphael
Just made these and they are awesome! Only complaint would be that they were slightly dry, but that’s probably my own fault somewhere. I did think about adding some plain greek yogurt to the batch, wish I had experimented with that lol.
I added fresh diced cranberries to half my batch and heck, they taste like mini scones!
Maria
I love this idea Raphael. Thanks so much for stopping by, appreciate it!
Cathy
What could I use instead of Honey? For example, if I wanted to use Xylitol, could I? I imagine with honey being so sticky, removing it would change the consistency, but I’m thinking I could just add a bit more oil. Trying to figure out the ratio. Thanks for the recipe!
Maria
Hi Cathy, yes there are so few ingredients that the recipe ratios requires the texture quality of the honey. Perhaps someone has successfully modified the recipe and share their method. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Rita
Hi! I used agave nectar, hope this helps. And if you are looking to replace any sticky substances then you can use 4-5 tablespoons of sugar dissolved in a little bit of water.
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Rita!
New Girl in the Kitchen
Hi, thanks for sharing your recipe. I would like to try it out soon. Just wanted to know if I could leave out the zest (Am not much into citrusy stuff!) or if I should substitute it with something else. Thanks!
Maria
My pleasure! Yes, that would be fine… it’s a great cookie even without the zest. If there are any extracts you like, you can try adding about 1/2 teaspoon and take it from there. Thanks for stopping by.
New Girl in the Kitchen
Thanks for your response and suggestion! I finally tried your recipe (without the zest) yesterday and easy though it is, I ran into a few problems probably because of my inexperience with baking. I followed the instructions and measured all the ingredients as specified but my cookie dough did not come together enough to be rolled out, so I added around 2 tsp milk (slowly while kneading, not all at the same time). After I managed to roll it out and cut it into squares with a pizza cutter I realised that the entire thing had stuck to the counter top! Had to scrape it all off and roll it out into balls that I flattened with my palm. Because of this, the cookies were thick and chewy, rather than crispy. I am sure the cookies would have turned out much better if I could roll out the dough as you mention. Could you please help me figure out where I went wrong? The ones in your pictures look so much prettier and tastier! 🙂
Maria
I’m sorry to hear you had a hard time with the dough… let me see if I can help. When measuring the flour, make sure to fluff it first and then gently scoop out 1 1/4 cups… you may have scooped out a little more. I have updated the recipe to include a weight (in grams) for the flour. Allow the dough to rest, at least 30 minutes before attempting to roll out the dough. Before rolling out the dough, sprinkle the surface with a little flour, and keep moving the dough as you roll it to prevent it from sticking. I have uploaded a video… perhaps that can help. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks again for stopping by.
Monica
Someone gave me 10kg whole wheat flour. Surfing through the internet I came across your recipe and it was yummy and rich.
Thanks ma’am.
Maria
How wonderful Monica! I am thrilled to hear you are enjoying these whole wheat cookies. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it 🙂
Jane
I made a batch gluten free. I used ltalian seasonings. Taste is awesome. I cut down on the honey. I need to return to the planning board to make some adjustments. Your recipe will be great with a zesty version. My husband grinds my flour and it is so much better than store bought. Into the kitchen I go. Thanks again for this healthy recipe.
Maria
Thanks so much for getting back to me Jane! I love the idea of having a zesty version.
Samantha
I just made these. Turned out wonderfully! I added pistachios to it, and I love the little pops of green in the cookies. A fabulous recipe, thanks Maria!
Maria
My pleasure Samantha. What a wonderful idea to add pistachios to this whole wheat cookie! Thanks so much for sharing, appreciate it!