Taste Test: Better-For-You Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

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Food Network Kitchen's Cookie Taste Test for Healthy Budget Dinners, as seen on Food Network

Photo by: Stephen Johnson ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All rights Reserved

Stephen Johnson, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All rights Reserved

Reaching for a more wholesome cookie seems like a smart choice, but do these seemingly healthier brands pass the test for nutrition and flavor? Healthy Eats did a Taste Test to find out.

The Criteria

Each brand of cookie was rated on a 5-point scale (5 being the highest). The cookies were evaluated on taste, nutrition and ingredient quality, with special attention paid to the types of sweeteners and fats used in the all-important filling.

Rating: 4.5
Cost: $4.29 (about $0.16 per cookie)

Nutrition Info (2 cookies): 130 calories; 0.5 gram saturated fat

The Healthy Eats Take: The filling appeared to be a little runnier than some of the other brands, but the flavor held up and was the best overall. The cookies are low in saturated fat, thanks to the use of high-oleic sunflower oil. Powdered sugar provides most of the sweetness.

Rating: 4
Cost: $2.99 (about $0.07 per cookie)

Nutrition Info (2 cookies): 130 calories; 0 grams saturated fat

The Healthy Eats Take: A darn tasty (and budget-friendly) cookie. The filling is sweetened with cane sugar and is a little too gooey, but the chocolate cookie has a nice crunch. This brand gained points for being the only one that was free of saturated fat.

Rating: 4
Cost: $4.99 (about $0.25 per cookie)

Nutrition Info (2 cookies): 120 calories; 2.5 grams saturated fat

The Healthy Eats Take: We considered not having a gluten-free cookie in the mix but honestly couldn't taste the difference. These crunchy cookies are made with tapioca and rice flours and have fantastic flavor. But they are also the highest in saturated fat and the filling is a bit too sweet.

Rating: 3.5
Cost: $4.99 (about $0.20 per cookie)

Nutrition Info (2 cookies): 120 calories; 1.5 grams saturated fat

The Healthy Eats Take: A decent cookie, all in all. The filling has a nice texture but the chocolate cookie tastes a little bland. The saturated fat content comes from palm fruit oil and the sweetener is organic sugar.

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition. See Dana's full bio »

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