Swap out butter, margarine or shortening for heart-healthy oils, such as canola oil or olive oil or pureed fruit or even vegetables.

Consider replacing some of the butter with nontraditional cookie ingredients, such as nonfat plain yogurt, nonfat buttermilk or even fruit juice.

Add some fiber to your cookies by replacing some (or all) of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour, whole-wheat pastry flour or oats.

Consider using all-natural food dyes or try a drizzle of chocolate or sprinkle finely chopped nuts to give your cookies extra appeal.