Simple Healthier Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Nothing brings back childhood memories of celebrating the holidays quite like making, decorating, and eating gingerbread cookies. You don’t have to give up on a time-honored winter tradition even if you are trying to eat healthier. Try a lighter version of this classic:
Gingerbread Cookies
This gingerbread cookie recipe uses coconut oil to replace butter. Some health experts say coconut oil helps to boost metabolism. Other changes that are good for you include substituting spelt flour for white flour. Spelt flour contains more dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals than white flour. While it still has some gluten, it is less than white flour. Replacing the egg in the recipe with unsweetened applesauce reduces fat and cholesterol, as well as making the recipe vegan-friendly.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe (with healthy substitutes)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg (if you don’t want to use an egg, try replacing it with 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce)
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups whole grain Spelt flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
Try It At Home
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the coconut oil and sugar together in a bowl. You may want to use a stand mixer. Mixing by hand can become quite a workout once you add the dry ingredients.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix just until they combine thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients thoroughly.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while continually mixing to avoid lumps.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll to 1/4 inch thick and use a cookie cutter cut out festive shapes.
- Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on a wire rack before decorating or storing them in an airtight container.
Should You Skip the Icing?
You can avoid the fat, calories and the sugar altogether if you choose to forgo decorating your gingerbread cookies. But where’s the fun in that? Instead, replace traditional royal icing with a version that’s a little better for you. Just mix a cup of confectioner sugar with a tablespoon of skim milk and a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Do you have a friend who loves gingerbread cookies? Why not bake a batch as a gift, or better yet, send a copy of this recipe!
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