Nutrition

Festive Healthy Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas is a time of celebration and togetherness, and nothing says festive spirit like gingerbread cookies. Enjoy cookie decorating with children this Christmas by baking these healthy gingerbread cookies ahead of time.

By URLife Team

20 Dec 2023

Gingerbread cookies have always been a holiday tradition when Christmas rolls around, but they often come loaded with butter and sugar. And while being healthy isn’t necessarily a priority for most during the festive season, it doesn’t hurt to look for healthier substitutions where possible. If you’re looking to maintain your commitment to a healthy lifestyle while still indulging in festive traditions, we’ve got the perfect recipe for you.

By making simple substitutes like whole-wheat flour, coconut oil, and stevia, you can still enjoy the flavours of Christmas without the added sugar. This healthy gingerbread cookie recipe packs on added fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. Plus, it’s great for family get-togethers with children where you want to introduce a fun activity like icing the cookies!

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Gingerbread Cookies

01
serves
224
calories
60
minutes
3/10
simplicity

Easy Steps

To prepare the cookies, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in the jaggery and vanilla. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to the centre of a large sheet of plastic wrap, and shape it into a 1”-tall rectangle. Cover the top with another large sheet of plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Leaving the cookie dough between the sheets of plastic wrap, roll it out until ⅛” thick. Lightly flour your cookie cutter, and press it into the dough, making sure each shape lies as close to its neighbors as possible to minimize unused dough. Peel the unused dough away from the shapes, and place them onto the prepared baking sheets. Reroll the unused dough, and repeat.

Ingredients List

1 cup + 6 tbsp (165g) whole wheat flour
¾ tsp corn starch
¼ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg, room temperature
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup or powdered jaggery
1 tsp vanilla crème
10 tsp stevia
2 tsp nonfat milk (or adjusted to achieve your desired consistency

Bake the cutout cookie dough at 325°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the icing, stir stevia and milk in a small bowl. Spoon into a zip-topped bag, and snip off the corner. Pipe onto the cooled cookies