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Soft Gingersnap Cookies are a delicious holiday treat. This recipe makes traditional gingersnaps healthier by using no refined flour or sugar!
PC: Jennifer Pallian (via Unsplash)
One of my ongoing goals is to take the recipes we like (or traditional favorites) and make them into a healthier version. And this time of year, Christmas cookies are no exception!
Making Baked Goods Healthier
To make a healthier version of cookies and treats, I try to:
- Use whole grain flour instead of white (heavily processed) flour.
- Omit refined white sugar (substitute honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar instead).
- Swap out hydrogenated oils and replace with coconut oil or real butter.
- And…still keep the recipe delicious!
I recently discovered whole wheat pastry flour, which is perfect in this recipe! Whole wheat pastry flour is a lighter (lower protein) whole grain flour than regular whole wheat flour, so it keeps baked goods light and fluffy, not dense. It won’t work in recipes requiring yeast (such as my no-rise homemade pizza dough), but it works beautifully in other baked goods using baking soda or baking powder—such as cookies, cakes, pie crusts, and muffins, as well as pancakes and waffles. I recommend the Bob’s Red Mill brand, and you can always find it for an affordable price!
These delicious, soft gingersnaps also use coconut sugar instead of regular white sugar. Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index (the measurement of how quickly blood sugar levels rise), so it is a better choice when you’re using sugar in baked goods.
To make perfectly-round cookies, try using a small cookie scoop! This scoop makes it much easier to shape the dough into balls and they bake up into uniform-sized cookies!
I’m making a large batch of these gingersnaps for my family to enjoy and also share with others—well, if there are any left! 😉
How do you like to make traditional or family favorite recipes healthier?
Yield: approximately 4 dozen
A holiday favorite, gingersnaps are irresistible. This version uses whole wheat flour and coconut sugar for a healthier version of the traditional cookie.
10 minPrep Time
8 minCook Time
18 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cup coconut sugar, divided
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat in the egg and molasses until combined.
- Add flour, ginger, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix until incorporated.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar.
- Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the dough into your hand and roll into a small (1-inch) ball. Roll the ball in the cinnamon sugar to coat, then place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat to fill the baking sheet, allowing 1-2 inches in between cookies, as they will spread while baking.
- Bake cookies 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
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