Months slip by without warning and if you aren’t looking summer turns to November in a blink of an eye. That’s how I felt yesterday when my daughter, Meghan declared, “Mom! You need to change the calendar to November!” Welp, I guess that means I can officially start sharing some healthy Christmas cookie recipes.
Wait! Too early, you say? I think we should make a deal. Let’s be good planners this year. Even though Thanksgiving is still lurking around the corner, let’s start thinking about our December holidays, too. My mission this year is to create as many healthier Christmas cookies and treats as I can. If we’re going to have treats (And who are we kidding? We are.) we might as well make them as healthy as we can. So as I share them, you can start your planning and save the ones you think you’ll like. Last minute scrambling is so 2014. Deal?
Here’s my criteria for creating healthy Christmas cookies:
- Use whole grain flours instead of white, processed flour.
- Don’t use refined sugars.
- Create a variety of treats for different diet restrictions (vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, etc.)
- They must taste delicious!
I started out with a classic ginger cookie. I swapped out all-purpose flour in favor of whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat pastry flour
is such a light whole grain flour that it works beautifully in baked goods such as cookies. Instead of refined, white sugar, I used coconut sugar. I love the flavor of coconut sugar and it worked fantastically here. Coconut palm sugar
has a lower glycemic index than regular white sugar, so it’s a great swap when trying to make healthier baked goods.
I didn’t try to cut the fat in these ginger cookies. I will do that in some of the treats I share, but these classic cookies really need the fat for the proper texture. I used this this organic vegetable shortening
, which is made with organic palm oil that is non-hydrogenated.
With whole grain flour and no refined sugar, these ginger cookies are a healthier option for your holiday treats.
Healthy Ginger Cookies
With whole grain flour and no refined sugar, these ginger cookies are a healthier option for your holiday treats.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 36 1x
- Category: cookies
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup vegetables shortening
1 cup coconut sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar (for rolling the dough in)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the shortening with a mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup coconut sugar and beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and molasses. Finally, beat in the flour mixture.
4. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the 1/4 cup sugar. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet, 1 1/2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the bottoms are light brown and the tops are puffed. Do not overbake. Cool on a cookie sheet for one minute, and then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
Note: Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens 100 Best Cookies
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 91
- Sugar: 7.1g
- Sodium: 53.75mg
- Fat: 4.4g
- Carbohydrates: 12.5g
- Protein: 1.1g
For the giner cookies can I ise butter instead of the vegetable shorerning?
I have not tried it, but I do think it will work!
Has anyone tried these with coconut oil instead of shortening?
I was thinking the same thing. In fact, vegetable shortening is NOT healthy. http://ohlardy.com/5-reasons-to-stop-using-crisco-plus-a-healthy-alternative/
I didn’t use Crisco for this recipe. The vegetable shortening that I used is made without hydrogenated oils, which I agree are extremely unhealthy. It’s not something that I use regularly, but for special occasions like Christmas cookies, I occasionally do use this healthier shortening. That being said, coconut oil may work in these, but I don’t think the results will be the same.
I made these with coconut oil instead of shortening. I think the results are a little different, but oh so delicious! I used 9 tablespoons of coconut oil for the recipe.
OMG YUM! These look sooo good! I love molasses cookies… a little too much maybe lol. It’s what I reach for first on a plate of Christmas cookies! With that said I am also a bit of a health nut and these look perfect to satisfy my craving during the not so healthy holidays! I will absolutely be tryung these out. Do you think I could sub that shortening with coconut oil?
OH Nevermind… I just took notice to the comment above?
I hope you love these Alison! 🙂
Could you use coconut oil instead of the vegetable shortening? I try to not use palm oils or things made with palm oil as the palm oil use increases its also destroying the oragatane’s habitat.
I almost made these with coconut oil. I do think it would work.
These look amazing!! When can I place my order? ha ha Thanks for sharing. Definately going to try this recipe and your recommendations on the sugar and shortening!
Maryea these look delicious. All I need to do is find a gf flour that will work without changing the wonderful flavor and texture of your recipe. yum!
Thanks, Jill! Dang gluten!
In no way do these look healthy, which is a good thing! I’m right there with you on planning ahead, thanks for the motivation!!
Um, would they be healthy if I were to eat the whole batch? (don’t answer that) 😉
Guess I better make them to share. I love those deep crinkles, by the way.
Definitely make them to share! 🙂 Thanks, Annie.
I couldn’t agree more about using whole grains for cookies. These look delicious!
Thanks, Megan!