A healthy recipe for classic cut-out Gingerbread Christmas Cookies. Full of the same traditional festive flavors but no butter, refined flour or sugar! A guilt-free Christmas Cookie your kids will love to make (and eat!).
It just wouldn’t be christmas without a big batch of wonderfully fragrant healthy gingerbread cookies in the house.
The heady scent of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg wafting from the oven as these little babies bake is pure festive joy and I am delighted to be ending the year with this perfect baby led weaning holiday treat.
These cookies are not like most gingerbread biscuits, they are much softer, with a gorgeously chewy texture thanks to the use of almond meal instead of flour and are perfectly suited for little ones to nibble on with ease. The dates studded throughout the dough give the cookies sweetness along with the help of a little golden syrup. These cookies are also sugar and gluten free making them a great treat to have on hand for those with dietary requirements.
And in the midst of holiday madness I’m so pleased to tell you these healthy gingerbread Christmas cookies are simple-to-make and the perfect recipe to bake with kids. Kids love using Christmas cookie cutters to shape the cookies into an array of different festive shapes. Today Miss G. and I went with the obligatory gingerbread man as well as a lovely little Christmas tree and star. Miss G. loved pressing each cutter into the date flecked golden dough and was amazed to see the shapes appear.
After a short trip to the oven we decorated the golden gingerbread cookies with a little white chocolate and ate quickly after. We did however manage to save a few for Santa Claus.
As mentioned earlier this will be my last recipe for 2013. We are going to spend the holidays enjoying the sun, sand, beach, hot long balmy days and perfectly ripe mangoes. Thank you all so much for taking the time out of your very busy lives to visit my lovely little lunch box and share in our cooking and baby led weaning adventure. From the bottom of my heart I hope you all have a wonderful, love filled, peaceful and joyful holiday with your loved ones x
To create these wonderfully wholesome sugar-free gingerbread christmas cookies follow these simple steps…
Begin by placing the almond meal, gluten free baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into the large bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined and crumbly.
Add the olive oil, golden syrup, vanilla and egg white and process until combined and soft dough forms.
Place the dough in between two sheets of greaseproof paper and flatten using a rolling pin until about 3mm thick. Pop into the fridge to rest for an hour or so.
Remove top layer of baking paper and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Use a metal spatula to ferry the cookies onto an oven tray lined with baking paper.
Push together the dough scraps to form a ball, flatten to about 3mm thick and continue cutting out cookies until no dough remains.
Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes or until slightly golden and cooked.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Place 40 grams of white chocolate into a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until the chocolate is just melted. Dip a bamboo skewer into the chocolate and decorate the lovely cookies however your heart desires.
Along with a cool glass of milk, these little darlings make a wonderful snack for when Santa comes to visit. Merry Christmas & enjoy x
MORE KID FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS RECIPES
Pistachio and Cherry Bundt Cake
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healthy gingerbread christmas cookies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies (depending on size of cookie cutters) 1x
Description
A healthy recipe for classic cut-out Gingerbread Christmas Cookies. Full of the same traditional festive flavors but no butter, refined flour or sugar! A guilt-free Christmas Cookie your kids will love to make (and eat!).
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup (275 grams) almond meal (ground almonds)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free, if possible)
- 4 fresh soft medjool dates, pitted
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg white
- 40 grams white chocolate (optional)
Instructions
- Place the almond meal, spices, baking powder and dates into the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until combined and the mix is crumbly.
- Add the olive oil, golden syrup, vanilla and egg white and pulse until combined and a soft dough forms.
- Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking powder and roll to about 3 mm thick (1/8 inch).
- Place into the fridge for an hour or so to chill.
- Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius (300F).
- Remove the top layer of baking paper and cut the dough into shapes using Christmas cookie cutters.
- Place the cookies onto an oven tray lined with baking paper.
- Shape dough scraps into a ball, flatten until 3mm thick and continue to cut cookies until no dough remains.
- Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes or until golden and cooked. Allow to cool.
- Place white chocolate into a microwave proof bowl and microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until the chocolate is melted.
- Use a bamboo skewer to dip into the chocolate to decorate the cookies as desired. Enjoy x
Notes
Cookies are best kept in an air tight container. Will keep for 3-4 days.
Recipe adapted from Teresa Cutter, The Healthy Chef
Cookies are freezer friendly. Store in an airtight snap lock bag. Will keep for 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 mins (+ 1 hour chill time)
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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