This weekend I decided to make by first gingerbread! All I have been wanting to do lately is eat food that tastes like Christmas. Spices like cinnamon, clove, ginger, and foods like citrus fruits, pomegranates, and cranberries. Gingerbread, however is brand new to me from a baking standpoint because I never actually made gingerbread or gingerbread cookies before. As a kid my traditional Christmas cookie of choice was Tollhouse slice and bake, awww yeah! We always had a gingerbread house but I’m pretty sure it was made out of graham crackers. So clearly it was time to add some gingerbread into my life! I think this recipe has become a new tradition for me, btw. I love it THAT much!
As always I knew that whatever I made would have to be a healthier version of a classic, so this was the perfect opportunity to create a healthy gingerbread recipe. I looked at several different gingerbread recipes online and came up with my own version, which basically means I added more spices and use less of whatever sweetener a recipe calls for. I find that most recipes out there over do it on the sweeteners, when they still taste good with a little less. This recipe contains no sugar, rather it’s sweetened with honey, maple syrup, and molasses. To be honest, I don’t even think I own sugar. There’s just no need for it when there are more natural substitutions out there.
I know this recipe will be a crowd pleaser at any holiday event you have this year.
Let’s get started!
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour of your choice (I used spelt but you can use whole wheat or white. I haven’t tried almond or coconut flour yet, but It’s worth a try! Someone do that and get back to me.)
- 2 tbsp cinnamon (I like a lot of cinnamon)
- 1 tsp ground cloves (If you like cloves like me then feel free to add some more, it can be a bit strong for some people though)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Toppings
- Pomegranate seeds
- canned full fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, then mix together. You don’t need a fancy mixer, a regular old fork will do. Simple!!
- Use cooking spray on a bread loaf pan, fill the pan leaving a few inches at the top (this stuff rises!) and bake for 45-50 min.
- To make the frosting skim the top half of the coconut milk from the can (be sure not to shake it). This will be a very think paste. Add in honey (or maple syrup if you prefer) and the vanilla extract and whip it together. It you want a thicker frosting like on a cake this is all you have to do. If it’s too thick and you want to be able to drizzle it on the bread you can water it down with the thinner coconut milk from the can (or any other milk or water) only 1-2 tablespoons at a time so you can get the right consistency.
- Once the bread is cool you can add your frosting and top with pomegranate seeds to make it pretty!
- Get creative with your toppings, other ideas are red and green sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or cinnamon. I used pomegranate seeds because they are super healthy and it looks really festive. Their tart flavor also plays well with the sweet frosting and spicy bread.
OMG it’s SOOO GOOD! I was actually pretty proud of myself on this one.
This healthy gingerbread meets all of my criteria: healthier alternative to a delicious classic, simple enough, seasonal, AND it looks impressive if you take it to someone’s house. I think this gingerbread is perfect for a holiday brunch because it’s somewhat sweet but not too much like dessert.
Happy baking!
