Easy Gingerbread Cookies (Lower Sugar)

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If there’s one thing that I’ve learned as a parent, it’s that iced cookies are always the most exciting thing on the dessert table. And while they so often just taste sweet to me, my oldest adores eating and making them, so we try make at least one batch during the holidays. With her in mind, and also in an effort to make a treat that my younger toddler can enjoy, I made these Lower Sugar Gingerbread Cookies. They’re just slightly sweet, have a hint of spice perfect for this time of the year, and the simple icing on top gives ample opportunities for the kids to get in on the decorating action.

When thinking about this recipe, I wanted to make it as simple as possible, but also add in that classic gingerbread flavor. I know how much a short ingredient list can matter when baking with kids, so the dough is incredibly simple to mix up. You don’t even need a mixer since you can simply use your hands to combine the dough. (My oldest loves to do that step!) These definitely aren’t sugar-cookie-sweet, but they definitely taste like a treat from the hint of maple syrup and molasses. And they have a crisp, buttery texture that is delicious.

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For the icing, you can either stir together powdered sugar and milk or use softened cream cheese and honey. Add food coloring (like this natural set from McCormick) and decorations as you and your kids like. We’ve done raisins for buttons, sliced almonds for mouths, chocolate chips, and sprinkles!

These are egg-free and nut-free, and you can make them gluten-free by using this gluten-free flour from King Arthur and adding 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed to the dough. (You can try another gf flour, but this is the one I tested them with so I know it works really well!) Plus each cookie has only about a gram and a half of sugar!

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Palanjian December-6-2017

Flavorful, whole-wheat gingerbread with just a hint of natural sweetness.

Ingredients

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
sprinkles, raisins, chocolate chips

Instructions

Place all ingredients into a bowl and use your hand to mix together to form a dough. Make a flattened disc of dough and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 370°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough ¼-inch thick between two pieces of parchment or plastic wrap. (You can do it on a lightly floured surface, but I always find this easier.)Cut out the dough with a cookie cutter and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. (Keep an eye on them after 8 minutes since the edges can brown fast. 9 minutes was perfect in my oven.)Remove from the oven, let cool on the baking sheet for a minute, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Use a small butter knife to spread on the icing or pipe on as desired. If adding sprinkles or other decorations, add them to the iced cookies right away before it dries.Royal Icing: Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar with a few drops of milk, adding more of either as needed to make a thick icing. Spread on cookies or put into a ziptop bag, seal, and snip one edge off to make a little piping bag for the kids.Cream Cheese Icing: Stir together 4 ounces cream cheese, softened, with 1-2 tablespoons honey until spreadable or pipeable. You can put some into a ziptop bag, seal it and snip one edge off to make a little piping bag for the kids. Add on raisins or chocolate chips as you like!Make-Ahead: You can make the dough the night before or a few hours in advance and store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap. It will need to sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften up, or you can remove it from the plastic, put it onto a plate, and microwave for 5-10 seconds. (I’m sure someone will call the baking police on me for suggesting that, but I’ve found that sometimes baking with kids requires you to break up the process into smaller steps!

Details

Prep time: 50 mins Cook time: 9 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 2 dozen