The perfect healthy gingerbread recipe that does not taste even the slightest bit healthy!
This healthy gingerbread has three secret ingredients.
The cake turns out soft and incredibly moist, with the same deeply rich flavor as traditional gingerbread laden with eggs and butter and sugar…
Yet this is probably the healthiest gingerbread recipe you’ll ever eat!
It is especially delicious with Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting on top.
The Secret Ingredients:
The gingerbread recipe is sweetened with blackstrap molasses – a sweetener that is actually good for you! Unlike regular white sugar, blackstrap molasses is a great source of calcium and iron (20% RDA of each in just one tablespoon!), copper, manganese, magnesium, and potassium.
The recipe also employs Omega-3-rich flaxmeal instead of eggs, allowing this gingerbread to be completely cholesterol-free.
And the final secret healthy ingredient in this gingerbread recipe is…
Carrot Juice.
Did you see that one coming?!
I added the carrot juice in a spell of creativity, believing the sweet and earthy flavor of the carrots would complement both the cinnamon and molasses in the gingerbread.
The carrot juice also adds moisture to the recipe, which keeps the fat content low without sacrificing richness.
Healthy Gingerbread Recipe
Healthy Gingerbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup milk of choice
- 1/4 cup molasses (blackstrap or regular) (50g)
- 1/4 cup liquid sweetener, such as pure maple syrup (60g)
- 1/3 cup carrot juice (80g)
- 1 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar (15g)
- 2 tbsp vegetable or melted coconut oil (20g)
- 2 tbsp ground flaxmeal (12g) (or 2 tsp energ)
- 1 cup ww pastry, white, spelt or bob's gf flour (120g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp each powdered ginger and cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/4 cup xylitol or brown sugar (45g)
- 1/2 cup raisins, optional
Instructions
Gingerbread Recipe: Preheat oven to 400 F and grease an 8×8 pan. In a large measuring bowl, whisk together the first seven ingredients (all liquid ingredients and the flax). Let sit at least 5 minutes. In a separate measuring bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients. Pour wet into dry, and stir until just evenly combined. Do not overmix. Pour into the pan and bake 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and let sit another 20 minutes to cool and achieve the correct texture. If desired, frost with my homemade cream cheese icing recipe linked below the second photo in this post.
Link Of The Day:
Hello! My nme is Stacey and love the sound of this gingerbread for my daughters first birthday cake…making a humpty dumpty cake 🙂 Was just wondering if almond meal canbe used intead of flour (my sister is gluten free ) and if soy milk/almond milk can be use instead of regular milk (one of the kids is dairy free). Of course 2 people had to have different dietry requirements hahaha. Also I am thinking about making a vanilla cashew nut “cream cheese” icing to go ontop…thoughts on if these flavours would mix? (Just looking for your opinionon that last one…hubby is a chef but i thin he is sick of my questions regarding this cake – I have changed my mind 5 times!!!)
Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.
Respond asap so I can make a “practice cake” and “accidently” eat it…all of it… hahaha
Lots of love.
Sounds like you will have to experiment. Have fun and good luck!
I am nursing and craving gingerbread. I made this today and its absolutely fantastic. Just fyi I used blackstrap molases and ground chia instead of flax. Came out great! Thanks!
Thanks for working to create healthy and delicious desserts, especially of old favorites we all enjoy!
I just wanted to point out one thing, though: the popular negative association of eggs and high cholesterol–not true! It was once believed to be a problem, and still is by many. My own great aunt used to eat egg whites only.
In a nutshell, eggs not only increase “good” cholesterol, they also FIGHT “bad” cholesterol! Good news for all of us egg-lovers! ;D
But don’t take my word for it: see for yourself when you check Harvard Health, Mayo Clinic, and a jillion others.
Here’s a good summary from the Life Extension Blog (the numbers in the text were originally superscripted for footnotes):
Health Myth 1: Eggs Give you Heart Disease
This is an old one. Let’s lay this to rest already!
Yes, eggs are a rich source of cholesterol, but they won’t give you heart disease. In fact, eating eggs has been associated with an increase in HDL,1your body’s “good cholesterol.”
Eggs also have a favorable impact on LDL. They support the production of large LDL particles,2 which is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
In contrast, smaller LDL particles are more likely to enter arterial walls and lead to plaque buildup. In addition, organic eggs are a good source of omega-3s, which are beneficial for your heart.
http://blog.lef.org/2013/06/3-annoying-health-myths-you-shouldnt.html
What if you dont have carrot juice?
isn’t there any way to print some of these amazing recipes?
Katie is working on a print option to be up next week! Until then, you can highlight the text you want and press control c. Then open a word document and press control v or paste. Hope that helps!
Hi! this recipe looks good. i’d like to try it but i have a question first:
1. the 2 tbsp of ground flaxmeal-what does that do? would it harm the recipe if i just left it out? what else could i substitute it with? (sorry if that’s a dumb question) that’s the only ingredient i’m unfamiliar with
thanks a bunch! 🙂
These look amazing! Do you think using apple cider instead of carrot juice would work?
Sure! Why not?
I LOVE this recipe! I make this once a week, and double the recipe so we don’t run out as quickly. If I can’t locate carrots in my refrigerator, I juice apples, or fresh pumpkin. I also sneak in a quarter cup of ground flax seed (instead of 2 tbs), because it is so good for people, and my kids can’t tell that it is there, and I use Pamela’s Gluten free flour mix for the rest. (I use coconut palm sugar in place of xylitol, because I have dogs who sometimes grab food from the table, and xylitol is fatal for dogs ). Thank you for this delicious, healthy recipe! If you decide to do a cookbook, I will be standing in line!
Thank yo so much for making it. This makes me so happy 🙂
The cookbook is currently available online… and will be out in stores in January! http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chocolate-covered-katie-katie-higgins/1119439699?ean=9781455599707
This looks great! I want to make it for thanksgiving but have a question- if I wanted to use an egg instead of the flax egg, would I leave out the flax and vinegar? And have you tried this recipe with almond or coconut flour? I’m experimenting with gluten-free baking!
Thank you!
I have this in the oven right now! Can’t wait to take it to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow!! Thanks Katie!!
How many servings does this make?
Just kidding! I found it makes 8 servings in your nutrition section 🙂
Do you think this would work in a muffin tin? What yummy little Christmas cupcakes they would make.
You can always experiment! Maybe try not baking as long. And report back if you try!
This looks so good! Your recipes always turn out great and I keep getting requests from my friends 🙂
Can I use something else as egg-replacement? And could I use fresh ginger for this?
How many batches of cream cheese frosting did this take to cover the gingerbread? Thanks
Looks like the recipe makes enough for one batch to be enough.
I think I am going to make this! I have 2 questions:
1) Does anyone know if this would work well in mini muffin pans?
2) What other options can be used for the liquid sweetener? Would honey work?
Thanks!
I don’t know about the muffin pans, but I used honey as a liquid sweetener and it came out great so you know. 🙂
Thank you! My vegan brother is home for a quick visit and said he was craving gingerbread. I needed something easy with everything I had on hand. I didn’t have the carrot juice so subbed 1/3 cup brewed coffee as someone suggested. Came out fantastic. Thanks so much. Love your recipes! Great photos too.
Thank you so much for making it!!