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These healthy gingerbread cookies are so simple, you’ll want one-bowl to be your new baking rule. Made with wholesome ingredients and warm spices, they turn out soft, chewy, and delightfully cozy.
Why You’ll Love These Easy Healthy Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Wholesome ingredients, classic flavor
- Made with white whole wheat flour, maple syrup, and molasses for a flavorful cookie that’s naturally sweetened and higher in fiber than traditional gingerbread.
- Easy, one-bowl recipe
- Soft, chewy texture – They hold their shape beautifully while staying tender inside.
- Perfect for decorating with kids – the dough is sturdy enough for little hands, and decorating these gingerbread men is always a hit.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly – great for prepping early in the busy holiday season.
The holiday season in our house means one thing. We’re knee deep in baking and decorating cookies! From our healthy sugar cookies that Santa has been enjoying for the past 6 years to these soft and chewy healthy gingerbread cookies, the kitchen truly becomes the heart of our celebrations.
These Easy gingerbread cookies are extra special because they bring together everything I love about baking with kids: simple, wholesome ingredients, cozy holiday spices, and a recipe that’s easy enough for little hands to help with.
As a pediatric dietitian and mom, I love finding ways to make holiday treats a little more nourishing without losing the joy. These cookies are proof that you can do just that! These healthy cookies are soft, flavorful, and perfect for sharing with the people you love most.
Have fun decorating (or not) and enjoy with a glass of milk or a cup of this healthy hot chocolate!
And if you are in the mood for a cake, try this healthy gingerbread snack cake :).
Here’s what others are saying:
“Hands down my favorite cookie recipe to make with my grandkids- and their favorite as well!!! Thank you!!” – Dina
“This was a hit with both my 14 month old and my husband who is not a gingerbread cookie fan. Thank you for a great recipe!” – Jennifer
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love These Easy Healthy Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Easy Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Expert Tips (please read!)
- Simple Gingerbread Man Icing
- Best Way to Store Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
- Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies FAQs
- More Healthy Cookies to Try
- Healthy Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Key Ingredients
I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.
- White whole wheat flour – Just a quick look at my baked goods, such as these healthy muffins for kids, and you’ll see that I adore using white whole wheat flour in my baking. It’s the same nutritionally as whole wheat flour but is lighter in texture and a little sweeter in flavor. You can also use all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- Pure maple syrup – a great unrefined sugar alternative. You can also use honey, if desired.
- Molasses- look for unsulphured molasses and dark molasses for a rich, caramel-like flavor that complements the spices. I do not recommend blackstrap molasses as it is more intense and has a more bittersweet flavor. It also takes these homemade graham crackers to a new level too!
- Egg yolk – makes the dough easier to work with and produces rich, soft, and chewy cookies.
- Icing – you can use homemade or store-bought. Details below.
Substitutions and Variations
Flour:
- White whole wheat flour gives the best soft-but-hearty texture.
- All-purpose flour works if that’s what you have.
- A 1:1 gluten-free baking flour should work, though results will be slightly more crumbly.
Dairy-free:
Swap butter with softened coconut oil.
Egg-free:
Replace the yolk with 1 tablespoon milk or yogurt (texture will be slightly softer).
Sweeter cookies:
Add 1–2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar for a more classic sweetness.
How to Make Easy Gingerbread Men Cookies
Step 1: With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter and honey. Beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Step 3: Shape the cookie dough into a flat disc and cover with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the dough is firm. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make it easier to work with. Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Lightly sprinkle with a small amount of flour. Place the dough in the center and place a second sheet of parchment paper on top. Gently roll from the center outwards, using light, even pressure and turning the dough occasionally to maintain an even thickness, about 1/4-1/3 inch is ideal.
Step 4: Use gingerbread cookie cutter or any of your favorite cutter to cut out shapes and position them closely together on the dough to minimize waste. Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes, and then transfer the entire parchment paper with the cut-out shapes to the cookie sheet.
Step 5: Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown. In the meantime, you can re-roll the leftover dough scraps (may need to refrigerate again if too soft) and cut out more shapes. Repeat until you’ve used up all the dough.
Step 6: Remove from the oven (they might seem under-baked but they’re not!) and cool for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy as is or have fun decorating!
Expert Tips (please read!)
- Chilling the dough will make it easier to roll out and cut into shapes.
- Cut as close together so you will get as many cookies out of your dough as possible.
- Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes rather than lifting them from the parchment paper and onto the baking sheet. This prevents the shapes from getting distorted.
- Icing – if too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk.
Simple Gingerbread Man Icing
All you need are powdered sugar, vanilla, a little bit of milk. I like to whisk all the ingredients in a liquid measuring cup and pour into a squeeze bottle (or a piping bag) for the kids to easily decorate!
Alternatively, you can grab any of your favorite royal icing from the store for convenience.
Best Way to Store Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
In the refrigerator:
You can store both decorated and non-decorated cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature or a week in the refrigerator.
For decorated cookies, place them in a single layer in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper.
In the freezer:
You can either freeze the dough by shaping into a flat disc and wrapping in plastic wrap. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bring to room temperature for at least an hour.
OR
freeze baked cookies. While you can freeze both decorated and non-decorated, I recommend the latter. Flash freezing method will work best, just like when freezing muffins, as it prevent the cookies from sticking together and allows you to grab only the amount you need.
Easy Gingerbread Man Cookies FAQs
They’re lightly sweetened with maple syrup and molasses, so they’re not as sugary as classic recipes. Most of the extra sweetness comes from the icing.
Yes! They’re softer, lower in sugar, and easy to chew. For little ones under 2, skip the icing or keep it minimal.
Absolutely. Make the dough up to 2 days in advance or freeze it for later.
More Healthy Cookies to Try
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (130g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Icing
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk of choice (more if needed)
Instructions
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter, maple syrup, and molasses. Beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Shape the dough into a flat disc and cover with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until the dough is firm. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make it easier to work with.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Lightly sprinkle with a small amount of flour. Place the dough in the center and place a second sheet of parchment paper on top. Gently roll from the center outwards, using light, even pressure and turning the dough occasionally to maintain an even thickness, about 1/4-1/3 inch is ideal.
- Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes and position them closely together on the dough to minimize waste. Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes, and then transfer the entire parchment paper with the cut-out shapes to the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown. In the meantime, you can re-roll the leftover dough scraps (may need to refrigerate again if too soft) and cut out more shapes. Repeat until you've used up all the dough.
- Remove from the oven (they might seem under-baked but they're not!) and cool for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy as is or have fun decorating!
Icing
- In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine all the ingredients. Stir well to combine. If the icing is too thick, add an additional teaspoon of milk one at a time until you reach your desired consistency. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Notes
- Cut as close together so you will get as many cookies out of your dough as possible.
- Peel away the unused dough from around the shapes rather than lifting them from the parchment paper and onto the baking sheet. This prevents the shapes from getting distorted.
- You can store both decorated and non-decorated cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature or a week in the refrigerator.
I frickin LOVE these cookies. I have been working towards a low-sugar diet for my perimenopausal self as well as my kindergartener and these make that possible without sacrificing the joy of holiday baking together. Thanks so much! I liked them with rice syrup instead of maple syrup.
Can you make the dough the night before?? Excited to try this recipe!
You can! You’ll just need to take out the dough at least 20 minutes prior to rolling!
Hello I would like to try these- can I just use whole wheat flour or white flour? I don’t have the other.
You can but I would recommend all purpose flour or a combination of AP + whole wheat flour for the best texture
My toddler asks me to make them all the time. Baby girls loves them too. It’s a hit for the whole family
Just a quick note to say that the grams for the flour need to be updated on the 2x recipe- it says 130 on each! Very tasty but very gooey haha
Hi Rachel! Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! I will definitely look into this!
Yum!! These are wonderful and so fun to make with little ones!
I have been looking forward to trying these with my son. We are a strict “no added sugar before 2” family and he is now almost 3 🙂 I put cookie cutters in his advent calendar specifically so we could use this recipe!
We ended up with about 18 small cookies using a cutter <2.5" in length (vehicle shapes/stamps!). They are plenty sweet without any frosting. My son doesn't eat very sweet things so I think he would still be happy if I further reduced the sweetener a bit. This was the very first homemade Christmas cookie he has ever had, and in his words "I love it!".
I was able to use up every last bit of scrap of dough and all cookies were delicious. Thanks Min!
After loving your sugar cookie recipe I made these too and again was so happy with the result! They’re delicious and with the icing it’s the perfect amount of sweet. My kids enjoyed them too. Thank you for the great small batch recipe!
Oh I’m so glad to hear that!! Thank you for sharing!
This was a hit with both my 14 month old and my husband who is not a gingerbread cookie fan. Thank you for a great recipe!
Makes me SO happy to hear! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Min,
Is there any alternative for molasses? Would love to try these out!!
What brand of white whole wheat flour do you use? I am struggling to find white whole wheat. Seems like most brands are from red wheat berries.
Hi! I use the King Arthur white whole wheat flour!