Ryan has always liked molasses type ginger bread cookies. I finally tried healthifying some a while back! Ry said they were perfect and we have had them many times since because they are Simple, Healthy, and Tasty! If you want the harder Ginger Snaps just bake them longer; Simple! I hope you enjoy them I know we have! So fun this time of year and the aroma that fills your kitchen is so yummy, warm and cozy feeling!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
3/4 cup coconut oil melted
1 organic egg or egg replacer for
1 cup Sucanat
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
2 cups soft white wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves,
nutmeg, and sea salt
Cream together oil and Sucanat. Add Egg Replacer and molasses then mix in spices, soda and salt. Add flour last mix well roll into walnut sized balls. Gently roll in Raw sugar place on cookie sheet press down gently with hand to flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or 10-12 minutes for Ginger Snaps. Let cool for 3-5 minutes before removing from pan to cooling rack.
Oh...yummy! I know what me and the kids will be doing tonight! :) Do you just use a dash of nutmeg and salt?
ReplyDeleteJes: No it's a half teaspoon of each.
ReplyDeleteOh Yum! Can't wait to try these bad boys!
ReplyDeleteAnd...did you, by chance, use black strap molasses? Just wondering.
Have a splendid day!
Emily: Oh yes I did and I will change that so everyone will know! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWe made the rolls and they were great. We are going to try these and make some gingerbread men tonight. Wish us luck!
ReplyDeleteI made this 2 days ago everyone loved the the grand kids kept comming back again and again they loved them they lasted all of 1/2 hr thanks for posting this they are great
ReplyDeleteSo what do you use as "Egg Replacer"? I have looked, but I cant find the answer. I use flax. Is there another one I should be aware of?
ReplyDeleteHi Tammie, I am enjoying reading your blog and trying some of your recipes. Lots of great healthy ideas, like the smoothies!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you have addressed this already, but I have to say, I am pretty confused about the sugar issue right now. Even though Sucanat, honey or molasses are definitely better than sugar and corn syrup, can I really think of them as being in the "healthy" category? You say you came off your sugar addiction with them? And lost weight while eating them? I know that Sucanat is still 88% sucrose- and would not be safe for a diabetic. (I'm not one but it runs in my fam.) So what's your take? A lot of what I read says they are still sugar so use them sparingly. But you have lots of yummy looking desserts (like the above) that I want to try that are using more than a teaspoon here and there! :) do you limit how often you make sweets with them? Also, they are sooooo much more expensive than refined sweeteners. Maybe that in itself help you cut back! LOL
Thanks for any help you could give me.
is there 2 different kinds of black strap molasses? because ours turned out about 3 times as black as the ones in your picture and they taste VERY strongly of molasses. This is the second time this has happened to us with recipes that called for blackstrap molasses. I really only know of one brand of blackstrap molasses, the Plantation brand with the bright yellow label. Am I just clueless about this?
ReplyDeletemegandjon: Blackstrap molasses is for sure the least sugar content of all molasses I'm pretty sure there are lots of brands I know I have used the Brer Rabbit, Wholesome Sweeteners and a few other brands. Maybe you just ended up with a extra strong batch, maybe a bad one or old (I have had some of my containers say "refrigerate after opening". I would probably try another brand or maybe just get regular molasses instead of blackstrap. So sorry your cookies didn't turn out the way you hoped. I know how frustrating that can be.
ReplyDeleteHailey: Those are EXCELLENT questions. I do believe that any concentrated sweetener can easily be overdone and should not be a mainstay in anyone's diet. I have found though that because the honey, Sucanat, Agave etc. are closer to whole foods and still contain vitamins and minerals they have a much less addictive quality. When I was coming off my sugar addiction I did eat more of the "healthy sweets" than I know I should have (one of the reasons I have so many sweets recipes;) and yes I did loose weight, lots of it! (watching out for refined sugar and corn syrup in things is huge it's in everything) I also have not gained that weight back and it's been almost 10 years now. I did find the more healthy things I began to eat (like lots of greens especially green smoothies) the more nourished I became and the cravings went away. You can read more about that at http://www.simplehealthytasty.com/2011/01/my-article-in-school-of-natural-healing.html
ReplyDeleteWe do still make treats on a fairly regular basis but not near like I used to. A weekly dessert or treat is about average for us and even then it's not a whole lot. It works for us it may not be the ideal but my kids don't feel left out of the treat department and therefore have not rebelled or snuk lots of junk food. I feel pretty good about making them healthified treats. As far as healthy goes I do feel that most all of my treats, because they are more whole foods based, do still contain vitamins, minerals and fiber so are not just empty calories like their overly processed relatives.
Again they can easily be overdone and we do try to keep a good balance and focus are the truly healthy whole fresh foods! Of course if diabetes runs in your family you may want to find even better alternatives or be even that much more sparing with them.
As far as cost, buying in bulk, it's not that much more than regular refined sugar but yeah the added expense can help you to eat less. I have always wondered why something less processed has to cost more. ;) Supply and demand I suppose.
Flora: There is actually an egg replacer called Egg Replacer it's mostly potato starch. Flax is also a excellent one. You can get Egg Replacer at most health food stores I get mine at
ReplyDeletehttp://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/6549/
Thanks for your reply! I am just starting to replace all the crappy stuff in my pantry with healthy stuff, and my kids are starting to complain. So, I am glad to have some good healthy treats to make for them and myself! I made the gingerbread cookies and they were indeed tasty. And I am so excited, my little 1 yr old drank half my green smoothie this morning. I didn't think there was any way on earth to get kids to eat spinach, and now I know the secret. I did get some sucanat because after reading so much about it I figured I better just try it. I got mine at a health food store, about $13 for 5 lbs. Where do you buy yours and how does the price compare? I appreciate all your advice, this seems a more sustainable approach to eating than just never touching another cookie or piece of cake again. It was great to read your story.
ReplyDeleteHailey: You are very welcome! I get my Sucanat in 50 pound bags through Azure Standard Co-op. It has gone up in price since I last bought it (as has everything else) right now it's $105.25 for a 50 pound bag I was paying less than $70 (see how all the government bailouts are helping us;) It is still cheaper per pound than I have seen it other places though.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are doing great! So glad your kids liked green smoothies!
Tammie, these cookies are amazing! I made them for an X-mas party and for gifts, and everyone loves them. Perfect balance of sweet and spicy, and I love that they are tasty soft or crunchy! :) Thank you again!
ReplyDelete