Low in fat and calories so you can still indulge this holiday season without any guilt!
Gingerbread men run away from me as fast as their legs can carry them.
Five years ago, I drove to my best friend’s house for an afternoon of holiday baking. I brought a healthy fool-proof gingerbread cookie recipe, and we measured out the ingredients at her kitchen island. After mixing up the dough and wrapping it in plastic to chill, we headed out to a local deep-dish pizza place for dinner.
As we politely dug in with forks and knives, I blurted out, “Ohmygosh—we forgot the baking powder!” We stared at each other with wide eyes and dropped jaws before bursting into laughter.
Leftovers in hand, we returned to the kitchen where we gently kneaded baking powder into half of the dough and sprinkled some on top of the boys, stars, and candy canes we cut out of the rest. After pulling them out of the oven, we dissolved into giggles all over again.
They were flatter than paper with the occasional random raised bump from rubbing in the baking powder. (We still iced and ate them—nothing wrong with their taste!)
But following my spiced pumpkin muffins, regular loaves of gingerbread (or mini gingerbread muffins) are one of my favorite cold-weather comfort foods. The strong molasses… The spicy ginger… The soft texture… I’ll devour all 16 servings in a day if left alone with the pan!
This year, I decided to give gingerbread cookies another try. But to ensure success, I made one tiny modification…
I turned them into Gingerbread Cookie Dough Bites!
At least half of you must be Cookie Monsters… My chocolate chip cookie dough bites are one of the most popular and most pinned recipes on my blog, closely followed by the double chocolate, pumpkin, and peanut butter ones.
Just like the others, these Gingerbread Cookie Dough Bites are safe to eat raw. They contain no eggs and are held together by applesauce and molasses instead. If you melt margarine instead of butter, these bites are also vegan.
Right after mixing all of the ingredients together, the dough will be very sticky and practically impossible to shape. Chilling is mandatory if you want to roll it into bite-sized balls. (But I won’t judge if you’d rather sneak it straight from the bowl with a spoon!)
Because of the applesauce, I recommend storing the cookie dough bites in the refrigerator if you have the self-restraint to save some for the next few days. The flavors also intensify as they chill; the ginger really pops after a night of sitting in the fridge!
My favorite part? These Gingerbread Cookie Dough Bites don’t contain an ounce of baking powder, so it’s almost impossible for me to mess them up!
Which means I’ll have a very happy holiday baking season this year. ♥
These taste just like gingerbread: spicy from the ginger with hints of molasses. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Whisk together the flour, ginger, and salt in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, molasses, applesauce, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Mix in the brown sugar, smearing any clumps along the side of the bowl. Add in the dry flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Line a baking sheet or large plate with wax paper. Roll the cookie dough into 32 little balls, using between 1 – 1½ teaspoons of dough in each ball. Place on the wax paper and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Note: Do NOT try to bake these as cookies! They’ll turn out dense and flat because the recipe doesn’t use any baking powder.
Beautiful photography 🙂
Thank you Hari; you’re so kind! 🙂
Oh, YUM! I love gingerbread anything, but honestly, I don’t mind for a second if they are a little healthier than expected.
Thanks Nora! I think you’d like these; they taste like the moistest gingerbread with the perfect amount of spice. 🙂
I hate when that happens! But these truffles are awesome. I love gingerbread!
Thanks Dorothy! Guess I just started early on my baking problems. Hopefully that means I’ll make fewer while baking for the blog! 😉
Another brilliant & tasty looking creation Amy!! They sound great (and festive)! 🙂
Aww thank you Karey! You’re so sweet to read and comment on my treats, especially while you’re on the Whole30 Challenge and aren’t supposed to have any of them. 🙂
I LOVE bites like this, and these look amazing. So soft and creamy..ohhh yum. Perfect for the season. I am so making these, maybe for dessert on Thanksgiving!
Thank you Brittany! Bite-sized treats are amazing; it means we can sneak more without others noticing! Or asking us to share them all… 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you make them for Thanksgiving!
You don’t say how long to bake them…?
Nevermind, I’m dumb.
No worries Tania! Not too many people set out to make cookie dough just to eat it raw. I’m just strange like that, so I understand the confusion! 🙂
You better like the taste of ginger and molasses as they are both very strong in this recipe. I tried them and it was too strong for me.
Yes, those flavors tend to be strong in traditional gingerbread recipes! If you prefer, you can lower the ginger to ½ to 1 teaspoon instead, and you can replace 1 tablespoon of the molasses with the same amount of applesauce. That should reduce the flavors’ strength and suit your tastes better! 🙂