After handing in my last final in December during my senior year of college, I biked back to my apartment, sprawled out on my sofa, and watched a movie on my laptop because I had zero energy for going out to celebrate. Towards the end of the chick flick, a thought popped into my head.
I have so much free time now that classes are over… I’m going to spend it baking!
That night, I sketched out a plan for my kitchen adventure. I decided to mix up a holiday treat every day from then until Christmas Eve, and as much as I wanted it to feel like a true homemade advent calendar… The next day was December 10. So instead of a full 24 days, I ended up with just 14.
But that didn’t stop me! In the following days, I started with a few of easier recipes, like homemade dark chocolate peppermint bark and peanut butter blossoms. Then I moved on to raspberry jam stripe cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, and classic drop-style sugar cookies.
Because I definitely didn’t want to eat 28 dozen treats all by myself (and then try to burn off all those cookie calories!), I dropped off many plates of the treats in the office next to the chemistry lab where I worked on campus. The sweets always disappeared in seconds with so many hungry graduate students around, and nearly everyone agreed that the dainty bite-sized thumbprint cookies were their favorites.
This year, I decided to take a detour from my classic thumbprint cookies recipe… And instead, I added a little extra holiday flavor, which resulted in these Healthy Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies!
They’re soft and chewy with sweet jam centers, and the fruit flavor pairs actually pairs really well with the rich and cozy spices of the soft gingerbread cookies. Even better? They’re just 42 calories!
So let’s go over how to make these healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies!
You’ll start with a combination of white whole wheat flour and spices: ginger (it’s impossible to make gingerbread cookies without it!), cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I prefer my gingerbread cookies on the extra spicy side, so I usually add a teensy bit more than most people!
And yes… I know white whole wheat flour sounds a bit like an oxymoron, but it’s not actually a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour! Instead, it’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They have the same health benefits, like extra fiber, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the soft texture and warm spice flavor of your healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies really shine!
Unlike many traditional thumbprint cookie recipes that call for a full stick or two of butter, this one only on requires 2 tablespoons. Yes, that’s it! That small amount of butter definitely helps keep your healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies low fat and low calorie.
Then to boost the richness, I actually use a secret ingredient… I’ll give you a hint: it’s something you probably keep in your pantry already! Any guesses?
Okay, I’ll spill…
It’s extra vanilla extract! You’ll add a bit more vanilla than in most traditional recipes because vanilla enhances butter’s rich flavor, so by adding a little more, it’ll make your healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies taste just as rich as traditional cookies. Such a great trick, right?
You’ll actually sweeten your cookies with two ingredients! The first is molasses. Molasses is a key ingredient in gingerbread recipes! The ginger adds that bright zest of spice, while the molasses provides a deep rich undertone. It’s shelf-stable, keeps for ages, and is very inexpensive, so I don’t recommend substituting for it. Your healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies just wouldn’t have that iconic gingerbread flavor!
Tip: You can use your molasses in all of these recipes of mine, too!
The second one is liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!), and it’s also highly concentrated. You just need 1 teaspoon of this liquid stevia for all 24 healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies! And that’s really important because…
Nerd alert! Cookies require a delicate balance of wet and dry ingredients in order to achieve the perfect soft and chewy texture. If you used a combination of molasses and maple syrup (or honey or agave or coconut sugar!), each of those would add way too much liquid volume to the cookie dough… And your healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies would (a) spread ALL over your baking sheet into one giant cookie blob and (b) have a more bready, muffin-like texture.
Not good.
If you only added the molasses and maintained the correct wet-to-dry ratio, your cookies wouldn’t taste nearly sweet enough. They’d taste more like muffins or scones or even regular ol’ bread.
Also not good.
But by adding molasses and the liquid stevia (remember, you only need 1 teaspoon, which is the sweetness equivalent of almost ½ cup of granulated sugar!), you get the correct sweetness level and the correct soft and chewy cookie texture.
That definitely makes me one happy (and nerdy) girl!
Once you’ve rolled your cookie dough into 24 little spheres and put those on your baking sheet, it’s time to make a cavity in the center! I know they’re called “thumbprint” cookies because people generally use their thumb to make that cavity but… I find I have much better luck using my pointer or middle finger. Do whatever works best for you!
Then you get to fill those cavities with jam! I used raspberry jam because that’s what my family loves most, but you can easily use whatever you have on had. Strawberry, blackberry, cherry, grape, apricot, boysenberry, peach… The sky’s the limit!
Before I add the jam into the centers of my healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies, I thoroughly stir it with a spoon in a little bowl. Yes, it seems silly to stir a single ingredient with a spoon… But doing so actually makes the jam much smoother, especially if you just scooped it out of the jar and it’s still a little clumpy!
Tip: Add your jam to a zip-topped bag and cut off a piece of one corner. Piping it in this way is so much neater and faster!
Then slide your tray into the oven, set a timer, and…
Try not to burn your tongue when you try one fresh from the oven! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your healthy gingerbread thumbprint cookies!
| Healthy Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup + 6 tbsp (165g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 2 tsp nonfat milk, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp liquid stevia
- ¼ cup (60mL) molasses
- ¼ cup (80g) raspberry jam (see Notes)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg white, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the stevia and molasses. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until incorporated.
- To prepare the filling, add the jam to a small bowl, and stir with a spoon until it’s smooth. (It should take a couple minutes!) Once smooth, transfer the jam into a zip-topped bag, and cut off the corner of the bag.
- Roll the cookie dough into 24 small spheres, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Using your index finger or thumb, make an indentation in the center of each, and fill with the jam. (If the dough cracks, gently pinch it back together with your fingers.) Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack. (If the cookies stick to the baking sheet, slide a knife underneath each cookie first!)
Use store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) for the gluten-free option.
Remember to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cookies dry and crumbly, instead of soft and chewy.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
The molasses is essential to create the gingerbread flavor. It’s inexpensive, shelf-stable, and keeps for ages. I do not recommend substituting for it! In a pinch, you can substitute pure maple syrup, honey, or agave, but the cookies will no longer have that classic gingerbread taste.
I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It's one of my favorite ingredients, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too. I buy mine online here because that's the best price I've found. You cannot substitute additional molasses, pure maple syrup, honey, or agave for the liquid stevia because cookies require a precise balance of wet and dry ingredients. However, you may substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (120g) coconut sugar (or granulated sugar, if you aren’t concerned about keeping these cookies clean eating friendly) for both the molasses and stevia, but the cookies will appear “speckled” if using coconut sugar because it doesn’t dissolve as well. They won’t have quite the same classic “gingerbread” flavor either.
Regular and sugar-free raspberry jam will both work. You can also use my homemade 10-minute raspberry jam recipe.
Any jam flavors may be substituted for the raspberry jam.
This recipe is easily doubled!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Classic Thumbprint Cookies
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Gingersnaps
♡ Healthy Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
♡ Healthy Gingerbread Blossoms
Classic thumbprint cookies with a Christmas twist? Love it.
Thanks Liz!! 🙂
They look delicious!
I don’t have liquid stevia; any possible substitute?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Teena! I’ve actually covered this exact thing in the Notes section of the recipe, located directly underneath the Instructions. I know it can be easy to miss! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these thumbprint cookies!
This recipe looks so interesting! I’m having a hard time getting the same amount of cookies as you for your recipes. I tried this one and the elderberry thumbprint cookies. Are they super tiny and on a tiny cooking rack? For these, all I can taste is the molasses. I’m wondering if the molasses brand I use tastes bad. It’s an organic brand. Do you find that certain molasses brands taste better than others? I don’t have much experience buying molasses so I’m wondering if a different brand would make these taste better. Is using a whole egg going to completely alter the texture? I didn’t want to waste the yolk. Thank you for your tips!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Melinda! Yes, my thumbprint cookies (these and the elderberry ones) are bite-sized, so a little more than 1″ in diameter. To get the same number of cookies that I do, here’s my little trick: pat the cookie dough in your mixing bowl with a spatula so the top is smooth, slice the cookie dough into quarters, then cut each quarter in half. You should have 8 segments. Each segment should yield 3 thumbprint cookies. Does that make sense? 🙂
I actually link to the exact molasses that I use in the ingredients list! My links are in pink — I know it can be easy to miss those! If you’d like to use the full egg in either of my two thumbprint cookies, that’s fine!
Thank you for your reply! Sorry I didn’t go back and check the link before commenting! Do you think that brand tastes better than other brands or does molasses all taste the same? Thank you for the tip about cutting up the dough! I will try that! For the elderberry thumbprint cookies, I used coconut sugar and coconut butter. My coconut butter was solid so I had to scrape it out and melt it. My kids like them! I think having jam is a treat for them anyways so the cookies don’t need to be full of sugar!
No worries Melinda — it happens all the time! 😉 That’s the brand I grew up using, and I do prefer its flavor. Also, make sure you’re not using blackstrap molasses! That has a more bitter flavor compared to the non-blackstrap molasses that I recommend. That’s actually how your coconut oil should be: a solid when you measure it that then requires melting! So you did the right thing with your coconut oil. 🙂 I’m so glad your kids are enjoying the cookies!
I just made these and all I can taste is molasses too, which is a flavour I do not really like 😔. Will not make these again but looking forward to trying some of the other recipes.
That sounds disappointing, Sonia! Did you use blackstrap molasses, by any chance? Or did you use the exact same molasses brand and product that I linked to in the recipe?
If molasses isn’t a flavor that you enjoy, then you can substitute pure maple syrup in this recipe instead. Your cookies won’t have quite the same traditional “gingerbread” flavor, but hopefully you’ll like their taste better that way! 🙂
It means a lot that you’d still consider trying some of my other recipes too. I’m honored — and I’d love to hear what you think of any others that you end up trying too!
perfect snack I ever had Amy, surprisingly it tasted so good as it had come straight out of a restaurant , I mix and match with blueberries, but kudos to the original idea !
I’m so glad you enjoyed these cookies Elisha! Love your idea of blueberry jam! 🙂
Hi Amy!! We are looking in to your gingerbread recipes, YUM!! I just want to ask, is there a reason that you use just the egg white? Can I not just put the whole egg in there?
Thank you for all that you share!!
I’m so honored that you’d like to try my gingerbread recipes, Stacey! One of the main reasons I try to use egg whites whenever possible (without ruining the taste or texture!) is that some of my family members have high cholesterol, and their doctors have told them to avoid higher cholesterol foods/ingredients, including egg yolks. By using just the whites, they can enjoy my baked goods without worrying so much! 🙂
If you’d prefer to use one whole egg in this recipe, that’s fine! I’d recommend omitting the milk to start, to compensate for the added volume from the yolk, and only adding it if the cookie dough seems too dry.
I’d love to hear what you think of these thumbprint cookies if you end up making them — or any of my other recipes you decide to try too!
I’m making these today for a Christmas party tomorrow – love your recipes! Is there a way to print them with a photo? I had to print it, then make a document with a screen shot photo and tape it onto the receipt. That makes it much more identifiable in the future in my file. (I also tried doing a print of a few pages of the article, selecting the pages with the recipe, but the photos still didn’t print with it.).
Thank you for all of your inspiring suggestions and recipes! Have a Merry Christmas!
I’m so honored that you made one of my recipes for such a special occasion, Sherry! That means the world to me. I really hope everyone enjoyed them!
I’m actually working on reformatting all of my recipes to include an image along with the printable recipe. It requires some coding and reconfiguring of all recipes individually, so with 1000+ recipes on my blog, it’ll take a bit of time to do. However, I promise adding that feature is one of my top priorities!
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you too!
hi amy – i noticed in the commetns about replacing ‘both’ stevia and molasses. how much granulated sugar should i use if i am replacing just the stevia and keeping the molasses? thank you so much – arti
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Arti! I’ve actually covered why it’s necessary to use stevia if using molasses in my blog post above the recipe. Look for the bright red “Nerd alert” (I know it can be easy to miss!) — I promise that explanation is there! 😉
If you’d like to use granulated sugar, then substitute it in place of the coconut sugar option included in the Notes section of the recipe. If you’d like to use molasses, then I strongly recommend using stevia to achieve the correct taste and texture.
However, if you’re staunchly against using stevia, then I have another gingerbread cookie recipe here that uses molasses but no stevia! You can’t shape them to be thumbprint cookies, but they’ll have a similar classic gingerbread flavor as these. I wanted to mention it, just in case!
I’d love to hear what you think of the cookies if you try making either of my recipes!
Thank you Amy. I will try the recipe without Stevia.
I have tried some other reciepies that you put up though – the latest being the gingerbread – it was great!
Have a good holiday season.
Arti
It means so much that you’ve already tried some of my other recipes, Arti! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. I really hope you like the ginger cookies too! ♡ I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season!