Notes: Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, but the cookies will have detectable “wheat-y” taste.
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 cookie bars dry and crumbly, instead of soft and chewy.
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 for it, 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 it
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 as well.
Neufchâtel cream cheese, Greek yogurt cream cheese, and fat-free cream cheese will all work in the frosting. Just make sure they’re well softened first!
If you prefer not to use the liquid stevia in the frosting, then substitute 1 teaspoon of
this powdered stevia OR 2-3 tablespoons of
Truvia or granulated sugar.
You just need the dry instant pudding mix—don’t prepare it according to the package directions! You may omit it, but you’ll need to increase the liquid stevia (and just mix the ingredients together until incorporated—not for 2 full minutes!). Without the instant pudding mix, the frosting will be a bit runny and may slightly drip down the sides of your cookie bars.
{gluten-free, clean eating option, low fat, lower sugar}