Healthy Gingerbread Snickerdoodles (Gingerdoodles)
Cozy flavors fill every bite of these festive cookies! Spiced cookie dough is rolled in a sweet coating and then baked to perfection. Soft and chewy inside with a hint of crispness outside, these “gingerdoodles” are a wonderful addition to any holiday cookie tray — and easier to make than classic cut-out gingerbread! The cookies will keep for at least three or four days (if not closer to a week or more!) if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIES
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ¾ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (30mL) molasses (see Notes before beginning!)
- 5 tbsp (60g) coconut sugar or light brown sugar
FOR THE COATING
- ¼ cup (48g) coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
Instructions
- To prepare the cookies, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the molasses until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until incorporated. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- To prepare the coating, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl until completely combined and no lumps remain.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- {See the Notes below about rolling and shaping before beginning this step!} Using a spoon and spatula, drop a small amount of the cookie dough into the coating. Carefully rock the cookie dough back and forth in the coating. (Do not touch the cookie dough with your hands until it’s fully coated!) Once fully covered in coating, roll the cookie dough into a sphere between your palms, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough and coating. (Optional: Gently flatten the cookie dough as a spreading “head start” for cookies that are thinner!)
- Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the warm baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s really important 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 turn out dry and crumbly, rather than soft and chewy. If you can’t incorporate all of the flour into your cookie dough, then stir in room-temperature milk (any kind will work!) ½ teaspoon at a time until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.
HOW MUCH MOLASSES TO ADD TO THE COOKIE DOUGH – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This actually depends on how thick or thin you prefer your snickerdoodles! If made exactly as written, your snickerdoodles will spread a decent amount and turn out fairly thin. (That’s how I like mine!)
For slightly thicker cookies, use 5 ½ teaspoons of molasses instead. For thick cookies (that don’t spread as much while baking!), use 1 ½ tablespoons (aka 4 ½ teaspoons) of molasses instead. (See the photos in my blog post above for visuals!)
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Oat flour will also work, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flour.
CREAM OF TARTAR NOTE: I do not recommend substituting for or omitting the cream of tartar. It's important for both the taste and texture of these cookies. (See the "cream of tartar" header in my blog post above for more information!)
CINNAMON NOTES: I highly recommend using Saigon cinnamon for the best flavor! It’s stronger, richer, and sweeter than common cinnamon. I buy mine online here because it’s so inexpensive and affordable! If you aren’t using Saigon cinnamon, then consider increasing the cinnamon in the coating by ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon.
MOLASSES NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Use regular unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap! The latter is more bitter. I use Grandma’s molasses the most.
If at all possible, I do not recommend substituting anything for the molasses. It’s what creates that deep, rich, comforting, almost earthy undertone in gingerbread cookies. Without it, your cookies won’t taste quite like gingerbread.
However, I understand not everyone has access to molasses! In a pinch, pure maple syrup, honey, or agave may be substituted to achieve the same cookie texture.
ROLLING THE COOKIE DOUGH IN COATING: This cookie dough is sticky, and that’s intentional! It gives these cookies a really soft and chewy texture, and it allows them to spread some while baking. However, that means the cookie dough will stick to your bare hands. So in Step 4, do NOT touch the cookie dough until it’s covered with the cinnamon sugar mixture. The coating then acts as a barrier and prevents it from completely sticking to your skin!
SHAPING THE COOKIE DOUGH BEFORE BAKING: For thicker snickerdoodles, roll the cookie dough so that it’s taller than it is wide (aka a cylinder shape!). For really thin snickerdoodles (thinner than in any of my photos!), roll the cookie dough into balls, and flatten them slightly before baking.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten free flour, use as follows: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, 3 tablespoons (21g) coconut flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this. Certified gluten free oat flour will also work, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than many other flours.
EGG FREE, DAIRY FREE + VEGAN OPTION: Use coconut oil or stick-style non-dairy butter (I like this one and this one). In place of the egg, substitute 1 ½ teaspoons of Ener-G (I whisk this into the dry ingredients!) + 2 tablespoons of warm water + an extra ½ tablespoon (7g) of coconut oil or non-dairy butter. If using the milk option to make your cookies spread more, then use your favorite non-dairy milk.
DOUBLING: This recipe is easily doubled!
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover snickerdoodles in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they should last at least three or four days, if not closer to a week or more.
FOR MORE TIPS + INFORMATION + STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOS, SEE MY BLOG POST ABOVE!
{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, dairy free option, egg free option, vegan option}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.