THE BEST (healthy-ish) Ginger Molasses Cookies
Updated: Aug 17, 2022
One week until American Thanksgiving!!
If you read my 3 Tips for Healthier Holidays then you already know that Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love feeling grateful and sharing an epic meal with my family, and I especially love that I get to celebrate it twice! 😊 Of course one of the best parts of holiday feasts is the desserts -- woohoo! Who doesn't love cookies or slice of pie? I know I do! 😉
As your friendly neighborhood nutritionist, I strongly encourage you to limit sweets and be mindful of your sugar intake (Did you know researchers are suggesting Alzheimer's be classified as Type 3 Diabetes??) but that doesn't mean you need to avoid it like the plague. The holiday season is about sharing good times with the people you love, and sometimes that means sharing desserts.
My aunt makes these ginger molasses cookies during the Christmas season, and they are 👏 SO 👏 DANG 👏 GOOD! Chewy, spicy, sweet... they're so flavorful and yummy. I hope you love them as much as I do. 😊
Now this is an honest-to-goodness cookie recipe made with flour and sugar and butter, oh my! So you might be wondering how it can be healthy. The answer lies in the QUALITY of the ingredients. Not all flour is equal. Butter from grass-fed cows and eggs from pasture-raised chickens are 100% different and more nutritious than those from conventionally-raised animals. Yes, there is quite a bit of sugar in this recipe, but when enjoyed as a treat and made with quality ingredients, you can rest assured that you're getting more than just the joy of eating a cookie.
Sprouted grain flour provides more fiber, protein, and micronutrients than regular all-purpose flour. It’s also easier to digest and lower in gluten!
Grass-fed butter provides omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, and vitamin K2.
Pasture-raised eggs naturally provide omega-3 fatty acids and significantly more vitamin E, and vitamin A. Chickens are omnivores and should not eat vegetarian diets!
Blackstrap molasses provides vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium, calcium, vitamin B6, magnesium, and selenium.
Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Adapted from recipe on melskitchencafe.com
INGREDIENTS
4 cups (20 oz) sprouted grain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoon ground cloves
1.5 teaspoon ground ginger
1.5 cups (12 oz, 3 sticks) grass-fed butter, softened
1.5 cups (11.25 oz) granulated sugar plus extra for rolling cookie dough in (I did half coconut sugar and half granulated -- next time I would roll in coconut sugar alone because they were a little too sweet)
2 large, pasture-raised eggs
.5 cup blackstrap molasses
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375⁰ F. Line a couple large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy ~ 2-3 minutes. Add molasses and eggs, and mix until well-combined ~2-3 minutes.
Stir dry ingredients into wet, and mix until combined.
Dough can be rolled and baked right away, but your cookies will be slightly thicker and chewier if refrigerated for a bit. If you like them that way, chill for 20-30 minutes (or up to several days) before rolling into balls.
Roll dough into balls (around an inch) and then dip and roll in extra sugar. Space cookies an inch or so apart on the cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes. Be careful not to over bake if you want a soft, chewy cookie.
Move cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. These cookies stay soft and chewy at room temperature for several days in a sealed container, or you can freeze them!
