What's gingerbread made of? Consider these expert-approved healthy ingredient swaps.
The warm, spicy scent of freshly baked gingerbread marks none other than the start of the holiday season. It’s the time of the year to lean into the childhood nostalgia of decorating, and treating yourself, to a piece of an ornate gingerbread house. If you’re up to it, you might even try learning how to make gingerbread cookies and cake from scratch.
If you’re thinking of making gingerbread at home, there’s no fault in taking the traditional route, and following a more “classic” gingerbread recipe. But, if you’re wondering if there are any easy ingredient swaps to make this holiday dessert a little healthier, we’ve got you covered with these expert-approved tips.
What is gingerbread?
Gingerbread encompasses a few different categories of baked goods, from cookies to loaf cake. No matter the recipe, what gives gingerbread its distinct flavor is a combination of two key ingredients: ginger and molasses, says Mary Ellen Phipps, MPH, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian, founder of Milk & Honey Nutrition, and author of The Easy Diabetes Desserts Cookbook.
As with other kinds of baked goods, flour, butter and eggs are the foundation of gingerbread, Phipps says. Gingerbread’s sweetness (by way of molasses or brown sugar) is balanced by a blend of warm, earthy spices (like ginger, cinnamon, cloves and allspice), says Jessica Menard, RD, a registered dietitian at Nemours Children’s Hospital Florida.
Think of these ingredients as a starting point for making gingerbread, but ultimately, there’s no set template here. There’s no problem in tailoring your gingerbread recipe to meet your individual health goals, and in fact, there’s actually quite a few ingredient substitutions that can be made.
Is gingerbread healthy?
Some of the ingredients in gingerbread do offer potential health benefits. Ginger, for example, aids the digestive process, and may help with nausea relief. It also has possible anti-inflammatory benefits, per John’s Hopkins Medicine. Similarly, cinnamon, allspice and cloves have anti-inflammatory properties, adds Menard.
Blackstrap molasses is a nutrient-dense byproduct of sugar production, per Healthline. Molasses is a good source of calcium, magnesium, B vitamins (like vitamin B6 and niacin), vitamin K, and trace amounts of vitamin E, says Menard.
While these ingredients don’t technically “lose” their nutritional benefits when baked in a cookie or cake, it’s important to remember that gingerbread, after all, is a dessert food.
“As a dietitian, what I’m more focused on is: What are those other ingredients that are in there?” notes Phipps. The fats and sweeteners found in traditional gingerbread recipes (namely, butter and refined brown sugar) should always be consumed in moderation, she says.
How to make gingerbread healthier
If you’re looking for a holiday treat with a little less sugar and a bit more fiber, there are plenty of simple ingredient swaps that can elevate any gingerbread recipe to align closer with your health needs.
“Anytime we look at a baked good, whether it’s gingerbread or something else, as a dietitian, I’m looking at three different things: What kind of flour are we using, what’s our fat source, and how much sugar is in there?” Phipps says.
If you’re looking for a replacement for all purpose flour, there’s a few different options to experiment with, such as whole wheat flour, or gluten-free flours like almond flour, oat flour, or coconut flour, like Menard says.
Phipps personally recommends using a combination of almond flour and oat flour. In comparison to all purpose flour, this particular flour combination is lower in carbohydrates, and higher in fiber and protein.
When it comes to the fat source, try swapping butter for plant-based fats, like almond butter, avocado oil or olive oil, Phipps adds.
As for the sugar content, you can cut the amount of sugar in your gingerbread recipe “up to about half, and still get a delicious cookie,” Phipps says. “With gingerbread, it actually allows you to taste the ginger better when you cut back on the sugar, so you're not as overwhelmed by how sweet it is.”
More: Love marshmallows on your sweet potato casserole? Here's what marshmallows are made of.
Additionally, consider using raw brown sugar in place of refined brown sugar. Whereas refined brown sugar is just white sugar mixed with molasses, raw brown sugar is crystallized, and isn’t bleached or heavily processed, Menard says.
If you want to substitute the sugar altogether, using a fruit puree of mashed ripe banana, unsweetened apple sauce, or canned pumpkin is another option. Fruit purees may change the texture of your gingerbread, but the benefit is that they’re natural sweeteners that add lots of moisture, Menard explains.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is gingerbread? And how to make it healthier
