The best low calorie gingerbread men cookies
The holiday season is not complete without a generous serving of Christmas cookies! These low calorie gingerbread men are the perfect way to get into the festive spirits. These cookies require no chill time, are vegan and bake in under 10 minutes!
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The holidays are fast approaching and that means gingerbread EVERYTHING! If you haven’t already tried my low calorie gingerbread muffins or gingerbread baked oats, you definitely should! These gingerbread men are just as delicious and they’re super easy to make too.
These low calorie gingerbread men cookies are by far one of the BEST low calorie holiday recipes you will ever try! They are soft, they are perfectly spiced and they come together in under 20 minutes! This recipe features a super simple spice mix of ginger, cinnamon, clove and all-spice to transport you to delicious gingerbread heaven with every bite.
At just 15 calories a cookie, these gingerbread men are the perfect low calorie snack this time of year. This recipe is completely vegan and can easily be made gluten-free. Plus, you just need a handful of ingredients and 8 minutes to bake these delicious cookies!
Low calorie gingerbread men
It is never too soon to start working on your Christmas menu. There is no way you can get through the holidays without some gingerbread cookies! They are soft, cozy and perfectly spiced. Plus, the entire kitchen will smell like a cozy Christmas morning!
I still can not get over the fact that these cookies are just 15 calories each? INSANITY. You could eat like 5 cookies for the same amount of calories as 1 regular gingerbread man cookie which is a steal in my books!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Filled with delicious gingerbread goodness.
- Made in just one bowl.
- No chill time required!
- Bake in under 10 minutes!
- The perfect low calorie Christmas cookie!
- Can easily be made gluten-free.
- This recipe is completely vegan, dairy-free and sugar-free.
- These cookies create a heavenly scent throughout the entire kitchen as they bake!!
- The BEST low calorie gingerbread men cookies ever!!
INGREDIENTS:
Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.
To make these low calorie gingerbread men cookies you will need:
Plain/all-purpose flour – I used regular AP flour but you can use gluten-free or wholewheat flour for a gluten-free alternative. You can also use oat flour for this recipe.
0 calorie brown sugar or sweetener of choice – My go-to sweetener for cookies is always 0 calorie brown sugar replacement. It is super sweet and has almost the exact same flavor profile and texture as dark brown sugar which is perfect for spiced recipes!
Spice mix – The spice mix is a combination of ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and mixed spice. The flavor of these spices can be a little strong, you can reduce the quantities for a milder flavor.
Baking powder and baking soda – The combination of baking powder and baking soda to ensure the cookies spread and rise to perfection.
Oil – This recipe calls for a small amount of oil to add moisture to the cookies. I went with olive oil but any oil will work for this recipe, the calories may vary slightly between different oils though.
Applesauce – Applesauce works great to substitute butter and oil in regular cookie recipes. It adds moisture to the cookies and contains very few calories. I went for unsweetened applesauce for this recipe to avoid added sugars. Be mindful of the type of applesauce you use as some contain added sugars which increase the calories. I use this applesauce that I just get off Amazon.
Vanilla extract – No cookie recipe is complete without a hint of vanilla!
How to make low calorie gingerbread men
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F).
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Place the dough onto a flat surface and sprinkle with a little flour. Roll the dough out and cut the gingerbread men using a small cookie cutter (6.5cm). This recipe will make 22-24 6.5cm gingerbread men. Alternatively, you can make gingerbread cookies by forming small balls.
- Transfer the gingerbread men to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Don’t overcrowd the tray! I baked no more than 10 cookies at a time to ensure even baking.
- Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes and cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Decorate the cooled cookies and enjoy!
0 Calorie icing sugar
To decorate the cookies, I used a simple 0 calorie icing.
You will need:
- 0 Calorie icing sugar
- Water
In a small bowl, mix together 40g of 0 calorie icing sugar and a few tsp of water until you get a thick but pipe-able consistency (I used 5 tsp of water to achieve this). Transfer the icing to a piping bag, snip a tiny bit of the bag off at the end and decorate the cookies.
Storage
There are several ways you can store these cookies. The dough will hold up in the fridge for up to 3 days or you can freeze it for up to 1 month. You can also roll out the dough, cut out the gingerbread men and store the dough this way.
These low calorie gingerbread men once baked will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Allow the icing to completely dry before storing the cookies.
16 Calorie Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
- 80 g plain/all-purpose flour
- 40 g brown sugar alternative or granulated sweetener
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 50 g unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Spice mix:
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground mixed-spice
0 calorie icing:
- 40 g 0 calorie icing sugar
- 5 tsp water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F).
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie ingredients until a soft dough forms. Place the dough onto a flat surface and sprinkle with a little flour.
- Roll the dough out and cut the gingerbread men using a small cookie cutter (6.5cm). This recipe will make 22-24 6.5cm gingerbread men. Alternatively, you can make gingerbread cookies by forming small balls.
- Transfer the gingerbread men to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Don't overcrowd the tray! Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes and allow the cookies to cool.
- Make the icing by mixing together the 0 calorie icing sugar and water until thick but pipe-able. Decorate the cookies and enjoy!
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