Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Recipe: Delicious & Low-Calorie

There’s nothing quite like the smell of ginger and freshly baked cookies to fill you with childhood nostalgia. This vegan gingerbread cookie recipe cuts out the need for butter and uses buckwheat flour instead for extra protein and fewer calories. The result is a tasty recipe that’s fun to make and as delicious as any snack or dessert.

Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

It doesn't matter what time of year it is; gingerbread cookies are always a welcome addition. These vegan gingerbread cookies have as much taste and flavor as traditional cookies that use butter and all-purpose white flour. What's better is that this recipe is suitable for various diets. You can't go wrong with a classic gingerbread cookie recipe. The combination of traditional spices and chewy texture is timeless.

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Prep Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 150 kcal

Equipment

• Bowl
• Oven
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie-cutter
• Baking tray
• Sieve
• Whisk

Ingredients

  

• 3 cups buckwheat flour
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 6 tbsp applesauce
• 1 chia egg (recipe: how to make a chia egg)
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp ginger (or more depending on how much of a kick you want)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp orange zest (finely grated, option)

Icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp almond milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Prep Instructions

• Mix the flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and baking powder in one bowl.
• Mix the maple syrup, molasses, chia egg, applesauce, and vanilla in another bowl.
• Add both bowls of ingredients together until combined and uniform.
• Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Icing

• Sift the sugar into a bowl. then, add almond milk, agave syrup, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and glue-like
• Set aside; this is your icing to cover the cookies after cooking.

Cooking Instruction

• Preheat the oven to 350°
• Sprinkle flour over parchment paper and roll the dough until it's ¼ inch thick.
• With a cookie cutter, cut the cookies and transfer them onto a lined baking tray.
• Bake for about 8 minutes.
• Let cool before removing from the tray, and apply the icing.

Vegan Low-Calorie Cookies: Buckwheat Flour, Applesauce, and Chia Egg

Cookies can satisfy your sugar cravings without derailing your healthy eating regimen. By baking cookies at home, you know all the ingredients you’re using. That means you can avoid unnecessary additives, colorings, and added sugar common in store-bought cookies. You can still enjoy a treat, especially with a low-calorie cookie.

What makes this vegan gingerbread cookie recipe different is that it uses applesauce instead of butter. This swap saves about 570 calories altogether. Butter is super high in calories and fat, so if you can find an alternative, it helps create a healthier snack and lowers the fat content.

These vegan gingerbread cookies use buckwheat flour instead of all-purpose white flour. Buckwheat flour is higher in protein and fiber. It has about twelve grams of fiber per cup versus three grams of fiber per cup. Also, buckwheat flour is a good source of manganese and magnesium. Despite its name, buckwheat flour doesn’t contain wheat, so it’s naturally gluten-free.

In traditional cookie recipes, eggs are usually a major ingredient because they help keep the dough’s moisture. While some vegan egg alternatives include more oil or aquafaba (water from soaking legumes, like chickpeas), this recipe uses a chia egg mix. All you need for this recipe is chia seeds and water. It’s quick and easy to make. You can use this as an egg substitute in lots of different recipes. Another option is to use flaxseeds instead of chia seeds if you prefer.

Healthy Vegan Snack Ideas

When it comes to healthy vegan snack ideas, ideally, you want something that’s both easy to eat on the go and nutritious. While you can eat whole foods like fruit, seeds, and nuts as post-gym snacks or an afternoon pick-me-up, it’s useful to have some trusted recipes that you love.

For quick healthy snacks, it’s important to find foods with a good balance of calories and nutrients. Here are some easy tips to follow for choosing healthy snacks:

• Pick foods low in sugar but high in fiber.
• Opt for fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain snacks.
• Limit foods that have a lot of sugar.
• Try pairing protein with a carbohydrate to leave you feeling fuller for longer, like carrots and hummus.

Whether you’re looking to buy pre-made snacks from the grocery store or make them at home, you want something with a bit of protein, some healthy fat, and carbohydrates. Choosing snacks with a good balance of nutrients should keep you going between meals. Be mindful of portion size as it’s easy to overeat with your snacks and consume too many calories.

Research shows that snacking can boost energy levels between meals and curb your appetite, so you don’t overeat at mealtimes. The downside of snacking is that it can result in unwanted weight gain if you’re snacking too much, especially on ultra-processed foods. A satisfying snack can relieve hunger and boost energy levels. Your snack of choice is vital in supporting a healthy and active lifestyle.

Other Vegan Low-Calorie Snack Recipes

A healthy diet consists of a variety of foods. Whether you follow a vegan diet or not, it’s a good idea to have some staple healthy snacks to turn to in between meals. You can have everything you need to keep you going by planning your snacks ahead of time.

Protein balls are another excellent high-protein, low-calorie snack to have on the go. This peanut butter and jelly protein ball is a household favorite. You can make twelve protein balls, and they will keep in the freezer for up to three months. So they are ideal for batch cooking on a Sunday afternoon.

Finding a sweet treat that you enjoy without a ton of calories can help satisfy your sweet cravings without overloading your system with sugar. If you prefer slightly different flavorings, you can adjust this low-calorie cookie recipe and play around with the ingredients. You can try different cookie cutter shapes if you’re baking around certain holidays. For the cookie-lover, this low-calorie vegan gingerbread cookie recipe is an absolute must that won’t leave you feeling guilty.