12 Days of Holiday Cookies: Skinny Gingies

Submitted by a SparkPeople member, these cookies are perfect "for the Santa who's watching his figure." Ginger aids digestion, too. Use smaller cookie cutters if you want to cut down your portions.

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose white flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt substitute

1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar

1/4 cup dark molasses

1/4 cup sugar-free maple-flavored syrup

2 tablespoons light vanilla yogurt

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 61.9
Fat: 0.2 g
Find full nutrition info here!

Directions:

Combine flours, allspice, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and salt well in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to beat molasses, syrup, Splenda brown, applesauce, and yogurt until well blended.
Pour the dry ingredients into the larger bowl and mix until a stiff dough forms.
Press the dough into a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray 2 cookie sheets with non-stick spray.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Gather the dough scraps, re-roll, and keep making gingerbread men until all dough is used up.
Use a spatula to transfer cookies to cookie sheets, placing them 1-inch apart.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Remove to wire racks and let cool completely.

Yields 18-20 gingerbread men. Serving size: 1 cookie

Members who subscribe to SparkPeople's Recipe of the Day Newsletter receive one new cookie/dessert recipe each day, beginning December 1, to help them prepare for holiday parties and gift exchanges. We're also sharing them here because, well, who doesn't love good (and somewhat healthy) cookies?

Want to receive this in your email inbox? Click here to update your email preferences. Be sure to select "Recipe of the Day"

Will you make this recipe? Do you prefer to use sugar substitutes? Why or why not?

Comments

SUGARSMOM2

holdiay baking leads to a bigger me if i allow it take over . Report

CD7778582

Can't wait to try these! Report

1RONNIEMOM

Although everything isn't for everybody it's nice to have options and I've been known to slip a few healthy sweets on my family. I just don't make a big deal about it! I put it out and watch it disappear! Report

WALKZWDOGZ

For some of us, the substitutes are a Godsend, thanks. Will try these cookies. Report

ANUSCHKA9

While the dough tasted good, the recipe was a failure. The dough was too wet and tacky to roll out... even after I added extra flour. I ended up pressing it into a baking dish and cooking it like traditional gingerbread. Report

SMARGED

Recipe sounds great, but unfortunately, I can't use Splenda either. After a bad episode of severe headaches, I've given up all sugar substitutes. Report

LOVEBIRD48

I'm so glad to see so many people avoiding the sugar substitutes. I am diabetic and I prefer to just go without but have so many good hearted people giving me super sweets with artificial sugar. They think I'm lacking in sweet things but I've trained myself to not indulge. Diabetic cookbooks are the same- loaded with sickening sweets tha I don't need or want. Report

KARENE10

They do sound good but I won't be making them,I can't have the sugar substitute:( Report

ECLIPSED

No, I won't be making them. I can't eat artificial sweeteners, (I get too sick!) and am always disappointed when I see a recipe that looks good, then find out it ususally contains splenda. Report

WEEDLADY

I wil probably make them, but not as cutouts-I hate rolling, cutting, rolling cutting. Report

15THC_ODETTE

Artificial sweeteners are not a risk I am willing to take with my kids' health. I would sub the sugar free maple syrup and the Splenda brown sugar for the real things. However, I have my own tweaks for cookies and cakes that I have been successfully using with my kids and I am not using them as lab rats. Report

JEMSTAR

If I made these, I would leave out the Splenda (ick!) and use real brown sugar. Report

CD4655033

Thanks for including the nutritional content and SparkRecipe link. This is saved in my recipes now and am looking forward to trying them out. Report

CD969095

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this looked like a good recipe except for the substitutes. I think it is one thing to have the applesauce and yogurt trades for oil, those don't really change the taste or texture for me in foods, but nothing bakes like real butter and sugar. Report

SNARKYLEMON

I can't use sugar substitutes - they make my tounge swell - almost immediate reaction - I guess I must be allergic to something in them. I look forward to the other days recipes. Report

ELSEEBEE

I don't use artificial sweeteners, but I might try these with regular brown sugar. I don't make treats like these very often because the temptation to overindulge is too great! Report

JULIA_RUN2SMILE

I will try this tomorrow with my daughter... I am trying to teach her that good "slim food" doesn't have to be boring! I am sure we will have fun with this one! Thanks. Report

BERRY4

Nope. I do NOT use sugar substitutes.
I just don't make cookies as often as my family would like. (If they are there, then I want to eat them!) Report

FITFABME2

Worth trying! Thanks... Report

JIBBIE49

I like to bake, but I won't be making these. If I did I would use REAL butter & sugar, since I think treats in moderation are okay. It is MINDLESS EATING that adds the pounds. Report

SWEETLIPS

I will useraw sugar and yes,I will make them! Report

MOMMA_BEAR_69

I probably won't be making these as I have Celiac Disease and can not have white or wheat flour, only rice flour. Not sure how to make the substitute. Although I am diabetic, I can not stand the sugar substitutes. I may make these for my elderly neighbor and her grandkids though. Report

JENJEREH

My husband and I definitely do not like sugar substitutes -- we find that we can taste them in most products, and we prefer to moderate our consumption rather than eat more of something that doesn't taste as good. However, my diabetic mother-in-law lives with us, and her dietary needs are so strict that even moderate sugar consumption is bad. So I can definitely see the benefit of Splenda. She likes it, and recipes like this allow her to enjoy the family treats during the holidays without feeling deprived or endangering her health. Thanks! Report

RENEGADE13

On first glance these look good, but I'm turned off by the Splenda and Salt Substitute. I don't view substitutes as food and I try to avoid them. I agree with what a previous commenter said, substitute the sugar in recipes with healthier alternatives such as honey, agave, or stevia. Report

DESMILE

I think that I can sneak this one in on my "I don't want anything health to eat" family. I try when I can to sneak healthy in when preparing their food. I prepare mine separate. They cringe at ground turkey, sugar subs, and anything low fat,fat free or natural. It's amazing they aren't in bad health yet! God bless them and Thanks for the recipe :) Report

CARPENSM

LOL... love the name skinny gingies! These look yummy...thanks for the lower cal version! Report

CD4655033

What are the full nutritional stats on these. I see Fat and Calories but what about carbs? Looked in the SparkRecipes site for this recipe, to get the full nutritional counts and it is not there. These recipes would be a great addition to the SparkRecipes site, so we can add them to our Cookbooks via that tool. Thanks. Report

CD5785843

I'm a die-hard "real food" baker. I only use real sugar, butter, salt, etc. However, I do like to substitute other real foods for ones that aren't so healthy, like applesauce or fruit purees for oils and butter. I can appreciate the whole-wheat flour in this recipe, and substituting the yogurt and applesauce. I think I might try this with a few modifications. Using Splenda would definitely make it a winner for diabetics I know! Report

AMYLOVESTZU

my kids love to bake and we are going to do them to give out.. thanks so much.. Report

GLORIEE

I prefer sugar substitutes since I'm diabetic because they help keep my glucose numbers more level. I'm going to try this recipe. Report

CD6778922

I want to try these for a Christmas treat for my family. Report

LIVINTODAY

My grandchildren will love these and so will I. The Splenda brown sugar works very well and no one has ever asked if I use it. Report

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12 Days of Holiday Cookies: Skinny Gingies

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