Gingerbread
Published 11/24/2019 • Updated 12/4/2024
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This classic Gingerbread Recipe is calling your name this holiday season! Perfectly spiced and sweet, and topped with a delicious lightened-up cream cheese frosting. Dessert is served!
We have healthy and delicious bread recipes galore here on Fit Foodie Finds! From this easy cinnamon apple bread to this vegan banana bread to this blueberry banana bread, we’ve got you covered with healthy bread loaves for every season.
And when it comes to seasonal desserts, we got you covered there, too! From these holiday buckeyes to these hot cocoa cookies to these apple pie bars. Enjoy, friends!
Cake or Bread? Or Both?
Are you team cake or team bread when it comes to gingerbread?! On one hand, BREAD is right in the name of it, but on the other, it’s frosted and cut like a piece of sheet cake. We like to think of this gingerbread as the most perfect combination of both cake and bread worlds. #yahwelcome
In the mood for more bread recipes?
- Easy Cinnamon Apple Bread
- Strawberry Banana Breakfast Bread
- Vegan Banana Bread
- Blueberry Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
In the mood for more cake recipes?
- Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- The Best Healthy Carrot Cake
- Single-Serve Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Chocolate Mug Cake
Gingerbread Ingredients
- White whole wheat flour: This gingerbread is made with a white whole wheat flour base. This is our go-to flour when making healthy muffins or loaves! We choose this flour over normal whole wheat because it creates a less dense, super fluffy bread.
- Applesauce: We love using applesauce or pumpkin puree or mashed bananas as a base for our healthy breads and muffins, and this recipe is no exception! The applesauce is what gives this classic recipe a sweet and healthier twist!
- Spices: The star of this recipe is, of course, the perfect combination of seasonal SPICES. In this recipe, we used cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice, and seriously, they’re the perfect seasonal flavors to complement the sweet gingerbread flavor.
- Almond milk: I love the nutty flavor of almond milk, but feel free to use any kind of milk for this gingerbread.
- Vanilla extract: Cuz every loaf deserves some vanilla.
- Maple syrup and molasses: Instead of using refined sugar, we stuck with maple syrup and molasses, our favorite plant-based sugar!
- Brown sugar: This helps bring out the molasses flavor, and keeps your gingerbread oh so moist.
- Coconut oil: This recipe calls for coconut oil. If you don’t have this oil at home, you can easily sub for a different baking oil, such as canola oil.
- Eggs: We haven’t tested this recipe eggless, but you can always try to sub 2 flax eggs!
- Lightened-up cream cheese frosting: We’ll get into this 😀
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
This gingerbread is absolutely delicious without the frosting, but the tart cream cheese flavor most certainly jazzes these up! Plus, it’s super simple to make:
- While your gingerbread is baking, take a moment to enjoy how amazing your kitchen smells.
- Then, place room temperature cream cheese, Greek yogurt and maple syrup into a bowl, and use an electric mixer to whip all the ingredients together until the frosting is smooth.
- Pro Tip: Make sure that your Greek yogurt is not super chilled or it will clump the room temperature cream cheese when you’re mixing the ingredients.
And if the cream cheese frosting isn’t jazzy enough for you, you go right ahead and sprinkle a dusting of ground cinnamon on top of that frosting. And while you’re at it, press a small gingersnap cookie vertically in each slice of gingerbread.
How to Store Gingerbread
Store this gingerbread in an air-tight container or keep in the baking dish and cover with tin foil. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
How to Freeze Gingerbread
To freeze your gingerbread, first let cool completely and DO NOT frost with lightened-up cream cheese frosting. Then, tightly wrap it in a piece of plastic wrap and then once more with a piece of tin foil. Remove as much air from around the bread as possible. Write the name of the recipe and the date on the bag. This gingerbread will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Thaw Gingerbread
To thaw frozen gingerbread, remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature on the counter top until fully thawed. Do not refreeze once thawed. Once completely thawed, frost with the lightened-up cream cheese frosting and serve.
More Seasonal Desserts
Gingerbread
Ingredients
Dry
- 1.75 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Wet
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
Lightened-Up Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt (almost room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 350ºF and spray an 8×8-inch pan* with nonstick cooking spray.
- Next, place all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Combine all wet ingredients (except for the coconut oil) in a separate mixing bowl.
- Whisk wet ingredients together until combined and then slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
- Finally, fold the melted coconut oil into the batter. Mix until combined but be careful to not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes.
- Check the cake at 30 minutes. If it looks like the sides are browning a little bit, cover with a piece of tinfoil. Then, continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the center is fully cooked.
- While the cake is baking, place all of the ingredients for the cream cheese frosting into a bowl and use an electric mixer to whip all the ingredients together until the frosting is smooth. Make sure that your Greek yogurt is not super chilled or it will clump the room temperature cream cheese.
- Remove the gingerbread from the oven and let it cool completely before frosting the cake.
- Then, frost your gingerbread with the cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle the cake with your favorite chopped nut, crushed cookie, or ground cinnamon.
Tips & Notes
- If you use a 9×9-inch pan, your bake time will decrease by a few minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Thank you so much for sharing your delicious gingerbread recipe! I
Thank you so much for sharing your delicious gingerbread recipe! I had the pleasure of trying it, and it was absolutely delightful. Your talent in the kitchen truly shines through. Looking forward to trying more of your amazing recipes!
This is a really great site. Thanks for this awesome recipe,
Thanks for this awesome recipe,
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Hi I left the dough in the fridge for five days. Can I still use it to bake the cookies? Or is that too long?
That should be just fine!
So easy and yummy!
Thanks for this awesome recipe, Emily. That would be a good dish for Christmas.
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