These healthier chocolate chunk molasses gingerbread cookies are chewy, soft and filled with the flavors of the holidays.
*Post updated 12/6/2017 to include a video on how to make these healthy chocolate chunk molasses gingerbread cookies. Photographs and content below are original to when this was published in December 2012. This cookie recipe is a personal favorite. As someone who isn’t super keen on gingerbread, the addition of chocolate chunks to this cookie completely transforms the classic combination of gingerbread and molasses into a cookie worth eating: soft, chewy and with just enough holiday spice. Hope you enjoy some this holiday season! SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH THE VIDEO!
Up until last Friday I was positive that I would never like the whole molasses gingerbread cookie thing.
I can get behind many a cookie but that combo just wasn’t doing anything for me.
Then I saw a chocolate molasses gingerbread cookie recipe similar to these just a bit more indulgent and being the good wife that I am, knew Ulysses would love them (his love for gingerbread baked goods is enough for the two of us) so I decided to bake them up for his return home on Friday night.
And now, November 30 will forever be the day my molasses gingerbread hatred turned to love.
No awkward in between friendship stage, straight to love. That’s how I roll. Or maybe it’s just lust? Jury’s still out on that.
Either way, we’re a thing now with the creation of these soft and chewy chocolate chunk molasses gingerbread cookies.
Thanks to a little help from a good friend called dark chocolate.
That was the missing link.
I took the weekend off from working out, happily ate 4 or 5 (which took massive amounts of self control) of the cookies and when Ulysses left again on Sunday night, I froze the remaining 18 or so.
Somehow frozen = off limits to my brain.
But then Monday night rolled around and my nightly tea was incredibly pathetic without an accompanying cookie.
So I made the batter for this healthier version of those molasses gingerbread cookies.
Looking for more holiday cookies?
Try these almond chocolate thumbprint cookies, dark chocolate amaretto fudge cookies or, one of my favorites, these incredibly festive chocolate dipped cashew almond butter cookies with candied sage. They’re all wonderful additions to a holiday cookie exchange party.
Honestly, these chocolate chunk molasses gingerbread cookies were a total experiment.
Could molasses gingerbread cookies actually be health-ified to a state where I can eat the whole batch and not think twice?
Because as awesome as the other ones were, a stick of butter and a cup and a half of sugar is not something I need or want to be eating regularly.
Some experiments work, some don’t.
These kicked ass.
Without trying to sound a bit cocky, I’m totally floored that they came out as well as they did.
They’re soft and chewy with the perfect balance of spicy molasses flavor to chocolate and yet there’s a mere 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and 1/4 cup honey in them as far as the fat and sugar go.
I don’t get it, but I’m not complaining.
I know I’m going to get comments on whether you can sub the spelt flour to all almond flour to make these completely paleo (assuming you don’t roll them in sugar before baking) and while I haven’t tried it, I’m going to say yes, I think you could.
No promises, but I think it would work. Try these vegan thumbprint cookies for an easy all almond flour cookie though if you prefer. Or, vegan pignoli cookies which are filled with delicious almond paste flavor. They’re both great holiday classics!
And if you don’t care about the paleo thing, all purpose or whole wheat pastry would probably work in place of the spelt too.
Now that that’s out of the way…
GO MAKE THESE!
MORE MOLASSES AND GINGERBREAD FLAVORED RECIPES:
Gingerbread Oatmeal
Gingerbread Collagen Cookies
Gingerbread Peanut Butter
Paleo Gingerbread Granola
Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Bites
Healthy Chocolate Chunk Molasses Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ½ cup spelt flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate, 72% or higher, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients (almond flour, spelt flour, baking soda and spices).
- In a small bowl whisk together remaining wet ingredients until completely smooth.
- Add wet to dry ingredients and mix together until fully incorporated.
- Add chocolate chunks and fold into batter.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Once chilled, roll about 1 tablespoon of batter into a ball.
- If coating with sugar mixture, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and roll ball until covered.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven and press down on the top of them with a spoon for that signature molasses cookie wrinkle effect.
- Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight container.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
What tasty cookies for the holidays Gina! The flavors are just perfect!
I made these with whole wheat flour since I was out of spelt. AMAZING. If you’re considering a recipe. This one is perfect.
So glad you liked them! They’re one of my favorite cookies :)
These look so insanely GOOD!!! Am trying them soon!!!
Hi Gina,
These cookies look fantastic and I can’t wait to bake them. Just one question though. I want to make them gluten free and wondering what I could use instead of the spelt flour? Should I replace with more almond meal or perhaps use brown rice flour?
Thanks!
Shelley- last paragraph of the post addresses this. I haven’t made them with all almond, but I’m betting it would be an ok sub. let me know how they turn out if you try it.
I never was into the gingerbread thing until my 30s (can’t remember what flipped the switch) and now I’m totally in love. I’ve never seen a recipe with dark chocolate – brilliant!
These turned out so great. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used coconut sugar to roll the dough in before baking. They were a big hit with my crossfit gym, and even a non-paleo coworker. Thank you!
HaHA!! I’m glad I read all the comments…I’m another one who didn’t melt the coconut oil beforehand, just stirred it in *until* it was melted and smooth with the other wet ingredients. With *my* little lazy slip-up, I got gigantic, flat, chewy cookies that needed to be cooked an additional 8 minutes, but they are TO DIE FOR! I will probably make them this way again, only separate them into 24 cookies on two pans.
I LOVE THESE COOKIES! Thanks for the wonderful recipe :-D!
Thanks for the quick response!! Yes…then not melting the coconut oil did it!
Thankfully everyone still likes them – next time, I’ll make them properly : )
I have no idea what I did wrong….but mine turned out like flat, black pancakes! although they taste really good – I was hoping for the “cookie” effect for some ‘kid appeal’ with my son . What did I do wrong?…obviously nobody else had the same issue. Ok, I didn’t melt the coconut oil because I was being lazy – could that really have caused the flat-pancake effect?? Or different type of molasses?
Amanda- yes, melting the coconut oil makes a big difference b/c if it’s not melted it won’t distribute through the batter. You’ll have chunks of oil spots that would result in flat cookies once they hit the heat in the oven and melt. I’m not sure if you made any other substitutions, but if so, they could’ve contributed as well.
These cookies are the best I’ve ever tried! I’ve made them twice already and I just can’t get enough. I always double the ingredients and finish all the cookies in no time. They turn out really moist and soft.
A suggestion:
I found it very difficult to mix the molasses, honey, coconut butter and eggs together the first time. So the second time I melted the ingredients (except eggs) together in the microwave (for abou 45 seconds) and then mixed in eggs using a hand blender.
Also I found that it’s better to have the chocolate chopped very coarsely, into big chunks. Then when you eat them warm the chocolate practically drips out of them…
And something about the sugar coating gives them a very nice shape and preserves all the softness inside.
Love ’em!