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My Healthy Gingerbread Cookies Are A Holiday Favorite With No Refined Sugar
Ingredients & Substitutions
How To Make Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
My Recipe Tips
Healthy Gingerbread Cookies (No Refined Sugar) Recipe card
Recipe Reviews

My Healthy Gingerbread Cookies Are A Holiday Favorite With No Refined Sugar

I first made these healthy gingerbread cookies about 10 years ago and it was my very first attempt at cookie cutter cookies! Since then, I’ve tested and tweaked the recipe year after year (including most recently adding more ginger), until the dough rolls and bakes just the way I want it to. Now they’re one of my favorite holiday treats to make, especially with my kids, and the best cozy treat with bullet coffee , eggnog , or even a glass of almond milk . Here’s why these sugar free gingerbread cookies have stood the test of time:

All the gingerbread flavor – They taste sweet and spiced, just like you’d expect, with a lovely, soft and chewy texture.
A lighter holiday cookie – These healthier gingerbread cookies have just 77 calories, all with real food ingredients, so you can enjoy them this holiday season and still feel good. No one ever guesses they’re sugar free and gluten free, and I’m not telling! 😉
Quick and easy to make – It’s just 25 minutes from start to finish, and the decorating is so much fun (but feel free to leave them plain, too).

If you want some healthy gingerbread cookies for the holidays, grab your cookie cutters and make these with me!

Decorated soft and chewy healthier gingerbread cookies with Besti brown sweetener. - 3

“Solid recipe. Versatile in that cooking short yields a soft cookie and cooking longer gives you a ginger snap type cookie. Spices are perfectly balanced and the tastes genuine. Happy to have these in the rotation. Merry Christmas!”

-Steve

More Reviews

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my healthy gingerbread cookie recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – I always use this one because it’s super fine and gives the cookies that soft, bakery-style texture. Many brands are too coarse and leave baked goods grainy. If you need a substitute, coconut flour is too dry, but you can try sunflower seed meal .
Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is my go-to for soft, chewy, and yes, sugar free gingerbread cookies with real brown sugar flavor. It also adds moisture to the dough, which helps with texture. I’ve tried this recipe with many other sweeteners over the years, and nothing else is quite the same. Many brands (including ones labeled “monk fruit” or “stevia”) contain erythritol and dry out the cookies. If you use something else, I’d at least add a few drops of real molasses to make up for it… but seriously, I promise you won’t regret trying Besti Brown. 😉
Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted, just cut back on the added salt.
Egg – Use a room temperature egg so it mixes in smoothly. If it’s cold, it can make the butter clump. I don’t recommend substitutes here, sorry.
Spices – Of course the most important one is ground ginger , but I also add cinnamon , cloves , and a little nutmeg . I actually added more ginger in my most recent version below!
Baking Powder (I like this non-GMO one ) for lift, Vanilla Extract for flavor, and Sea Salt for balance

How To Make Healthy Gingerbread Cookies

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

Mix the dry ingredients. Stir together the almond flour, spices, and baking powder in a medium bowl. I usually use a whisk for this part.
Cream the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer ( this is the one I use ) to beat the butter and Besti Brown sweetener, until fluffy. Then, mix in the egg and vanilla.
Make the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until a dough forms. It’ll be soft, but that’s what we want.
Chill. Shape the dough into a ball and stick it in the fridge to firm up.

Dry ingredients combined in a bowl with almond flour. - 4

Butter and Besti Brown creamed together in a bowl. - 5

Wet and dry ingredients combined to form a dough. - 6

Sugar free gingerbread cookie dough rolled into a ball. - 7

Roll and cut. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, until it’s thin enough for cookie cutters. Cut out shapes (I used these cookie cutters ), re-roll the scraps, and keep going until all the dough is used up.

Healthier gingerbread cookies dough rolled out and cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters. - 8

Bake. Pop the healthy gingerbread cookies into the oven and bake until the edges are golden. Let them cool before frosting.
Frost. I like piping on my sugar free cream cheese frosting with this easy piping set . For the “lazy way”, just heat some cream cheese and add powdered sweetener to taste, then slather over the cookies. You can totally leave them plain, too!

Baked healthy gingerbread cookies decorated with cream cheese icing. - 9

My Recipe Tips

My shortcuts if you forgot to bring your egg and butter to room temperature: For the egg, just place it in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. For the butter, fill a stainless steel bowl with boiling water and place the butter on a plate. After a couple minutes, empty the water, dry the bowl, and place it upside down over the plate. The heat from the metal will soften the butter gently.
Chilling this cookie dough is a must. It’s too soft and sticky at room temperature. If it starts getting too soft while you’re cutting shapes, just pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up again.
A marble rolling pin like this keeps the dough cold for longer. It sounds fancy, but is actually super affordable! I used an older one in my picture above and it didn’t work nearly as well as the linked marble one I use now.
Want these healthy gingerbread cookies sweeter? You can add 1-3 extra tablespoons of Besti Brown if you prefer. For me, the 1/2 cup in this recipe is just right and not super sweet.
For a chewier texture, add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. I personally prefer the cookies without it, but it does help with structure.
Use a good baking sheet, and avoid dark ones. This one never warps in the oven, and the lighter color means the cookies don’t over-brown.
Use an extra thin spatula to lift the sugar free gingerbread cookies. I learned this trick while testing this recipe. A super thin spatula like this slides right under the cookies without messing up the shapes!
If your gingerbread men lose an arm or leg on the way to the pan, just press it back on or reshape it. If it’s too far gone, I just roll the dough back out and try again.
Or just cut them right on the baking sheet. A reader shared this tip and it’s genius! Roll out the dough, place it on the pan, cut your shapes, then peel away the extra dough around them. I always do it this way now.
These taste just as good baked into simple rounds, especially if you’re short on time. If you do want to make shapes, I used this exact cookie cutter set in the photos, and it has 11 different shapes and is so fun to use.
These healthy gingerbread cookies should look slightly soft in the center when you take them out. They’ll firm up as they cool, and that’s how you get that perfect chewy texture.
You don’t need a piping set, but it makes decorating easier. And this is coming from someone who is not great at decorating, ha. I usually use this set for my cakes and cupcakes, but for these cookies I prefer these smaller ones . You can also just use piping bags on their own and snip the corner teeny-tiny to make thin lines.
If you’re storing the cookies on the counter, wait to frost until just before eating. That way, they can stay fresh on the counter. The frosting itself needs to stay in the fridge, so I prefer to add it last-minute.

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

2 1/4 cups Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour ▢
1 tbsp Cinnamon ▢
2 tsp Ground ginger ▢
1/4 tsp Ground cloves ▢
1/4 tsp Nutmeg ▢
1/2 tsp Baking powder ▢
1/4 tsp Sea salt ▢
1/2 cup Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend ▢
3 tbsp Unsalted butter (softened) ▢
1 large Egg (at room temperature) ▢
1 tsp Vanilla extract ▢
Sugar-free cream cheese frosting (optional, for decorating) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg, and baking powder.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and Besti Brown for 1-2 minutes , until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat in the almond flour mixture until a dough forms.
Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes , or until ready to bake.
Preheat the to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (you may need to do this twice for all the cookies).
Place the ball of dough between two large pieces of parchment paper. Roll out to 1/4 in (.6 cm) thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookie shapes and transfer them to the parchment paper. When you’ve cut out all the shapes you can, re-form the remaining dough into a ball, roll it out again, and repeat, until you’ve used up all the dough.
Bake the healthy gingerbread cookies for 10-15 minutes , until golden on the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet before handling or frosting.
Optional step: If you want frosting, make my cream cheese frosting like this and pipe onto the cookies.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cookie

Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get soft, chewy cookies, my tricks for cutting shapes, how to frost these easily, and more.
Storage: Keep these healthy gingerbread cookies in an airtight container on the counter for a few days, or refrigerate them for up to a week. Keep the frosting in the fridge and wait to frost until right before eating.
Meal prep: You can bake the cookies ahead of time, or make the dough in advance and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready, just roll it out and bake.
Freeze: These freeze well for up to 3 months, or you can freeze the ball of dough (wrapped in plastic).
Note on nutrition info: These numbers are for the cookies only and don’t include frosting, since that can vary depending on how much you use.

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Low Carb Holiday Cookbook and Keto Ebook Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

Healthy Gingerbread Cookies

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
The Basic Keto Meal Formula
Understanding Macros
Keto Food Swaps
Keto Food List
Electrolyte Basics
Keto Diet Types
Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Keto Cheat Sheet System - printable pdf's and ebooks - 12

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Pick A Protein	Pick A Veggie	Add Fat
Beef Chicken Pork Eggs Lamb Turkey Fish Shellfish Protein powder Venison	Cauliflower Broccoli Zucchini Leafy Greens Cucumbers Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Asparagus Radishes Bell Peppers Jicama Celery	Butter Avocado Oil Cheese Bacon Avocado Lard Ghee Mayo Nuts MCT Oil

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Pancakes	Almond flour pancakes or coconut flour pancakes
Oatmeal	Keto oatmeal with hemp seeds
Cinnamon rolls	Fathead cinnamon rolls
Cereal	Keto nut granola
Muffins	Almond flour muffins or coconut flour muffins
Donuts	Almond flour donuts
Scones	Almond flour scones
High-sugar smoothies	Smoothie with berries or avocado
Hash browns	Cauliflower hash browns
Breakfast casserole	Breakfast casserole with no potatoes
Egg whites	Whole eggs
Turkey bacon	Bacon
Waffles	Chaffles

Keto Swaps For Bread

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Bagels	Fathead bagels
English muffin	Almond flour English muffin
White bread	Keto white bread
Multigrain bread	Coconut flour bread with seeds
Tortillas for wraps	Coconut flour tortillas
Corn taco shells	Cheddar cheese taco shells
Burger buns	Oopsie rolls , portobello mushroom caps
Breadsticks	Cauliflower breadsticks
Biscuits	Almond flour biscuits
Cornbread	Almond flour cornbread
Croutons	Parmesan crisps
Rice	Cauliflower rice , konjac rice

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Breaded wings	Crispy air fryer wings (unbreaded)
Low-fat meat & poultry	High-fat cuts, or cook low-fat cuts with fat
Mashed potatoes	Mashed cauliflower
Roasted potatoes	Roasted or fried radishes
Tacos	Taco salad
Pizza	Fathead crust , chicken crust , or cauliflower crust pizza
Lasagna	Eggplant lasagna
Potato salad	Cauliflower “potato” salad
French fries	Jicama , rutabaga , or zucchini fries
Tater tots	Cauliflower tots
Wraps	Lettuce wraps , almond flour tortillas
Sushi	Naruto-style or homemade rice-free sushi
Breaded chicken or fish	Breaded cuts with almond flour or pork rinds
Spaghetti	Zoodles , spaghetti squash , shirataki noodles, kelp noodles

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Nachos	Cheese crisps
High-sugar fruit	Berries & other keto fruits
Crackers	Almond flour crackers
Hummus	Cauliflower hummus
Soft pretzels	Fathead pretzels
Popcorn	Puffed cheese
Granola bars	Grain-free granola bars
Jam	Sugar-free berry chia jam
Sweet fruity yogurt	Full-fat plain Greek yogurt with berries
Sweet salad dressing	Ranch , blue cheese , or plain vinaigrette
Ketchup	Mustard and/or sugar-free ketchup
BBQ sauce	Sugar-free BBQ sauce
Sweetened peanut butter	Natural, sugar-free nut butters
Light mayo	Avocado oil mayo
Maple syrup	Sugar-free, maple flavored syrup
Potato chips	Zucchini chips , pepperoni chips , pork rinds

Keto food swaps - snacks and sauces - 16

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Sugar	Monk fruit or allulose
Powdered sugar	Powdered monk fruit or allulose
White flour	Almond or Coconut flour (use in tested recipes)
Making baked goods soft/chewy	Xanthan gum, flax seed meal, psyllium husk powder
Breadcrumbs	Pork rinds or almond flour
Margarine	Butter, coconut oil, or ghee
Vegetable oil	Olive or avocado oil
Bananas	Banana extract
Chocolate chips	Sugar-free chocolate chips
Cornstarch or flour roux	Xanthan gum or gelatin powder (used at the end)
Simple syrup	Dissolve monk fruit allulose blend in water over heat

Keto food swaps - baking and cooking - 17

Keto Swaps For Drinks

Instead Of This…	Eat This
Lemonade	Water with lemon
Soda	Flavored sparkling water
Milk	Almond milk, coconut milk, heavy cream
Latte	Butter coffee
Coffee creamer	Heavy cream
Sweet wine	Dry wine
Beer	Ultra light beer
Mixed drinks	Hard liquor with soda + lemon

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Keto foods to eat and avoid summary - 19

Foods To Eat On Keto

Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
Avocados
Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
Almond flour and coconut flour
Eggs
Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

White flour & sugar
Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
Cereal
Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Keto Cheat Sheet System - printable pdf's and ebooks - 20

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Sodium	Magnesium	Potassium
Bone broth Boullion cubes Bacon Salted nuts Pickles	Seaweed Seeds Nuts Avocado Leafy greens	Potassium chloride Avocado Bone broth Spinach Broccoli Mushrooms Beef Pork

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!