Just because the holidays are over, doesn't mean you have to get out of the holiday spirit! If you went overboard on cookies and other sweet things for the past few weeks but can't get rid of that gingerbread craving, don't fret. The following recipe is sure to delight gingerbread fans year round and because it's healthier than a cookie and relatively low in calories, you can have your cake and eat it too ;). It's of course vegan, and can be made gluten-free by using brown rice flour instead of whole-wheat.
Ingredients (makes 9-12 muffins):
- 2 cups whole wheat, spelt, or brown rice flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. cloves
- 1 and ½ tsp. dried ground ginger
- ¼ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (add more if the consistency is too dry)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with muffin paper or spray with nonstick spray
- Measure dry ingredients and add together in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Measure wet ingredients (molasses, applesauce, almond milk) and add to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix together well until the batter is uniform in consistency.
- Using an ice cream scooper or large spoon, spoon the batter into muffin tins
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. The muffins are ready when a toothpick or fork can be inserted into the center and comes out dry.
- Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and enjoy!
-Jess