November 28, 2016

Healthy Maple Gingerbread Loaf

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Soft, moist and fluffy, this healthy maple gingerbread loaf is a holiday season staple! Packed with whole wheat flour, applesauce, molasses and warm spices, it’s perfect for snacking or dessert. Dairy free and soy free.

Slices of Healthy Maple Gingerbread on a white platter with a napkin to the side.

Greetings from holiday central! With Thanksgiving behind us, I have taken to turning our house into a Christmas wonderland. 

And with the current festive state of my house, it seemed only right to kick Christmas recipe season off with this healthy maple gingerbread loaf.

Soft. Fluffy. Moist (<— yes, I said it). Filled with plenty of warm spices and a touch of molasses, it’s spiced but not super duper spicy – i.e. just how I like my gingerbread.

And basically tastes like Christmas in cake form.

Plus it’s something that you can feel good about eating. Packed with whole wheat flour, applesauce and sweetened with pure maple syrup, it’s perfectly acceptable (um, at least in my opinion) to enjoy a slice for breakfast.

Especially if slathered with some almond butter. Which I highly suggest, might I add.

Or, drizzle a piece with a touch of maple syrup (or honey) and enjoy it for dessert or just as a snack. Happy happy. Especially if you have some hot tea in a Christmas mug to go right along with it. Yesssss.

Stacked slices of Healthy Maple Gingerbread Loaf on a white dish.

Tips & Tricks For This Healthy Gingerbread Loaf

  1. All ovens are different in terms of bake time. I feel like I say this a lot but, truth. 55 minutes is perfect in my oven for this loaf, however this can vary. Just check for doneness with a cake tester.
  2. Be sure to stick with the white whole wheat flour here (and not regular whole wheat flour). It helps keep the loaf nice and light and fluffy.
  3. Also, try to stick with a 9×5 inch loaf pan. After a whole lotta testing, I find it just bakes up better in this size pan.
  4. The sparkling (or turbinado) sugar for sprinkling is totally optional, but it adds just the most delightful little crunch to the top of the loaf. 

Two pieces of Healthy Maple Gingerbread Loaf on a plate with a cup of coffee in the background.

Additional Quick Breads You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Moist and fluffy healthy maple gingerbread loaf! With whole wheat flour, applesauce and plenty of warm spice! Perfect for snacking or dessert!

Healthy Maple Gingerbread Loaf

Yield: 1 (9x5 inch) loaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Soft, moist and fluffy, this healthy maple gingerbread loaf is a holiday season staple! Packed with whole wheat flour, applesauce, molasses and warm spices, it’s perfect for snacking or dessert. Dairy free and soy free.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups white whole wheat flour
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup grapeseed oil, avocado oil OR melted coconut oil*
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
  • sparkling or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
  • additional maple syrup or honey, for serving

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and sea salt.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the applesauce, eggs, vanilla, oil, maple syrup and molasses until well combined.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the sparkling sugar.
  5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
  6. We love drizzling a touch more maple syrup (or honey!) over each slice right before enjoying.

Notes

*If you are using the coconut oil - two important points! First - be sure to melt the coconut oil and then measure out the correct amount (otherwise you may use too much). And second - let all the other ingredients come to room temperature before using with the coconut oil. If other ingredients are cold (especially the applesauce), the coconut oil can harden up.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 209Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 11gProtein: 4g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

© Ashley / Cook Nourish Bliss
Cuisine: American / Category: Breads
Breads, Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes, Christmas, Dairy Free, Dessert, Nut Free, Recipes (ALL), Seasonal, Snacks, Soy Free, Vegetarian
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