Healthy gingerbread loaf recipe with whole wheat or spelt flour, applesauce and simple maple syrup glaze. Fill your kitchen air with traditional holidays’ spices and enjoy a slice too, without the guilt. This quick bread – gingerbread is super moist and SO delicious!
It is an old recipe of mine that I have improved, so there is no more complicated coconut cream glaze or bumps on top. The loaf came out with a perfect texture and a touch of molasses that are not overpowering ginger. In place of the glaze, I used just maple syrup, which you can sprinkle with one of your favourite spices like nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger.
You see?! The loaf is shining with pure goodness right at you. Also try my healthy gingerbread cookies and healthy gingerbread fudge. Happy Holidays baking!
How to Make Healthy Gingerbread Loaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line 9×5 loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, add flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine making sure there are no lumps (sometimes baking soda or powder can lump).
In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs for 10 seconds.
Add applesauce, molasses, maple syrup, oil and vanilla.
Whisk until mixed well.
Tip: I used organic unsulphured molasses.
Pour into a bowl with dry ingredients.
Mix with spatula gently, just enough to combine.
Until you see no more white flour pockets. Do not stir vigorously or over mix. I do a few stirs, let flour to absorb liquids for a minute and stir gently again.
Pour into prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for 1 hour. Drizzling small amounts on a pastry brush, glaze the loaf and cut into 12 slices using serrated knife.
Healthy Gingerbread Loaf
Healthy gingerbread loaf recipe with whole wheat flour, applesauce and simple maple syrup glaze. Fill your kitchen air with holidays spices and enjoy a slice guilt free. Moist and SO good.
- Prep Time: 8 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, large
- 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey + more for glazing
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Cooking spray (I use Misto)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line 9×5 loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, add flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder + soda, and salt; whisk well to combine.
- In another medium bowl, whisk eggs for 10 seconds. Add applesauce, molasses, maple syrup, oil and vanilla; whisk until mixed well. Pour into a bowl with dry ingredients and mix with spatula gently, just enough to combine or until you see no more white flour pockets. Do not stir vigorously or over mix.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool off for 1 hour.
- Drizzling small amounts of honey or maple syrup on a pastry brush, glaze the loaf and cut into 12 slices using serrated knife.
Store: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 – 4 months.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
Olena,
Can I use gluten-free flour to make this recipe?
Would also like to know how to access your Ukrainian dinner recipes…
Thank you!
Hi Judy!
Baking is a science and unfortunately this recipe hasn’t been tested with gluten free flour.
Many of my recipes are inspired by my Ukrainian upbringing. Here are a few:
https://ifoodreal.com/ukrainian-borscht/
https://ifoodreal.com/baked-chicken-thighs/
https://ifoodreal.com/ukrainian-dill-coleslaw/
I used gluten free all purpose flour and it turned out great! I also replaced molasses with brown coconut sugar.
I made this recipe more less in line with the original recipe. I used regular flour instead of spelt, and used only a 1/4 cup date syrup (date molasses) – as we only have blackstrap molasses in NZ. I did glaze the loaf with maple syrup. This is incredibly quick and easy to make, and delicious. It is very light and “springy” in texture rather than dense and moist like most gingerbread/ginger loaf recipes. I found it sweet enough with just the 1/4 cup date syrup. Will definitely make this again, as I love healthier options for lunch boxes, morning tea etc. Thank you, Olena!
That is so amazing to hear! Glad you enjoyed my recipe, Ellen!
I made this with flax eggs. It didn’t rise much and was a bit crumbly, but the flavor is exceptional. Super moist and dangerously delicious. I tossed in 100g of orange puree, some dried cranberries and gooseberries for tartness, and omitted the maple syrup altogether. Here, maple syrup is way too expensive to bake with on a regular basis, unfortunately. I made up for the lack of sweetness by adding 1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia plus 50g blackstrap molasses called for in the recipe. It came out great. Thanks Olena for all your great recipes and baking advise. I hardly ever leave any comments; but I strongly felt I had to let you know none of your recipes has ever disappointed. Gracias.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Susana!
Delicious!! I’ve made it twice so far and it will definitely be one of my go-to recipes! Thank you!!
★★★★★
You are so welcome Marilee!
Hi. I love ginger bread, and this recipe was delicious. Question: can this recipe be used in a bread maker machine?
Thanks for the great recipes – I have tried a few and they are all delicious, and easy to make.
Diana
Hi Diana! I have never tried my recipes in a bread maker. Sorry!
Unfortunately your site is virtually impossible to use with a the pop ups and advertising.
Hi Helen. I understand! This much advertising makes free recipes possible. You might be not aware but even web hosting for this size of website is $600US per month not to mention 4 people working to deliver content. There are only 2 pop ups and one of them doesn’t show anymore if you click the Close button. Video player has a Close button top right corner as well. Hope that helps.
Awesome recipe! I triple the recipe, bake it in a big pan on 350 for 45minutes, and cut it up into squares to put in ziploc containers in the freezer. Freezes very well and the little guy loves it for dessert. Even if it partially frozen. Way healthier than recipes calling for copious amounts of butter and sugar. Awesome job!
★★★★★
So glad you and your little guy love the recipe 🙂
This was delicious. I used walnut oil instead of avocado as that’s what I had. Also added raisins. I forgot to put the glaze on but the loaf was all gone by the time I remembered ?
★★★★★
That is so amazing to hear! Glad you enjoyed my recipe, Celia.
Can this be made in small individual sized loaf pans? If so how many & for how long? Want to make these for holiday gifts ?
I am sure you can but I haven’t tried. Recipe will work though but eye the baking time. A bit less.
I tried and was delicious, I think I got too excited about the ginger and might have added too much
Thank you!
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ahmad.
What type of apples do you use to make the apple sauce? Thanks
Whichever grow on my tree haha. Idk. They are green and red.
In the oven now. I did substitute for coconut oil since that’s what I had and also, I’ve added a cup of golden raisins…We’ll see…
It will work.:) Enjoy!
Looks and behaves like a gingerbread loaf. But tastes fantastic, with great ingredients too.
★★★★★
🙂
Step 4 doesn’t make any sense. I thought it didn’t have a glaze. You wrote – Drizzling small amounts on a pastry brush, glaze the loaf. Small amounts of what? I don’t see where you say.
Of honey or maple syrup.
Love this recipe. I want to use more molasses, 1/2 to 2/3 cup. What adjustments should I make? Thank you.
I would replace some of maple syrup with molasses and see how that goes. Maybe add just a few tbsp of maple syrup on top. I really don’t want to throw off liquid:dry ratio here so you end up with unsatisfying results.:) Baking is such a science.
This bread was really good!
★★★★★
Does it matter if I don’t have avocado oil?
Feel free to use any other oil you have: olive, coconut etc., but you need oil for sure.
I am loving the looks of this! I’ll bet it smells warm and wonderful throughout the whole house.
I’m so happy commenting and eyes are working! xoxo
Oh Olena this looks so good. I’m off tomorrow and I have all the ingredients so I’ll make it. I’m going to try it with flax eggs though 🙂 I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Yes, let me know! Hope all is well with you!!! xoxo
amazing! I was skeptical at first being a sugar junkie but this turned out perfectly. The icing was a little runny though any tips for thickening up?
Not really except using good quality coconut milk or pouring on a cooled off loaf.
You know, I retested this recipe today and changed it, so there will be no more icing just maple syrup on top. Worked really well, try that.
New readers – I left this comment up for Curry to answer her question. There is no more coconut glaze, you are not missing anything.:)