These Soft Gingerbread Cookies for Babies are naturally sweetened with dates and apple sauce, which makes them suitable for littles under two years of age.
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Healthy Gingerbread Cookies for Babies
This year will be my little girl’s first holiday season, and I also wanted her to have some cookies! She is only nine months old and shouldn’t have any added sugars in her diet, so I developed this alternative recipe. These baby cookies have a chewier texture than a classic cookie recipe and have a subtle sweetness, which is how recipes should be for babies!
Reasons to Love this Baby-Friendly Gingerbread Recipe
- It makes soft cookies suitable for babies over nine months of age.
- You can use festive cookie cutters (reindeer, stars, Christmas tree).
- They are naturally sweetened. Most recipes you will find online use maple syrup for baby cookies, and it is not recommended for babies under two years of age. Dates and fruit alternatives are acceptable.
- You can make a small batch easily, only using a spatula and your hands. No mixer is required.
Ingredients to Make Sugar-Free Christmas Cookies for Babies and Toddlers
- All-purpose flour: To add structure to the cookies.
- Almond flour: Contributes to the softness of the cookies.
- Baking powder: Leavening agent. I like using a small amount in baby cookies as they turn out lighter and softer.
- Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves: These are the main spices used for flavor.
- Apple sauce: Unsweetened, for added flavor and the liquid component of the dough.
- Unsalted butter: Added fat to help form the dough.
- Vanilla: I use a water-based vanilla for baby recipes. This is my favorite!
- Dates: I used Medjool dates, if using Deglet noor or other smaller type, double the quantity in the recipe card.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Soak the dates in boiling water for 30 minutes.
- In a small food processor, blend the soaked dates and apple sauce until a paste is formed (Scrape down the sides and repeat as needed).
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the date-apple mixture, vanilla, and unsalted butter.
- Start incorporating the dry and wet ingredients using a silicone spatula. Then, use your hands to form a moldable gingerbread dough.
- Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Flour a clean surface and roll out the cookie dough to ¼ in (6mm) using an adjustable rolling pin and a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut the cookies.
- Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake at 350F for 13 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool before moving them, as they will harden more during cooling.
Recipe Tips
- Alternatively, open the dough on a baking silicone mat or parchment paper.
- This sugar-free recipe can be offered to babies over nine months old when they can handle soft, dry foods. These cookies are not sweet to an adult taste but just the perfect sweetness for a baby who hasn’t been exposed to sugary foods.
- If offering to little kids over two years, you can split the dough and add 1 tbsp of maple syrup to half of it. If necessary, add more flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
Tools Needed
- Large Bowl
- Spatula
- Parchment paper
- Baking tray
- Cookie cutter
Serving Suggestions and Substitutions
- You can serve these delicious soft gingerbread cookies with yogurt or apple sauce if necessary to soften even more.
- If you don’t have ground cloves, substitute it with nutmeg or cinnamon.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Refrigerator: Store these cookies in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Make sure these are in an airtight container.
Freezer: You can freeze these baby gingerbread cookies for up to 3 months. Let them cool, add to a Ziplock bag and freeze. Defrost in the microwave or in the refrigerator overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Babies can not have the classic gingerbread cookies made with honey or molasses as they have the risk of infant botulism and are added sugars. Babies can have soft gingerbread cookies sweetened with fruits as this recipe here on my blog.
The texture of the cookie needs to be crispy on the edges with a semi-soft, cake-like inside. However, gingerbread cookies for babies will be softer.
Young babies need nutrient-dense foods and cookies are not necessarily nutritious. However, occasionally it isn’t a problem. However, these cookies even though soft, they are better handled by babies over 9 months of age.
Foods with added sugars or sweeteners are not recommended for children younger than 24 months of age. Foods with added sugars can include muffins, flavored yogurts, or cookies. Homemade cookies sweetened with fruit are acceptable.
Other Cookie Recipes You May Like:
If you make this recipe, I would love to hear your comments below!
🥣Recipe
Soft Gingerbread Cookies for Babies
Equipment
- 1 Baking tray
Ingredients
- 180 g all purpose flour
- 60 g almond flour
- 80 g apple sauce
- 4 medjool dates softened in boiling water
- 75 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Soak the pitted dates in boiling water for 30 minutes.
- In a small food processor, blend the soaked dates and apple sauce until a paste is formed (Scrape down the sides and repeat as needed).
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the date-apple mixture, vanilla, and unsalted butter.
- Start incorporating the wet and dry ingredients using a silicone spatula. Then, use your hands to form a moldable dough.
- Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Flour a clean surface and using an adjustable rolling pin, roll out the cookie dough to ¼ in (6mm) and use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut the cookies.
- Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake at 350F for 13 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool before moving them as they will harden a bit more during cooling.
Notes
- Alternatively, open the dough on a baking silicone mat or parchment paper.
- This sugar-free recipe can be offered to babies over nine months old when they can handle soft dry foods. These cookies are not sweet to an adult taste but just the perfect sweetness for a baby who hasn’t been exposed to sugary foods.
- If offering to older kids, you can split the dough and add 1 tbsp of maple syrup to half of it. If necessary, add more flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
- The recipe calls for Medjool dates, if using deglet noor or other smaller type, make sure to double the amount.
Nutrition
