This is a reduced sugar version of this kids favourite. Fun to eat and even more fun to make together!

Why reduced sugar and not sugar-free gingerbread men?

You will see ‘sugar-free’ gingerbread recipes around. But actually, they’re not sugar-free as they often contain honey (like this recipe), syrup, fruit purée or juice. And these are all forms of added ‘free sugar’ too! So, in the interests of accuracy, although these don’t contain traditional sugar, they contain some added sugar in the form of honey.

Why do I choose to sweeten these with honey rather than any other form of sugar?

I chose to sweeten these with honey, not because it’s ‘healthier’ than brown sugar but because it gives a smoother dough. And I chose honey over the traditional golden syrup because this isn’t an ingredient most people have lying around, and I hate to have to shop for a particular ingredient I may not use again. But if you have it, feel free to use it. It’s no better and no worse than honey or sugar!

Another way to reduce the sugar content of biscuits!

It makes perfect sense, of course, but the sugar content of each biscuit is dependent on the size of the biscuit. I purposely made these mini gingerbread biscuits to keep the sugar intake for little tummies low. Have you ever seen the size of gingerbread men in cafes?! They are gingerbread giants, not gingerbread men!

Using a mini Gingerbread man cutter ensures you’ll get about 60 mini men (or stars) from this recipe, with each one containing only 1g of added sugar.

Are these suitable for babies?

No, they’re not. Firstly, honey is a food safety risk for babies under 12 months. And secondly, it’s better if babies under one aren’t exposed to added sugar. And that includes honey, maple syrup and other fancy sugars!

READ MORE: Sugar for babies-Separating fact from fiction!

Can you freeze them?

I would recommend freezing the raw dough and then cooking from fresh. 

Getting kids in the kitchen

Getting kids in the kitchen to touch, smell and see new foods gets them further towards tasting new foods. And they’ll love getting stuck in with rolling and cutting out these little men.

READ MORE: Messy food play-a super way to help your child accept new foods

You’ll need:

• 175 g Plain Flour
• 1/2 tsp Bread Soda
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 50 g Cold Butter
• 1 medium Egg, Beaten
• Handful Currants (Optional)
• 1 Icing Pen (Optional)

To make these: 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 170C
2. Line a tray with baking paper
3. Measure the dry ingredients and mix in a big bowl or bowl of a stand mixer
4. Grate in the cold butter. Then either mix with your fingertips or use your stand-mixer to mix in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
5. Add the honey (tip: spray your measuring spoon with spray oil first, the honey will slip off!) and egg
6. Bring gently into a smooth ball
7. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. You can roll them as flat or thick as you like. I like them thin and crispy, but kids find them easier to handle when they’re thicker!
8. Cut out the shapes. Using a smaller cutter like this mini gingerbread man cutter makes them much easier for kids to handle.
9. If you’re using currants for decoration, add these now
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are a slightly darker shade of brown
11. Cool on the tray for a few moments and then transfer gently to a wire cooling rack
12. When they’re cool, you can decorate them with an icing pen or homemade icing. Let your imagination run wild!

Gingerbread Men (reduced sugar)

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This is a reduced sugar version of this kid's favourite. Fun to eat and even more fun to make together!

Ingredients

• 175 g Plain Flour
• 1/2 tsp Bread Soda
• 1 tsp Ground Ginger
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 50 g Cold Butter
• 1 medium Egg, Beaten
• Handful Currants (Optional)
• 1 Icing Pen (Optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 170C
2. Line a tray with baking paper
3. Measure the dry ingredients and mix together in a big bowl or bowl of a stand mixer
4. Grate in the cold butter. Then either mix with your fingertips or use your stand-mixer to mix in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
5. Add the honey (tip: spray your measuring spoon with spray oil first, the honey will just slip off!) and egg
6. Bring gently into a smooth ball
7. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. You can roll them as flat or thick as you like. I like them thin and crispy but kids find them easier to handle when they're a bit thicker!
8. Cut out the shapes. Using a smaller cutter like this mini gingerbread man cutter makes them much easier for kids to handle.
9. If you're using currants for decoration add these now
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are a slightly darker shade of brown
11. Cool on the tray for a few moments and then transfer gently to a wire cooling rack
12. When they're cool, you can decorate with an icing pen or homemade icing. Let your imagination run wild!