This is my kind of cake. The inside is naturally sweetened with honey and molasses, and spiced with my favorite warming spices. No mixer required!

Then I slathered the top with pillowy clouds of cream cheese frosting, because why not? It’s the holiday season. Let’s deck the halls. Bring on the cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

I’ve received several requests for gingerbread cake over the years, and this one delivers. It’s more of a wholesome, hearty cake than a delicate bakery cake, but the frosting balances it all out.

I used my partner Frontier Co-op’s spices, which always smell and taste so fresh. Their Vietnamese cinnamon is sweet like snickerdoodles, rather than fiery like Red Hots.

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Are you all hanging on out there? With all the holiday parties and gift-buying and sugary sweets, it’s easy to get worn out. I think I’ve made it abundantly clear lately (sorry) that I’m on the worn-out side myself. I’ve resolved to focus on top priorities and let the rest slip, starting with my first yoga class in weeks tomorrow morning. I also want to hire some help so I can take a proper post-cookbook vacation next year. India? Morocco? Thailand?

I’m bummed that I haven’t been able to share all of the holiday recipes on my list this year. I might try to squeeze in a few extra if I can be more brief in the introduction. What do you say? I know we’re all busy this time of year.

I really wanted to revisit this gingerbread pancakes recipe that I published almost four years ago exactly. It’s one of my favorites. I’ve just been reticent to promote these pancakes because they looked like unappetizing brown blobs in the old photos. Here are some better photos to do them justice, along with a revised recipe that meets my post-cookbook recipe-writing standards. I also added special diet notes, so these should work if you’re vegan and/or gluten free.

These molasses-laced spiced pancakes are fluffy yet hearty, and both warming and comforting. They’re for Christmas morning and special occasions, but they’re also for those other days when we need some warmth and cheer. I hope you enjoy them on a cozy winter morning soon. In case you’re craving more gingerbread-flavored sweets, check out my gingerbread granola, spicy molasses cookies and gingerbread cookies.

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These gingerbread cookies will make your home smell like Christmas! I made a few simple substitutions to turn classic gingerbread cookies into healthier gingerbread cookies, without sacrificing flavor. They’ve been one of my favorite Christmas cookies since I developed this recipe ten years ago.

This cookie recipe is fun to make, especially with good company. Last weekend, my four-year-old daughter and I turned this dough into homemade gingerbread houses with this cookie cutter set (affiliate link), and we’ll soon make more batches of gingerbread cookies to share with friends.

I’m excited to introduce you to this recipe, too. The dough is remarkably easy to make (no mixer required) and manage (it might as well be Play-Doh!), with no chilling necessary. Turn on your favorite Christmas music and let’s start baking.

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This granola tastes like gingerbread! It’s the perfect granola for Christmastime. It’s irresistibly crisp-ity crunch-ity and full of my favorite winter ingredients—warming spices, pecans and oats. A hearty drizzle of molasses infuses it with classic gingerbread flavor. Its bitterness is offset by sweet maple syrup, dried ginger and cranberries.

This granola is a holiday iteration of my favorite granola recipe. It’s a great way to spend a few minutes of downtime on a leisurely Sunday afternoon, and the resulting batch will make plenty for hurried breakfasts during the workweek.

You could make extra to deliver to friends and family as a special homemade holiday treat. It stores well in a sealed bag or mason jar. Add a bow or a nice little note for a memorable gift!

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I’m always on the hunt for great whole grain, naturally sweetened baked good recipes and I’m happy to share another with you today. Well technically, it’s really more like three quick bread recipes in one, because the resulting loaves taste so different depending on which sweetener you use! I came across Joy’s recipe for quick molasses bread on a cold night this winter. Looking for an excuse to crank up the oven, I peeled myself off the couch, poured myself a drink, mixed all six (6!) ingredients together and popped it in the oven.

An hour later, I pulled out a dense and heavy, moist molasses bread. I nibbled on a corner piece and wondered, could I make this with honey? I poured myself another drink and mixed up some more quick bread batter, this time with honey instead of molasses. The recipe is so simple that I had almost had it memorized by the second go-around. The next thing I knew, I was nibbling on delicious honey bread. Since then I’ve tried the bread with blackstrap molasses and maple syrup; each loaf has its own signature characteristics but they are all delicious.

My dear friend and college roommate Grace and I have been in an ongoing discussion about natural sweeteners in the comments of my banana bread post. Neither Grace or I did much baking when we lived together, but we’ve both developed an interest in the years since and I love comparing results with her. She has such a voice, in person and in writing, that when I read her notes I hear her speaking them in my head (have a I told you that, G?). Every time I hear from her, I feel like we’re back in our cozy living room on 315 College Avenue and the discussion is as lively as ever.

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As a kid, I didn’t like molasses flavored cookies. I’d crinkle my little nose at gingerbread men and reach for a snickerdoodle instead. I’ve changed my ways this year and finally learned to like—no, to love—the bittersweet flavor of molasses. Molasses retains some of the trace minerals found in the sugar cane plant, like iron and calcium, so it’s a sweetener worth learning to like.

These cookies deliver a serious kick in the mouth, with a strong molasses flavor and lots of warm spices, including a dash of freshly ground black pepper. Simmering the spices with the butter lends a delightful complexity and makes the cookies extraordinary. These cookies are not for kids, mind you, but for true molasses fans.

I’ve been posting more dessert recipes than usual this month but promise that come January, we can detox with greens and satisfying soups. So if you’re not quite fed up with holiday sweets yet, I suggest making a batch of these spicy treats this weekend. One batch yields only about 16 cookies, and they freeze well, so you can savor them over the next couple of cold months if you’d like. I find that one of these spicy cookies is the perfect companion my afternoon cup of coffee.

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