Grain-free and gluten-free vegan gingerbread cookies that are perfectly spiced, and crisp. Make them with your kiddos and have them help with icing them!
Look at that gingerbread goodness. Don’t they look jolly? They are crisp and melt in your mouth at the same time, and perfectly spiced – everything you’d expect from a holiday cookie but they are gluten-free and grain-free. You can totally get the kids involved with this easy gluten-free gingerbread men recipe. The dough comes together quite easily but it’s really the decoration part where the fun’s at!
For my gingerbread men frosting, I went with a simple mix of powdered sugar and coconut cream! This is the perfect and most simple frosting for these little festive fellows.
You will find the smell hard to resist whilst baking! Really, impossible not to get all the cozy feels. Put on some festive tunes, don the apron and let’s get baking!
These guys are:
- Crispy on the edges
- Soft the center if you bake for shorter time – so addictive
- Packed with those holiday spices -molasses, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, clove and nutmeg
- Begging to be frosted but hey they also taste amazing as they are
MORE HOLIDAY RECIPES FROM THE BLOG:
If you do not have gingerbread cookie cutters but still want that gingerbread magic in your mouth, you could just bake them into little rounds! Happy holidays, friends!
Gluten-Free Grain-Free Gingerbread Men
Vegan, grain-free and gluten-free gingerbread men that are perfectly spiced, soft and chewy. Make them with your kiddos and have them help with icing them!
Servings: 20
Calories: 79kcal
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (112 g) almond flour
- 3 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- generous pinch of clove and nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
For the Icing:
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- few tsp coconut cream as needed.
Instructions
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In a bowl, mix the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, spices, and salt. Mix well until the mixture is well combined.
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Add the melted coconut oil, molasses, maple syrup, and mix well. Press and mix until the mixture forms somewhat of a dough. The mixture will be somewhat sticky, but it will stiffen once you refrigerate it. Refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes, then bring it together and press and knead for 15 seconds.
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Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, and roll it out into an evenly thin oval, or circle, or rectangle.
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Use your cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Accumulate the leftover pieces, roll back into a dough ball, roll out again, and repeat to make more shapes.
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Distribute the shapes on baking sheets based on their size. You want to keep similarly sized shapes on one baking sheet, and the larger ones on another baking sheet. If they’re all similar sizes, they can be on the same baking sheet. Otherwise the smaller cookies will get too crisp or brown or the larger ones will stay too soft.
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Bake at 315 degrees F (160 C) for 11-12 minutes. Check at 11 minutes to see if the edges are starting to get crisp, if not, bake for another 1 or 2 minutes. Depending on how thin you rolled the dough out, and your baking sheet and oven, you may need 2-3 more minutes for larger pieces, or if they’re rolled out thicker, you’d need to add another minute or two. For crispy cookies you want them to be crispy on the edges, and they eventually crisp out in the middle once cooled. Almond flour and coconut flour tends to browne really quickly so you want to keep an eye out for the cookies.
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Remove the tray from the oven when done, and transfer the cookies after 2 mins, gently to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely until before icing.
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For the icing, mix icing sugar with 2-4 tsp coconut cream or until the icing is a thick mix, then use a chopstick to make whatever design you want, or pour into a plastic bag, cut a small hole into the edge, and use however you’d like.Store on the counter for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for longer
Notes
- I add coconut cream to my icing but you could also add some melted vegan butter instead for longer shelf life.
- The dough is sticky and needs to be chilled before rolling out. You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead of time.
- To make these oil free, just omit the oil. You’d need to add 1-2 tsp more maple syrup to bring the dough together.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Grain-Free Gingerbread Men
Amount Per Serving
Calories 79 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 32mg1%
Potassium 30mg1%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 21mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients for making Vegan Gingerbread Cookies:
- A mix of almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca starch gives these the perfect soft and chewy texture
- As for gingerbread spices we are going for a festive blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice and a generous pinch of clove and nutmeg
- Vanilla extract is optional but recommended
- 1/4 tsp salt brings out the sweetness some more enhances the spiciness
- A small amount of melted coconut oil is added for moisture
- Molasses is not just medicine for the winter plagues should but also adds that cozy malty flavor and that signature color. We also add some maple syrup to these.
- The icing is a simple mix of icing sugar and coconut cream which results in the perfect texture.You can also use melted vegan butter for a longer shelf life
- This cookie dough does not need any baking powder or soda
Tips and Substitutions
- I add coconut cream to my icing but you could also add some melted vegan butter.
- Add a small amount of coconut cream to the icing sugar first and stir until very thick, then add very little if you feel you need more.
- The gingerbread dough is sticky and needs to be chilled before rolling out. You can make the dough up to 4 days ahead of time.
- You will have an easier time cutting these out if dipping your cookie cutters into rice flour in between cutting.
- To make these gingerbread men oil-free, just omit the oil. You’d need to add 1-2 tsp more maple syrup to bring the dough together.
How to make Grain-free Gluten-free Vegan Gingerbread Cookies:
In a bowl, mix the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, spices and salt. Mix well until the mixture is well combined.
Add the melted coconut oil molasses, maple syrup, and mix well.
Press and mix until the mixture forms somewhat of a dough. The mixture will be somewhat sticky, but it will stiffen once you refrigerate it. Refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes, then bring it together and press and knead for 15 seconds.
Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, and roll it out into an evenly thin oval, or circle, or rectangle.
Use your cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Accumulate the leftover pieces, roll back into dough ball, roll out again, and repeat to make more shapes.
Distribute the shapes on baking sheets based on their size. You want to keep similarly sized shapes on one baking sheet, and the larger ones on another baking sheet. If they’re all similar sizes, they can be on the same baking sheet.
Bake at 315 degrees F for 11-12 minutes.
Check at 11 minutes to see if the edges are starting to get crisp, if not, bake for another 1 or two minutes. Depending on how thin you rolled the dough out, and your baking sheet and oven, you may need 2-3 more minutes for larger pieces, or if they’re rolled out thicker, you’d need to add another minute or two.
For crispy cookies you want them to be crispy on the edges, and they eventually crisp out in the middle once cooled. Almond flour tends to get browned really quickly so you want to keep an eye out on the cookies.
Remove the tray from the oven when done, and transfer the cookies gently to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely until before icing.
For the icing, mix some coconut cream and icing sugar until the icing is a thick mix, then use a chopstick to make whatever design you want, or pour into a plastic bag, cut a small hole into the edge, and ice however you’d like.
I hope you enjoy this gluten-free gingerbread man recipe! Make lots – some friends, many for yourself, and of course lots to spare for the kiddos. They will have a blast decorating them – dotting on buttons and smiley faces.
These gingerbread men would also be adorable individually wrapped.
