Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Every Christmastime needs Vegan Gingerbread Cookies and these ones are packed with gingerbread flavours but are much quicker and easier to make than regular gingerbread. A quick dough rolled out and baked to crispy vegan, gluten-free cookie perfection.
As much as I love classic vegan gingerbread (like my wreath and shapes here which are so fun) I also love a quicker cookie dough and this one is just that. It’s nice and crisp, packed with gingerbread flavours but doesn’t require any boiling or bubbling, only stirring the dough. These are so cute to make any time of year and are so fun to cut and decorate however you like.
How are amazing are these Vegan Gingerbread Cookies?
These cookies are so delicious, they are:
- Packed with gingerbread flavour
- Made from wholefoods
- Easy to make in one bowl
- Crisp, crunchy and golden
- Slightly chewy in the middle
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free
- Nut-free options, too
- Fun to decorate
I hope you will love these Vegan Gingerbread Cookies so please do skip ahead to the recipe card below, if you like.
What ingredients do into these cookies?
The base recipe for these festive cookies is similar to my Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies (I did say it’s my new favourite cookie dough). It works every time and is so crisp and golden:
- Runny smooth nut butter: or you can seed butter. My favourites to use are cashew or almond butter for their more cookie-like flavour.
- Maple syrup: for the “sugar” in these sugar cookies. You can swap this for agave or vegan honey, too, or something similar.
- Molasses: this adds the classic gingerbread flavour which is so important for the overall taste and colour. If you don’t have any molasses, you can use extra maple syrup as above.
- Vanilla essence: for the cookie flavour.
- Plain or GF flour: this keeps the cookie dough light, crisp and easy to work with. If you are using gluten-free flour, use the one you usually bake with and that has xantham gum to prevent crumbly cookies.
- Gingerbread spices: ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg come together for the best festive flavours.
- Salt: to enhance all the flavours.
The method is also the same as for the other sugar cookies: mix together the wet ingredients then fold in the dry ingredients before leaving the dough to chill for 30 minutes. Then roll out the dough and cut into your favourite shapes. Bake similar sized cookies on the same sheet so they bake easily.
What shapes can you make?
I chose a few different shapes for these Vegan Gingerbread Cookies:
- Gingerbread people: decorated with white icing sugar
- Round fluted cookies: stamped with words like “jolly”.
- Linzer cookies: filled with jam. Follow the method for my Chocolate Hazelnut Linzer Cookies and fill them with your favourite jam.
- Gingerbread house: this cookie dough is perfect for building a gingerbread house, make sure you have the correct cutters and away you go.
Are these cookies glute-free and nut-free?
These cookies are easily gluten-free if you use gluten-free flour and to make them nut-free, swap the nut butter for a seed butter like tahini or sunflower seed butter.
How long will these cookies last for?
Like most gingerbread, the cookies actually last for 1-2 weeks once baked, cooled and decorated although they will start to soften after 5 days or so. It’s best to make them fresh when you can, but know that they do last throughout the season.
Can I make these into a cookie box?
Yes, these Vegan Gingerbread Cookies are so perfect for a Vegan Cookie Box so you can mix and match with your favourite cookies.
What other Christmas recipes and cookies will I like?
If you love these Vegan Gingerbread Cookies as much as I do and are looking for some more recipe ideas, how about my:
- Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Snickerdoodles
- Mini Vegan Panettone
- Gingerbread Caramel French Toast
- Vegan Christmas Rocky Road
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Every Christmastime needs Vegan Gingerbread Cookies and these ones are packed with gingerbread flavours but are much quicker and easier to make than regular gingerbread. A quick dough rolled out and baked to crispy vegan, gluten-free cookie perfection.
Ingredients
- For the cookies:
- 120g (1/2 cup) runny smooth almond butter
- 60ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup
- 15ml (1 tbsp) molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 105g (3/4 cup) plain or GF plain flour, plus extra
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- A pinch of nutmeg
- A pinch of salt Decoration:
- 50g (1/2 cup) icing sugar
- 1-2 tbsp water
Directions
- Add the almond butter, syrup, molasses and vanilla to a bowl and mix to a smooth paste. Add in the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and bring to a sticky dough (it may look dry to start but keep mixing).
- Bring the dough to a ball with your hands and wrap in clingfilm. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line 2 to 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a floured work surface place the dough and sprinkle over some flour. Use a piece of parchment under the rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 1/2 cm thickness.
- Cut out gingerbread men or other shapes like circles or stars.
- Lift off the cut outs and place on the baking trays (they don’t spread much so don’t need a lot of room). Arrange the cookies in order of size on different trays so they cook evenly.
- Bake for 5-8 minutes for really small cookies (like these stars), 8-10 for medium gingerbread men and 12-14 minutes for the largest cookies, turning the trays round halfway through.
- Cool for 10 minutes on the trays then cool fully on a wire rack.
- Once cool, stir together the icing sugar and water to a thick but pipeable consistency. Use a piping bag and snip off the end to pipe over the gingerbread shapes.
- Keep cookies at room temperature in a sealed container for 1-2 weeks or in the fridge. The cookies will soften over time.
I look forward to hearing what you think of these Vegan Gingerbread Cookies so please let me know in the comments below. if you do make these cookies, I’d love to see them so please tag me in your bakes, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With gingerbread love x
Your recepie giving whole Christmas vibe
YAY all about the Christmas vibes – enjoy!
Yay 😀 Amy soooo festive as always and my favourite flavours is gingerbread and wish there was a emoji for gingerbread. I need to have my first gingerbread and also mince pie as well. Definitely will tag you into my bakes using your recipes for sure. Splendid photography as always and saved to my WordPress saved collection.
Hope your family are good? As well my dog 🐶 B says woofs to your cat J.
Gingerbread is so good isn’t it, enjoy!