I put out a little “SOS” of sorts on Facebook last week asking you guys what type of baked treats you’d like to see on the blog before Christmas. Though I got a lot of replies the most common theme was gingerbread, and specifically to make it gluten-free and vegan. When you talk, I listen! I got to work that same day and perfected a recipe by morning. Friends, I present to you both gluten-free AND vegan gingerbread cookies!
This batter is seriously decadent looking, no? But it’s deceptive as it actually has plenty of wholesome gluten-free grains like buckwheat, brown rice, and oat flour. It also includes one flax egg and a healthy heaping of molasses, which we all know is good for the soul. A few other basic ingredients and we have 1-bowl magic on our hands. Next? Chill, roll, and stamp – my favorite part.
These little guys take a little tender care in the stamping process but once you get them on the tray you’re home free. And the good news is, if you’d rather not mess with cutting them into shapes, you can just roll them into little balls and bake them into some of the BEST, crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside ginger cookies I’ve ever had. No joke!
Look at that stack of gingerbread goodness. These guys are:
Crispy on the edges
Tender and slightly chewy in the center
Packed with ginger, cinnamon and molasses flavor
Seriously amazing
& Begging to be frosted.
I can fix that…
For my frosting I went with a simple mix of powdered sugar, melted vegan butter, and a dash of almond milk. This is the perfect and most simple frosting for these little dudes.
OK, I lied. Stamping them out is my SECOND favorite step. Icing them is my first.
I hope you enjoy these cookies! Make them for friends, for yourself, or with the little kiddos in your life. They will have a ball dotting on buttons and faces and tiny gingerbread man shoes. Maybe more fun than you (but I doubt it).
Once they’re all dressed, package them up and send them to far away friends or ones just across the street. These would also be adorable individually wrapped in cellophane and tied onto presents. Just sayin’. Your family would be seriously impressed.
And before I go, can I just say that making them into little rounds is my preferred way to go because although they aren’t as adorable, they taste like gingerbread MAGIC IN THE MOUTH. Get you some. Happy holidays, friends!
Vegan Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIES
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
- 2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
- 1/4 cup vegan butter (softened)
- 3 Tbsp molasses
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ¼ – 1 ¾ cups gluten-free baking / pancake mix* (or 1:1 gluten-free flour blend)
ICING (optional)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (ensure vegan-friendly as needed)
- 1 Tbsp melted vegan butter
- 1-2 Tbsp almond milk (or other milk of choice)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, prepare flax egg by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Add softened butter, molasses, almond butter, brown sugar, salt, spices, baking soda and beat on low with a mixer, or vigorously whisk.
- Add gluten free baking mix (or flour) and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir until well combined. Your dough should hold its shape when pressed, but not feel dry. I found that 1.5 cups (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) was about the perfect amount, but this will depend on your blend.
- Cover and chill dough for at least one hour (preferably overnight).
- Once chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees (176 C). Carefully roll out dough to a little thicker than 1/8 inch between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment/wax paper, generously sprinkling the bottom layer and the top of the dough with white or brown rice flour before rolling. You don’t want it too thin or they’ll be too crisp.
- Remove top sheet and, working quickly, dip your cookie cutters in rice flour and cut out shapes. Next, lift the plastic wrap (with all of the dough) and place it on a baking sheet or large plate and freeze for 5 minutes to let them firm up. This will make them easier to transfer to your baking sheet for baking.
- Next, use a lightly floured spatula to carefully transfer the cookies to a baking sheet, working quickly. Leave 2 inches for spreading.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they appear only slightly browned on the edges. They’ll continue firming up as they sit on the pan. Let rest on the pan for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Once cooled, decorate with frosting or sprinkle with powdered sugar. I think a perfect, simple frosting option is piping on a mix of 2 cups icing sugar, 1 Tbsp melted butter, and 1-2 Tbsp almond milk (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Just make sure it’s on the thicker side so it doesn’t run.
- Store covered at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer term storage. The batch should make between 25-35 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutter / or if you decide not to cut them and roll them into balls.
Video
Notes
*If you don’t want to cut them out into shapes (as it is a bit onerous with the dough being so tender), after chilling, simply roll 1 Tbsp amounts of dough into balls, freeze for 5 minutes, then bake for 10-12 minutes.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1 1/4 cups GF Pancake Mix, without frosting, and for a batch that makes 30 cookies.
Al says
These cookies are sooooo good, I make them every year. I use bobs red mill gluten free pancake & waffle mix. This recipe is fool proof!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Jo says
What size cookie cutter? Does it matter?
About 3-4 inches long. If smaller, bake for less time. And if larger, bake for longer. Hope that helps!
Melissa says
Hi! Can I use Bob’s red mill 1:1 flour here instead? Thanks so much for everything you create!!
We haven’t tried it in this recipe, but we think so! Let us know how it goes.
Anne says
Do you think I could use cashew butter?
That should work! Let us know if you try it!
Anne says
I did and it worked beautifully! Great recipe. You are always my go-to source for wonderful gluten-free recipes. Thank you for all that you do!
Yay! Thanks for your kind words and lovely review, Anne! xo
Nicole says
I’ve been making this recipe for years! I think the first time I made it was 6 years ago (back in your mostly vegan recipe days) and they always turned out for me. It seems like you’ve changed the gluten-free flour suggestion as I don’t remember it being a pancake mix or having oats. Oats bother me just as much as gluten and I know this is the case for many gf people. They have a similar component to gluten. I have always loved your recipes because they are fail-safe and always worked for my diet (That’s how I know the flour suggestion has changed).
I’m going to use Bob’s Redmill 1 to 1 and cross my fingers that they work!
Hi Nicole, we haven’t modified this recipe. Is it possible you had used our other ginger cookie recipe?
Katy says
Is this dough strong enough to use for a gingerbread house, or would the walls be too fragile when cut that large? I’m looking for a recipe my mom can have, and am not used to not using egg and gluten as binders.
We think so, yes!
Joanna says
Hi there, can you tell me if the following flour blend would work: rice, tapioca, potato, thickener (xanthan gum)?
Otherwise what if I use almond flour with a little baking powder?
Hm, we aren’t sure that would work if it’s white rice flour. But might work with brown rice flour, tapioca, potato, xanthan gum. Let us know if you try it!
Sha says
Hi Dana,
May I know if you know if it’ll work substituting the almond butter with flaxmeal paste?
I don’t have nut or seed butters or coconut butter. But I have flaxmeal and unprocessed flax seeds.
We’d suggest using more vegan butter instead. Let us know if you try it!
Jennifer Baer says
My all purpose GF mix from Trader Joe’s has white rice flour in it and I loved it.
Shikha says
I made these last weekend with only one modification – used a regular egg instead of the vegan swap (even took the time to make your flour blend first!) – and they were phenomenal! I made mostly rounds, and a couple gingerbread men. Your tricks for rolling & cutting the dough worked like a charm! Can’t wait to make another batch because the first were devoured immediately :)
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Shikha. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Chelsea Friedman says
Hi! Can’t wait to try these! Do you think using gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour could work instead of the pancake mix?
Thanks!
That should work, but maybe add a bit more sugar and baking powder. Let us know how it goes!
Kristin says
Did the 1:1 gf flour work for you?
Farah says
The dough keeps on breaking up.. any solutions ?
Hmm, did you make any modifications? If it’s breaking perhaps it’s too dry?
Sarah says
Hello! I tried to make this recipe and my stamped shapes became distorted in the Oven. How do you keep the stamped cookie shape intact through the baking process?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah, chilling the dough is what helps. If using a more melty vegan butter (such as Miyokos), you may need to work in batches to prevent it from melting too much.
Cristin says
Question about the brown sugar: should it be backed or a loose 1/2 cup?
packed!
ginger says
I love your recipes and want to try the gingerbread men but..I can’t have rice, potato, tapioca, etc Is there another flour I can sub for the gf/gf blend? I have oat, almond, cassava and chickpea flours in the pantry.
Thank you so much for any help you can offer. I have a houseful hoping for some little gingerbread cookies
Hi Ginger, can you have arrowroot? If so, we’d suggest a blend of oat, almond, and arrowroot. We don’t enjoy the taste of chickpea flour in baking. And cassava can be challenging to work with.
Sally says
My daughter and I made two batches to send to my son for Christmas. My husband ate the broken leftovers and pronounced them, “awesome”. I used Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer and mixed it into the flour then added the extra water in with the wet ingredients. No lumps! The dough is delicate, so we rolled them on parchment paper, removed the extra around the gingerbread men then carefully slid them onto the pan. Thanks for another great recipe :)
We’re so glad they turned out well. Thanks so much for sharing, Sally!
Nicole says
Another fantastic recipe! I really like that it makes a small amount of cookies ’cause it’s kinda risky for me to have too many cookies around…;)
With an expetant litte person around, I couldn’t wait even an hour to chill the dough as recommended. Instead I flattened it into a 1″ disk and chilled it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. I followed the rest of the directions and the cookies weren’t at all hard to remove from the parchment. They’re delicious and have just the right amount of crispness on the edges while being softer in the middle.
I subbed coconut sugar for the brown sugar and I was happy to find they weren’t too sweet.
This recipe is definitely a keeper!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Nicole. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Elena says
How can I sub molasses?
It’s kind of an essential flavor / sweetener. But you could sub it for some maple syrup alone or mixed with almond butter for texture.
Kjersten says
Could I sub peanut butter if I don’t have almond butter?
It will work for texture, but it will have a bit of a peanut taste.
Betty-Anne Van Rees says
This is my go-to site for recipes! I’ve never been disappointed and this recipe has fully lived up to my expectations. I don’t love the kitchen so a failure is not optional. If I’m giving time to cooking/baking, it HAS to work. So grateful I stumbled onto you. Thanks for making my time investment fruitful and delicious!
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Betty-Anne! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! xo
Fred says
Can I use regular all purpose flour?
Hi Fred, We haven’t tried it that way but it should! Just add a little less at first as AP flour can be more absorbent than GF flours. Let us know how it goes! You can also scan the comments to see if anyone else has tried that successfully.
Heidi Urban says
this is wonderful, but i find the “one batch ” measurement for the flax egg confusing – how much flax, how much water makes one batch!?
Good point! We’ve added that information to the ingredients for clarity. Thanks for the feedback, Heidi!
Haley says
So good! I used an egg, regular butter, and sunbutter instead of almond butter. My kids loved them!
Yay! We’re so glad they enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing, Hayley.
Stephanie White says
hi Haley!
did you just use the one egg per batch?
Stephanie
Haley says
Yes, I used one egg.
Angela says
Hi there, is there any way to adapt these to be sugar free for our toddler?
Hi Angela, are you referring to no refined sugar or would coconut sugar be okay? That would be our closest recommendation.
Terre Dunivant says
Does it work to sub regular flour (whole wheat or all purpose) for the gluten-free flour?
We haven’t tried it that way but it should! Just add a little less at first as AP flour can be more absorbent than GF flours. Let us know how it goes! You can also scan the comments to see if anyone else has tried that successfully.
Michelle says
Hi! Can I make these without the molasses? What sub can I use instead? Thank you!
Some other commenters have had success with subbing maple syrup. But I wouldn’t suggest it because molasses is the primary flavor component besides ginger. Let us know if you try!
Marilyn says
Hi there, my daughter has an egg allergy but can have gluten, dairy etc. can I make this using regular flour and butter? Thanks!
Hi Marilyn, we haven’t tried it that way, but it should work! Let us know if you try it!
Reni says
This is a great recipe which results in a delicate and delicious cookie. Make sure to follow all of the advice regarding cooling the dough after rolling and cutting and using rice flour dipped cutters. It will make a huge difference, from impossible to transfer your cut-out to the cookie sheet to effortless. Thanks again, Minimalist Baker!
Thanks for sharing, Reni!!
Charmaine says
Hello, I would love to make these at the day program I work at. I was wondering if anyone knows if vegan Becel works in replacement of the vegan butter? Or would coconut oil be my best option?
Hmm, I’d say coconut oil. I’m not familiar with becel!
Emily Sorenson says
The Minimalist Baker never disappoints! We made these using Better Batter GF flour today and they are fantastic. I’m extremely grateful to have such a great resource for finding recipes that are safe for my son (he has multiple food allergies) AND DELICIOUS!
Aw, yay! Love that! Thanks for sharing, Emily! xo
Michelle L says
me and my 8 year old daughter made these after school. I didnt have ingredients to make the gf mix so we used plain flour. just slightly more than 1 1/4 cups. I also did not have molasses so I used an extra 1/4 cup (roughly) of brown sugar. they were delicious!! these were our Christmas testers. next time will decorate with coloured icing. thanks so much for the recipe. I almost exclusively bake and cook from your website now. NEVER disappointed!
5 stars!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
D says
What can I use instead of pancake mix or GF flour? I ran out of AP flour and I only have almond, oat, and coconut flour? Which one would work in this recipe? Or what mix of the flours?
Hi, we haven’t tried with other flours, so we’re not certain it would work. But your best bet would probably be a combination of almond and oat.
Molly says
This recipe is absolutely fantastic! It is perfectly delicious and you really can’t tell that they’re gf/vegan! I have made it for a few years now and my kids, husband, grandparents, EVERYONE loves them. Thanks yet again for another awesome recipe!
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing, Molly! xo
Kelsey says
I wasn’t able to find in the instructions where to add the flax egg?
Hi Kelsey, the flax egg is made in a large mixing bowl in step 1 and then everything else is added to that same bowl. Hope that helps!
Misha says
Can I make this with store bought pancake mix?
We haven’t tested it, but it should work! We would recommend our homemade version for best results though.
Maria Graham says
The most delicious gingerbread cookies ever! I made them for Christmas and everyone loved them ! I did a tinch more ginger and cinnamon and it wasn’t too much.
Thanks, Maria!
Lynda says
Dana,
We love your recipes! These cookies are better than store bought ones we bought
this year. We even tried to see if we could buy them from a bakery, but only found
ginger scones. I do need to buy a gingerbread man cookie cutter though. My way made it harder.
Thanks,
Lynda
Joan says
I used peanut butter bcs I didn’t have almond; it’s a bit peanutty but that’s fine with me. Other substitutions: sunflower oil for vegan butter, & 1/3 c buckwheat flour for part of recipe since its peppery flavor supports cookies’ spiciness. All my various tasters & i loved it. I was also particularly grateful for flax egg as these can now be a gift for my vegan friend. Thanks for this new holiday staple!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Joan. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Valerie says
These are delicious, however, difficult to get on the tray. Ours ended up looking like strange misshapen creatures from the underworld rather than sweet little holiday wreathes and ginger persons. But I think that is probably because I subbed out a few things – peanut butter for almond butter, bobs redmill 1:1, butter for vegan butter and chia egg for flax. Also, I’m not really one for measuring. I prefer weighing ingredients and baking intuitively. I am an experienced baker, but very new to gf/v, so perhaps I added too much or too little of something as the dough was very soft. Will try again with your flour blend and more precision. The taste was incredible and we enjoyed our weird little swamp creature cookies very much! Thanks!
Hi Valerie, we’re glad you enjoyed them! It does sound like the substitutions or not measuring may have been the culprit. Let us know how it goes next time!
George says
These are incredibly delicious cookies. I find them immensely addictive too. If there are cookies around when I arise for breakfast, look out. Thank you for a wonderful, creative recipe.
PS – I am literally shocked that nobody has screamed bloody murder or saught to destroy your website yet on account of calling these “Gingerbread Men” cookies. God forbid! Dana might have to appease the vicious mob by changing the name to ” Gingerbread gender-free cookie persons”, give them their rights and middle up yet another social standard that destroys morality.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, George!
Kay says
Hello Dana,
How many eggs are in a batch? I wanted to substitute the flax eggs with real ones and I am a bit confused on the exact number that will be needed for a batch.
Thanks
Per batch should be 1 small chicken egg.
Grainne says
I made this with a regular egg and store-bought Bob’s Paleo baking flour mix and they worked out perfectly! Absolutely delicious and perfect for the holidays!!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing!
Gia says
I’m thinking about making this recipe this week but wanted to know if I could sub the almond butter or compensate it with something else?
Hi Gia, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter might work. Let us know if you give it a try! Also, to see what other readers have done, press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac. F find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments.
Kendra says
Hi! I really want to make these! Can I use gluten free oat flour instead?
Hi Kendra, they will be more dense and wholesome. But if you don’t mind that, then it might work. Maybe start with less since oat flour tends to be quite absorbent. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Swetha Ramaiah says
I followed this recipe on a Friday evening and everyone In my family loved it! However I think there was molasses after taste. Is there a way to avoid that taste? Having said this the consistency was great! Couple of things I changed was, I used the all purpose flour and I just cooled it at Room temperature for an hour beefier following the rest of the recipe! Thanks again!
Hi Swetha, we’re so glad you enjoyed them! Did you use blackstrap molasses or regular? Blackstrap is stronger and could contribute to that aftertaste.
Swetha Ramaiah says
Yes, I used blackstrap molasses :( I wasn’t aware of this difference. Can you please provide the link to what brand of molasses you used in this recipe?
I used Wholesome sweeteners Organic Molasses Unsulphured.
Leila says
Hi my son really wants to make ginger bread men today but I don’t have molasses at home, could I substitute it with something else?
Thank you, and btw I live your recipes
Leila
Hmm, it’s a pretty key flavor so we’re not sure a substitute would work! Brown sugar has some molasses in it, so that would be our closest guess, but we’d say do a Google search for more alternatives.
Malaïka says
I made these cookies and they came out perfect! I used Bob’s Red Mill GF baking blend 1:1 and I used the Becel stick-style vegan butter. I baked half the cookies after the dough was in the fridge for just two hours, putting everything in the freezer before getting the shapes out like the directions say. The other half stayed in the fridge two days and I didn’t even do the freezer part because the dough was so easy to work. I’m keeping some to decorate the Christmas make. The other ones were eaten very fast :)
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Malaïka!
Carol Dickinson says
Thank you for the Gingerbread man recipe… just not sure what * 1 batch flax egg is. What is it.
Hi Carol, if you click “flax egg” it will take you to the recipe to make one. Essentially, it is just mixing ground flax and water. Hope that helps!
Emily says
Hi Dana,
I am wondering what you think about making these with gluten. I need a vegan gingerbread recipe, but they don’t need to be gf, so I am wondering if the dough consistency might be improved with a standard wheat flour (or pancake mix?). What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
We haven’t tried it, but we think all purpose or pancake mix would work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Amy says
What can you replace the vegan butter with. I only have coconut oil.
Hi Amy, coconut oil would be the next best alternative after vegan butter. Shortening might work, but we haven’t tried it and can’t guarantee results! If you end up trying either, let us know how it goes!
Brittany says
Okay, I just made these in ball form with some the-kids-are-finally-in-bed-and-I’m-losing-steam-but-it’s-December-18th-and-I-haven’t-had-a-single-Christmas-cookie modifications.
– Used Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Baking Mix + an extra 1/2 tsp baking soda, maybe a shy 1/2 TBSP baking powder, and a shake of corn starch to get it a little closer to the pancake mix suggested for the recipe.
– Used fresh ginger. Had it in my head that the recipe called for fresh ginger, then I was grating away and realized…probably not. Used about 1/2-3/4 TBSP fresh ginger.
– My almond butter was crunchy. Whoops. Oh well!
Even with these modifications – AND only chilling for 45 minutes – these turned out delicious. I didn’t ice because, if you can’t tell, I’m not exactly firing on all cylinders tonight and don’t generally keep sugar in the house, let alone that of the powdered variety.
I’ve just put away two extremely fluffy, not-too-sweet, could be a little spicier (next time I will use powdered ginger) cookies. And they were delicious. Five stars. Might need to make some more before New Years because they are fast and easy. THANKS.
Haha! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Brittany! Hope you get some rest =)
Natalie Dean says
Haha! Brittany, thanks for the comic relief. Needed it. Unlike you (sounded blissful), I decided to make these with my two girls, 9.5 and 6.5 and within the first 5 minutes, was putting out fires (not literally) and lamenting over how much I sometimes dislike cooking with them. Ha!! We got through it and just put the dough in the fridge. Whew!
On to sugar cookie cut outs!!
Thanks for the wonderful recipes!!
Kelsey says
My dough is chilling now, but I just realized I don’t have rice flour. Is there a substitute I could use when cutting the cookies? Thank you!
Yes! Most GF flours would work- such as GF all purpose, arrowroot starch, or tapioca starch.
Lauren Malec says
Excellent!
Used 1real egg vs flax.
Used your other GF flour blend (rice and potato flours vs buckwheat).
Out of impatience I made about 8 cookies before chilling and by simply rolling into tablespoon balls and flattening slightly. Excellent.
Waiting overnight to make the rest as instructed. But wanted say even impatience resulted in a delicious cookie!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Lauren! Thanks so much for sharing!
Lauren says
I cooked up the remaining cookies, after refrigerating overnight, and brought them to a party. Served as dropped (and slightly flattened)… they were half eaten before I even got to icing them. Once guests realized they were gluten free, they were shocked. They ended up going back to these before the other gluten varieties.
Bonus…. kids that normally wouldn’t have cookies at these kind of parties got to be included. Love that!
Thanks for the great recipes :)
If that’s not a compliment… not sure what is!
Aw, we’re so glad to hear that, Lauren! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Nisha says
I’m excited to try these! Has anyone subbed almond flour for GF flour and butter?
Hi Nisha, we haven’t tried that, but let us know if you give it a try!
Ginger says
These gingerbread cookies came out delicious! I actually forgot to add the flax egg until the very end after everything was mixed, but it still came out great! I made a few cookies right away without chilling the batter and even though they were a bit fragile with moving from surface to baking sheet, they held up fine. I did use real butter in the recipe. I used Bob’s GF baking flour and I used about 1-1/2 cups of flour total. I still have half the dough left. I am going to see if overnight chilled dough makes for easier rolling/cookie cutting. Thanks for a great recipe that my whole family can enjoy this holiday season!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Ginger! Thanks for sharing!
Daisy says
Hello! Excited to make these cookies for the first time! Would it be ok to just use regular gluten free flour instead of the gluten free pancake mix? Thanks!
That might work. Though you may need to add baking powder and additional baking soda since our pancake mix already contains those. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Maria Mann says
Hi Maria here from Christchurch New Zealand.I am gluten and dairy intolerant and son is plant based hence why I wanted to make these cookies.They turned out brilliantly,I used gluten free flour BP&BS mix.Would post a photo but cant see where I can ;)
So glad you enjoyed them, Maria! You can tag a photo #minimalistbaker on instagram.
Sandra Amado says
What is gluten free baking mix? Gluten flour?
Hi Sandra, if you click the link for gluten-free baking mix it will send you to our recipe.
Amy says
I used King Arthur gluten free flour and they turned out amazing. My kids and I’s best friends have celiac disease and have been missing making gingerbread houses so we are going to surprise them with these. Thank you for the recipe!?
What great friends! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! xo
Liz says
Hi Dana, these look wonderful. I noticed in your gluten-free flour pancake mix you were clear to indicate to use buckwheat flour ground from buckwheat groats and not toasted buckwheat – do you know what would happen if it was from the latter?
Hi Liz, we find that toasted buckwheat has a stronger and slightly bitter flavor that is not as pleasant.
Ella says
This is probably the 4th year I’ve made these gingerbread cookies, and they are amazing because I am allergic to egg and dairy and have family members who can’t have gluten. My younger siblings and cousins always love coming over every year to decorate the cut out cookies.
Also a good tip to make flax egg is with just chia seeds and water, 1 egg = 1 tbsp chia seeds and 2 tbsp of water. It forms a paste after a minute or two which acts as an egg would.
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe, I dont think I’ve tried better gingerbread before!
We’re so glad you and your family enjoy this recipe, Ella! Thanks so much for sharing!
Tiffany says
Has anyone tried substituting almond butter with wow butter?
Tianna says
Has anyone subbed sunbutter? The kids are making gingerbread men at school And there is a nut allergy in class. I’m curious how much the flavor would be effected by the change.
Hi Tianna, a couple other readers have done so. If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments.
Sarah says
I have only made them with home made sunflower seed butter each year and they are always amazing!
Angela says
This will be our 3rd (or 4th maybe) year making these for the holidays. We love these cookies and are making a double batch this year. My son and I are both GF/DF. We use real eggs and these always turn out amazingly, even at Denver altitude which often changes baking results. My husband and I love the soft centers of the rolled version. My son loves the cut-outs. Thank you for this recipe, it is now a family tradition.
Aww, we’re so glad to hear these cookies are part of your family tradition. Thanks so much for sharing, Angela! xo
Roya says
Hi! I don’t typically cook or bake according to vegan guidelines. However, I am a special education teacher who enjoys cooking/baking in her classroom with her students. Gingerbread men go hand-in-hand with a Christmas theme.
However, this year, many of my students deal with dairy and gluten intolerance. So I had to step out on a ledge, for them. I practiced this recipe with my 3-year-old days before and they came out very nice. He loved the taste!
I did forget to freeze them before baking so they were a little more fragile. Also I think the dough was thicker because my gingerbread men turned into fat gingerbread men after baking! Haha.
All, in all, I think my kiddos with have fun manipulating the dough and cutting out men tomorrow and then decorating the cookies on Friday. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Roya! We’re so glad your students will be able to enjoy them! Freezing should help next time =)
Melisa says
Hi, writing from New Zealand.
Flax eggs?? I want to use normal eggs…. how many should I use?
Cheers
Hi Melisa, you can sub 1 small chicken egg per 1 flax egg.
Melodie says
This recipe is amazingly delicious! It tastes JUST like non-vegan gingerbread! You can’t even tell the difference. However, next time I would add even more ginger (I used half a tablespoon), as I like my cookies very ginger-y. Will definitely make again! (BEWARE: They’re addictive!)
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Melodie! Thanks for the lovely review!
Lily says
These are the bomb! I made them yesterday afternoon for my skeptic all family and they loved them!! They’re lovely and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Not overly gingery but a beautiful spicey taste. Make these for sure!!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lily. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Tianna says
Would bobs red mill 1:1 baking flour work?
Hi Tianna, it might. Though you may need to add baking powder and additional baking soda since our pancake mix already contains those. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Mary says
Thanks for this recipe! I made these and used gluten free flour instead of mix with no issue.
We formed into bear cookies with ½ tablespoon for the belly, 1 teaspoon for head, ¼ teaspoon for the arms and legs and ¼ teaspoon for the ears. We used chocolate minis for eyes, buttons and claws. Only caution is do not use baking stone as the results were not as good. Happy Holidays!
Thanks for sharing, Mary! Your cookies sound adorable and we’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xo
Mel says
Hello-this recipe looks amazing and while I have your attention I’d like to tell you that I enjoy all emails with great recipes!!!!
Question:what can we use in place of vegan butter? I know you don’t recommend coconut oil…could anything else work?
Thanks!
Hi Mel, coconut oil would be the next best alternative after vegan butter. Shortening might work, but we haven’t tried it and can’t guarantee results! If you end up trying either, let us know how it goes!
Laura Seutz says
Hi Dana – I haven’t made these delicious gingerbread cookies yet but they sound awesome! I am confused about one ingredient. Sometimes it is referred to as flour and sometimes as baking/pancake mix. Could you please confirm which I should use? Thank you so much! Laura
Sorry for the confusion, Laura! It has been corrected. Use baking/pancake mix.
George says
Dana, how do you keep your sanity and patience with SO MANY dumb questions? And this is just ONE recipe!!
Please! Please people, use your own brain and take a little risk. It’s only gingerbread, not brain surgery. You can’t learn by relying upon “Alexa” or having Dana hand-hold you through every minor dilema. Just use your substitution and see what happens. It won’t blow up or poison your family, I guarantee!!
Stop being infants and use your adult brain; figure it out yourself. The more you practice and improvise, the wiser you’ll be and the happier Dana will be without wasting time/life on your pathetic questions about subbing this flour for that flour or this sweetener for that sweetener.
Grow up! It’s only cookies!!! Which, by the way, are fantastic cookies; fragrant, chewy and dense. Such a great recipe. Thank you Dana.
Rachel says
Wow George, I just felt compelled to note what an “infant” you’re being with this pointless tantrum. Congrats on your superior brain and complete cookie making self sufficiency (why even bother with a recipe, with your capabilities?) but some people aren’t baking savants like you obviously are, and want advice before potentially ruining a batch of cookies which costs time and money.
M. Jack says
Wow. Cranky much? The way the website is set up on my phone I can’t see all the comments in a row so I didn’t even see other questions about substitutions I scrolled down substantially.
Not everyone is a confident baker. Not everyone is familiar with substitutions. Sure, google can help, but recommendations aren’t consistent. Asking the recipe maker helps because they would, in theory, know best.
For instance, I don’t use xantham gum. It’s in the gluten free pancake mix in the recipe. I don’t know how essential it is to include. I could ask the internet, but what if I want to use almond flour? Ingredients are expensive when you’re doing gluten free.
So yes, maybe all the questions are onerous. But now instead of asking my question and perhaps using this recipe, I’m left wondering if I should bother if recrimination is the norm.
Elizabeth says
This is not a vegan recipe using the pre-made pancake mix, which contains egg.
Hi Elizabeth, the pre-made pancake mix does not contain egg. It is only if making the pre-made mix into pancakes that egg gets added. Hope the clarifies it!
lauren says
Hi, this recipe looks amazing! I would like to try soon but is wondering if I can use my gingerbreadman cookie stamp/cutter with this recipe. After chilling and flouring would the dough be stampable? Sometimes the stamped faces will disappear after baking. If you have any guess please let me know! thank you!
Nadine says
Hi Dana!
I made these cookies to give as Christmas gifts and they turned out to be delicious! My dough was not as elastic and “liquid” as yours so working it with the cookies cutters was a bit more challenging. I guess my (blackstrap) molasses where much much more stocky and dense than the ones you used?
Despite this consistency they were all delicious and very much appreciated !
Thank you for the recipe!
Rehna says
If I need this cookies as normal round type, as u said, 1 tbs of dough then hand press as round shape or keep that as it is ball shape? Once we bake it wil spread as cookie shape?
Instead of pancake mix, do u have any other option??
Yes, that should work! Check the comments for other ideas, Rehna :)
Teresa says
Hello,
My daughter has been begging me to make gingerbread. We can’t wait to try this! We aren’t gluten free. Can we directly swap the gluten free flour for all purpose white flour?
Hi Teresa! I believe so! I didn’t try it but I don’t see why not. Hope that helps!
AJ says
Tried going through comments to see if this question was answered and it was a lot. Couldn’t find the answer.
Please help.
Can I sub the sugar for ‘coconut sugar’?
Sub gluten free flour for ‘almond flour’ using same amount?
Hi AJ! You can use sugar in place of coconut sugar at a 1:1 sub. As for gluten-free flour, other readers had success in using it! Good luck!
AJ says
Hi, thank you for your reply. Sorry but I think there is a miscommunication in reading the comments. I would like to use coconut sugar and almond flour.
So looks like I can use coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar in your recipe?? And can I sub for ‘almond flour’ in place of the gluten free mix that is used in your recipe??
Jillian says
Hi Dana! Thanks for this recipe. My partner has tons of allergies so in addition to being vegan we also are gluten free (and mostly nut free!). I made the recipe and it didn’t turn out exactly how I was hoping! I did the rounds, but the inside came out a little cakey and dry. I did put a little extra flour into the cookies because I thought they may still be too wet. So perhaps that’s my problem? They also didn’t seem as strongly spiced as I would have hoped. Have you ever bumped up the spices with good results? Ultimately, a good first try, but I feel like it needs something. I also used your gluten free flour mix… Any thoughts? I guess I should also say I used sun flower butter as well. And could it also be that I used blackstrap molasses, which isn’t as sweet?
Hi Jillian! Sorry to hear that! It sounds like your dough was too wet which can cause that cakey texture. Next time, feel free to add more spices as well and as long as you increase them evenly (across the board) then you should be all godo.
Kasia says
Can I make them with not-vegan pancake mix?
Also, since I found you and made couple recipes, I’m sharing you website with all of my friends. And even not a friends. You are awesome ;).
We haven’t tried, but that should work.
Laura says
I love the recipes on this site but it’s so frustrating to have it continually refresh / reorient while I’ve got it up on my iPad. It will randomly refresh or scroll to a different part of the site and then get frozen so you can’t see the recipe anymore without completely reloading it in a different tab. Can something be done to fix this?
Sorry to hear that, Laura! I will pass along your feedback.
Nicola says
Has anyone tried almond flour, or any other ‘paleo’ friendly flour?
Andie says
I made these and they were awesome! My son’s kindergarten class has a lot of children with allergies, so I made a batch with cashew butter and another batch with sunflower seed butter. They came out so delish, that the teacher asked me to just make them for all of the children (instead of just the kiddos with allergies.). I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and about 1 1/2 cups did the trick. These were tender, flavorful without being too ginger-y and I found them easy to cut out. Thanks for the great recipe!
Mia says
Really good recipe – so quick and easy to do! I used normal plain flour instead of your gf blend and it turned out perfect (if a little on the thick side, so really make those cookies thin!). Thanks so much :))
Whoop!
Amber says
I put these together last night and baked a small batch this morning and they turned out odd… my fault to an extent. I used peanut butter and coconut oil instead of the suggested almond butter and vegan butter. The texture is ok but the flavor is weird (PB trumps a spice profile, I learned) and mainly I was concerned that after I rolled the dough into balls for basic cookies, they did not spread out in the oven, they stayed in tight balls… so my improvisation with what I had on hand was a no-go.
My questions for you are: What is the purpose of nut butter in this recipe (there are a few others like it on the net) and what book/s would you recommend to understand the ‘science’ behind gluten free baking?
Thanks and happy holidays!
~Amber
Nut butter provides structure and helps bind. I wouldn’t recommend peanut butter in this instance because of the strong flavor.
And coconut oil acts very differently than vegan butter (I find it makes things more dense/less fluffy), especially in cookies. So that’s likely what went wrong.
Hope that helps!
Anna Immonen says
Hi Dana,
thanks for the blog! A question about this recipe: can I substitute sugar with dates or banana?
Hmm we haven’t tried and can’t say for sure, but if you experiment with the recipe, report back on how it goes!
Ruby says
Can I use a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix or is a gluten-free pancake mix better for this recipe?
Both should work!
Kevin Andreas Ehrenberg says
Really good! I added pepper, which gave them more of an edge, for those how like that. The consistency was perfect! Thanks!
Claire Asghar-Stevens says
These were very good. I used a ready made gf flour and treacle. I also chucked in a bit more ginger at the end as I think they benefited from the extra boost. I will make these again for sure. Thanks Dana.
Kiki says
I am trying to cut back the time and expense of making this recipe. I was curious if you could substitute the homemade gluten free flour for gluten free all purpose flour?
That should work, Kiki!
Jennifer Marshall says
Can I use a regular egg instead of flax egg?
Thanks!
Yes! Sub at a 1:1 ratio.
Valentina says
I made these and they came out perfectly!
These are the changes I had to make.
Instead of molasses (cannot find that where I live), I used honey.
Instead of almond butter: I used a combination of apple sauce, peanut butter and coconut oil ( I didn’t have enough of either peanut butter and coconut oil). I live in a small town in the pyrenees in Spain, so it is hard for me to easily get some ingredients.
I did increase the amount of spices too, after reading some of the comments.
They are the perfect texture and delicious. thank you!
Veganmeister says
Dana,
This recipe crushes all gingerbread recipes I have tried in the past.
I doubled the recipe (yesssss!) and used a mixture of sorghum flour, coconut flour, banana flour with a little of Bob’s Red Mill unmodified potato starch
The cookies are crispy with a good chew when rolled out; gingerbread balls are with a slight crispy bite to the outside with a tender, moist crumb to the inside. And seriously over the top when iced!
Thank you!
Henrike says
Would this recipe be sturdy enough to make a the parts of a gingerbread house out of it? Sorry for the unusual question. Love all your recipes!
I think so, yes!
George says
These are seriously some of the best cookies I’ve ever made or ate. I made both gingerbread men shapes and drop cookies. The rolled out, cut out gingerbread men version was a bit firmer and crispy, while the ball drops came out chewy and perfectly tender. Just for clarification, I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour. I used a chia egg as I had no flax seed. I used all organic cane sugar, as I had no brown sugar. And, I substituted peanut butter for the almond butter.
The icing takes these over-the-top! I made it thick and gooey and added some vanilla baking liquid. OMG!
BEST COOKIES EVER !!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, George!
moleena says
Hi Dana,
I would love to try this recipe. One question I have is can I use honey instead of sugar as I am avoiding refined sugar? If so, how much honey will be required and whether other alterations to the other ingredients will be required.
Thanks.
Carol Shaw says
This recipe is awesome!!! I subbed psyllium for the flax and I used the other Minimalist Baker all purpose gluten free flour blend because I always have it on hand, and I used coconut sugar, the cookies are crisp and fantastic!! We needed a hardy cookie dough we could shape easily and this one worked a treat! Thank you so much!!!!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Carol!
Caitlyn says
Could you use flour or store bought gluten free pancake mix instead of the homemade one in your recipe?
Yes, that should work!
tony says
Can you please make a video of this recipe? or just the round ginger cookie. Your videos make it so much easier.
I’ll pass the tip along, Tony! Glad you’re finding the videos helpful :D
Rumeysa says
Hi Dana! I don’t gave access to the ingredients for the gluten-free baking / pancake mix. Could I use gluten-free flour or a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour instead? Can’t wait to make these!
Hi Rumeysa! You could try using gluten-free flour!
Daniel Soileau says
A friend’s child has but allergies, but I would like to make these cookies for him. Can you suggest a nut butter alternate? Thanks!
Daniel Soileau says
“nut allergies”
Hi Daniel! You could try sun butter!
Angie says
Made these with a regular egg, butter, and AP flour and it was marvelous!!
Becky N says
Just an fyi…I subbed coconut oil and used spelt flour with good results. Maybe a little light on ginger, but that is easily remedied. I did find that rolling and using the cookie cutter was as you mentioned a little more work. Plus rolling them, pushing down and baking produced a better texture/flavor. But it’s for the kids, so…
Karen says
I used cashew butter and they still turned out amazing!
Rachel says
I made this using 1 cup spelt flour instead of the gf baking mix suggested and they came out perfect. I rolled mine into a log shape and chilled overnight. Then I just cut thin with a sharp knife and made 28 cookies. I love them!