These Vegan Gingerbread Cookies have a soft texture, crisp edges, and are filled with the comforting flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. The delightful balance of brown sugar, molasses, and maple syrup makes them a must-have for the holiday season.
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Updated November 2023
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies: The Ultimate Holiday Delight
The holiday season is here, and there’s no better way to get into the festive spirit than with the aroma of freshly baked gingerbread cookies wafting through your kitchen. These vegan gingerbread cookies are not only a delightful treat but also a guilt-free indulgence that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re an experienced baker or just starting, this recipe is simple to follow, and the results are truly delightful. So, put on your apron and get ready to bake your way to a joyful holiday season with these delightful treats! 
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Let’s explore the key ingredients that make these vegan gingerbread cookies so delicious and special:
- Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour / Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour: This forms the base of the gingerbread cookie dough, ensuring that it’s suitable for those with gluten sensitivities or dietary preferences.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is a must in any cookie recipe, helping the cookies rise and achieve a perfect texture.
- Ground Ginger: The star ingredient in gingerbread cookies, ground ginger adds that distinctive warmth and spice that we all love.
- Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon contributes a sweet and earthy undertone, balancing the spicy notes of ginger.
- Ground Allspice: This spice enhances the complexity of the flavor, making the cookies truly delightful.
- Coconut Sugar: Adds sweetness and moisture to the cookies. You can also substitute it with brown sugar or other preferred brown sweeteners of your choice such as Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener or Brown Swerve for lower sugar options.
- Softened Vegan Butter or Coconut Oil: These provide the essential fat content needed for the perfect texture, while also keeping the cookies vegan-friendly. If you’re not plant-based, you can sub with ghee or unsalted butter.
- Blackstrap Molasses: Molasses gives gingerbread cookies their rich color and deep, robust flavor.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds a gentle sweetness and complexity to the dough. You can opt for sugar-free alternatives such as Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup, allulose or yacon syrup for a lower sugar option.
- Pinch of Salt: Salt enhances all the flavors, creating a well-balanced taste.
For the Icing
- Powdered sweetener or powdered sugar: Adds sweetness and is the key ingredient for the icing. For a lower sugar option, opt for Lakanto powdered monk fruit sweetener or Brown Confectioners.
- Tapioca starch: Thickens the icing and helps it set. You can also use arrowroot starch or corn starch.
- Almond Milk: Helps to thin out the icing. You can substitute with any other milk of your choice.
Instructions: How to make Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Creating vegan gingerbread cookies is a delightful holiday project. They’re easy to make and take about an hour.
- Make the dough. Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer or a fork to combine the ingredients until a soft cookie dough forms. You can use your hands to bring the dough together if needed.
- Chill. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Prep. While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll out the cookie dough in between two parchment papers (or plastic wrap) until it is ¼-inch thick.
- Cut the dough into shapes. Cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake. Put the baking sheet in the oven, and bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes, depending on what consistency you prefer.
- Chill. Remove the cookies from the oven, and transfer them to a wire rack to chill.
- Make the Icing. Sift the powdered sweetener and starch into a bowl. Pour in the milk and whisk until combined and you get preferred icing consistency. Slowly add more milk, only as needed, to thin out the icing.
- Decorate: Transfer the icing to a piping bag and pipe on fun decorations on the gingerbread cookies.
- Set: Allow the icing to set before eating or storing.
How to make Vegan Icing
- Sift the powdered sweetener and starch into a bowl.
- Pour in the milk and whisk until combined and you get preferred icing consistency.
- Slowly add more milk, only as needed, to thin out the icing.
Following these steps, you’ll have a batch of scrumptious vegan gingerbread cookies ready to enjoy or share with friends and family during the holiday season.
Tips for Success
Here are a few of our favorite tricks and tips for when making this vegan gingerbread cookie recipe.
- Chill the dough. This recipe calls for chilling the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes. However, if you have the time, the dough will benefit from chilling for even longer. Chilling the dough for longer really allows the texture of the cookies to improve, and lets the flavors meld together. We like to chill the dough overnight, but even a few hours makes a difference. You can chill it in the freezer or the fridge.
- Use parchment paper when rolling the cookies. To keep the cookie dough from sticking, roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper. This is a good tip to use for any recipe that involves a rolling pin!
- Baking Time: The cookies’ texture can be adjusted by baking for 6-8 minutes, depending on your preference for chewy or crispy treats.
- Let the cookies cool entirely. It’s really important to let these gluten-free gingerbread cookies cool entirely before using them. As the cookies cool, they’ll firm up, and become that traditional gingerbread texture. And if you don’t let the cookies cool entirely, they might melt the frosting when you decorate them.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy these vegan gingerbread cookies with your favorite cup of tea, Matcha Latte, Cold Brew Coffee or a festive latte like our Peppermint Mocha Latte or Gingerbread Latte. They’re also fantastic for decorating with vegan icing or for creating gingerbread houses. Get creative and have fun with your cookie creations!
Variations and Substitutions
While the classic gingerbread cookie recipe is undoubtedly delightful, there’s always room for some creative twists. Feel free to mix and match these variations or come up with your own unique ideas. The beauty of gingerbread cookies is their versatility, making them the perfect canvas for your holiday creativity.
- Chocolate Lover’s Delight: Stir in dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks to the dough for a delightful chocolatey surprise in every bite. You can also drizzle melted vegan chocolate on top for an extra indulgent touch.
- Citrus Zest: Add a burst of citrusy flavor by mixing in some orange or lemon zest. The bright, fresh notes will complement the spiciness of the ginger.
- Nutty Goodness: Enhance the texture and flavor with chopped nuts like almonds, pecans, or walnuts. They’ll add a satisfying crunch to your cookies.
- Dried Fruit Medley: Combine dried fruits such as cranberries, raisins, or chopped dried apricots into the dough for a sweet and chewy twist.
- Spiced Icing: Elevate your gingerbread cookies with spiced icing. Mix powdered sugar with a pinch of ground ginger, cinnamon, and a drop of almond extract for a delectable icing.
- Caramel Drizzle: Create a vegan caramel drizzle by mixing coconut milk and coconut sugar. Drizzle it over your cookies for a sweet and gooey finish.
- Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies: Make gingerbread sandwich cookies by spreading vegan cream cheese, dairy-free frosting, or your favorite nut butter between two gingerbread cookies.
- Sprinkle Magic: Decorate your cookies with colorful vegan sprinkles or edible glitter for a festive and eye-catching appearance.
- Glazed Gingerbread: Give your cookies a glossy finish by brushing them with a simple vegan glaze made from powdered sugar and a touch of almond or vanilla extract.
- Fruit-Filled Center: Create thumbprint cookies by pressing your thumb into the center of each cookie before baking and filling the indentation with fruit preserves or vegan jam.
- Holiday Shapes: Experiment with different cookie cutter shapes, like snowflakes, reindeer, or festive holiday symbols to match the season.
- Maple Glazed Pecans: Top each cookie with a maple-glazed pecan for a decorative and flavorful touch.
Storage and Freezer Instructions
Refrigeration: These fun and festive vegan gingerbread cookies can be stored in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 10 days. The uncooked dough can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezer: For longer-term storage, consider freezing the dough or baked cookies. Place them in an airtight bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before eating. You can also freeze the uncooked vegan gingerbread cookie dough for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Can I use regular all-purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour?
- Yes, you can use regular all-purpose flour if you don’t have dietary restrictions. Simply substitute it for the gluten-free flour in the same quantity.
- What can I use as a vegan butter substitute?
- You can use dairy-free margarine or any vegan butter alternative of your choice in place of coconut oil.
- Can I reduce the sugar content in the recipe?
- Absolutely! You can experiment with lower-sugar sweeteners like Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener, Brown Swerve, or other preferred sugar substitutes to suit your dietary needs.
- What is blackstrap molasses, and can I use a different type of molasses?
- Blackstrap molasses is a specific type of molasses with a robust flavor. You can use other varieties of molasses, but it may slightly alter the flavor of the cookies.
- Can I freeze the cookie dough or baked cookies?
- Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough or baked cookies. Just be sure to wrap them tightly to prevent freezer burn and extend their shelf life.
- How thick should I roll out the cookie dough?
- Aim for a thickness of ¼ inch when rolling out the dough. This will result in cookies that are just the right texture.
- Can I use these cookies for gingerbread house construction?
- Absolutely! These vegan gingerbread cookies are perfect for gingerbread house decorating. Their slightly chewy texture provides excellent stability.
More Vegan Holiday Cookie Recipes You Will Love:
We hope you love these gingerbread cookies as much as we do. Here are a few more vegan cookie recipes for you to try making.
These Vegan Gingerbread Cookies have a soft texture, crisp edges, and are filled with the comforting flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. The delightful balance of coconut sugar, molasses, and maple syrup makes them a must-have for the holiday season.
- 1.5 cups gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour , such as Bob's Red Mill. You can also sub with regular all purpose flour if you're not gluten-free.
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ cup coconut sugar , you can also sub with light brown sugar or granulated brown sugar substitute of your choice such as Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener or Brown Swerve.
- ¼ cup vegan butter , softened. You can also sub with coconut oil, ghee or unsalted butter if you're not dairy-free.
- ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
- ⅛ cup maple syrup , you can also sub with another sticky sweetener of your choice such as vegan honey, date syrup or a lower sugar option such as Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup, allulose or yacon syrup.
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup powdered sweetener or powdered sugar of choice , for a lower sugar option, you can use Lakanto powdered monk fruit sweetener or Swerve Confectioners.
- 1/2 tbsp tapioca starch , you can also use arrowroot starch or corn starch
- 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk , or milk of choice. Use more as needed to thin out the icing to desired consistency.
Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix on high with an electric hand mixer (or place in a stand-mixer bowl) until combined and comes together into a soft cookie dough. You can use your hands to bring it all together as needed, to form a dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 mins (you can also leave it overnight).
Preheat the oven to 350C
Once the dough has firmed up, place the dough on a flat surface into between two sheets of parchment paper (or plastic wrap) so the rolling pin doesn't stick to it.
Use a rolling pin and roll the dough out to ¼-inch thick and cut out cookies using a cookie cutter. We used a small star and gingerbread man shape.
Place each cookie about two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes, more or less depending if you want them chewier or crispier.
Allow the cookies to cool before decorating them. Decorate with icing / frosting of your choice and enjoy.
Sift the powdered sweetener and starch into a bowl. Pour in the milk and whisk until combined and you get preferred icing consistency. Slowly add more milk, only as needed, to thin out the icing.
Transfer the icing to a piping bag and pipe on fun decorations on the gingerbread cookies.
Allow the icing to set before eating or storing.
How to store:
Refrigeration: Store the cookies in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 10 days. The unbaked dough can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezer: For longer-term storage, freeze the dough or baked cookies. Place them in an airtight bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge before eating. You can also freeze the unbaked gingerbread cookie dough for up to 3 months.
Olivia -
Wow, these were so easy to make and turned out delicious! Thank you!