These Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies are easy to make in one bowl and bake up soft, with slightly crisp edges and cozy holiday spices. These healthy cookies are also refined-sugar free, dairy-free and egg free and perfect for holiday gifting, cookie exchanges and Christmas cookie plates.
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Healthy Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Looking for a healthy and delicious holiday cookie for your cookie platter? These Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies are easy to make and full of cozy holiday spices.
Gingerbread cookies are my son’s absolute favorite holiday cookies. Every December, we usually make a few batches of our favorite gingerbread cookie recipes like these Gingerbread Men Cookies, Keto Gingerbread Men Cookies and Vegan Gingerbread Cookies for our friends and family for holiday gifts.
For this healthy gingerbread cookie recipe, all you need are a few simple pantry ingredients and the dough comes together in just one bowl.
What’s great about this recipe is that you can also customize it depending on your dietary needs. This gluten free gingerbread men cookie recipe is also egg-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and includes sugar-free and paleo-friendly sweetener options.
Ingredients you need
- Gluten-free all purpose flour – be sure to use a 1-1 gluten free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour or Cup4cup Gluten Free Flour
- Baking powder – be sure to use a paleo or gluten-free brand if necessary
- Gingerbread spices: ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and ground all spice – feel free to adjust or play around with the spices according to your preference
- Coconut sugar
- Organic refined coconut oil
- Molasses – we prefer to use organic blackstrap molasses but you can also sub with fancy molasses if you like
- Maple syrup – you can use Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup for sugar-free gingerbread cookies OR pure maple syrup for paleo gingerbread cookies
- Fine sea salt – optional but if you add just a little bit, it helps to enhance the flavor and balance out the sweetness – do not use kosher or coarse salt as they are too coarse for baking.
How to Make Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies from Scratch
- MAKE THE DOUGH: Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Or you can use your hands to bring it together to form a dough.
- CHILL: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes. Chilling the dough is essential since freshly made cookie dough is too warm to work with and will cause your cookies to spread.
- PREP THE BAKING SHEET: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper,
- ROLL OUT DOUGH: Remove dough from fridge and roll into 1/4″ thickness in between two large pieces of parchment paper.
- CUT INTO SHAPES: Use cookie cutters (we used a small star and gingerbread man shape) to cut out into shapes – carefully lift and place cookies onto lined baking sheet. Use a silicone spatula as needed. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
- BAKE: Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, depending if you want them chewier or crispy. If you like crispy gingerbread cookies, bake for slightly longer, checking often so they don’t burn.
- COOL: Allow to cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- DECORATE: Decorate with frosting, powdered sugar of your choice, sprinkles or enjoy as is.
Helpful tips for making the best gingerbread men cookies
- Chill the dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes. Chilling the dough is essential since freshly made cookie dough is too warm to work with and will cause your cookies to spread. You can also chill the dough in the fridge for than an hour or even overnight if you plan on making the dough ahead of time.
- Measure flour correctly: I like to use the spoon and level method otherwise you will be using too much flour and that will affect the texture.
- Roll your dough between two large sheets of parchment paper. This helps prevent the dough from sticking.
To decorate your cookies:
Vegan royal icing:
- almond milk OR dairy-free milk
- powdered monk fruit sweetener OR powdered coconut sugar
- vanilla extract
Optional: food-coloring
Vegan frosting
- organic refined coconut oil OR vegan butter
- powdered monk fruit sweetener OR powdered coconut sugar
- vanilla extract
- coconut cream OR dairy-free milk
Optional: food-coloring
Storage Instructions
You can store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Can Gingerbread Cookies be Frozen?
Yes, the great thing about making gingerbread cookies is that they store well in the freezer and will taste just as good as fresh cookies once you thaw them.
How to freeze:
You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough in an air-tight storage container or large resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Baked gingerbread cookies also freeze perfectly. Simply place the gingerbread cookies on large baking sheets and freeze for 20 minutes, or until hard. Transfer the frozen cookies to an resealable containers or large ziptop bags for up to 3 months.
To thaw: Remove frozen baked cookies from the freezer and allow to that at room temperature. Once thawed, you can roll the balls in more powdered sugar, if desired before serving.
More Christmas cookies you will love:
- 1.5 cups Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour
- 1 tsp baking powder , use gluten-free brand as needed
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
- 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- MAKE THE DOUGH: Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined. Or you can use your hands to bring it together to form a dough.
- CHILL: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes. Chilling the dough is essential since freshly made cookie dough is too warm to work with and will cause your cookies to spread.
- PREP THE BAKING SHEET: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper,
- ROLL OUT DOUGH: Remove dough from fridge and roll into 1/4″ thickness in between two large pieces of parchment paper.
- CUT INTO SHAPES: Use cookie cutters (we used a small star and gingerbread man shape) to cut out into shapes – carefully lift and place cookies onto lined baking sheet. Use a silicone spatula as needed. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
BAKE: Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, depending on if you want them chewier or crispy. If you like crispy gingerbread cookies, bake for slightly longer, checking often so they don’t burn.
- COOL: Allow to cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- DECORATE: Decorate with frosting, powdered sugar of your choice, sprinkles or enjoy as is.
Did you try this recipe?
Helen -
We made these yesterday and OMG they were so good! My kids asked me to make more! Thank you!