If you’re looking for a classic gingerbread recipe that is free from gluten, dairy, eggs, and refined sugar, then you have to try Vegan Gingerbread Cookies. They’re made with simple ingredients but are so fun and tasty for the holiday season. If you want more holiday recipes, get my 2025 Holiday Recipe Roundup, and check out Tahini Blondies, Holiday Tortellini Salad, and Sweet Potato Brownies.
Why I Love This Recipe
- One Bowl: These cookies whip up in just one bowl so there’s very little mess and clean up! They’re a fool-proof baked good.
- Gluten-Free: Most cookies rely on wheat flour, but these gingerbread cookies are made with gluten-free all purpose flour making them suitable for a gluten-free diet.
- Healthier Holiday Dessert: If you’re looking for a healthy holiday cookie recipe or you want to bring a healthy dessert to a holiday party, look no further than my Vegan Gingerbread Cookies.
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Notes on Ingredients
- Flax: Use ground flax meal to make the flax “eggs” which will bind the dough.
- Coconut Sugar: Refined sugar free sweetener for the cookies. Can be substituted with brown sugar.
- Gluten-Free Flour: Use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Almond Butter: I don’t recommend substituting the almond butter with another nut butter as the flavor of the gingerbread may change.
- Applesauce: Be sure to get unsweetened apple sauce.
Please take note that this is important information about the ingredients used in this recipe and the FULL recipe with measurements and details can be found DOWN BELOW (scroll to it) in the recipe card.
How do you make Vegan Gingerbread Cookies?
- In a large mixing bowl, make the flax egg.
- Add applesauce, molasses, almond butter, coconut sugar, spices, and baking soda and whisk.
- Add in the gluten-free flour and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Cover and let the dough chill for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Roll out the dough in between two pieces of parchment paper.
- Remove the top piece of parchment, dip the cookie cutter in a little flour before cutting each cookie out.
- Peel away the dough from the gingerbread men shapes. Carefully transfer the cookie to the baking sheet using a floured spatula. Place them 2 inches apart.
- Keep rolling out the extra dough and cutting out the shapes, repeating the process until you run out of dough.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let them rest on the pan for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Decorate with sprinkles, icing, etc. Enjoy!
- Step 1: First, make the gingerbread dough in a large bowl and then let it chill for one hour.
- Step 2: Then, roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Cut out the gingerbread men.
- Step 3: Add them to a lined baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Step 4: Finally, let the cookies cool, then decorate and enjoy!
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Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, sure! You can use hearts, stars, circles, or whatever other shapes. You can also just roll the dough into 1 tablespoon size balls and let them cook into round basic cookies.
Yes! Store cookies in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. They’ll stay super fresh.
I like this 3-Piece Gingerbread Men Cookie Cutter Set for different size options!
A salad like my Longevity Salad would pair nicely with this dish and balance the heaviness of the creamy orzo. If you want to make a full meal, don’t forget about dessert! Add these Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies to your menu, as well, to end the meal with!
“This recipe turned out awesome. I hadn’t found an easy gingerbread recipe that was plant based with no oil. I will be making this recipe again (and again).”
– Marky
Extra Helpful Tips
- Be sure to chill the dough for at least one hour before rolling out and baking.
- Use a floured spatula to transfer your cookies to a parchment covered baking sheet. Place them 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- I decorated my cookies with some natural crystalized sugar sprinkles made without dyes. Feel free to decorate yours with frosting, powdered sugar, or even melted chocolate.
- Do not substitute peanut butter for almond butter–it will change the flavor of the cookies.
- Don’t want to cut the cookies into shapes? After chilling the dough, simply roll into 1 tablespoon balls and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Freeze cookies for up to 2 months or store covered at room temperature for a few days.
If you tried this Vegan Gingerbread Cookies or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 5-star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (gluten-free!)
Equipment
- 1 cookie sheet
- 1 gingerbread cookie cutter
Ingredients
- 1 flax egg 1 tablespoon ground flax + 2.5 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup applesauce unsweetened
- 3 tablespoon molasses
- ¼ cup almond butter natural and creamy
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free all purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, make the flax egg by mixing together water and flax and let it sit for a few minutes until thickened.
- Add applesauce, molasses, almond butter, coconut sugar, spices, and baking soda and whisk very well until combined.
- Add gluten-free flour to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. The dough should hold it’s shape and not be dry or too sticky.
- Cover and let the dough chill for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Roll out the dough in between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s about ⅛ inch thick.
- Remove the top piece of parchment, dip the cookie cutter in a little flour before cutting each cookie (tap off excess flour if needed).
- When carefully transferring the cookies to the baking sheet, use a floured spatula. Place cookies 2 inches apart.
- Peel away the dough from the gingerbread men shapes. Keep rolling out the extra dough and cutting out the shapes repeating the process until you run out of dough.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. They will firm up more when they’re out of the oven. Let them rest on the pan for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Decorate with sprinkles, icing, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to chill the dough for at least one hour before rolling out and baking.
- Use a floured spatula to transfer your cookies to a parchment covered baking sheet. Place them 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- I decorated my cookies with some natural crystalized sugar sprinkles made without dyes. Feel free to decorate yours with frosting, powdered sugar, or even melted chocolate.
- Do not substitute peanut butter for almond butter–it will change the flavor of the cookies.
- Don’t want to cut the cookies into shapes? After chilling the dough, simply roll into 1 tablespoon balls and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Freeze cookies for up to 2 months or store covered at room temperature for a few days.
Cari says
Do you think this would work with almond flour (or a mixture of almond & another type of flour)? I know it wouldn’t taste exactly the same, but I try to watch my carb intake. Thank you!
Danielle Keith says
I have only tried with gluten free flour. You can definitely try with almond flour. Report back!!
Laurie says
I have never used flax egg. Am I looking for flax meal? If I can’t find it will it work with a regular egg?
Danielle Keith says
Look for ground flax/flax meal. You can find it at almost any grocery store or on Amazon. I have not tried it with regular egg.
Mandy says
My daughter is feeling left out this season because she can’t decorate a gingerbread house like she normally does (we found out she has a wheat and egg sensitivity). Do you think these would hold up well to becoming a gingerbread house? Are they a soft cookie or a hard cookie?
Danielle Keith says
YES! just bake them a few minutes longer!
Marky says
Mandy, if you are making it for a gingerbread house, I think it might be firmer if you cut the baking soda in half.
Marky says
This recipe turned out awesome. I hadn’t found an easy gingerbread recipe that was plant based with no oil. I will be making this recipe again (and again).
Danielle Keith says
YAY! So glad!!!
Melody says
I loved these! And have made them several times. I double the ginger and cinnamon and add cloves because I love a bite and I copied from a ginger snap recipe. Also I turn the oven off after 15 minutes and let them sit in there, they become more crunchy, like a snap.
Tiffany says
It’s June 25th, I’m celebrating half Christmas, living my best life. These are PHENOMENAL! I subbed the applesauce for canned pumpkin (because tis the season in my world) and it worked great. Thanks for this incredible recipe!
Brenda says
Hello, Can I use apple butter instead of almond butter or the molasses?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
Sure! I have not tried that sub
Jennifer Wowk says
Do you have a nut free substitute?
Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says
you could try sunbutter instead of almond butter!