Soft Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
These Soft Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cookies will be a holiday staple! They’re incredibly soft, chewy and flavorful from the molasses and warm spices.
Who loves gingerbread cookies?! I’ve come to love gingerbread flavored everything in my adult years, despite my family not making gingerbread cookies too often when I was a kid.
We were much more enthralled with making batch after batch of Magic Cookie Bars during the holidays. However, I got a few requests this year for some classic gingerbread cookies and decided to accept the challenge!
Also a gingerbread lover? You’re going to love these gingerbread scones, gingerbread blondies, and easy vegan gingerbread cookie granola!
What makes these Gingerbread Cookies delicious?
These gluten free gingerbread cookies are so flavorful and rich they 100% converted me into a gingerbread loving lady! Here’s why you’ll love them:
- Rich molasses flavor
- Soft texture
- Crisp outer texture
- Warming spices
- Refined-sugar free
- Quick & easy to make! (no chilling required)
- Paleo and vegan!
What you need to make gingerbread cookies
Surprisingly, I knocked these healthy gingerbread cookies out of the park on my first try (not to toot my own horn or anything). These vegan cookies come together super quickly and there’s no need for a stand mixer or chilling of the dough required! Here’s what you need to make them:
- Almond Butter
- Molasses
- Softened Coconut Oil
- Coconut Sugar
- Flax Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Ground Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Coconut flour
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
Can you make these gingerbread cookies vegan?
Yes! To make these gingerbread cookies you’ll simply use flax eggs! To make one flax egg you will simply mix 2.5 TBSP water + 1 TBSP flaxseed meal and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Once it’s thick, you’ll use the flax mixture just as you would a regular egg. For this recipe, you will need two flax eggs total.
Non-vegan version: If you aren’t vegan or don’t have flax on hand, you can easily use regular eggs. Just use one egg + one egg yolk to get the same texture.
Tips for making soft gluten-free gingerbread cookies
Coconut flour: Coconut flour keeps the cookies grain-free and paleo while also helping to create a delicious texture. I don’t recommend substituting for other flours here as coconut flour is very absorbent.
Flatten cookies: After the dough is ready, you will roll the dough balls into a coconut sugar/cinnamon/ginger mixture. After this, I recommend flattening out the cookies a bit as they do not spread as easily on their own when baking.
Softened coconut oil: Make sure your coconut oil is slightly soft, similar to a butter texture. This helps create a soft, puffy cookie texture.
For softer cookies: You can bake these gingerbread cookies on the shorter side for 10-11 minutes if you prefer a softer cookie texture. If you prefer crispier edges, leave them in the oven for an extra few minutes.
If you love these gingerbread cookies, check out these healthy holiday treats!
- Chocolate Chunk Gingerbread Blondies
- Gluten Free Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars
- Thick & Chewy Paleo Snickerdoodle Cookies
Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Soft Gluten-Free Vegan Gingerbread Cookies will be a holiday cookie staple! They’re incredibly soft, chewy and flavorful from the molasses and warm spices.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (25g) virgin coconut oil (solid and slightly softened, similar to softened butter)
- ⅓ cup (80g) almond butter
- ¼ cup (85g) molasses
- ½ cup (77g) coconut sugar
- 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax meal + 5 tablespoons water – whisk them together and let sit for 5 minutes to gel – see notes for info about using real eggs)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt (skip if you’re using salted almond butter)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (64g) coconut flour
To roll the dough in
- ⅓ cup (51g) coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl or stand mixer, beat together the coconut oil, almond butter, molasses, and coconut sugar until smooth. Add the flax eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Add the ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and coconut flour to the wet ingredients. Mix until well incorporated.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the coconut sugar, cinnamon, and ground ginger to roll the dough in.
- Use a small or medium sized cookie scoop to form cookies and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2” apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press down slightly to flatten – note that the cookies won’t spread very much, so press them down to the thickness you prefer.
- Bake for 11 minutes or until the cookies have puffed and are cooked through. You can bake for an extra minute or two for crispier edges.
- Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t want/need to use flax eggs, replace the two flax eggs with 1 egg + 1 egg yolk.
Ohh man these look so tasty! I love soft, chewy cookies. It would be quite hard to stop eating them :)
Hehe they were definitely hard to stop devouring. You’d love these Elizabeth!
These look so good. Could I sub maple syrup or honey for the molasses
I wouldn’t recommend it – molasses has a very unique flavor that essentially is what makes these gingerbread cookies.
These look amazing!! Could I replace the coconut flour for another flour?
Thanks Valerie. As mentioned in the post, coconut flour is uniquely absorbent and no other flour will perform the same way here.
Hey Rachel !
I hope you’re doing well. I discovered your blog a month ago and already made 6 recipes that turned out AMAZING. I am so grateful for all those wonderful and tasty recipes.
I struggled a bit to find all the ingredients since I don’t live in the US but I still managed to find most of them.
I still didn’t find the molasses though … Do you know how I could replace it ? Or maybe how I could make it ?
Thanks again for sharing these delicacies with the world !
Pierre
So thrilled to hear you’re enjoying my recipes, Pierre! If you must, you can use honey or maple syrup in place of the molasses, but the molasses does have a flavor that makes these uniquely *gingerbready*. They’ll still be good, just not quite the same! Enjoy :)
Thank you for the advice Rachel ! I finally found molasses in an organic store though. Can’t wait to try them. Everyone fell in love with the brownies I made with your recipe today ! You definitely improved my life :-)
Aw I’m SO happy to hear that you loved the brownies, and I hope the gingerbread cookies are just as big of a hit :)
Second time I make these gingerbread cookies. I was the only one to fall in love with the first batch. The texture was great but since I had used blackstrap molasses, they had a very strong flavor (burnt flavor). Today I made them with “lighter molasses” and everyone finally agreed they were amazing. The texture is just so WOOOW ! Thank you again :-D Can’t wait to dip them in my golden milk tomorrow morning …
Yess so thrilled everyone was a fan! Thanks so much for your feedback Pierre. Dipping them in golden milk sounds HEAVENLY!
How long do these keep?
They will be best the first 3 days, but will probably keep for 5 or 6 :)
I didn’t think molasses was paleo?
Blackstrap molasses is generally considered to be acceptable! You can read more about it here: https://www.thepaleomom.com/blackstrap-molasses-the-sugar-you-can-love/
Just made these. They are delicious. I used 3 drops of Ginger essential oil in the batter instead of ground ginger. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
So thrilled to hear you’re enjoying them, love that you used essential oil!
These were wonderful! I used a little extra flour because the batter was a bit too wet to work with at first. They were still very wet and sticky and mine ended up spreading out more than i expected, but it really made no difference – the texture was BEAUTIFUL! So soft and chewy and they tasted marvelous! Everyone loved them
The batter came out too wet for me as well and spread out more. When I added a tad bit extra flour, I was able to form it into balls and did not spread as much and looks like the picture. Soft, chewy, flavorful!
Glad you were able to correct by adding a little extra coconut flour! Thanks for the feedback, enjoy!
These look amazing! And I think I have exactly a 1/2 C of coconut flour left ;) I don’t have any coconut sugar and prefer not to buy things I don’t regularly use. I know I could sub a less healthy sugar, like brown sugar, but do you think another liquid sweetener would work…along with the molasses, of course–maple syrup or honey, maybe?
Hi Erin, unfortunately these will be way too soft if you use a liquid sweetener, so I’d recommend sticking to a granulated sweetener. Enjoy!
Thanks!
Could you use something else besides almond butter for the gingerbread cookie recipe? I have any allergy to nuts. And what’s a good brand for coconut flour? Thanks!
Hi Michelle, you can use sunbutter to keep these nut-free. I like Bob’s Red Mill and Anthony’s for coconut flour. Enjoy!
Hi! Wondering if you can use a cookie cutter with this recipe to make gingerbread men? Or would it be too wet/sticky?
Hi Stephanie, it’s definitely too sticky for that, and they puff up so they wouldn’t keep their shape well.
Hi! I want to make these so bad, but have one question: My husband is highly allergic to Tree Nuts (so every but BUT a peanut) which means almond butter is a no. Can I use normal peanut butter or what do you suggest?
Hi Hope! Peanut butter would work but might affect the flavor, and Sunbutter would also work to keep them nut-free. Enjoy!
Hi! If I want to use unsalted butter instead of coconut oil, would the ration be 1:1? Or should I use slightly more/less than 2 tablespoons of butter?
Hi Erin, yes you sub butter 1:1 so you’ll use the same amount. Enjoy!
Hi,
Thank you for this recipe. The texture on these cookies is wonderful! The taste is also good, except I do find them a bit overly salty. Also, I made the recipe exactly as you wrote it, and unless I was going to make the cookies bite size, I found the recipe only yielded eight (small-medium size) cookies. I thought I might bring your attention to this, since the same thing happened when I made your brownies. The flavour was great, but the amount of batter the recipe yielded for the listed pan size resulted in exceptionally thin brownies. Best, Olivia
Hi Olivia, so glad you like the cookies! Did you use kosher salt? If you used regular table salt instead, that can be why it’s too salty. Very odd about the smaller yield – did you make any ingredient changes to the recipe?
Mine came out very salty too. I’m now realizing it’s probably because I used salted almond butter. Next time if I’m using salted almond butter I will try without adding salt. Or should I just use unsalted almond butter? Oh well! My mistake ! (Might want to add a reminder in the recipe to use unsalted almond butter for people like me that didn’t think of that—just a suggestion)
Hi Jen, I think your assumption is the right one! I’ll add a note to use unsalted almond butter & skip the salt if it’s salted. Thanks for your feedback!
These are amazing!!! I love how fluffy and chewy they are! Thank you for the incredible recipe!!
So thrilled you’re loving them Kristen!
Made these last night and oh my goodness they were the perfect taste and texture. I didn’t have any allspice so I used cloves, came out great! I followed everything else to a T and they came out moist and flavorful. Will definitely be making these again soon!
So thrilled you’re loving them! Thanks for sharing your feedback with me, Erin :)
uau! these cookies are awesome! I used honey as I didn’t have molasses and the texture and taste are amazing.
My boys said they want those again shaped as a gingerman
thanks for the recipe
So glad you guys loved them! Thanks for sharing your feedback Laia :)
Just tried making these. Did half the recipe and used 1 egg, and used 1 Tbsp of cane sugar instead of 1/2 Cup of coconut sugar. They came out great, although I left them in for 20 min at 325 degrees and the whole cookie is basically crunchy. Will try 15 minutes next time. Great recipe!
Hi Emily – 20 minutes is double the called for baking time, so that’s why they turned out crunchy. You should only bake for 10-11 minutes, as the recipe calls for.
I cut the coconut sugar because I didn’t have any, and these are still delicious!!! Super fluffy and moist. Thanks for the recipe :)
So thrilled they’re still delicious and you’re enjoying them! Thanks for the feedback, Liz :)
I wanna make these soon for Xmas because I have to bake it all in advance. Can I store them for 10 days? Will they harden or ….?
I definitely would not recommend baking them now and just letting them sit for 10 days – they won’t be nearly as good. My favorite way to prep cookies in advance to prep everything right until baking, including forming the cookie dough balls, and then freezing those on a baking sheet. Once they’re hard, throw them in a zip bag or airtight container, and then bake the day or the day before you need them. Hope this helps!
My mom just made these for me for the holidays and now I’m fighting my dad for them!! Amazing!
Soft and delicious
So glad you are all loving them, Adele! Thanks for the feedback.
I can’t have cinnamon or coconut sugar, so I subbed out fresh ginger and monkfruit sugar–then I’d run out of almond butter so I used peanut butter instead. These were GREAT! very easy to make too. Thx.
So glad they were a hit, even with the changes! Thanks for the feedback Taylor, and happy holidays!
These were perfect! I skipped the rolling in sugar part, really out of laziness, and added some dark chocolate chunks to a few! The almond butter I used was Base Culture’s Gingerbread Almond Butter so they came out extra ginger-y. Yum! Thanks so much for an easy and relatively healthy recipe that taste great.
So thrilled you enjoyed them!! Thanks so much for the feedback. Using that nut butter sounds absolutely delicious!!
Hi Rachel, I love all your recipes! I have tried few of them but have not been successful mainly because your recipes are measured in cups. I am based in Europe and we work with grams. Is it possible to have your recipes also the option to convert it in grams?
Many thanks
Ita
Hi Ita, many of my recipes do include gram measurements (including all of the recipes in my cookbook). You can also always use an online converter to find the right amounts for the recipes where that info hasn’t been added yet. I’ll update this one with grams, though!
MMMM – really yummy! Made them exactly per the recipe. One of my daughters said they’re a little to gingery for her so I might leave out the ginger that they get rolled in next time, but other than that – DELICIOUS! It’s recipes like this that make me love being vegan/gluten-free :)
So glad you love them, Nicole!! And that they’re (mostly) a hit with the kids :D thanks so much for your feedback!
Which molasses do you recommend?
I usually use molasses from the Wholesome brand.
I tripled check measurements and after adding coconut flour, it was still too liquid. No way to scoop. Measurements off?
Hi R, the measurements definitely aren’t off, but something may have gone wrong! Did you use a super liquidy almond butter or anything? Sometimes if you don’t mix them well, you’ll get what’s mostly oil at the top. Also, sometimes it can take a few minutes for coconut flour to absorb. Did it happen to get any thicker after a few minutes? Sometimes certain brands of coconut flour aren’t quite as absorbent as others, and in that case, I’d recommend adding it a tablespoon at a time, letting it rest for a few minutes, and repeating until you get the cookie dough consistency you’re after!
Help! I didn’t have coconut flour for the gingerbreads cookies so used almond flour. Soupy. Ideas? Sue
Hi Sue, the coconut flour is there to absorb the extra moisture because it’s super absorbent. To replace with almond flour, you’d need to use about 3x the amount.
these were so good. I subbed out half of the sugar for swerve brown to cut down on the carbs. I love your recipes. They are the best vegan and paleo ones I have found!
So glad you’re loving my recipes!!! Thank you so much for the feedback and support :)
These look amazing – do you think I could sub applesauce for the eggs instead of flax egg? Thanks!
Hi Tracy, it would likely make the cookies softer, so you can but it will change the texture a bit!
These cookies are my new favorite. In your cookbook you add orange zest to them which makes them delicious. I’ve made two batches already! Love them!
So glad you’re loving them, Stacey!
I cook and bake with maple syrup and honey. But want the ginger bread taste. Can I use half molasses half honey? I’d greatly appreciate it if you could email me back. I miss ginger cookies
Hi Becky, yes you can do half and half if you prefer! But I wouldn’t replace the coconut sugar with a liquid sweetener because it will throw off the texture of the recipe.