These gluten-free gingerbread cookies are thick, soft, and chewy with lightly crisp edges, deep molasses flavor, and a classic blend of ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Once chilled, the dough rolls easily into gingerbread men and other Christmas cutouts and holds its shape beautifully in the oven.
The recipe is naturally egg-free, and I make it completely vegan with vegan butter and plant-based milk. I developed the dough to taste like the traditional gingerbread cookies I actually want to eat-not dry or crumbly-while still being sturdy enough to roll, cut, transfer, and decorate.
For decorating, I use my vegan royal icing. It pipes cleanly and hardens firm enough for stacking and storing decorated cookies.
Recipe Overview: Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
- ⭐⭐️ Difficulty: Moderate
- 🕓 Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Bake Time: 8-10 minutes
- 👥 Yield: 22 cookies
- Flavor: Molasses + classic gingerbread spices
- Texture: Thick, soft and chewy with lightly crisp edges
- Method: Roll-and-cut cookies
- ✅ Diet: Gluten-free, egg-free + vegan
⚠️ Most Important Tip: Don't overbake these cookies. For 3-4-inch cutouts, I start checking at 8 minutes. A few tiny surface cracks are fine; larger cracks usually mean they've baked too long.
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FEATURED REVIEW ★★★★★
I really liked that these gluten-free gingerbread cookies were soft and chewy. I've only had crunchy ones.
- Vero
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Why This Recipe Works
- They stay soft without losing their shape. Rolling the dough about ⅓-inch thick and keeping the bake time short gives the cookies a soft, chewy center while still producing sturdy cutouts.
- No egg is needed. Potato starch or cornstarch helps bind the dough and contributes to the tender, chewy texture.
- The chill time makes the soft dough workable. Two hours in the refrigerator gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate and firms the dough enough to roll and cut cleanly.
- They taste like traditional gingerbread. Brown sugar, unsulphured molasses, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves give them a deep, warmly spiced flavor without relying on a specialty gluten-free cookie mix.
Jamie's Note
I tested several different gluten-free gingerbread formulas while developing this recipe. Some doughs were too soft to hold together, while others baked up floury, overly molasses-heavy, uneven, crisp, brittle, or prone to falling apart.
I kept adjusting the flour, molasses, starch, and bake time until I got the balance I wanted: a dough that rolls and cuts cleanly, holds its shape, and bakes into a soft, chewy cookie with a balanced gingerbread flavor.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
Gluten-Free Flour
I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, which already contains xanthan gum, so no additional xanthan is needed.
I've also successfully tested this recipe with Pamela's gluten-free flour. Because gluten-free flour blends vary considerably, another blend may change how soft or sticky the dough is.
Potato Starch or Cornstarch
Potato starch or cornstarch act as an egg replacer and contribute to the chewy cookie texture. Many modern professional cookie bakers add a little cornstarch to their cookies even if they do include egg as an ingredient because it makes the best texture!
Molasses
Use unsulphured molasses for the classic gingerbread flavor. I like Grandma's and Wholesome. I don't recommend blackstrap molasses here because it is considerably more bitter and less sweet and will change the flavor of the cookies.
Spices
I use ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves for a classic gingerbread flavor. The ginger and cinnamon are the dominant spices, while the smaller amounts of allspice and cloves add warmth without overpowering the molasses.
Vegan Butter
I developed the recipe with Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. Use sticks rather than a very soft tub-style spread so the dough has enough structure for cutouts. Regular softened butter also works if you don't need the cookies to be vegan or dairy-free
See the recipe card for full ingredients with quantities.
‼️ Celiac note: Because these are roll-out cookies, make sure the rolling surface, rolling pin, cookie cutters, and any flour used for dusting are gluten-free. I also check the labels on icing, sprinkles, and other decorations before using them.
How to Roll & Bake Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
1. Chill the dough thoroughly
The dough is intentionally soft before chilling. Refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Thorough chilling makes it much easier to roll and cut without adding unnecessary flour.
2. Roll about ⅓-inch thick
Generously dust the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands with gluten-free flour, then roll the dough to about ⅓-inch thick. I prefer relatively thick cutouts because they stay soft and chewy rather than baking up thin and crisp.
If the dough is still too sticky to handle, add flour a little at a time. Use only as much as you need-too much extra flour can make the cookies drier.
3. Watch the surface, not just the timer
For 3-4-inch cookies, I usually bake for about 8 minutes. A few very small cracks on the surface are fine. If the cracks become noticeably larger, the cookies are starting to overbake.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them.
Full Step-By-Step Photos
When you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review below. I always appreciate the feedback! ❤️
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum (240 grams)
- ½ tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Gingerbread Spices
- ½ tablespoon ground ginger
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons vegan buttery sticks , softened at room temperature
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (70 grams)
- ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses (122 grams)
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened almond milk or other plant-based milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix the dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, potato starch, baking soda, salt, and gingerbread spices. Set aside.
- Mix the wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, milk, molasses, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy.
- Make and chill the dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Cover snugly and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days until thoroughly cooled (preferably overnight).
- Roll and cut: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Generously dust your hands, a rolling pin, and a clean surface with gluten-free flour, adding more as needed throughout. Consolidate the dough into a large ball and press into a thick disk with your hands. Sprinkle with GF flour, then roll the dough about ⅓-inch thick. Cut into shapes and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. Gather and re-roll the scraps as needed.
- Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, starting with 8 minutes for 3-4-inch cookies. A few tiny surface cracks are fine; larger cracks mean the cookies are beginning to overbake. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Cool completely before icing (I recommend my Vegan Royal Icing).
Vero says
I really liked that these gluten-free gingerbread cookies were soft and chewy. I’ve only had crunchy ones. I’ll be making these again for Christmas!