Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Soft and chewy gluten-free gingerbread cookies with classic molasses and warm spices that hold their shape beautifully for gingerbread men and Christmas cutouts. Egg-free, with easy dairy-free and vegan options.

Course Dessert, Cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free christmas cookies, gluten free gingerbread cookies, vegan gingerbread cookies, gluten free gingerbread men

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 8

Resting Time 2

Total Time 2 33

Servings

Calories 80kcal

Author Jamie Monkkonen

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).

Notes

Gluten-Free Flour: This recipe was tested with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum. No additional xanthan gum is needed. For the most consistent results, I recommend weighing the flour. When I spoon Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 into the measuring cup and level it, I consistently get about 137 grams per cup, which is why this recipe uses 240 grams for 1¾ cups.

Dairy-Free/Vegan: Use vegan buttery sticks and plant-based milk. The recipe contains no egg, so no egg substitute is needed.

Non-Vegan Option: Regular butter and dairy milk work in the same amounts.

Sticky Dough: Flour your surfaces and hands generously. If the dough is still too sticky to work with, mix a little gluten-free flour in before rolling. Add more in small increments as needed.

Bake Time: For 3–4-inch cookies rolled about ⅓-inch thick, start checking at 8 minutes. A few tiny cracks are fine; larger cracks generally mean the cookies are beginning to overbake.

Storage: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to 7 days. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.

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