Healthy and wholesome vegan gingerbread men and women cookies made with a few simple ingredients! They are gluten free, refined sugar free and have no oil!
The cookies are crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle. If you bake them for a little longer, they're crisp throughout!
Alternatively, if you prefer classic buttery cookies, check out my Vegan Gingerbread recipe (no refined sugar) or Pistachio and Cranberry Vegan Christmas Cookies. Or if you still want healthy vegan cookies but without the gingerbread spices, see my Vegan Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies (3 ingredients).
Tip: to ensure you get a well-balanced gingerbread flavour, you need an equal part of ginger to cinnamon and a smaller proportion of nutmeg :).
Vegan Gingerbread cookies without oil
I've received lots of requests from people for oil-free treats and these cookies are just perfect for that! They get their moisture and crispness from the almond butter.
Texture of the dough
To make these cookies, I used a chunky-style almond butter from my local bulk foods store. This resulted in a dough that was slightly dry but sticks together when you press it between two fingers.
I haven't tried the recipe with a runny and smooth almond butter. However, I'm sure it'll work if you add a little less plant-based milk.
Coconut butter frosting
A mixture of softened coconut butter and plant-based milk mimics the appearance of royal icing! However, the tricky thing is getting the consistency right!
The problems: Too much coconut butter makes a clumpy frosting and too much milk makes a runny frosting. If the frosting is too cold, it'll be too hard to pipe. If it's too hot, it'll drip everywhere!
Troubleshooting: Gradually add coconut butter or milk to the mixture to get the right consistency! Also, the frosting needs to be a little warmer than room temperature in order to be the perfect piping consistency.
Other vegan gingerbread recipes
If you love gingerbread as much as me, check out my:
Or see my other vegan Christmas cookie recipes:
- Pistachio and Cranberry Vegan Christmas Cookies
- Vegan Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies (3 ingredients)
You may also like:
Healthy Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup (120g) white rice flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ cup (125g) almond butter
- ½ cup (80g) coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons dairy free milk, such as almond, soy or coconut
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ tablespoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Frosting
- 3 tbsp coconut butter, softened
- ½-1 tbsp dairy free milk, such as almond, soy or coconut, as needed
Instructions
- To make the cookies: Add all of the ingredients to a medium-size bowl and mix until it forms a pliable dough. Add more milk if the dough needs to come together more.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin so it is about 8mm (0.3 inch) thick. Use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough. Carefully place each cookie on a lined baking tray with a little space in between each cookie. You may need to use a butter knife or spatula to transfer them,
- Collect the excess dough, press it together and roll it out again. Repeat until you have no more dough.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies). The edges of the cookies should be slightly golden brown. Allow the cookies to completely cool on the baking tray.
- To make the frosting, combine all ingredients and mix until it forms a thick paste. Add more coconut butter to thicken and more milk to thin the frosting.
- Use a piping bag or a sharp object to decorate the gingerbread as desired.
- Enjoy immediately! Cookies are best enjoyed on the day of baking. Alternatively, store them in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Please leave a comment below if you made this recipe, have any questions or thoughts! Your comment will help other readers and Rainbow Nourishments.
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