Firstly, happy December! We’re moving on to Christmas recipes now, and gingerbread cookies are an absolute classic; they’re a perfect representation of colder weather, hot chocolate, scarfs and hats, milk and cookies… and the Gingerbread Man in Shrek, at least for me, has made them even more endearing.
As classic as gingerbread men are, I’m actually not a huge fan of crunchy cookies, but do enjoy the holiday mix of spices they offer. So this recipe is all of that happy, seasonal flavor in a softer, chewier cookie. They’re great as an evening snack with a cup of tea or hot cocoa, store great in the fridge or on your kitchen countertop, and are a perfect recipe to make with the kiddos for Santa Claus to snack on while he drops off presents this year, all while being a healthier, gluten-free, oil-free option.
These cookies are:
- Soft & chewy
- Flakey (without using saturated fat!)
- Wonderfully seasonal
- Absolutely delicious
Bonus? They’ll make your kitchen smell amazing, so if you haven’t quite felt that holiday spirit yet, these should put your right in the mood.
They are also easy to make once you get the hang of it, and made to enjoy with ingredients you probably have in your pantry already. You can also fancy them up with chopped, caramelized ginger in the batter, sprinkle extra sugar over the top to give them a nice glisten, or drizzle a simple royal icing over the top (powdered sugar with a little bit of water or plant milk and a dash of vanilla extract will do the trick).
If you try out this recipe, please share it with me by commenting here or on my YouTube channel, or even tagging me in a photo on Instagram @plantsnotplastic. I hope you enjoy, and Happy Holidays!
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups oat flour ~2 cups blended oats
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp salt optional
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1/4 cup applesauce (1)
- 2 tbsp molasses sub pure maple syrup or agave
- 2+ tbsp water see directions
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients
- Add wet ingredients and mix together
- Add wet ingredients and 2 tbsp water and mix together until smooth
- Chill the dough in the freezer for ~10-20 minutes
- Check texture of the dough (2) and if ready, preheat oven to 325F and separate the dough on baking tray into 8 evenly sized cookies
- Chill baking tray for 10 minutes while oven preheats
- Baking for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through with a light golden brown on top
- Remove from oven and transfer to a plate or cooling rack
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Sub 1/2 ripe banana or 1 flax egg (2 tbsp ground flax seeds and 1/4 water, mixed together)
- Dough should stick to itself well but not quite hold in a ball (refer to video for visual). Start with wetter dough and play with a ratio of water and flour, chilling for 5-10 minutes in between adding either and mixing to check for right consistency.
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