This easy Vegan Gingerbread Cookies recipe has all the taste but is eggless and dairy-free! Classic gingerbread is cut into shapes and can be decorated with icing to make gingerbread man biscuits, reindeer or other shapes.
This Vegan Gingerbread Cookie recipe will be your go-to Christmas cookie recipe.
It tastes so delicious and it's super easy to make.
Just mix it all up, chill, roll, cut and bake! Voila, perfect vegan gingerbread man cookies.
It has all the wonderful gingerbread flavors that are perfect at Christmas. But they're eggless and dairy free.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These biscuits are completely vegan and dairy-free.
A great dessert to make with family during the holidays.
Can be made into many different shapes using your favorite cookie cutters.
They are the perfect cookie that is crisp on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle.
Vegan gingerbread is easy to make from scratch.
Ingredients And Tools
Dairy-free butter - Vegan butter can be found in most grocery stores and has the texture and taste of real butter. Great for vegans and vegetarians.
Brown sugar - Ideally soft dark brown sugar, but it will all work. This sweet sugar has a hint of molasses that will add to that classic gingerbread flavor. Check that your brand is vegan.
Vegetable oil - Vegetable oil gives these cookies a great soft texture.
Molasses - A classic ingredient in gingerbread of any kind! This thick sweet and tangy syrup sweetens gingerbread and gives it a hearty flavor. Double check your brand is vegan.
Vanilla extract - Pairs well with any type of cookie.
Plain flour - A main staple in gingerbread cookies.
Cloves, Cinnamon, Ground Ginger - These spices together give gingerbread it's warming spiced flavor along with the molasses.
Tools
Rolling Pin - After chilling the gingerbread dough, a rolling pin is needed to get the dough nice and flat for cutting.
Cookie Cutters - Feel free to use any type of gingerbread cookie cutter you like!
Cooling Rack - Vegan gingerbread holds up best when it is cooled on a rack before consuming.
Parchment Paper - helps to keep the cookies from sticking and makes for an easy cleanup.
How to make vegan gingerbread cookies
Follow this step-by-step photo tutorial, then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and method.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, oil, molasses and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Sift in the flour, ginger, cinnamon, bicarb and cloves and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
Knead for a few minutes until it forms a dough.
Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 340F / 170C. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼" thick.
Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes, place each shape onto the prepared trays and bake for 7-8 minutes until the edges just begin to darken slightly (the cookies will firm up as they cool).
Transfer to a rack and cool completely before decorating with writing icing as desired.
Tips
Many store-bought writing icings are vegan, or you can make your own vegan royal icing.
Make sure you completely cool the gingerbread cookies before they are iced as the icing could get too warm and run.
Use a fine tipped piping bag to ice your vegan gingerbread cookies.
The dough needs to be chilled no less than one hour in order to bake up perfectly.
Here are some ideas for how to decorate gingerbread man cookies.
Vegan gingerbread can also be cut into other shapes to make a Gingerbread house.
Want crispy gingerbread cookies? Just roll them a little thinner. Want soft gingerbread man cookies? Keep them thicker (¼").
Sure, you could buy Pepperidge Farms or Little Debbie gingerbread cookies from Walmart, but making your own is so easy - and the smell in the house is worth all the (minimal) effort.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy with some creamy vegan eggnog made with almond milk.
Add them to your cookie platter along with these delicious Icelandic Christmas Cookies, Italian Pignoli Cookies, Christmas Tree cookies and German Bethmannchen cookies.
Wrap them in little Christmas treat bags with these Fudgy Zucchini Brownies.
These cookies are perfect to leave for Santa with a glass of milk on Christmas eve.
They're nut-free so are perfect as a festive treat in the kids' lunchboxes this holiday season.
Recipe Variations
Frost your gingerbread cookies with this easy tangy vegan cream cheese frosting.
Add in some crushed peppermint candy canes for a minty twist.
Grate in some orange zest for an additional layer of holiday flavor.
Goes great with these Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Chocolate Glaze.
Dip the cookies in this Cardamom Cold Brew Iced Coffee.
Top them on this Pear and Gingerbread Parfait.
Try different shaped gingerbread cutters: stars, snowflakes, ninjabread men, reindeer or mini gingerbread men cutters.
Special Diets
Make it Gluten Free: To make this a gluten-free vegan gingerbread cookie recipe, simply swap out the plain flour for a gluten-free flour blend that has a 1:1 ratio to plain flour. Be sure the blend also contains xanthan gum so you don't have to add your own.
Storage And Freezing
Storage: Baked gingerbread cookies are best consumed within a few days of baking. They keep best stored in an airtight container on the counter.
Freezing: Gingerbread dough can be frozen for up to 3 months if it is sealed in plastic wrap and an airtight container. Make sure you thaw in the fridge overnight completely before baking.
FAQ
What kind of molasses can you use for gingerbread cookies? There are many different kinds of molasses with slightly varying flavors. You can use regular molasses that you find in the baking section or for a more deep intense flavor, use blackstrap molasses.
Are gingerbread cookies good for you? Even though gingerbread cookies have the same macronutrients of most cookies, there are some antioxidants you'll get from the spice blend and from the molasses.
What does gingerbread taste like? Gingerbread has a slight spiciness from the warming flavors and a richness from the molasses. It tastes sort of similar to something flavored with maple syrup.
You'll Also Love:
I just know that you are going to love this easy vegan gingerbread cookie recipe. Try these other gingerbread flavored recipes too!
Gingerbread Granola
Gingerbread Vegan Pancakes
Pear Gingerbread Parfait
Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Ginger Frosting
Gingerbread Pumpkin Cupcakes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Cookie sheet
- Oven
Ingredients
- ¼ cup / 100g dairy-free vegan butter
- ½ cup / 100g brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups / 225g all-purpose flour plain flour
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- To decorate:
- White icing
- Sprinkles or decorations
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, oil, molasses and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Sift in the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and cloves and stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
- Knead for a few minutes until it forms a dough.
- Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 340F / 170C. Line two cookie sheets with baking parchment.
- Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to ¼" thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes, place each shape onto the prepared trays and bake for 7-8 minutes until the edges just begin to darken slightly (the cookies will firm up as they cool).
- Transfer to a rack and cool completely before decorating with writing icing as desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Mary
Hello,
I cooked this recipe with my students and it was very good.
Thank you,
Warmly,
Amy
Oh how gorgeous are these? Every year my daughter and I bake some cookies for her school friends and her school teachers. This recipe is was perfect for it!
Kate
Gorgeous gingerbread and love your cute, smiley faces - will definitely be making these with the kids soon, thanks so much!
whitney
These are adorable!! Even better that they are dairy free! Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
These gingerbread cookies are so cute! And I LOVE that they are vegan! Pinned to make them later.
Dannii
These are so super cute. I am going to try making these at the weekend with my daughter.