These Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies made with almond flour are irresistibly soft, chewy and spiked with warm Christmas spices. Suited for cookie cutters, you can get creative with your favorite holiday designs. They’re also vegan, dairy free and grain free, making them a perfect treat for a range of dietary preferences.
The gingerbread cookies are flavorful on their own. Or, you can decorate them with a simple glace icing. Either way, they’re a delicious way to enjoy the holiday season.
Healthy gingerbread cookies
A few smart ingredient swaps enhance the nutritional value of these gingerbread cookies, without compromising on taste.
- Almond flour replaces all-purpose flour: To keep these gingerbread cookies gluten free, almond flour removes the need for all-purpose flour. It also boosts the cookies with some good fats and gives a moist and soft texture.
- Extra virgin olive oil replaces butter or coconut oil: Extra virgin olive oil works as a healthy alternative with the benefit of added antioxidants. It also gives the cookies a tender texture and keeps them dairy free and vegan.
- The cookies are sweetened with maple syrup and black treacle: Instead of brown sugar, a blend of maple syrup and black treacle offers full-bodied sweetness. You can also use maple syrup alone if preferred.
How to make pipeable glace icing
You can decorate these gluten-free gingerbread cookies with a simple glace icing, made from powdered sugar and water. To achieve the perfect consistency for piping, it’s important to get the texture just right.
- Start by placing powdered sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar, in a bowl.
- Gradually add a small amount of water, stirring as you go. Continue adding water, about a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture forms a thick, smooth paste.
- If the icing becomes too runny, simply stir in more powdered sugar. If it gets too thick or grainy, add a bit more water to smooth it out.
Ingredients for gluten free gingerbread cookies
- Almond flour: The base ingredients of these gluten-free gingerbread cookies is almond flour. Also known as blanched almond meal, it’s made from almonds that have had their skins removed. I store mine in the refrigerator to keep it as fresh as possible.
- Tapioca flour: A small amount of tapioca flour helps to bind the gingerbread mixture, since this recipe is egg free. You can use arrowroot flour as a substitute if you prefer.
- Ground ginger: Since these are gingerbread cookies, ground ginger provides that classic gingerbread flavor. Make sure that your ground ginger is not past its best before date. This is because pre-ground spices lose their flavor over time.
- Mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice: I love to add mixed spice to these gingerbread cookies as a quick way to boost their flavor profile. Mixed spice is a British spice mix usually made with cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. It’s similar to pumpkin pie spice, which you can use as a substitute if that’s what you have at home.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup is used to sweeten these gingerbread cookies, adding natural sweetness with a subtle hint of caramel. Pure maple syrup is ideal for the best taste and quality.
- Black treacle: Black treacle adds depth and richness to these cookies, with its dark, slightly bitter flavor. Its thick consistency and complex flavor makes it a key ingredient for authentic gingerbread.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil replaces the need for butter or coconut oil in this recipe. It pairs well with the warm spices. However, you can use other types of olive oil or melted coconut oil as a substitute if you prefer.
- Baking soda: Baking soda, also known as bi-carb soda or bicarbonate of soda, is the leavening agent in these gingerbread cookies. It gives them a small amount of rise. It also contributes to the slight crispness around the edges of the cookies.
- Fine salt: A small amount of fine salt balances the sweetness and rich spices in these gingerbread cookies. It also brings out the flavor of the other ingredients.
Substitute for black treacle
Black treacle is a popular ingredient in the UK, often simply referred to as treacle. It has a distinctive dark, almost black color, setting it apart from its lighter cousin, golden syrup.
Dark molasses can be used as a substitute for black treacle. It has a similar thick, syrupy consistency and rich, slightly bitter flavor. Just make sure it is dark molasses – not blackstrap molasses, which is too bitter to use as a 1:1 substitute. For a milder substitute, you could use maple syrup or honey, which are sweeter and less complex in flavor.
How to store gluten free gingerbread cookies
Store the cooled gingerbread cookies in an airtight container in the fridge to maintain their freshness. They should keep this way for up to one week. Their texture will harden slightly in the fridge, but you can leave them at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving for a softer texture.
For decorated cookies, make sure that the glace icing has fully set before storing. To stack the cookies, place a sheet of parchment or baking paper between each layer to keep the icing from smudging or sticking.
More gluten free baking recipes
- Oatmeal Linzer Crumble Bars
- Flourless Zucchini Brownies with Chocolate Frosting
- Almond Olive Oil Shortbread Cookies
- Small Batch Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Flour Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Check out the Baking Recipes page for more ideas.
Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies with Almond Flour Recipe
Serves
About 12 cookies
Prep time
20 mins + chilling
Cook time
10 mins
Ingredients
For the gingerbread cookies:
- 1 1/2 cups / 145 g almond flour
- 1/4 cup / 31 g tapioca flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger (see Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp fine salt
- 1/8 cup / 30 ml / 40 g maple syrup
- 1/8 cup / 30 ml / 45 g black treacle (see Note 2)
- 2 tbsp / 30 ml / 28 g extra virgin olive oil (see Note 3)
For the glace icing to decorate:
- 1/2 cup / 50 g powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp water, or more as needed
- Decorative sprinkles (optional)
Method
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, ginger, mixed spice, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well mixed. Create a well in the center and add the maple syrup, black treacle, and olive oil. Mix the wet ingredients in the well until combined, then gradually stir them into the dry ingredients to form a dough.
- Place a sheet of parchment or baking paper on a flat surface and set the dough in the center. Press the dough into a disc shape. Fold the edges of the paper over the dough and transfer it to the freezer. Chill for 20 minutes to firm up the dough.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 160°C fan-forced / 180°C / 350°F and line a large baking tray with parchment or baking paper.
- Take the dough out of the freezer and unfold the paper. Place another sheet of paper on top. Roll the dough between the two sheets using a rolling pin until it’s about 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes from the dough and transfer them to the lined baking tray. Gather the leftover dough, press it together, roll it out again, and continue cutting shapes until all the dough is used.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until just starting to brown around the edges. Allow to cool slightly on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the glace icing, mix the powdered sugar and water in a bowl until smooth and thick. Adjust with more powdered sugar if too runny, or more water if too thick.
- Spoon the icing into a ziplock bag, pushing it into one corner. Cut a tiny hole in the tip and pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies. Add sprinkles, if desired, while the icing is still wet. Chill the cookies in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes or until the icing sets.
Notes
- Ground ginger – I use 2 tsp of ground ginger because I like the cookies to be strongly spiced. If you prefer a milder taste, you can reduce it to 1 1/2 tsp.
- Black treacle – If you don’t have black treacle, you can use dark molasses or more maple syrup instead. If using molasses, make sure it’s dark molasses rather than blackstrap molasses, which is too bitter to work as a 1:1 substitute in this recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil – I enjoy the way a robust extra virgin olive oil blends with the spices. However, you can use other varieties of olive oil or melted coconut oil if you prefer.
- Storage – Once the icing has set, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Separate stacked cookies with parchment or baking paper to prevent sticking. The texture of the cookies hardens slightly in the fridge, but you can let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving for a softer texture.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving size: 1 cookie with glace icing
- Energy: 138 Calories / 578 Kilojoules
- Total Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 12 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1 g
- Sugars: 9 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 63 mg
- Potassium: 77 mg
