Gluten-free gingerbread cookies can be thin, crispy and full of flavor. The perfect cookie to dunk in a mug of steaming coffee or leave on a plate for Santa. This cookie recipe can be rolled thin and cut with cookie cutters for crispy gingerbread. Then decorate them with Royal icing or leave them plain. Use them as a Christmas Tree decoration or a table centerpiece or just enjoy them after a heavy meal to aid digestion and relieve bloating.

Gingerbread men should crunch when you bite into them. They should hold together when you dunk a leg into coffee, at least for a minute while you take the bite. If you miss making gingerbread houses and gingerbread men with your kids due to gluten sensitivity, this gluten free recipe will give that experience back.

Gingerbread was traditionally used as an after dinner digestive aid. Queen Elizabeth I employed a royal gingerbread baker that artistically cut the likeness of her royal guests in cookie dough. These royal cookies were given as gifts to visiting statesmen and served at banquets. Ginger at the time was a known immune supporter with a reputation for protecting against the Bubonic plague. It was also known to ease nausea, flatulence, gas, and bloating. This was an virtue in those days before refrigeration. But it serves the same function today at holiday meals when guests might push away from the table feeling some discomfort. Finishing the meal with gingerbread biscuits can bring quick relief and keep the vibes high.

The recipe makes about 4 dozen 3 inch cookies but it can be double for gingerbread houses and cookie exchanges. I hope you enjoy my gluten-free gingerbread recipe.

A word about gluten-free flour

This recipe uses gluten-free oat flour as 1/3rd of the flour. To make gluten free oat flour, start with certified gluten-free oatmeal. For each cup of oat flour, process 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal in a high- powered blender like Vitamix or Blendex, until the flour is fine and silky.

Gluten-free flour blends vary in their ingredients. Most are a blend of rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, and xanthan gum. Buckwheat flour is sometimes added to the mixture to improve the texture. To make your own gluten-free flour blend for this recipe use 1/3 cup rice flour, 1/3 cup buckwheat flour, and 1/3 cup tapioca starch, plus 1 teaspoon xanthan gum for the cup of gluten free flour blend called for in the recipe. You can also use any 1 for 1 gluten-free flour blend you normally buy.

Tapioca starch is added to the recipe to lighten the heaviness of the gluten-free flours. It gives the cookie a flaky crumb and lightness.

I did not test almond flour with this recipe. It has a higher protein and behaves differently than grain flours. If you decide to use almond flour you might need to adjust the amount of total flour in the recipe to prevent the cookies from being too crumbly.

Cookie texture

The cookies will be crisp when they cool but may soften in storage, for a soft, chewy texture that many people love. If you prefer for a thin crispy gingerbread cookie, be sure to roll the dough as thinly as you can. Bake the cookie for 13 minutes. The longer baking time helps the cookie remain crisper. The relative humidity in your home can affect the final texture of the cookie. Bake cookies on drier days for crisper cookies.

For a softer, chewier mouth-feel, bake the cookie for 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden brown. The shorter baking times give a softer crumb to the cookie and a chewier texture.

Since they are gluten-free they are a little fragile when warm but they will firm up as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to ensure that they hold together well.

Shaping the Cookies

I use this gingerbread recipe for rolled and cut out cookies. They hold their shape well after baking so that you can decorate them with royal icing and use them for gingerbread men and gingerbread houses. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick for gingerbread houses to give structure to the wall. Bake until the cookie is golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet placed on a cooling rack until the cookie is cold, so that it remains flat while cooling. Gluten free cookies continue to solidify while they cool, so moving them prematurely can cause the cookie to crumble and fall apart.

Substitutions:

Vegan butter can be used in the place of the dairy butter in this recipe to make the recipe dairy-free. An egg substitute can be used instead of eggs, but the texture of the cookie will be altered. Experiment with a small batch before you commit to a full size batch.

Many people add ground cloves to their gingerbread cookie dough. We prefer to leave out the cloves completely. If you choose to add them, use 1/4 teaspoon. Cloves are strongly flavored and they can easily overpower the ginger in this recipe.

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies for Gingerbread Men and Gingerbread Houses

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Author: Joybilee Farm

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Description

Gluten free gingerbread dough that is suitable for rolling and cutting with cookie cutters. These cookies are crisp and tender, with a satsifying crunch. They hold their shape when dunked in a cup of coffee.

Ingredients

Scale

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 lemon, zest and juice only
1 cup organic sugar
¼ cup molasses or date syrup
2 eggs
1 cup oatmeal flour*
1 cup gluten- free flour blend
½ cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

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Instructions

In a large bowl, cream butter, lemon zest and juice, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and eggs. Combine the oatmeal flour, gluten-free flour blend, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, and spices; add the flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix well to form a soft dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the dough is easy to handle. Don’t skip this chilling step. It allows the dough to become uniformly hydrated and helps the dough stick together for rolling.
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Lightly butter or oil the parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking the baking sheet.
Divide the dough into 4 parts. Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter or work surface. Lightly flour the parchment paper with additional oat flour. On the lightly floured surface, roll out one part of the gingerbread dough to 1/8-in. thickness for crispy gingerbread men or 1/4 inch thickness if you are making a gingerbread house.. Cut with floured cookie cutters in desired shapes. Place each cookie on the parchment lined baking sheets, leaving 1/2 inch space between each cookie to allow for spreading. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake at 375° for12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool. For crispier cookies bake the cookies for up to 15 minutes but watch them and prevent them from scorching.

Notes

For crispier cookies bake them for 15 minutes but watch them to prevent scorching.

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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Crispy, gluten-free gingerbread men that are like the traditional Christmas cookies but gluten-free.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 lemon, zest and juice only
1 cup organic sugar
¼ cup molasses or date syrup
2 eggs
1 cup oatmeal flour*
1 cup gluten- free flour blend
½ cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, lemon zest and lemon juice, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and eggs. Combine the oatmeal flour, gluten-free flour blend, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, and spices. A whisk is very helpful to blend the dry ingredients and work out any lumps in the flour. Add the dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well to form a soft dough. The dough will dry somewhat as it is resting and become easier to handle. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the dough is less sticky. Don’t skip this chilling step. It allows the dough to become uniformly hydrated and helps the dough stick together for rolling.
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Lightly butter or oil the parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking the baking sheet.
Divide the gingerbread cookie dough into 4 parts. Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter or work surface. Lightly flour the parchment paper with additional oat flour. On the lightly floured surface, using a wooden rolling pin, roll out one part of the gingerbread dough to 1/8-in. thickness for crispy gluten-free gingerbread men cookies or 1/4 inch thickness if you are making a gingerbread house.. Cut with floured cookie cutters in desired shapes. Place each cookie on the parchment lined baking sheets, leaving 1/2 inch space between each cookie to allow for spreading. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake at 375° for12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool. For crispier cookies bake the cookies for up to 15 minutes but watch them and prevent them from scorching.

*To make the oatmeal flour, use 1½ cups of gluten-free oatmeal. Blend in a blender until the oatmeal is fine and silky. Measure the flour and use 1 cup for this recipe.

Once the cookies are cool they may be decorated with royal icing, according to your preferences.

How to store your gingerbread cookies

Gluten-free gingerbread is stored in much the same way as wheaten gingerbread. Store the baked, undecorated cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once the cookies are decorated with Royal Icing they can stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

If you want to decorate your gingerbread cookies you can use Royal Icing and pipe it on to the cookie. Royale icing is a blend of egg white and icing sugar plus flavors.

Sharing your cookies on Social Media

Share your gingerbread cookies on Instagram and while you are there check out the hash tag #gingerbreadcookies. for inspiration.

Some cookie artists are amazing!

This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West. Every year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give.

This year we are raising money for Cookies 4 Kids’ Cancer, which is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer.

Since 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 100+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers across the country. From these grants have stemmed 35+ treatments available to kids battling cancer today.

Help us raise money for this important cause! Donate through our fundraising page.

Another exciting thing is that Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is in a matching window with their friends at OXO, meaning OXO will be matching every dollar raised through the end of 2022, up to $100,000. Whatever money we raise will automatically double on our fundraising page!