These gluten-free gingerbread cookies are just as chewy and delicious as the classic version you remember, only made with wholesome almond flour and tapioca starch instead of wheat. This cozy gluten-free recipe comes together quickly and makes the perfect addition to your Christmas cookies lineup or cookie exchange box.
Gluten-free gingerbread men cookies are one of my favorite holiday traditions. They’re so much easier to make than gingerbread houses but just as festive and nostalgic. The chewy texture, warm spice, and sweet molasses flavor make them an instant Christmas classic that everyone will love.
If you enjoy these gluten-free gingerbread men cookies, you’ll also love my Gluten-Free Christmas Cut-Out Cookies! They’re another family favorite during the holidays. Or, if you're looking for more gluten free christmas cookies, check out this round up of 12 of my favorite holiday cookies like these Pecan Pie Cookies. Don't forget to pour a warm cup of homemade protein hot chocolate to pair with your cookies!
Why You'll Love These Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
- They’re easy. This simple gingerbread cookies recipe comes together in one bowl and makes you feel like a pro baker, no complicated gluten free baking techniques required.
- They’re nostalgic. Chewy, spiced, and full of holiday flavor, these cookies bring back all the childhood magic of decorating gingerbread men.
- They’re wholesome. Made with almond flour, tapioca flour, and monk fruit they’re naturally grain-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly.
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Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookie Dough Ingredients & Tested Substitutions
- Almond Flour & Tapioca Starch. Instead of using a gluten free all purpose flour with xanthan gum that tends to make for a more dense cookie, I like to use a gluten-free flour blend of almond flour & tapioca starch. I find that Bob's Red Mill flours offer the best results.
- Molasses. Blackstrap molasses is what gives gingerbread cookies their signature brown color and rich light brown sugar type flavor. It is also considered an unrefined sugar, as is made from sugarcane, but does not undergo any of the refining processes that white table sugar does, making it paleo friendly.
- Sugar. Traditional white cane sugar can be used or you may also use granulated monkfruit instead if you're on a paleo diet or looking to reduce the amount of refined sugar in your diet.
- Gingerbread Spices. Ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and ground allspice are what I use to make my own gingerbread spice.
- Grass-fed Unsalted Butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter when baking as I don't want an overly salty gingerbread cookie, but you're welcome to use salted butter if your tastebuds prefer. If you are following a paleo diet, be sure to opt for grass fed butter. You an also use vegan butter for dairy free gingerbread cookies.
- Egg. Be sure to use room temperature eggs so they blend into the cookie batter better. If you forgot to take your egg out of the fridge ahead of time, I have a pro tip for you! Place the egg in a bowl of warm water for 3-5 minutes before using.
- Baking powder
- Vanilla Extract. Use a high quality vanilla extract for best results.
- Salt
- Royal Icing. You can use royal icing for decorating the gingerbread men, or you can make your own "healthier" frosting. I like this vanilla frosting best. I will add a few tablespoons to two separate bowls and mix in natural red and green food colorings into each separate bowl. I then add each color to its own piping bag, adding the leftover white frosting to a third piping bag, and use that to decorate my paleo gingerbread cookies.
Equipment & Tools Needed for Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
- Cookie cutters: Gingerbread men are classic, but Christmas trees, snowmen and stars are adorable too.
- Stand mixer or large bowl: A stand mixer with the paddle attachment makes creaming butter and sugar effortless.
- Rolling pin: To roll dough evenly.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat: For lining your prepared baking sheet.
- Measuring cups and spoons: Precision matters for perfect cookies.
- Cooling rack: Helps cookies firm up and stay chewy after baking.
- Flour Sifter: Sifting the almond flour and tapioca starch helps break up any clumps and aerates the mixture, giving your dough a smoother texture and more evenly baked cookies.
Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies Step by Step Instructions
1. Prepare the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift almond flour and tapioca starch. Mix in baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, clove, allspice and salt using a whisk to fully incorporate.
2. Prepare the wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, molasses, sugar or monk fruit, vanilla and egg until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
3. Make the cookie dough. Slowly begin adding the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer and beat on medium speed to low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula until all ingredients are fully incorporated. The mixture will start to form a dough and may be easier to finish mixing with a fork or even by hand. Note, if the mixture seems a little sticky now, don't worry it thickens up in the chilling process, so refrain from adding more flour at this time. You can add a bit more to it after the chilling process if it still seems a bit too wet to roll out.
4. Chill the cookie dough. Roll the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
5. Prepare to bake. While the dough chills, pre-heat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
6. Roll & cut the dough. Remove the dough from the fridge and place on a well floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is approximately ¼" thick. Be careful not to roll the dough too thin or the cookies will burn. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin, sprinkle additional tapioca flour on the surface. Use cookie cutters to cut out the gingerbread men shapes and arrange on baking sheet, making sure to leave space between as the cookies will expand very slightly while baking. You'll need to repeat the process of rolling & cutting the dough until there is no dough left.
7. Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Once they're done, place the baked cookies on a wire rack to cool before decorating.
Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies FAQs
Can I make these dairy free gingerbread cookies?
You can use vegan butter to make these dairy free cookies. Note that certain brands work better than others, for example Miyokos Creamery vegan butter behaves more closely to dairy butter and is easier to substitute. I've found that Earth Balance is too oily and is not a perfect 1 to 1 substitute for butter. If you only have Earth Balance available, you can use it, but you will likely have to add more almond flour into the batter in order for a dough to form. Start by adding ¼ cup of almond flour and graduate up from there if needed.
Can I use gluten free flour instead of almond and tapioca flour?
I find gluten free 1:1 flour to be a bit dense in certain recipes, and gingerbread is one of them. To achieve the perfect balance between snappy gingerbread and chewy gluten-free gingerbread cookies, use almond and tapioca flours.
What if the dough is too wet and won't roll out?
If your gingerbread cookie dough is a bit too wet or sticky you can remedy that by adding a small amount of tapioca flour a teaspoon at a time until the dough is no longer sticky.
Can I make these Christmas cookies ahead of time?
You can make these gingerbread cookies up to 5 days in advance for optimum freshness.
How to store gluten free gingerbread cookies
Store your gluten free cookies in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days or at room temperature up to 3 days.
If you enjoyed this recipe you might also like these other gluten free christmas recipes:
- Cut Out Christmas Cookies
- Pecan Pie Cookies
- Grinch Truffles
- Grinch Cookies
- Magic Cookie Bars
- Holiday Antipasto Wreath
- Grinch 75 Cocktail
- Sparkling Pear & Ginger Mocktail
Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a 5 star rating and review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!
Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups almond flour sifted
- 1 ¾ cups tapioca flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground clove
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ¼ cup grass fed butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup monk fruit or white sugar
- royal icing/cookie icing for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift almond flour and tapioca starch. Mix in baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, clove, allspice and salt using a whisk to fully incorporate.
- Prepare the wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, molasses, sugar or monk fruit, vanilla and egg until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Make the cookie dough. Slowly begin adding the dry ingredients mixture to the wet ingredients in the stand mixer and beat on medium speed to low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula until all ingredients are fully incorporated. The mixture will start to form a dough and may be easier to finish mixing with a fork or even by hand. Note, if the mixture seems a little sticky now, don't worry it thickens up in the chilling process, so refrain from adding more flour at this time. You can add a bit more to it after the chilling process if it still seems a bit too wet to roll out.
- Chill the cookie dough. Roll the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Prepare to bake. While the dough chills, pre-heat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll & cut the dough. Remove the dough from the fridge and place on a well floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is approximately ¼" thick. Be careful not to roll the dough too thin or the cookies will burn. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin, sprinkle additional tapioca flour on the surface. Use cookie cutters to cut out the gingerbread men shapes and arrange on baking sheet, making sure to leave space between as the cookies will expand very slightly while baking. You'll need to repeat the process of rolling & cutting the dough until there is no dough left.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Once they're done, place the baked cookies on a wire rack to cool before decorating.
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