These soft gluten-free gingerbread cookies are everything you want in a holiday treat—ultra chewy, perfectly spiced, and they simply melt in your mouth! Naturally paleo and refined sugar-free, these Christmas cookies are the best gluten-free option for your holiday season baking.
These are hands-down my favorite Christmas cookies to bake during the holiday season! With a delightfully doughy and chewy texture, each cookie is rolled in a sweet coconut sugar coating. Made with wholesome, simple ingredients like almond flour, almond butter, and molasses, this easy recipe is a breeze to whip up. But fair warning—they get devoured so fast! You might want to double or even triple the batch. I hope you have as much fun baking these as I do!
If you love this, then you need to check out my Grain Free Peanut Butter Cookies, No Bake Cookie Dough Bars, and Vegan Thin Mints.
Ingredients
- molasses
- coconut sugar
- almond butter
- melted coconut oil
- vanilla extract
- egg
- almond flour
- coconut flour
- baking soda
- ginger
- cinnamon
- all spice
Coating
- coconut sugar
- cinnamon
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet or baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients.
- Add in dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms
- Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes to chill.
- While dough is chilling, mix coating ingredients in a small bowl.
- Form dough into 1inch balls and roll each in the cinnamon sugar coating. Place onto baking sheet and lightly flatten with your hand.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies start to crack at the top (don’t overbake!)
- Let cool completely before devouring!
Substitutions
- Coconut Sugar: For a more accessible option, light brown sugar can be used instead of coconut sugar. If you prefer a finer texture, powdered sugar might be an alternative for the outer coating.
- Almond Butter: Creamy peanut butter or cashew butter can replace almond butter, offering a different nutty flavor profile. Sunflower seed butter is a great substitute if you're avoiding nuts.
- Melted Coconut Oil: Melted butter or vegan butter can be used in place of coconut oil .
- Vanilla Extract: Maple extract or almond extract can add a unique twist if you're looking to switch things up.
- Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Allspice: You can mix and match with pumpkin pie spice or just use ground cinnamon and nutmeg for a more traditional spice blend. These are all warm spices that create the cozy gingerbread flavor we all know and love.
- For the Coating: If you don't have coconut sugar, a mix of light brown sugar and ground cinnamon or even powdered sugar with a touch of cinnamon would work as well.
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Small and Large Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cup
How To Store Gluten-Free Cookies
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To prolong shelf life, place in the fridge for up to 5 days. These gingerbread cookie recipe also freeze well! To freeze, individually wrap and store in an airtight container. They will last up to 3 months frozen. Simply reheat in the oven or microwave when ready to enjoy.
3 Top Tips For Success
- Chill the Dough: To avoid spreading and ensure a nice, chewy texture, chill your gingerbread cookie dough before baking. This step is especially important to ensure that the cooking don't spread too much when baking and retain their round cookie shape.
- Slightly Underbake: Once baked, you want your cookies to have crinkled tops and be set around the edges, but still slightly gooey in the middle. They do firm up once they have cooled, so this ensures that your cookies will remain nice and chewy!
- Place dough 2 inches apart on your baking sheet. The cookie will spread when baking, so this ensures that they don't spread into each other.
FAQs
How can I get the best results for this gingerbread cookies recipe?
Chill the gingerbread dough before baking to keep the cookies in shape, whether you’re making classic rounds or Christmas tree shapes. Also, avoid overbaking to keep them soft and chewy.
How do I know when my cookies are done baking?
Your baked cookies should have crackly tops and be set around the edges, but still soft in the middle.
When is the best time of year to bake these cookies?
These cookies are perfect for the holiday season. They’re a great addition to your Christmas cookie lineup and ideal for this time of year.
Related
📖 Recipe
Paleo Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ c molasses
- ¼ c coconut sugar
- ¼ c almond butter
- 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 c almond flour
- ¼ c coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon all spice
Coating
- ¼ c coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients.
- Add in dry ingredients.
- Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes to chill.
- While dough is chilling, mix coating ingredients in a small bowl.
- Form dough into 1inch balls and roll each in the cinnamon sugar coating. Place onto baking sheet and lightly flatten with your hand.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies start to crack at the top (don’t overbake!)
- Let cool completely before devouring!
Sara
These are a go-to! So delicious, so festive, and so easy to make!!
Arisha
Thanks so much sara! So happy you like them!