Almond Butter Gingerbread Cookies (vegan, gluten-free, oil free)
Dec 05, 2019 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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easy peasy almond butter gingerbread cookies!
Tis the season where we say goodbye to pumpkin spice and hello to gingerbread–Almond Butter Gingerbread Cookies, that is! This is the perfect way to get festive with a recipe that is versatile and friendly for most common allergies and diets. Gluten allergy? Vegan? I got you with these healthy Almond Butter Gingerbread Cookies! The best part is, they are insanely easy to make and come together in 20 minutes or less.
Best served with a glass of warm frothy mylk or tea/coffee, these cookies are reminiscent of classic gingerbread cookies with holiday spices and the perfect crunch and snap. Because gingerbread cookies are typically thinner and firmer in texture, they actually hold up really well if you’d like to stand them up alongside your gingerbread house. This is a cutout cookie recipe, with dough that is easy to work with and requires only one bowl.
These Almond Butter Gingerbread Cookies are vegan, gluten-free, oil free, refined sugar free and can be made nut-free as well.
P.S. This year I’ve received a ton of requests for a vegan gingerbread house… let me know if this is something you’d like to see on the blog!
the details
- These Almond Butter Gingerbread Cookies are vegan, gluten-free, oil free, refined sugar free and can be made nut free and paleo friendly.
- Molasses → is typically part of the classic gingerbread cookie recipe, which also gives it its signature dark colour, and adds sweetness too. Using blackstrap molasses actually has some surprising health benefits as it contains vitamins and minerals like iron and magnesium.
- Gingerbread spice → is actually a wonderful blend of many healing spices. Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, clove and cardamom create the flavour profile we know to be gingerbread. If you already own these spices at home, you can create your own blend, otherwise opt for a pre-blended spice. Bonus: if you’re using the whole dried spices and a microplane to grate the spices in, you will of course end up with a much more vibrant and flavourful cookie.
secrets to success
To make this recipe paleo → Sub out sweetener for maple syrup or alternative liquid sweetener. Make sure you use a liquid sweetener so that the consistency of the cookie dough stays in tact. Instead of oat flour, opt for almond flour, but adjust the consistency as needed. You may want to add more flour, and the dough may not be as easily workable.
Now, to make this recipe nut-free → You can use a wide range of other nut or seed butters. I highly recommend tahini (making sure it’s a single ingredient, smooth and runny tahini), or a very smooth sunflower butter. When substituting nut/seed butters, make sure they are sugar-free, as the sugar will cause some caramelization and change the texture.
These cookies are a crisper, crunchier texture, which is wonderful for longer term storage. I recommend storing in an airtight container after they are fully cooled, and you can enjoy for about a week or so after baking. To extend the lives of these friendly gingerbread people, you can also pop them into the freezer.
if you like this recipe, try…
- Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf
- Chocolate Gingerbread Bliss Balls
- Maple Tahini Cookies
- Matcha Monstera Cookies
- Chocolate Tahini Cutout Cookies
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!
Almond Butter Gingerbread Cookies (vegan, gluten-free, oil free)
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/3 cup gluten free oat flour I recommend using finely ground oat flour for best results
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp gingerbread spice
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp smooth and creamy almond butter or nut/seed butter of choice
- 1/3-1/2 cup blackstrap molasses or liquid sweetener of choice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- more oat flour to roll dough as needed
- frosting
- 1/3 cup warmed coconut butter + 1 tsp of maple syrup to frost if desired or use organic powdered sugar + water to create an easy icing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F while you prep your dough.
- In a large bowl, combine molasses, almond butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Whisk to combine until smooth. Tip: make sure ingredients are at room temperature to make whisking easier.
- Sift in oat flour, baking powder and gingerbread spice and use a spatula to mix.
- Mix until a dough forms. It should be moist, not too sticky, and easily rollable. If needed, refrigerate dough for about 10 minutes to help make dough more workable. Add additional oat flour as needed and roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
- Roll dough about 1/4 inch in thickness and using a cookie cutter, cut out gingerbread shapes. Poke eyes into gingerbread, and buttons if desired using a chopstick. Use excess edge dough and re-roll to continue until all the dough is cut.
- Bake for approximately 8-10 min, keeping in mind the cookies will firm up after baking. Keep an eye on them to make sure they do not burn and remove from oven to a cooling rack to avoid burning. Let cool completely.
- Once cooled, mix together coconut butter and maple syrup until smooth. Give mixture a few minutes to cool and firm up until it resembles an icing texture. Using a piping bag, frost designs as desired.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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