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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Published: Dec 15, 2020 · Modified: Dec 10, 2022 by bri · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Best Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

    These vegan gingerbread cookies are soft in the middle and crisp on the edges. One bowl, perfectly spiced, and completely vegan (but you'd never guess it!). No specialty ingredients required. Make a batch this Christmas holiday season for everyone to enjoy.
    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan gingerbread cookies decorated with royal icing.

    Celebrate the holidays with these festive vegan gingerbread cookies! They're soft on the inside, flavored with just the right amount of spices, and make the cutest gingerbread men.

    You can decorate the gingerbread cookies with orange icing, royal icing, or a dusting of powdered sugar. But, decorating is optional because they're delicious as is. Since this gingerbread keeps for up to 2 weeks, it makes the perfect homemade Christmas gift too!

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make
    • How to decorate
    • Tips
    • Frequently asked questions
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • Perfectly spiced gingerbread that's soft on the inside
    • Undetectably vegan: Nobody will guess these cookies are vegan! They taste just like a delicious gingerbread cookie, full stop.
    • One bowl: All ingredients are mixed in a single bowl, to make clean-up easier.
    • Keeps for up to 2 weeks: These gingerbread cookies can stay fresh for a while, so you can get ahead of your holiday baking!

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you need to make these vegan gingerbread cookies. No "fancy" vegan ingredients required!

    Ingredients to make vegan gingerbread cookies recipe.
    • Molasses: We recommend unsulphured "light molasses" (sometimes labelled "fancy molasses" or "original molasses"). "Dark molasses" works too. But, do not use Blackstrap Molasses, because it's more intense and can add a bitter taste—especially when combined with all the gingerbread spices, like ginger and nutmeg.
    • Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar makes for a rich-colored gingerbread. But, you can use light brown sugar...just expect the cookies to look lighter.
    • Coconut Oil: You can use virgin or refined coconut oil. We've tested both, and the coconut flavor isn't detectable either way because of the gingerbread spices. You can substitute melted butter (vegan or otherwise), if you prefer.

    Have extra molasses? Check out these vegan molasses recipes: Vegan Molasses Cookies, Gingerbread Cake House, or Gluten Free Gingerbread Waffles.

    How to make

    These one-bowl vegan gingerbread cookies are easy and delicious. Here's how to make this recipe:

    Molasses, oil, sugar, flax, and water mixed in a bowl for gingerbread cookies.
    1. Mix wet ingredients until smooth.
    Vegan gingerbread dough after dry ingredients have been mixed in.
    2. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
    Vegan gingerbread dough in plastic wrap, about to go into the fridge to chill.
    3. Dive dough into two discs, then tightly wrap and refrigerate.
    Rolling out gingerbread dough with a wooden rolling pin.
    4. Roll chilled dough on lightly floured surface.
    Gingerbread men cutouts on a baking sheet about to be baked.
    5. Cut out cookies using cookie cutters, then bake.
    Gingerbread cookies being decorated after being baked.
    6. Let cookies fully cool, then decorate.

    Tip! You can prep the gingerbread dough 1 to 2 days in advance, leaving the tightly wrapped discs in the fridge. Then, just roll out the dough when you're ready to bake. If the dough is so cold that it's difficult to roll, just let it sit on the counter at room temperature for about 5 minutes or until it's more pliable.

    How to decorate

    Once your cookies have cooled, you can decorate them if you'd like! Here are 5 ways to decorate gingerbread cookies:

    1. Orange Icing: We love this easy icing because it's delicious and adds flavor. Fresh orange juice and zest pairs well with the spices in gingerbread. You pipe the icing into your favorite designs. Or, keep it simple and drizzle the orange icing with a spoon.
    2. Royal Icing: Plain royal icing doesn't add much flavor, but it's definitely a classic. Make your favorite recipe and pipe it on the cookies using a piping bag or a freezer bag with the corner cut off. If you're up for it, you could dye the icing to be different colors. Or, keep it traditional with plain white icing.
    3. Powdered Sugar: Perhaps the simplest way to decorate gingerbread is to sprinkle them with a bit of powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar).
    4. Sprinkles, Candies and More: For an extra special touch, use colorful sprinkles, festive candies, and/or sanding sugar to decorate your cookies. You'll usually need to use icing so they stick to the cookies.
    Vegsn gingerbread cookies being decorated with orange royal icing.
    Decorating gingerbread with Orange Icing.
    Decorating vegan gingerbread with royal icing.
    Decorating gingerbread with plain royal icing.
    Vegan gingerbread cookies being dusted with powdered sugar.
    Dusting gingerbread cookies with powdered sugar.

    Tips

    • Chill the dough: Chilling the gingerbread dough helps it firm up, so that it's easier to roll out and cut into shapes. Cookies made from cool dough also hold their shape better in the oven.
    • Don't be afraid to chill it again: If your dough warms up too much on the counter, consider chilling it again. You can return the ball of dough to the fridge. Or, place the baking tray of unbaked cookies into the freezer for about 5 minutes to firm up. (This trick also helps intricate cookie cutouts keep their shape.)
    • Let cookies fully cool after baking: It's important to let the cookies cool completely before decorating. Otherwise, the residual heat could cause icing to melt and/or run.
    • Get creative with decorating: The icing and decorations you use also impact the flavor of the finished cookie. We love using Orange Icing to decorate our gingerbread cookies, because the citrus flavor pairs really well with gingerbread spices.
    Vegan gingerbread cookies iced and cooling on parchment paper
    One bowl Vegan Gingerbread Cookies decorated with Orange Icing.

    Frequently asked questions

    What can I substitute instead of coconut oil?

    You can substitute an equal amount of melted unsalted butter (vegan or otherwise). After melting, let the butter cool slightly so it's not hot when you add it to the mixing bowl.

    Can you freeze gingerbread dough?

    Yes, you can freeze uncooked gingerbread dough. The dough can be stored in a freezer bag. Or, wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap, then tightly wrap with a layer of tinfoil. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

    Let the frozen dough defrost in the fridge overnight (or up to 2 days) before rolling and baking.

    How to store gingerbread cookies?

    Store gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room-temperature. They're best enjoyed within 1 week, but can usually last about 2 weeks.

    Gingerbread cookies on a table with icing sugar

    📖 Recipe

    Best Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

    These vegan gingerbread cookies are soft in the middle and crisp on the edges. One bowl, perfectly spiced, and completely vegan (but you'd never guess it!). No specialty ingredients required. Make a batch this Christmas holiday season for everyone to enjoy.
    Prep Time 34 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 11 minutes minutes
    Total Time 45 minutes minutes
    Servings 32
    Author: Bri
    Pin Recipe
    Vegan gingerbread cookies decorated with royal icing.
    Print

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon ground flax
    • 3 tablespoons warm water
    • ¼ cup melted coconut oil (see note 1)
    • ⅓ cup molasses (see note 2)
    • ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
    • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note 3)
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1½ cups + 2 tablespoons all- purpose flour (more for dusting)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Mix dough: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand-mixer), mix the ground flax, water, coconut oil, molasses, and brown sugar until smooth. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir well to mix, about 1 minute. Add flour and stir on low speed until combined.
    • Chill dough: Divide the dough into two equal discs. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap or place in freezer bag. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes (up to 2 days) to allow the dough to firm up.
    • Preheat: Put oven racks in the upper- and lower-thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Roll and bake: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough until it is ⅛ to ¼-inch (3 to 6 mm) thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) space between the cookies. Bake until the edges are set, 11 to 13 minutes, swapping sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet before removing.
    • Decorate (optional, see note 4): Decorate the fully cooled cookies with icing. Once icing is firm, transfer cookies to an airtight container or resealable bag.

    Notes

    1. Melted coconut oil: You can use virgin or refined coconut oil. Or, substitute melted (but not hot) vegan butter.
    2. Molasses: Unsulphured Light Molasses ("fancy", "original") recommended; but Dark Molasses works too. Do not use Blackstrap Molasses.
    3. Ground nutmeg: For the best flavor, freshly grate nutmeg before using.
    4. Decorating: We highly recommend using Orange Icing to decorate this gingerbread. Alternatively, you could use your favorite plain royal icing instead.
    5. Measuring by weight: For the most reliable results, we recommend measuring by weight when baking. Ingredient weights are provided in metric. If you must go by volume (measuring cups), make sure to fluff, spoon, and level the flour to avoid adding too much.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a rating below and tag us @evergreenkitchen on instagram!

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Daria L says

      December 12, 2022 at 11:39 pm

      5 stars
      So good! My family was shocked these were vegan. Thank you for this fab recipe!

      Reply
      • bri says

        December 20, 2022 at 1:07 am

        Hi Daria! Yay, so glad you + your family enjoyed these cookies! Happy holidays!

        Reply
    2. Samantha says

      December 06, 2022 at 9:00 pm

      5 stars
      Made these last night and they turned out so well! Really yummy and the perfect texture. Going to make these again for the holidays!

      Reply
      • bri says

        December 06, 2022 at 11:19 pm

        Hey Samantha! Glad to hear you made these gingerbread cookies and enjoyed them! We made a batch with our family this weekend too:) Happy holidays!

        Reply

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