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Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

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Easy, cut-out Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies!

This gluten free gingerbread cookie recipe delivers the perfect texture and gingerbread flavors.

This post was sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. Opinions are my own.

gluten free gingerbread men and tree cookies with white and green icing

Enjoy these gluten free ginger cookies plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or decorate them with icing.

If you're looking for gingersnaps I've got the perfect Gluten Free Gingersnaps recipe for you. Do you love cake? Try my Gluten Free Gingerbread Cake.

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

Many of you have been asking me if you can use my Gluten Free Gingersnaps recipe to make Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies to cut out.

At first I was trying to figure out a way to make it work then I decided to develop a gluten free gingerbread cookies recipe for you.

Aren't these gluten free gingerbread men the cutest? We had so much fun decorating them.

 

This gluten free gingerbread cookie recipe is super easy to make.

I've included step by step instructions and a video, to show you just how easy.

You can cut these gingerbread cookies into any shape you want.

We rolled out this gluten free gingerbread cookie dough and cut out gluten free gingerbread men and trees.

We're serving these gingerbread cookies at an upcoming holiday party and we wanted to keep it simple.

decorated gluten free gingerbread cookies with icing

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

For this gluten free gingerbread cookies recipe we used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.

The combinations of flour in this gluten free flour blend deliver the perfect gluten free gingerbread cookie.

They are firm enough to cut into shapes, but pillow-y soft when you bite into them.

Many of you already have Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour in your pantry, so this was the perfect opportunity to help you bake up some yummy gingerbread cookies using the ingredients you probably already have on hand.

collage of six images showing how to make gluten free gingerbread cookies that match the numbered steps below the image

How to make gluten free gingerbread cookies

  1. Mix the flour, spices, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together.
  3. Add in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Cream until smooth.
  4. Add in half the flour mixture and mix until combined.
  5. Add in the remaining flour mixture and continue to mix until combine.
  6. Shape dough into a ball and divide in half.
  7. On a piece of parchment paper, pat dough down into a 1-inch disk. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until cold and firm.
  8. Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and place a piece of wax paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until its ¼ inch thick. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  9. Remove the wax paper from the top of the dough. Using cookie cutter, cut shapes into the dough. Use a spoon or butter knife to remove the extra dough from around the shapes. Roll extra dough back into a ball, and place the wax paper back on top, and roll into ¼ inch thickness. Repeat until all dough is used.
  10. Transfer the parchment paper with the gluten free gingerbread cookies cut-out onto a baking sheet.
  11. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the centers are set. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
  12. Enjoy plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or decorate these gluten free gingerbread cookies with icing.

For the full list of ingredient quantities in this gluten free gingerbread cookie recipe please see the recipe below.

collage of steps seven through twelve showing how to make gluten free gingerbread cookies that match the numbered steps below the image

Can I freeze the dough?

Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough. Leave the gluten free gingerbread cookie dough in one ball and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and then into a zip lock bag.

This will prevent it from drying out too much in the freezer.

When you are ready to bake your gluten free gingerbread cookies, defrost the dough in the refrigerator.

Can I make these cookies ahead of time and freeze them?

Yes, you can make these gluten free gingerbread cookies ahead of time and freeze the.

Bake them as directed, let them cool to room temperature then store them in an airtight container in the freezer.

Bring them to room temperature when you are ready to decorate them.

image collage of a gingerbread man decorated with icing with the words gluten free gingerbread cookies then undecroted gingerbread men cookies

Can I make these gingerbread cookies dairy free?

Yes, you can make these gluten free gingerbread cookies dairy-free. Simply use dairy-free butter and make sure to chill the dough for at least 2 hours.

You man have to chill the dough in between cutting the cookies out to make sure it holds together.

I haven't tried using shortening or coconut oil in this gluten free gingerbread cookie recipe.

Egg free gingerbread cookies

If you need an egg free version you can use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. You can also use a flaxseed egg - 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons of water, let it site for 15 minutes then stir before you add it to the dough.

For another traditional holiday cookie, try my Gluten Free Snowball Cookies. You can also check out my post of Gluten Free Christmas Cookies.

Did you make these gluten free gingerbread cookies? Please leave a starred rating and a comment below letting me know what you thought.

Yield: 24 cookies

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

gluten free gingerbread men and tree cookies with white and green icing

Easy, cut-out Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies! This gluten free gingerbread cookie recipe delivers the perfect texture and gingerbread flavors. Enjoy these gluten free ginger cookies plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or decorate them with icing.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the gingerbread cookies:

For the icing:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Mix the flour, spices, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together.
  3. Add in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Cream until smooth.
  4. Add in half the flour mixture and mix until combined.
  5. Add in the remaining flour mixture and continue to mix until combine.
  6. Shape dough into a ball and divide in half.
  7. On a piece of parchment paper, pat dough down into a 1-inch disk. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
  8. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until cold and firm.
  9. Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and place a piece of wax paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out until its ¼ inch thick.
  10. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  11. Remove the wax paper from the top of the dough. Using cookie cutter, cut shapes into the dough. Use a spoon or butter knife to remove the extra dough from around the shapes. Roll extra dough back into a ball, and place the wax paper back on top, and roll into ¼ inch thickness. Repeat until all dough is used.
  12. Transfer the parchment paper with the gluten free gingerbread cookies cut-out onto a baking sheet.
  13. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the centers are set. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
  14. For the icing: mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Spoon icing into a piping bag with a small tip. Let the icing set for a couple of hours before storing.
  15. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • Freezing the dough: Leave the gluten free gingerbread cookie dough in one ball and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and then into a zip lock bag. This will prevent it from drying out too much in the freezer. When you are ready to bake your gluten free gingerbread cookies, defrost the dough in the refrigerator.
  • Bake ahead and freeze: Bake them as directed, let them cool to room temperature then store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Bring them to room temperature when you are ready to decorate them.
  • Egg-Free Version: Use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or use a flaxseed egg - 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons of water, let it site for 15 minutes then stir before you add it to the dough.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 147Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 137mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 18gProtein: 1g

This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.

© Chrystal
Cuisine: American / Category: Gluten-Free Cookies
a decorated gingerbread men with white icing with the text overlay gluten free gingerbread cookies

 

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Note on Questions and Comments: All comments and questions are answered in the order they are received. I aim to answer all questions within 48 hours. There may be a delay on weekends and holidays.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I love this recipe. I know you're not a huge fan of this, but I changed some items on the recipe for my taste. I shared them only so that other bakers are aware that these can be made. If you're not ok with this, please take my comment down.
    I used 2-3/4 cups Kinnikinnick gluten free rice flour mix (my personal favorite due to flavour), 1/4 cup almond flour (it gives the flakey consistency that you would get in gluten baking), 1 tsp xanthan gum (this holds the batter together so that when you cut the dough, it retains its shape like in gluten baking and you don't have to roll it between parchment paper), and 2 tsps baking powder (I like soft soft cookies).
    These cookies turned out amazing and taste sooooo good. I really love that I found this site. I love all your recipes and I'm so excited to bake more of them.

    Reply

    • Hi Sarah,
      I'm so glad you like these cookies. Thank you for sharing what you used. I like to encourage people to try the recipe as-is first as I feel it gives them a feel for how the recipe works. But for more advanced bakers, like yourself, I want you to do what works best for you. I just can't quarantine results I haven't tested. 🙂

      I hope you find many more recipes that you love! Thanks for being a reader.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

      • I appreciate your kind comment, but I am far from an advanced baker. It's a team effort between my husband and I. He reads about things to make gluten free baking like gluten baking and I make them.
        It's so nice though that your recipes are very simple and easy to follow. It makes it so much faster to make gluten free. Thank you for doing all that work for me!

        Reply

  2. Would this recipe work for gingerbread houses?

    Reply

    • Hi Sheralyn,
      Yes, I would make sure to roll the dough out to 1/8-1/4" thick and bake it a little longer, until the edges are brown and the center is firm. These cookies are tender in the center, but if you roll the dough thinner and bake it longer, they should firm up. You'll want to cut out your rectangles and squares on a parchment paper and transfer the parchment paper to the baking sheet so you don't risk your shapes breaking.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  3. I just made these cookies and wow! They are amazing! My non-gluten free family tried them and approved of them as well. They are soft and so wonderful with just a bit of vanilla frosting. I baked for 6 minutes due to my convection oven always being a little faster and in my family we like a "less done" cookie. Thanks for a new holiday favorite 🙂

    Reply

    • I am so glad everyone loved them. Thank you for letting me know.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

    • I'm so glad I found this recipe . I found this on a comment on another blog and so glad I did. such wonderful reviews. I won't be making them this year any more but I will certainly next year. When I was a child my mother made the best gingerbread men. I still have her recipe and I crave Gingerbread men see her recipe in my cookbook. But of course it's not gluten free. So to bring back the memories I will make these and I'm sure it will be successful. thank you for sharing. Merry Christmas.

      Reply

  4. Amazing recipe! We used krusteaz brand gluten free flour it worked perfectly. My husband who isn’t gluten free even loved the cookies so that was a major win

    Reply

    • I am so glad you loved them. Thank you for letting me know.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  5. My kids made these today and they turned out amazing! They used a different 1:1 gf flour because it’s what we had on hand. Delicious flavor, great texture...thanks for the recipe! We will definitely be making these again:)

    Reply

    • I am so glad you loved them. Thank you for letting me know.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

      • We have never made Gingerbread cookies before because my family is not a big fan of them. I saw this recipe and wanted to try it because my Mom recently had foot surgery and I wanted to take my kids over to decorate cookies with her. I'm not really adventurous when it comes to rolling out cookies. LOL! That's my Mom's thing. Anyway, this recipe is AMAZING!! We made two batches. The first one was exactly following your recipe. The second, I did 1/3 molasses and 2/3 Karo for the 1/2 cup measurement. I eyeballed it. They were both wonderful! Thank you for a great recipe that my whole family loved!

        Reply

  6. I want to make these and ship them to my grandkids, which means they'd probably get them three to four days later. Do you think they'll be ok?

    Reply

    • I would add a 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan and cut them into smaller shapes, that don't have pieces that could bread. Stars and trees are great shapes, or use a smaller gingerbread man cookie cutter. Wrap them carefully so they don't move around in the box when in transport.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

      • Thank you, great suggestions!

        Reply

  7. Hi Chrystal,

    Thanks for this amazing recipe I went back to make another batch and realized I am out of molasses, in your opinion is it possible to substitute more honey to aid this?

    Reply

    • I actually haven't tried it with honey. Sorry I can't be more help.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

      • Great recipe! I wanted to have a fun cookie making time with my kids and they requested gingerbread. I never liked it before but by the end of the day I had to keep "checking" the cookies to make really, really sure they were good. 🙂 I live in Italy and used 385 g of Schär "Mix It Universale" for the 3 cups of flour, in case that helps any of your overseas readers.

        Reply

  8. I tried to watch the video for the Gingerbread cookie, but there was no sound and I turned it all the way up. Can you send a link to one that works?

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Hi Marianna,
      This video doesn't have sound. There isn't any talking. If you are seeing impaired, the steps in the "how to make" section and in the recipe card match what the video is showing and they can be read with a text reader. Does that help? If not, please let me know.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  9. These were great! I made them just as you said. Once the rolled dough chilled, I peeled back the parchment and lightly dusted with GF flour, put the parchment back on and flipped it over. When I cut them out, they lifted right off. They kept their shape and taste lovely. Thanks fir the recipe!

    Reply

  10. Hi Chrystal, I made the dough today but something came up and I didn’t have enough time to have the kids cut and bake them. How long can I leave it in the fridge? FYI I made it with oil instead of butter and a flax egg instead off chicken egg. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Kerrie,
      I haven't personally tried this with oil or flaxegg, but I would guess a couple days before the dough starts to dry out.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  11. Can I substitute the molasses with something.? I can’t have molasses

    Reply

    • Dark corn syrup or honey should work nicely.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

  12. Hi Chrystal - I made these last year because my daughter is Celiac and they were SO good. Making them again tomorrow with her and our grandson.

    With a normal size gingerbread cutter, how many do you think one batch makes. I can not remember.

    Thank you and Happy Holidays!!

    Reply

    • This recipe makes 18-24 depending on the size of the cookie cutters.

      Best,
      Chrystal

      Reply

    • My son just informed me that he has no cookies for Santa. Disaster! His wife passed away a year ago and believe me, an eight year old boy doesn’t understand “no cookies”. Santa will get a sampling of these and your sugar cookies. Thanks for making me a hero!

      Reply

      • D'awe, poor guy. That's so sweet of you for making him cookies. I hope he loves them.

        Best,
        Chrystal

        Reply

  13. These were absolutely DELICIOUS! Best gingerbread cookies we’ve ever made!

    Reply

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