Description
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies! Perfect soft chewy gingerbread full of ginger and spice for your holiday cookie platter. Classic easy to make recipe made vegan! Decorate with royal icing and candies or chocolate!
Ingredients
Scale
For gingerbread men:
- 3/4 cup vegan butter, room temperature, I use earth balance in the spreadable tub
- 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap molasses)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed*
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour*
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger or use 2 tablespoons fresh packed grated ginger (see notes*)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 3–5 teaspoons unsweetened plant milk or water
- 3 teaspoons corn syrup (makes them shiny) or you can use maple syrup
- food colouring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together dry ingredients: flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking powder and soda in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle, cream the butter until light and fluffy, add the brown sugar, cream until light and fluffy
- Add in the molasses, apple sauce, vanilla, beat until combined. Add in half the dry ingredients and mix in. Switch to a wooden spoon and incorporate the rest, using your hand to mix at the end. (Dough shouldn’t be sticky if it is add more flour one tablespoon at a time. (I have never had to do this) Knead until dough comes together. divide into two disks
- Place first dough disk on a large piece of parchment paper and roll out with rolling pin 1/4 inch thick. If dough is sticking lightly flour your rolling pin. Add to a tray and chill in fridge for 15 minutes (this is optional it will work without chilling too). Using cookie cutter cut into shapes. Reroll dough scraps and cut out more shapes
- Place cookies on prepared baking sheet one inch apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes ( I bake for 8 minutes I like them soft) Let cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes then transfer to cooling rack. Repeat with second dough
- Cool completely then frost, decorate with candies or chocolate chips. Or just dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!! Makes about 30 cookies -more or less depending on size of your cookie cutters
- Royal icing: mix frosting ingredients in a bowl. If too thick add a little plant milk or water, too thin add more powdered sugar, add to piping bag or spread on the cookies
Notes
- ginger: if using fresh ginger grate with box grater, finely chop and then measure. You might need to add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of flour as the fresh ginger will add moisture
- sugar: can reduce brown sugar to 1/2 cup without effecting recipe
- gluten free: have not tried making this recipe gluten free. If you do I suggest bob's red mill gluten free flour blend
- have not tried using whole wheat flour, coconut sugar or flax egg
- make shift piping bag for icing- add frosting to a sandwich bag, squeeze out air, close bag. Snip the tiniest bit off the corner and decorate! Great trick and works well for piping cookie edges.
- Tips: If molasses is really cold warm in microwave for a few seconds to make pouring easier then spray measuring cup with cooking oil spray before adding molasses and it won’t stick and pours out effortlessly
- To store and freeze: cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature 5-7 days and freeze well for up to 3 months decorated or not decorated. Can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough for up to 3 months wrapped well. Defrost overnight in fridge to use.
- recipe adapted from allrecipes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Sweets, Vegan Holiday Recipes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Keywords: vegan gingerbread cookies, vegan holiday cookies, vegan ginger cookies, vegan gingerbread