How to Make the Perfect Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
American · Medium · 30 min · 30 servings
These vegan gingerbread cookies are wonderfully spiced with ginger cinnamon and molasses creating the perfectly crisp yet slightly chewy classic holiday cookie. This festive vegan recipe is ideal for cutting into gingerbread people snowflakes or any shape you love and decorating with vegan royal icing.
Why this recipe works
This Vegan Gingerbread Cookies recipe has been crafted to deliver restaurant-quality results in your home kitchen. At just 30 minutes from start to finish, it fits perfectly into a busy schedule without sacrificing flavor. Each serving comes in at 88 calories with 1g of protein, making it a balanced choice for any meal.
What you will need
This recipe uses 8 simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 cup vegan butter softened
- 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
- 0.5 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugar
Beat the softened vegan butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the molasses and applesauce which serves as the egg binder in this vegan recipe and mix until fully combined and smooth.
Step 2: Mix in Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour ginger cinnamon baking soda and half a teaspoon of salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a stiff workable dough forms. If the dough feels sticky add flour one tablespoon at a time.
Step 3: Chill the Dough
Divide the dough into two portions wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Chilling is essential for this recipe as it firms up the butter and makes the dough much easier to roll and cut cleanly.
Step 4: Roll and Cut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface roll chilled dough to about one-quarter inch thickness and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets spacing 1 inch apart.
Step 5: Bake and Decorate
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes watching carefully as gingerbread can burn quickly. The cookies should look set on top and smell intensely of spice. Cool completely before decorating with vegan royal icing made from aquafaba and powdered sugar.
Easy substitutions
Missing an ingredient? Here are some swaps that work perfectly:
- applesauce → a flax egg made from 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water for equally effective binding
- unsulfured molasses → dark maple syrup though the flavor will be milder and less bold than traditional gingerbread
Common mistakes to avoid
Watch out for these pitfalls that can affect your results:
- Skipping the refrigeration step and trying to roll out the dough immediately after mixing which results in sticky dough that clings to everything and cut-outs that lose their shape
- Baking multiple trays at once on different oven racks without rotating which causes uneven baking with some cookies burning on the bottom while others remain underdone on top
Nutrition facts
Per serving: 88 calories, 1g protein, 15g carbs, 3g fat, 0g fiber.
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