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Old-fashioned, yet modern, almond flour gingerbread cookies ! They taste like homestyle favorites, but are grain-free, gluten-free & vegan, plus they are incredibly easy to make! They are perfect for gift-giving, or for keeping on hand all season long.
‘Tis the season to make gingerbread cookies!
These lovelies are a riff on my 3-ingredient Almond Flour Cookies. They are packed with ginger & spice goodness, plus the distinctive flavor of molasses, which makes any kind of gingerbread sing.
These cookies have are soft, but also have some chewiness. They are pretty amazing, if I do say so myself.
The dough is as easy to make as my 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Cookies, although it might take up to 2 minutes (instead of 1 minute) to prepare them, since measuring the molasses is, well, as slow as molasses :).
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (dairy -free & egg-free)
- Grain-free
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free
- No refined sugars
- Quick and easy to make and bake
- Made with readily available ingredients
No Refined Sugars
I used a combination of coconut sugar and molasses to sweeten the cookies. I have some options for substitutes: brown sugar in place of coconut sugar, and maple syrup in place of molasses, in case you want a lighter flavor gingerbread. Keep in mind that venturing beyond the suggested substitutes will most likely lead to very different results, so experiment with caution!
I tried making these with all molasses (far too strong), part molasses & part maple (close, but still not right), but finally got it right with a sugar-molasses combo.
Specifically, I used 2.5 tablespoons coconut sugar and 1 tablespoon molasses. The dough is dark and thick, but still moist.
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- blanched almond flour , (not almond meal)
- coconut sugar, (or packed brown sugar)
- ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground cloves
- baking powder
- molasses, (not blackstrap molases, it is too bitter)
- Optional: Turbinado sugar/ raw sugar , (for sprinkling on cookies before baking)
You will also need a few tablespoons of water to mix up the dough. I use filtered tap water. I add salt to the recipe, but the amount can be adjusted or omitted to suit your needs and tastes. The salt enhances the flavors of the cookies, but the recipe works fine without it.
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and cloves. Add the water and molasses, stirring until completely blended.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons (I used a small cookie scoop) on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches (5 cm) apart. If desired, sprinkle cookies with turbinado (raw) sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 16 minutes until surface of cookies appears dry and they are set at the centers.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Storage
Store the almond flour gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days (in a cool room; if it is hot, store in the refrigerator), the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.
FAQ
- What can I swap for the coconut sugar? An equal amount of packed brown sugar can be used in place of the coconut sugar. You can also use date sugar, or granulated sugar (the cookies will be lighter in color with the granulated sugar).
- What can I swap for the molasses? You can substitute an equal amount of maple syrup, brown rice syrup, agave nectar, or (if not following a vegan diet) honey.
- Can I use blackstrap molasses? I do not recommend it. Blackstrap molasses is bitter, and not very sweet.
- Can I double the recipe? Yes! One of the many beauties of egg-free baking is that recipes can be scaled small, (this recipe yields 10 cookies) or easily multiplied (double, triple) into larger batches without issues.
- Is there a substitute for the almond flour, to make these cookies nut-free? Yes! You can use an equal amount of my DIY Sunflower Seed Flour or DIY Pumpkin Seed Flour in place of the almond flour.
Here’s a side-by side of the sugar-coated and plain cookies. My son actually preferred the plain. A tiny Christmas miracle!
Keeping with gingerbread tradition, these cookies continue to taste wonderful–in both taste and texture–after several days at room temperature.
Happy holiday baking!
More Grain-Free & Vegan Almond Flour Cookies to Try:
- 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Banana Almond Flour Cookies
- 4-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Flour Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies
- Pumpkin Almond Flour Cookies
- Sweet Potato Almond Flour Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Fresh Apple Almond Flour Cookies
Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies {Vegan, Oil-Free & Grain-Free}
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour , (not almond meal)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar, (or packed brown sugar)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- pinch of ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon molasses, (not blackstrap molases, it is too bitter)
- Optional: Turbinado sugar/ raw sugar , (for sprinkling on cookies before baking)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and cloves. Add the water and molasses, stirring until completely blended.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons (I used a small cookie scoop) on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches (5 cm) apart. If desired, sprinkle cookies with turbinado (raw) sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 16 minutes until surface of cookies appears dry and they are set at the centers.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Found this recipe when looking for vegan, gluten free cookies. My husband is diabetic, replaced the coconut sugar with granulated sugar substitute. Used maple instead of molasses (lower glycemic index). Served them for a coffee meeting with neighbors. And was sorry I made only one batch, they disappeared so quickly! Next time – and there will definitely be a next time – will double the recipe.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
You are so welcome, Ossie! Thank you so much for sharing your substitutions, too, that is so helpful 🙂
These are yummy & simple to make. I doubled the recipe and got 22 making the recipe lower calories than listed! Gotta love that!
Whoohoo, go Sherry! That sounds fantastic. Im so glad you like these 🙂
My husband and I have made these over and over since discovering the recipe. So easy & quick! We eat oil free & it’s always exciting to find DELICIOUS baked goods recipes! Can’t thank you enough!!
As a fellow gingerbread aficianodo, you comment makes me very happy indeed! So glad you and your husband are loving these, Jessica!
I have to say, these were so easy, quick & delicious! Best of all my husband and grandson loved them! Which is really big, since they usually ignore my “healthy” recipes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Excellent Lyn! Oh my goodness, I know what you mean–it is a super-success if my husband and teenage son give my powerhungry recipes a thumbs up 🙂
Made these today for a friend for Xmas and they are absolutely DELICIOUS! Took less than half hour from start to out of the oven!
I had to try one before i give them away and now I have to make more!
Thanks so much for making it so simple to give the perfect baking gift for someone who is gluten free!
What a dear friend you are! So pleased you found the recipe to be a success, Shan!
Where is the moisture very dry
Hi Janis,
Oh no, I am sorry the cookies came out dry. They should definitely be moist and tender. The moisture comes from the water and molasses in combination with the natural oils of the almond flour. If the cookies are dry, it is most likely due to too much almond flour. It is really easy to add too much almond flour in measuring cups. I suggest lightly spooning in the flour to measure, or, even better, weighing the flour for the best results.
@Camilla, is the (96) by the almond flour ingredient supposed to be gram weight?
eek, and ack! Thanks for catching that Deanna: it is supposed to be 104 g. I’ve corrected it, Thanks YOU!
Made these today, so good. I used blackstrap molasses. Added little bit more of the spices. So yummy.
Thank you,
Trina
Perfection!
Aww, thanks so much, Jin!
I don’t eat sugar or molasses, so I’ll be trying this with a no-sugar-added balsamic vinegar reduction as a substitute. I’ve read that it works well for gingerbread flavor. Wish me luck!
I don’t eat sugar or molasses, so I’ll be trying this with a no-sugar-added balsamic vinegar reduction as a substitute. I’ve read that it works well for gingerbread flavor. Wish me luck!
Sounds intriguing, Ru!
Wonderful recipe! Gives me a use for the almond flour I have had on hand for a while, and I love that it is so low in sugar. I did use regular brown sugar, but I used only 1 Tbsp. and they came out great. I would love to make a batch for myself later that uses only the molasses, since I personally can handle dark flavours and also don’t need a lot of sweet. The almonds give enough sweetness on their own, in my opinion. Thanks for this recipe!
So very welcome, Sorcha!
I can’t get the blanched almond flour at all. Why do you stress it must be that not almond flour? I’d love to make a few almond flour things.
Hi Pongodhall,
I am sorry this is a problem. Are you outside of North America? It may be that blanched almond flour is labeled differently in other countries.
I specify blanched almond flour because it is made with blanched almonds (that is, the dark skins are removed before grinding into a flour). It is the common variety of almond flour in the U.S. Almond flour is similar but it is made from raw almonds that still have their skins on. It tends to be less finely ground, too. As such, it is heavier and can yield different results in baked goods. You can usually tell the difference between the two by sight: the blanched almond flour is pale in color, almond meal is darker and coarser. It’s a bit like the difference between whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. You can often sub one for the other, but some almond flour recipes just don’t work as well with almond meal (especially breads).
If the almond flour that you have available is finely ground, but still has skins on, I am sure that you can still use it! Or it might just be labeled “almond flour” without specifically saying “blanched.” I hope this helps.
I have made these with unbalanced almond flour (not almond meal), and they came out perfectly delicious! When making finer pastries, fine blanched almond flour makes a bigger difference.
Oops…meant “unblanched” almond flour. Silly auto-correct!
Autocorrect makes me crazy at times, too! 🙂
Oh, that is excellent to know, Tina! Thanks so much for sharing so that other readers will know, too. 🙂
Absolutely delicious!!!
yay! so glad you are loving them, Natalia 🙂 I am so ready for gingerbread season, I may have to make some soon, even though it is still close to 100 degrees outside.