Paleo Gingerbread Cookies (vegan option)
Paleo gingerbread cookies that have crisp edges and chewy centers! With a vegan option. Easy to make and no rolling out required. Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for making today’s post possible!
Gingerbread cookies have always been a favorite of mine. There’s something about all those spices that is so comforting, especially around Christmas time!
I already have a few paleo gingerbread cookie recipes, but I wanted to make yet another version for today. My paleo gingerbread men cookies are super tasty, but I’m usually too lazy to roll out the dough.
My paleo ginger cookies are also great, but they’re really round and just have the appearance of healthy cookies. And they don’t taste totally like regular cookies.
Every year, I bake a huge number of cookies to give away. Last year, I made paleo orange cookies and these paleo double chocolate cookies (both of which also have vegan options!). I like them because they’re nice and sturdy, making them easy to pack up.
Most of the people I give these cookies to couldn’t care less whether the cookies are healthy or not. However, I still like to take the opportunity to show them that healthier sweet treats can be just as delicious as the traditional versions. :)
So I had to come up with a recipe for gingerbread cookies that was super easy (because I’m not making roll-out cookies with a newborn) and yielded cookies that taste and look like regular cookies. I think I succeeded with these paleo gingerbread cookies!
I packaged these cookies up for a friend who had just had a baby, and she and her family loved them! I put them in a little baggie instead of in a box with other types of cookies because I think they’d absorb some of the moisture and become soft.
I also made her paleo peppermint cookies, which use almond flour, and they were a big hit, too!
These cookies are super delicious on their own, but if you eat white chocolate, I highly recommend adding some! I have to say, though, that I’m not a huge fan of vegan white chocolate (is it just me, or is it usually super sweet?!). Semi-sweet chocolate is also a delicious option!
A chia egg makes these gingerbread cookies vegan, but a regular egg works just as well!
I used Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour for these cookies (as I do for all my recipes with almond flour!). It’s ground so finely, and you can really see a difference.
Here are those paleo gingerbread men cookies I mentioned earlier. See all those flecks of almond in there?! That’s what it looks like when you just use whatever brand of almond flour, like I did back in 2012.
Ocassionally, it just affects the appearance, but sometimes it really plays a role in the overall outcome. I’ve found that the less finely ground almond flour is, the greasier the result will be and the flatter the cookies will spread.
Here’s another example. The cookie on the right uses Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour and Coconut Flour and the one on the left a random other brand. Both use exactly 44 grams of dough. Isn’t that a crazy difference?!
The ones on the right spread less, baked up perfectly, didn’t have a soft bottom, and weren’t floppy after a day.
Also, the dough felt different. The Bob’s Red Mill dough was almost firm enough to bake right away. The other version was quite wet, and even after chilling overnight, it still felt quite soft. That’s because the flour wasn’t ground as finely as Bob’s Red Mill, and so didn’t absorb enough of the liquid.
That’s it for today’s Cookie Case Study. :D
One more thing! You can use refined or unrefined coconut oil. The difference is that the ones with refined coconut oil are a little spicier. You can’t taste any coconut in either version, so use whichever one you prefer.
O,h and while these paleo gingerbread cookies are soft and chewy, you can make them crisp if you just bake them longer. I didn’t have enough dough for the last cookie, so I baked it along with the other larger cookies and baked it the same amount of time. It came out totally crisp! I’m guessing it was about 30 grams and that I baked it for 15 minutes.
Looking for more vegan Christmas cookies? Check out these 7 Vegan Christmas Cookies Everyone Will Love from Bob’s Red Mill! I’m thinking I definitely need to make those snickerdoodles.
Thanks again to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring today’s post! Make sure to hop on over here to get a $1 coupon that you can use in retail stores.
Paleo Gingerbread Cookies (vegan option)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup (32 grams) coconut flour sifted if lumpy
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 5 tablespoons (70 grams) refined coconut oil should be as soft as softened butter but not melted
- 2/3 cup (133 grams) coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (44 grams) molasses I used blackstrap molasses
- 5 tablespoons (80 grams) natural almond butter the kind without added fat / sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg 50 grams, out of shell or 1 chia egg for a vegan version
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (almond flour through cloves). Set aside.1 cup (100 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour, 1/4 cup (32 grams) coconut flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or using a stand mixer, beat together the fat, sugar, molasses, almond butter and vanilla until well combined.5 tablespoons (70 grams) refined coconut oil, 2/3 cup (133 grams) coconut sugar, 2 tablespoons (44 grams) molasses, 5 tablespoons (80 grams) natural almond butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Beat in the egg / chia egg on low and mix until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined.1 large egg
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (I form a flat disc so it chills quicker) and chill for about 4 hours or until firm. If you’re in a hurry, press into a very flat disc or two and freeze for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into 12 (44-gram) balls and place 4″ apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 14-17 minutes or until the surface of the center of the cookies no longer appears wet, they’ve crackled a little, and they’ve browned a little. They’ll be soft but will continue to cook as they sit on the cookie sheet.
- Let cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Don’t keep them out at room temperature for more than a few hours or they’ll get a little soft.
Notes
- You can use refined or unrefined coconut oil. The difference is that the ones with refined coconut oil are a little spicier. But you can’t taste any coconut taste in either version! If your coconut oil is a little soft, put it in the fridge for about 10-20 minutes or until firmer, like softened butter. If you use very soft coconut oil, the dough will be greasy.
- To make a chia egg, mix 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and let sit a few minutes until thickened.
- For paleo / dairy-free: use coconut oil.
- For vegan: use coconut oil and a chia egg.
I have made these many times… Always delicious! The children love them! I use blackstrap molasses and coconut sugar. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad that the kids love them. :) Thanks as always for your nice feedback! Always great to hear from you. :D
did i miss how to make a chia egg?? How much chia and water?
Mix 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and let sit a few minutes until thickened. :)
ok thank you! I used 1.5 T of water…hope they turn out! :/ Sorry didn’t mean to ask the Q twice…
oh gosh i didn’t grind the chia either– different websites have different versions of a chia egg. Could you add this chia recipe to the cookie recipe? Or is it somewhere else on your site?
It’s at the bottom in the notes. :) I hope that they came out well!
These cookies were absolutely fantastic! I am astounded out how they taste like the “real thing”! I did not have almond flour on hand but I had bob red mills “paleo baking flour” which is a ratio of almond flour coconut flour arrowroot starch and tapioca flour (for those who don’t know :) ) so I thought I would give it a shot since it did not seem too off from the original recipe. I had salted grassfed butter so I just added a tiny sprinkle of salt (not even 1/8 of a teaspoon maybe less and probably was not even needed). instead of the coconut/brown sugar, I used “swerve” which I believe it’s a lot sweeter than than the sugar options of this recipe so next time I make them I will use only 1/3 cup (sure I could probably get away with 1/4 cup though using swerve). I put it in my freezer for about 45 minutes (I was too eager to wait 4 hours!) and baked for 17 minutes and they were no nice soft and gooey! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will try out the chocolate chip ones next week probably with these similar not so intentional changes since it’s what I have !!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them and that they worked out with the the other flour! I hope that you’ll have just as much luck with the chocolate chip version using Swerve. I’d love to hear how they come out. :) Thanks for the tip and so sorry for just now seeing your comment! I don’t know where the week went.
I just made the 3rd batch for the season. They are a hit in our house and neighborhood.
That’s great! So happy that they were a hit. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Hi! I made these perfectly tasty Gingerbread Cookies yesterday, and every single person at our party devoured them! I used coconut palm sugar & 3 tbsp coconut oil & 2 tbsp grass fed butter.. absolutely delish :) thank youuuu
Hi there and you’re welcome! So happy that they were enjoyed at the party. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment and sorry for my slow reply (Christmas chaos got in the way!).
Seriously awesome cookie Erin! I put in the white chocolate chips and they will go in my Christmas cookie selection. Lightly crunchy and chewy – almost toffee-like. So far we’ve just eaten them warm(since I just baked them). A hit with everyone in the family. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m super happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the cookies and that they’ll go in the Christmas selection. :) Thanks for your feedback!
Can you use anything in place of almond butter? Want to make tonight and don’t have any. Thanks! :)
Another type of nut butter would probably work (though I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure!) I’d love to hear how they come out if you try them. :)
May I sub sorghum or millet flour for the almond?
I just saw that you left your comment twice but didn’t have the comment notification turned on for the first comment (so I’m not sure if you saw the answer). So here’s my answer again – I’ve never used either so I have no idea. I’m guessing not, though, because almond flour is really only interchangeable with other nut flours. Sorry about that!
May I sub sorghum or millet for the almond?
I’ve never used either so I have no idea. I’m guessing not, though, because almond flour is really only interchangeable with other nut flours. Sorry about that!
I used cashew flour in place of almond and cashew butter in place of almond butter . Also used chia egg! These were amazing! Even non gf friends preferred these over ‘regular’!!
Thank you❤️
That’s great to know that cashew flour and butter work just as well! Thanks for the tip. :) And so awesome that your non-GF friends enjoyed them, too! Thanks for your comment. :)
These cookies are delicious! I replaced sugar with 1/4 cup of organic honey! Will definitely make again!
Oh, yay! So happy you liked them! That’s great to know that honey works well. :) Thanks for the tip and for your comment!
A great option for those wanting to stay healthier this holiday season!
Quality ingredients make a difference, for sure! Love how you’ve packaged these goodies to hand out! Yum!
Ginger cookies are my favorite to make for the holidays! These have the perfectly crackly tops! So yummy!
This is my favorite brand of flour, and these cookies are perfect for the holidays!
I really like that you used both almond and coconut flour. They look so tasty!
Am I blind, or did you forget to put into the instructions where/when to add the dry ingredients? I did it after the egg and they cooked up perfectly btw! And they are delicious!
Oh, gosh! Thanks for pointing that out. That was the correct point at which to add them together. I’ve updated the recipe. I love that you were so quick to make them! Thanks again for sharing on Instagram and thanks for your comment here. :)
With the amount of cookies I eat during the holidays, I appreciate a healthier spin on as many as possible! These look fantastic!
These cookies are so cute and perfect for Christmas! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks! I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Yum!! These cookies look delicious; and I hear your no roll cries. Any cookie s a miracle with a new born!
Haha. So true!
Please clarify the amount of coconut flour.
It’s 1/4 cup (32 grams). :)