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Wife Mama Foodie

Making Healthy Taste Good

Cookies, Dessert, Gluten-Free

December 6, 2020

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Delicious gingerbread cut-out cookies that can easily be made vegan friendly, plus gluten and refined sugar free with listed substitutions!

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies | Vegan friendly with gluten free and refined sugar free options.
Baking and decorating cookies is definitely one of our favorite family traditions each Christmas season. Bags of flour & sugar, and pounds of butter are used up in the process, resulting in dozens of adorably decorated sweet treats we generously pass on to family and friends. Each year I love going out to look for unique cookie cutters to add to our collection, which is a mixed bag of old vintage cutters from my grandma, to newer, colorful metal and plastic cutters we’ve picked up here and there. My favorites are the snowflake cutters because, just like no two snowflakes are alike, there are hundreds of different ways you can decorate a snowflake cookie and they seem to turn out pretty no matter what!

Gluten & Refined Sugar Free Gingerbread Cookies Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies | Vegan friendly with gluten free and refined sugar free options.
These gingerbread cookies are perfect for using cute cutters because they don’t spread too much and generally hold their shape well in the oven. How thin you roll the dough will determine how crisp the cookies will be. I usually roll them about 1/4-inch thick for more soft cookies, but the crisp & crunchier thinner cookies are equally as delicious. Sometimes I even rolled them into balls for soft and chewy gingerbread cookies that give you that yummy flavor without having to go through the tedious process of rolling and cutting, which is especially good if you don’t have a crowd of people there to help!

The dough is soft and slightly sticky, so I suggest rolling between parchment paper to make it easier. It also makes clean up a breeze!

Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies | Vegan friendly with gluten free and refined sugar free options.Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies | Vegan friendly with gluten free and refined sugar free options.
Package them up in a cute treat box or tin for an adorable and delicious Christmas gift everyone can enjoy! I mean, who wouldn’t love to receive a package of these cute & festive gingerbread cookies for the holidays?! I know I sure would! Enjoy, friends!

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Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies


  • Author: Joscelyn Abreu
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 2-3 dozen 1x
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Description

Delicious gingerbread cookies that can easily be made gluten and refined sugar free with listed substitutions! Perfect cookie dough to use with all of your Christmas cutters!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend, (divided) plus more for rolling
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • pinch of black pepper, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or dairy-free butter, softened or vegetable shortening
  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
  • 1 large egg or flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water)

Instructions

  1. Combine 2 cups flour, spices, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, begin to beat softened butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add molasses and egg/flax egg. Mix until creamy.
  3. While mixing on low speed, gradually add flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until dough is thoroughly combined.
  4. Mix in last 1/2 cup flour as needed. You may not need the full amount. You want a soft dough that’s not too sticky. Refrigerating the dough for at least 30-60 minutes helps it roll out better, but I’ve also made them right away. The raw cut outs are just more delicate.
  5. Before rolling out, preheat oven to 350F. Roll dough out to about 1/4″ thick. The thinner the dough, the crisper the cookie. Roll more thick if you want a soft cookie.
  6. Roll between two pieces of parchment paper for best results. If dough begins to stick, dust surface with a little extra flour.
  7. Cut out shapes with cookie cutter and carefully transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, an inch or two apart. Re-roll scraps and cut out more shapes. Continue to do this until all the dough is used up. (Alternatively, you can make plain gingerbread cookies by rolling dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet and flatten slightly with your palm. Bake as directed below)
  8. Place pan into preheated oven and bake for 9-12 minutes, until edges are set. Thinner cookies don’t take as long as the thicker ones do. Let cool thoroughly before decorating.
  9. This is the icing I used to decorate the cookies. Mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3-5 tablespoons milk or water. Start by stirring in 2 tablespoons of milk and then add more a little at a time, just until the icing is thin enough to pipe. Do not add too much or the icing will spread and not hold its shape. Add more powdered sugar to thicken or more milk to thin until you get the right consistency.
  • Prep Time: 25 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Category: Cookies, Dessert, Gluten Free

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You may also enjoy these similar recipes:

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Simple Cut-Out Cookies

Simple Cut-Out Cookies

December 4, 2015

Gluten and Refined Sugar Free Shortbread Cookies

These gluten and refined sugar free shortbread cookies are so yummy! Pair them with almond milk or coffee and you’ve got a great, easy snack!

Shortbread Cookies | Gluten and refined sugar free. Includes vegan substitutions. One of the things I look forward to around the holidays is all the baking I get to do. As much as I strive to incorporate an array of healthy foods into my diet, I truly love homemade baked goods. I.just.can’t.help.it. It’s hard to beat a homemade cookie fresh from the oven. I mean, how can you refuse a tender, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, shortbread cookie? If you raised your hand then I feel for you, because you’re seriously missing out. Oh well, I guess that just leaves more for the rest of us! 😋

Shortbread Cookies | Gluten and refined sugar free. Includes vegan substitutions. These cookies are made with minimal ingredients, are slightly sweetened with maple syrup instead of white sugar, and are gluten free. These have the best results with regular butter, but dairy free butter and coconut oil can be used as well, although the cookies may spread a bit more.

Shortbread Cookies | Gluten and refined sugar free. Includes vegan substitutions. For best results, this dough needs to be thoroughly chilled before baking. I find it easiest to roll the dough in a piece of parchment paper, into a log shape. Then you just slice and bake, kinda like those store-bought refrigerator cookies, but much more delicious!

You can also roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Just make sure that the dough is still pretty cold when you put it into the oven to prevent a lot of spreading.

Shortbread Cookies | Gluten and refined sugar free. Includes vegan substitutions.
Shortbread Cookies | Gluten and refined sugar free. Includes vegan substitutions. These cookies are perfect on their own, but also make a great base to add your own flavorings. Add a bit of lemon zest or use almond extract instead of vanilla. You can even sprinkle the tops with sprinkles or a pretty turbinado sugar. The possibilities are endless. Also check out these classic shortbread cookies. Enjoy, friends!

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Shortbread Cookies {Gluten and Refined Sugar Free}


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Joscelyn Abreu
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 2 dozen 1x
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Description

These lightly sweetened cookies are tender and delicious! Makes a great base to add your own flavorings or to use with cookie cutters. Gluten and refined sugar free, but includes vegan substitutions.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (vegan butter or coconut oil can also be use, but cookies may spread a little more)
  • 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
  • 1 2/3 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend* (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
  • 1/3 cup superfine almond flour* (or additional gf flour)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • Parchment Paper

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and maple syrup. Mix until well blended. Add gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, and salt. Blend until well incorporated, about 1-2 minutes, and then mix in vanilla extract. Dough should be similar in consistency to the photo above. Dough will be thick, but soft and a little tacky. If for some reason your dough is too loose, you can add extra of any of the flours, a tablespoon at a time, until it gets to the right consistency.
  2. Divide the dough onto two large squares of parchment paper. Shape dough into a 6 to 8-inch log. Fold one side of the parchment over the dough and tuck under the log shape. Continue to roll the dough in the parchment, as in the photos above, until all the parchment is wrapped around and dough is pretty evenly distributed. Twist each end of the parchment to keep tightly wrapped, like a candy wrapper. Refrigerate logs for at least 1-2 hours, or until completely chilled. This helps the cookies hold their shape.
  3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Remove dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and cut log into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices about 2-inches apart onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and center is set. The cookies will be pretty light in color. Allow to cool fully before removing from pan. Can be crumbly if handled when they’re hot. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in a cool place.
  4. Alternatively, you can roll chilled dough out to about 1/4-inch thick (I recommend rolling between two pieces of parchment paper to keep dough from sticking to the rolling pin) and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place shaped cookies onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges of cookies are lightly browned.

Notes

*I’ve also made my own flour blend by using 2/3 cup superfine almond flour, 2/3 cup brown rice flour, 2/3 cup corn starch. (This would replace the 1 2/3 cup gf flour and 1/3 cup almond flour)

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Category: Cookies, Dessert, Gluten-Free

Did you make this recipe?

tag @wifemamafoodie on Instagram and hashtag it #wifemamafoodie

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I may receive a small commission on your purchase. It doesn’t affect the cost of the product at all and gives me the ability to pay for and maintain this blog. I never link to products I wouldn’t use myself. Thank you so much for your support! 

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Hello! My name is Joscelyn and I love to share recipes that are healthy and delicious. Many of them are also free of dairy, gluten, and refined sugar! Pick out a recipe and let's get cooking! Read More…

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Posts may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I may receive a small commission on your purchase. It doesn’t affect the cost of the product at all and gives me the ability to pay for and maintain this blog. I never link to products I wouldn’t use myself. Thank you so much for your support!

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