Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
These vegan and gluten-free Iced Gingerbread Cookies are my new favorite Christmas cookie. Soft, chewy, with crisp edges and warm holiday spices, they’re an easy and delicious holiday cookie everyone will love!
It’s the beginning of November and my holiday baking is in full swing! I’m blasting Christmas music (Elvis Christmas album, in case you were wondering), and rolling out tray after tray of holiday cookies for my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies series. Each recipe features a festive holiday cookie made vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free—perfect for a healthier holiday season.
So far, we’ve baked these adorable melted snowman cookies, peanut butter blossoms (my personal favorite), my tried-and-true vegan chocolate chip cookies, and now, these soft and chewy vegan iced gingerbread cookies. What’s your favorite holiday cookie to bake?
I have to say, I might have just created my new favorite Christmas cookie with these gingerbread cookies! Bold statement, I know, but they’re soft, chewy, and packed with warm gingerbread spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves—what more could you ask for in a holiday cookie?
With a slightly crispy exterior and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior, the texture is spot-on. The sweet icing on top takes these gingerbread cookies to the next level, but they’re just as delicious without it.
These iced gingerbread cookies are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, and utterly delicious! You might be thinking, how’s that possible? Well, make them and see for yourself!
Why You’ll Love These Iced Gingerbread Cookies
- Soft and chewy – a soft and chewy interior with a hint of crispness on the edges.
- Filled with holiday spices – like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for that classic gingerbread flavor. Feel free to increase if you like a super richly spiced cookie.
- Made with better-for-you ingredients – almond flour and oat flour create a nutrient-dense, grain-free base. Plus, NO molasses! I’m all about simple, attainable ingredients.
Ingredients For Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full recipe with measurements.
- Almond Flour – provides a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Be sure to use blanched almond flour for the best texture.
- Oat Flour –I make my own oat flour by blending oats until they reach a flour consistency. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
- Coconut Sugar – this natural sweetener adds sweetness and a touch of crispiness to the cookies.
- Vegan Butter – just barely melted!
- Flaxseed Meal – used to create a flax egg to help bind the dough together.
- Vanilla Extract – a necessity, of course!
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – this recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda to achieve that soft, plump, and chewy texture.
- Spices – a mixture of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt provides that cozy gingerbread flavor.
- Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener – I use powdered monkfruit sweetener to make the icing which keeps this recipe refined sugar-free. Powdered sugar will also work, but it’s obviously not refined sugar-free.
- Non-Dairy Milk – just a bit to make the icing.
How to Make Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
- Preheat the Oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Flax Egg. Mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let it gel for 5 minutes.
- Mix the Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the coconut sugar, vegan butter, flax egg, and vanilla extract until combined. Add almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
- Scoop and Bake. Use a cookie scoop to scoop tablespoon-sized amounts of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes (13 minutes is usually perfect for me).
- Let Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set properly. This is a crucial step since the cookies are made with almond flour, they need to set properly. Then, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Ice the Cookies. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered monkfruit sweetener and non-dairy milk to make a glaze. Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the icing, then transfer to a wire rack to set.
Tips for the Best Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
- Allow Cookies to Cool Completely. This will prevent the icing from melting into the cookie.
- Frosted Look. To achieve that pretty icing on the cookies, add non-dairy milk to your icing a little at a time. It should be on the thicker side to ensure all the icing doesn’t run off the cookie.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store gingerbread cookies?
Store these gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, or freeze them for up to two months. I’d recommend freezing the cookies before icing—ideal for planning holiday treats ahead of time!
Can I skip the icing?
Absolutely! These cookies are still delicious without icing. The icing adds a touch of extra sweetness and makes them look festive, but they’re great plain if you prefer a simpler look or a less sweet cookie.
Can I substitute almond flour or oat flour in this recipe?
For the best texture, I recommend sticking with almond and oat flour. But, if you try it, let me know how it turned out in the comments!
What if I like extra-spicy gingerbread cookies?
No judgement here! Feel free to increase the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves to taste.
More Healthy Christmas Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
For more vegan gluten-free cookie recipes click here.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below letting me know how you liked it! This helps others find my recipes. I appreciate your support, as always. xo, Megan
Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tbsp flaxseed, for the flax egg
- 3 tbsp water, for the flax egg
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup vegan butter, slightly melted * see note
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup oat flour, use certified GF as needed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- pinch salt
Icing
- 1 cup powdered monkfruit sweetener, or powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the flax egg by mixing together the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and let it gel for 5-10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, vegan butter, flax egg, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Stir in the oat flour, almond flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt. Mix until a dough forms, then use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown (13 minutes is usually perfect for me). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set properly. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered monkfruit sweetener and non-dairy milk until a pourable glaze forms. Dip the tops of the cooled gingerbread cookies into the icing, then transfer to a wire rack to set. Enjoy!
Notes
- I usually pop my butter from the fridge straight into the microwave for 5-10 seconds so it’s starting to melt, but not boiling hot. This will help the cookies spread and maintain their fluffy texture!
Hello can I use a regular egg and regular butter for this recipe? If so, its one egg correct? Ty
Hi Mia! Regular butter will work, but I haven’t tried using a real egg. If you try it, I’d recommend using one egg. Let me know if you try it!
Can I substitute coconut flour for the oat flour? If so, what would be the measurements of almond and coconut flour?
Hi Dawn! I haven’t tried substituting the oat flour, it is what gives these cookies structure. If you don’t have oat flour, you can just blend oats to make oat flour. Unless you have an oat allergy. Coconut flour will change the texture of the cookies. If you wanted to give it a try (can’t promise it will work) I’d recommend using 1/4 cup, since coconut flour absorbs a lot more than oat flour. Either way, let me know!
Maybe try coconut flour? Or is that a nut too? 🫣🤔
Are you trying to make the recipe nut-free? I haven’t tried substituting the almond flour. Almond flour is what gives these cookies a soft and chewy texture. If you try it with coconut flour, I’d recommend using 1/4 cup, since coconut flour absorbs a lot more than almond flour. Either way, let me know!
Hi! I’m trying to make these nut free! Can I use regular all purpose flour instead of almond flour?!
Hi Alex, I haven’t tried this recipe subbing the almond flour, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. Almond flour is what gives these cookies a soft and chewy texture. If you try it with all purpose flour, I’d recommend starting with half the amount, since AP flour absorbs differently (also, AP flour would make these cookies not gluten-free). Let me know if you try it!