Dairy-free and egg-free gingerbread cookies…no problem.
It took me YEARS to finally make these for Christmas.
My only regret is that I didn’t make them sooner. So easy!
See our simple recipe below.
We can all agree that 2020 was a crazy year.
But it also goes down as the year I first tried gingerbread cookies.
Fifteen years as a mom, it was time to up my Christmas cookie game.
That’s right, I had always been intimidated by these foreign ingredients.
Molasses? What is that anyways? Do you tap it from a tree like syrup?
Ginger. Clove.
Cut-out sugar cookies just seemed way easier.
However, this was our year.
Gingerbread cookies or bust!
It’s 2020, and we are going all out.
So I sent hubby to the store to find the interesting ingredients, lol.
It was the week of Christmas, and he did have a hard time finding all three.
I think it took him three stores.
He didn’t disappoint, though.
We got our molasses, ground ginger, and ground clove.
Ready to roll!
Now what I discovered next was mind-blowing.
Gingerbread men cut-out cookies are really similar to making cut-out sugar cookies!
Whatever was I so afraid of?
Putting together the dough was just about the same.
This I could do.
Dairy-free and egg-free gingerbread cookies, here we come.
Our recipe is below. Enjoy!
This recipe makes soft, cake-like gingerbread men.
My youngest thinks they are the best!
I personally would have liked them crunchier so stay tuned as we find the best way to make gingersnap cookies!
And hey, your icing decorating will improve with practice. Don’t let that deter you.
Here’s my first gingerbread man lest you think I’m some decorating guru. Bwahahaha!
Someone said he looks like Bart Simpson. I’ll take that.
Then with a little practice, I ended up with this!
Just eat the ugly ones first, ha ha ha. And you’re good to go.
HOW TO FREEZE GINGERBREAD COOKIE DOUGH
When we make these for Christmas, I like to make one dozen the week of Christmas.
And then I freeze dough for the other dozen until Christmas Eve.
To freeze gingerbread cookie dough, form the dough into a disc an inch tall.
Then wrap the disc tightly in plastic wrap.
Then wrap the disc in foil tightly.
Then put the disc in an airtight freezer container for good measure.
Mark the container with a tape label and sharpie marker. You won’t remember it’s cookie dough, trust me. Ha!
A day before you’re ready to make your cookies, pull the cookie dough out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator.
The next day, pull the dough from the refrigerator and proceed with this cookie recipe!
This is the best way to prepare ahead and still enjoy freshly baked cookies.
HOW TO FREEZE GINGERBREAD COOKIES
You may prefer to bake the cookies the day you make the dough and freeze the baked cookies to eat later.
Simply bake the cookies according to the instructions below. But don’t icing them.
Wrap the cookies in plastic wrap and then foil tightly, then store in an airtight freezer container.
Label the container as gingerbread cookies.
Remove from the freezer and thaw to eat.
You could icing them after thawed.
Now here’s the recipe for soft gingerbread man cookies that are dairy-free and egg-free. YUM!
DAIRY & EGG FREE GINGERBREAD MEN COOKIES
Makes Approximately 24 Cookies
COOKIE INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup dairy-free butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 flax egg or egg
2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
HOW TO MAKE GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Prepare your flax egg if using egg replacer by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flax with 3 tablespoons warm water in a small cup. Let sit 5 minutes.
Combine 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup molasses, and 1 egg or flax egg in an electric mixer.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Add flour mixture to the butter, sugar, molasses, egg mixture on low speed until combined together.
Remove dough from the mixing bowl.
Shape it into a round disc about 1″ thick.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to chill.
Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly flour a clean surface for rolling out the dough.
Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on the flour.
Cut out gingerbread men with a cookie cutter.
Gather the leftover dough and roll it out again 1/4 inch thick, taking care not to handle it too much and working fast to not let the dough get too warm.
Cut out the rest of your gingerbread men with the dough that’s left.
Just make a round cookie with the last of the dough.
Place shapes on a non-stick cookie sheet, parchment paper optional.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown.
Cool completely on cooling racks.
Ice the gingerbread cookies when cooled.
Icing recipe below.
GINGERBREAD ICING
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dairy-free milk
In a small bowl, combine ingredients with a whisk or fork until combined. Add 1/4 teaspoon more of milk at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
To pipe the icing onto your cooled gingerbread men, put the icing in a baggie and snip the very tip of one corner of the bag.
Pipe on the icing by squeezing the baggie with one hand and directing the tip with your other hand.
Hope you love these dairy-free and egg-free gingerbread men cookies as much as we do!