Christmas is coming and we all know it’s the biggest baking season of the year. I’m obsessed with anything that’s ginger flavoured so why not make some vegan gingerbread cookies. I’m also planning on making a gingerbread bundt cake later this month and I will use these cookies as decoration. These cookies are so easy the kids can make them and you can also make the dough ahead of time and just leave it to chill in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.
You don’t have to be an expert cookie decorator. Making two little dots for eyes and a swipe for a mouth is super easy. The ginger in this recipe is strong, so if you prefer a less gingery flavour, leave out half a tablespoon.
What are the ingredients for these vegan gingerbread cookies (including icing)?
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
- Flaxseed egg (ground flaxseed and water)
- Vegan butter (I like using Naturil block butter as it’s got a great flavour)
- All purpose plain flour
- Baking soda
- Dark brown sugar
- Molasses
- Golden Syrup
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, all spice
- Salt
Vegan Royal Icing
- Icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar
- Lemon juice
Recipe Substitutions
- You can swap dark brown sugar with light brown sugar
- You can swap ground flax with ground chia seeds
- You can swap lemon juice with aquafaba or water
Tools I Used For This Recipe
- Small saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Kitchen scales
- Rolling pin
- Baking paper
- Christmas cookie cutters (I’m using a men, Christmas tree and star)
- Cookie tray
- Piping bag
My Top Tips For This Recipe
- If you prefer a crispier/crunchier cookie then you can bake for 13 to 15 minutes
- If you prefer a softer cookie, bake for 10 to 12 minutes
- I chilled my dough in the freezer for 30 minutes until firm to save time, instead of chilling in the fridge
- If your dough becomes soft when you’re cutting out your cookies, return it to the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to allow it to set
- Make sure your cookies are cold before icing them otherwise the icing will run
- If you’re finding your icing is too firm for piping, place in the microwave for 5 seconds
Storage
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
See My Step By Step Photos For How To Make Your Gingerbread Dough
Follow my simple steps to make this vegan gingerbread cookie dough. You can make this ahead of time and leave the dough to chill in the fridge until you’re ready to cut them out. If you dough becomes soft during the cutting process, pop it into the freezer for 5 minutes so the dough will become firmer and easier to manage.
Melt butter in saucepan Add flax egg, sugar and other liquids Stir until dissolved Stir until dissolved Add spices and stir through 
Add flour and fold through Until it becomes a sticky dough Pour onto baking paper & form a dough Wrap & chill in the freezer for 30 mins
Chill in the freezer for around 30 minutes. Once you remove from the freezer, preheat your oven to 200C/400F and prepare your bench to cut out your cookies. This recipe will make about 20 to 30 cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutters.
See My Step By Step Photos For How To Bake & Decorate Your Gingerbread Cookies
Place a piece of baking paper over top Roll out 5mm and remove Use cutters to cut out shapes Remove from dough Place on greased baking tray Bake for 12 minutes & allow to cool Add lemon juice to icing sugar Mix together To make a thick icing Add to piping bag and trim tip Decorate your cookies
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Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
- Total Time: 52 minutes
- Yield: 20 – 30 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy vegan gingerbread cookies that bake in 12 minutes.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (golden if you have it)
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 150 g vegan butter
- 150 g dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons golden syrup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 350 g plain all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Vegan Royal Icing:
- 300 g icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
How To Make The Cookie Dough
- Mix together flaxseed and boiling water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to become thick.
- In a small saucepan melt butter. Add your flaxseed egg, then add sugar, golden syrup, and molasses. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Add spices and stir with a wooden until combined. Add flour and baking soda and stir until mixture becomes a thick wet dough.
- Pour out onto a large piece of baking paper and bring together with your hands to form a smooth dough. Wrap in baking paper and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or until cold and firm.
- Preheat your conventional oven to 200°C / 400°F. Unwrap your dough and place another piece of baking paper over the top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough between the pieces of paper to 5mm thickness. Remove paper from both sides. Using your cookie cutters, cut out your cookie shapes.
- Lightly grease a large cookie tray and place cookies onto your tray. Re-roll remaining dough and repeat the process until you have used all your cookie dough. If your dough is becoming too warm, place back into the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Bake your cookies on the top rack of your oven for 10 to 12 minutes. If you want crunchy cookies bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.
How To Decorate Your Cookies
- In a small bowl mix together your icing sugar and lemon juice until it’s a thick smooth paste. Add icing to a piping bag and cut off the tip to create a small hole.
- Pipe onto your cookies and decorate however you like. Allow the icing to set for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
See tips and recipe substitutions above.
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: 1 bowl mixing
- Cuisine: Dessert
Keywords: vegan gingerbread cookie
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Foolproof! I’ve made this 6 times already. 🙂
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Yay! So glad x
Awesome recipe!
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I made these with GF flour and they turned out perfect. Thank you xoxoxoxoxo
This is a really good basic recipe. Foolproof. Thanks for the step by step photos.
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Excellent recipe made with my 4 year old granddaughter. Really nice texture. Added fresh grated ginger.
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Love this recipe. It was great to find a vegan version as we are newly vegan. Easy and the kids made these with very little help. Thank you
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Hi Sarah can i chill the dough overnight before using?
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Yes absolutely
Thanks so much Sara! I’m going to make your shortbread cookies next.
I’ve used this recipe 2x now for kids baking and it is fantastic. I do add a little bit of cinnamon. The biscuits are great, semi-soft texture and taste very nice. The kids get to ice them 🙂
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My grandchildren love these biscuits. So easy to make and delicious.
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Everyone loved this
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Perfect timing thanks so much.
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Yay thanks Jess
Hi Sara
I absolutely loved this recipe, I even added some vanilla just to enhance the flavor. Turned out great. Going to try and make a gingerbread house next.
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Oh fantastic, let me know how it turns out
Thanks so much Sara! I loved this recipe
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I would love to try his for my son who has a dairy allergy, could I use an actual egg instead of the flax? He will be so excited to be able to have some gingerbread this year.
Hey Rose
No sorry you can’t use an egg for this recipe. Flax seed is really easy to buy and usually at the supermarket in the health food section.
Hope he loves them.