Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Finished gingerbread cookies on a wooden platter

It's the perfect Vegan Gingerbread Cookie! They are sweet, spicy, and with the perfect crunch. Make them a little healthier by using coconut sugar. You won't even be able to taste the difference!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Freeze Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: cookies, depending on the cutter size

Calories: 197kcal

Author: Sarah McMinn

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon allspice
½ cup vegan butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
¼ cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Royal Icing

1 ½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To begin, mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. That’s the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.
In a stand-up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and airy. Add the molasses and applesauce and combine. The dough may look a little curdled at this point. That’s okay! It will sort itself out once the rest of the ingredients are added.
Add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix that dough. Once you add the flour, mix it until it just starts coming together. At that point, turn it out onto a floured work surface and bring it together with your hands.
Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper, top with another paper and roll out to about ¼ inch thick. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Once your dough is chilled, cut out shapes with your cookie cutters. Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, until browned on the edges and cooked all the way through. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
While cookies are cooling, whisk together sugar and milk until it is completely smooth. You may need to adjust the wet and dry ingredients. Make sure the frosting is pipeable but no so thin that it will lose its shape once on the cookie.

Notes

Serving and Storing - Once cookies are completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Raw dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Make in Advance - If you only want to make only a few at a time, you can store the remaining dough in the freezer. To do this, shape the cookies into their shapes and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Set them in the freezer to freeze all the way through. Once frozen, transfer the unbaked cookies to a large ziplock bag and return to the freezer. You can store the cookies this way for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, remove from freezer and bake!

Recipe Tips

Do not over mix that dough. Once you add the flour, mix it until it just starts coming together. At that point, turn it out onto a floured work surface and bring it together with your hands.
Chill your dough. Make sure to chill your dough for at least one hour before baking it. This allows the dough to firm up and hold its shape in the oven.
Do not overbake. Once those edges have just begun browning pull them out. The cookie will continue to harden as it cools.

Decorating Tips -If you need some ideas on how to decorate your vegan gingerbread men, check out this video tutorial. You will need a piping bag to finished these cookies.

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