Gluten-free Gingerbread Cookies

The best gluten-free gingerbread cookies. These cookies are crispy from the outside and chewy from the inside. The cookies are so good that you won’t even tell they are gluten-free. 

What you need for the best gluten-free gingerbread cookies! 

If you are on the hunt for the best gluten-free gingerbread cookies that are not dry and crumbly, then you came to the right place. These gingerbread cookies are so good that you won’t even tell they are gluten-free. To make these holiday cookies, you will need the following: 

White rice flour, tapioca flour, and brown rice flour: The gluten-free flour we will make for this recipe is white rice flour, tapioca flour, and brown rice flour. The use of rice flour prevents gluten-free gingerbread cookies from turning out dry and crumbly. Meanwhile, the tapioca flour provides the cookies with structure and makes them chewy. 

Xanthan Gum: The binding agent in this recipe is xanthan gum. Xanthan gum will act similar to gluten and provide the dough with structure. It will also prevent the ingredients from separating. 

Baking Powder: The secret to the best gingerbread cookies is baking powder. The baking powder helps the cookies rise a little bit and provides them with a chewy interior. So the gluten-free gingerbread cookies will be crispy from the outside and chewy from the inside. 

Holiday Spices:  The spices you need to make these cookies are salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground clove, and ground nutmeg. 

Unsalted Butter: It is essential to use unsalted butter instead of salted butter as otherwise, the cookies will turn out too salty. Meanwhile, the butter needs to be at room temperature. To test the butter, press on it with your thumb. If your thumb makes a slight dent but does not completely sink into the butter, then your butter is at the correct temperature. 

Brown Sugar: ​​The brown sugar provides the cookies with moisture and a hint of molasses flavor. 

Egg: The eggs provide structure to the cookie dough and helps the cookies rise in the oven. It also prevents the gingerbread cookies from spreading into flat disks when baked. 

Golden Syrup: If you live in Europe or the Middle East, finding golden syrup should not be an issue. However, you can substitute golden syrup with either corn syrup or unsulphured molasses. I find that molasses can be too strong, and people either love it or hate it. Therefore, I prefer using golden syrup. The golden syrup will provide the cookies with moisture and sweetness. 

Vanilla Extract: It is optional to use vanilla extract. However, I find that it provides gingerbread cookies with a nice flavor. 

Making Gluten-free Gingerbread Cookies 

• Combine the dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and holiday spices. 
• Blend the butter & Sugar: In a separate bowl, add the unsalted butter and brown sugar. Using a hand-held mixer or a stand-alone mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. This approximately takes 1-2 minutes. Try not to overbeat the butter and sugar. Then, add the eggs, golden syrup, and vanilla extract. Beat for another 1-2 minutes until creamy. 

• Form the dough and Chill it: Add the dry ingredients to the butter, egg, and sugar mixture while mixing at low speed. Once the dough is formed, transfer it to a dusted worktop. Flatten the dough into a thick disc and dust it with gluten-free flour. Then wrap the cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for a minimum of one hour. 

• Cut out the cookies: Remove the cookie dough from the fridge, dust your working surface, rolling pin, and hands with gluten-free flour. Roll the dough into a rectangle with a thickness of 6 mm ( ¼ inch). Press your cookie cutter into the dough. Then transfer the cutout cookie to a baking tray aligned with parchments paper. Repeat until you are out of dough. Ensure that the gingerbread cookies on the baking tray are at least 2.5 cm ( 1-inch) apart. 

• Bake the cookies: Bake the gluten-free gingerbread cookies at 180°C (350°F) for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden. Allow the cookies to cool in the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. 

• Decorate the cookies: Once the cookies are cooled down to room temperature, you can decorate the cookies with icing or frosting of your choice. 

Dairy-free Option 

To make these cookies dairy-free, you can substitute the unsalted butter with vegan butter. Use a one-to-one ratio for the substitution.

Other recipes worth checking!

• Gluten-free Cinnamon Coffee Cake
• Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls
• Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies
• Gluten-free Cinnamon Bread
• Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

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5 from 36 votes

Gluten-free Gingerbread Cookies

The best gluten-free gingerbread cookies. These cookies are crispy from the outside and chewy from the inside. The cookies are so good that you won’t even tell they are gluten-free. 

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Active Time10 minutes mins

Chilling Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gingerbread cookies, gluten free gingerbread cookies

Yield: 24 Cookies

Calories: 130kcal

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Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

• ▢ 175 grams of White Rice Flour
• ▢ 105 grams of Tapioca Flour
• ▢ 70 grams of Brown Rice Flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Xanthan Gum
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon of Baking Powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon
• ▢ ½ tablespoon of Ground Ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Clove
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Salt
• ▢ 120 grams of Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
• ▢ 170 grams of Brown Sugar
• ▢ 1 Large Egg
• ▢ 80 grams of Golden Syrup or Corn Syrup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, clove, nutmeg, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, add the unsalted butter and brown sugar. Using a stand-alone mixer or hand-held mixer, with the paddle attachment attached, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (1-2 minutes). Then, add the egg, golden syrup, and vanilla extract. Beat for another minute until creamy.
• Next, reduce the speed of the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Once the dough is formed (2-3 minutes), transfer the dough to a working surface dusted with gluten-free flour.
• Flatten the dough into a disc, and dust it with gluten-free flour. Then, wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for up to an hour minimum.
• Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Dust your working surface, rolling pin, and hands with gluten-free flour. Then, roll the dough into a rectangle with a thickness of 6 mm ( ¼ inch). Using a cookie cutter of your choice, press into the dough. Then transfer the cutout cookie to a baking tray aligned with parchment paper. Repeat until you are out of dough.
• Bake the gluten-free gingerbread cookies for 8-10 minutes. Then, allow the cookies to cool down in the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Once the gingerbread cookies are cooled, decorate them with icing.

Notes

• Storage & Freezing: The gingerbread cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to three months. To bake the cookies, defrost the dough in the fridge the night before. The baked cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to three days. Moreover, they can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.
• Dairy-Free Option: To make these gingerbread cookies dairy-free, substitute the unsalted butter with vegan butter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg