Everyone needs an easy gingerbread recipe in their life at this time of year right? I know I do! This wonderful treat will fill your home with warming Winter aromas that no seasonal air freshener could EVER compete with! Crispy to the bite and packed full of sensational spice, this easy gingerbread recipe is also dairy free and suitable for vegans.
Want some variety? Try using some dairy free white chocolate chunks and dried cranberries in this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe and/or the vegan option of this cranberry walnut cinnamon cookies recipe for a super seasonal cookie selection!
This regular easy gingerbread biscuits recipe will do the trick if you don’t need it to be free from.
My perfect easy gingerbread recipe…
For me, the perfect gingerbread biscuit has to have a deep, warming ginger flavour and a definitive snap to them. Soft gingerbread men have never done it for me I’m afraid – I’m in it for the spice and the crunch!
Easy gingerbread recipe dietary options
While most will honestly never know that these bad boys are free from anything anyway, you may potentially need some variations. For instance, if you require them to be free from nothing – you can switch the ‘flax egg’ for 1 regular egg and the dairy free spread for butter. If you need them to be gluten free as well as dairy free/vegan, simply switch out the plain flour for gluten free flour and it should work fine. (Although I’ve not personally tested the gluten free version, having worked with the dough – I see no reason why it wouldn’t work.)
Christmas treats you may also like…
Along with this deliciously easy gingerbread recipe, here are a selection of some fabulously festive bakes that you may also love.
- White Chocolate Pecan Cranberry Fudge
- No Bake Cranberry White Chocolate Tiffin
- Christmas Tree Brownies
- 3 Ingredient Oreo Truffles
- One Bowl Terry’s Chocolate Orange Brownies
- Easy Shortcrust Pastry Mince Pies From Scratch
- Lemon & Ginger Christmas Cookies
What’s so good about this easy gingerbread recipe?
Not only is it suitable for various diets (and adaptable for others) but it’s CRAZY easy to make too! This makes it a really wonderful activity not only for you, but for your children/grandchildren as well.
Everyone can have great fun making and decorating these in all different shapes and designs without worrying about following an overly complicated recipe! Oh and it just so happens to yield the most beautifully crispy and warming gingerbread men EVER!
Not had much baking experience? You might like to read baking for beginners first, to boost your basics knowledge.
Deliciously Vegan & Easy Gingerbread Recipe
Here’s what you will need to make approx 40 – 50 cookies! (Easily halved.)
(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)
- 1 tbsp Milled Flaxseed
- 175g (3/4 Cup) Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 85g (1/4 Cup) Golden Syrup †
- 100g (1/2 Cup) Dairy Free Spread *
- 350g (2 + 3/4 Cups) Plain Flour
- 3 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 50g (1.7 oz) Dairy Free White Chocolate, To Decorate (Optional)
Essential Equipment
- Saucepan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- 9 cm Gingerbread Man Cutter #
- Large Baking Tray
† I believe the closest substitute to this in the US is light corn syrup.
*I use Tomor spread.
# you can use any other shaped cutter that’s a similar size.
How to make gingerbread dough
First we need to make a ‘flax egg’ by mixing the (1 tbsp) flaxseed with 1 tbsp of cold water in a small glass. Give it a good stir then leave at room temperature for 15 minutes to thicken.
Meanwhile, let’s get the syrup ready by melting together the dark muscovado sugar (175g | 3/4 Cup), golden syrup (85g | 1/4 Cup) and dairy free spread (100g | 1/2 Cup) in a saucepan set over a low heat. Stir occasionally until it’s all completely melted then allow to cool for a few minutes.
Next, sift the plain flour (350g | 2 + 3/4 Cups), ground ginger (3 tsp) and cinnamon (1 tsp) into a large mixing bowl. Mix it well to evenly distribute the spices then make a well in the centre. Pour in the melted syrup mixture.
Mix the bicarbonate of soda (1 tsp) in 1 tsp of cold water and pour this into the bowl along with the thickened flax egg.
Now give it a really good mix and watch the magic happen…
Gingerbread dough!! Ok, so it’s a little soft right now and we need to firm it up before we can work with it. So tip it all out onto a large piece of cling film, flatten it into a big disc, wrap it up and pop it into the freezer for 15 minutes.
How to correctly cut out gingerbread men
So you’ve made the effort to make gingerbread dough from scratch… let’s do that justice. We don’t want to upset the ratio of ingredients by rolling it out in lots of flour do we? Nope! So let’s do it the proper way – between two sheets of baking paper. It’s simpler, yields better biscuits and is far easier to clean up after! So roll out your gingerbread men to approx 2-3mm.
Now for the fun bit, cutting out the shapes! Create your cookies by using your chosen cutters to cut out shapes (all roughly the same size so they cook evenly) and rest them on a lined baking tray. It’s fine to layer them on top of each other with baking paper between.
Now place them into the freezer to firm up again for 15 minutes and preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C.
How to bake gingerbread men
Line a large tray with a silicone baking mat or baking paper and evenly space out as many gingerbread men as you can fit on. Make sure to leave a little room between each one for spreading. Keep any remaining gingerbread chilled in the fridge.
Bake for 7-9 minutes if you’ve used a 9 cm cutter like me and rolled the dough to 2-3mm. (If your dough is thicker/thinner or you’ve used a larger/smaller cutter, this will affect the cooking time so bear this in mind.) When they’re done, they should just be beginning to darken on the edges.
Allow to sit on the tray for a minute or two to firm up then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to decorate gingerbread men
This is all relative really. Children will obviously love getting messy and creating their own little people/designs. As for you grown ups? Well it’s entirely up to you! I melted some dairy free white chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave in 10 second intervals then transferred it to a piping bag, snipped the end and piped on my designs. You can be as simple or as intricate as you like. You could also use royal icing, embellish with buttons, sprinkles or gems, or even simply dust them with icing sugar.
Allow your creations to set completely before storing in an airtight container and consuming within 3-4 days. It’s also worth noting that you can store any unused gingerbread dough wrapped well in the fridge for up to two weeks! Bonus.
Have you Made This Recipe?
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Deliciously Vegan Gingerbread Recipe
You'd never guess these crispy gingerbread men filled with cosy warming spices were dairy free and suitable for vegans!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Milled Flaxseed
- 175 g Dark Muscovado Sugar
- 85 g Golden Syrup †
- 100 g Dairy Free Spread *
- 350 g Plain Flour
- 3 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 50 g Dairy Free White Chocolate, (To Decorate, Optional)
- Saucepan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- 9 cm Gingerbread Man Cutter #
- Large Baking Tray
Instructions
- Mix flaxseed and 1 tbsp cold water in a glass, mix and leave at room temperature for 15 mins.
- Place the muscovado sugar, golden syrup and dairy free spread in a saucepan. Set over a low heat and melt stirring often. Leave to cool for 2-3 mins.
- Sift the flour, ginger and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well then make a well in the centre.
- Mix the bicarbonate of soda in 1 tsp of cold water and pour this, the melted syrup and the flax egg into the dry ingredients. Beat to form a dough.
- Wrap in cling film and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Roll dough out between two sheets of baking paper to 2-3mm thick. Cut shapes and place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Freeze to firm up for 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C.
- Evenly space out some cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 7-9 mins until just starting to darken on the edges. Cool on a wire rack and repeat the process for any remaining unbaked cookies.
- To decorate, heat white chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 10 second blasts until melted. Pour into a piping bag, snip the corner and pipe your designs.
- Allow to set completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature. Eat within 3-4 days.
Notes
† I believe the closest substitute to this in the US is light corn syrup.
*I use Tomor spread.
# you can use any other shaped cutter that’s a similar size.
For US measurements, please see recipe within the blog post.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 40 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 68Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 8mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.