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Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (Oil Free!)

4.87 from 15 votes

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These amazing Vegan Gingerbread Cookies are a healthier version of this classic cookie. You won’t believe there’s no butter or oil! Made with whole grain flour, molasses, and the perfect amount of spices – you’re going to love them!

White plate of Oil-Free Vegan Gingerbread cookies, cut into snowflake shapes. Fir branches and red and gold Christmas ornaments surround the plate.

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I’m squeezing in one more cookie recipe before Christmas! When I found out how well my Vegan Sugar Cookies worked, I just knew I could come up with an oil-free gingerbread cookie as well. I’ve always loved gingerbread cookies. The combination of sweetness and spice is so yummy!

These cookies are absolute perfection! They have the perfect amount of gingerbread spices. And even without butter or oil, they have a wonderful texture. If you like gingerbread, you HAVE to make these cookies!

White plate of Oil-Free Vegan Gingerbread cookies, cut into snowflake shapes. Fir branches and red and gold Christmas ornaments surround the plate. Lit Christmas tree branches in background.

These cookies do contain cashew butter and a bit of brown sugar, so they’re not a health food. But they are definitely a healthier version of this classic cookie. And at Christmas time, I think we can indulge just a bit.

While cashew butter is not fat free, it is a whole food fat, with all the fiber and nutrients of the whole cashews. I made my own cashew butter for these cookies using this recipe from The Vegan 8. You can purchase raw cashew butter, but it is more expensive than making your own.

How to Make These Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Make a flax egg by mixing together one tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Let this sit for a few minutes, until the mixture becomes gelatinous.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix together well. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer, mix together the wet ingredients.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The mixture will be quite sticky, and will seem hard to mix. But keep stirring and the flour mixture will eventually mix in. Divide the cookie dough into two parts, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, roll the dough out on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake the cookies on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet for 7 minutes at 350° F.

Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack, and decorate as desired.

White plate of Oil-Free Vegan Gingerbread cookies, cut into snowflake shapes. Fir branches and red and gold Christmas ornaments surround the plate. Lit Christmas tree branches in background.

Looking for more Christmas dessert recipes? See:

Vegan Sugar Cookies

Cutting board with Oil-free Vegan Sugar Cookies decorated for Christmas

Vegan Peppermint Ice Cream

Two glass dessert dishes with Vegan Peppermint Ice Cream, with two candy canes sitting next to them

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a rating and feedback below. It only takes a few seconds, but helps other visitors to my site. Thank you for taking the time to leave your comment!

And come join my Oil Free Vegan Recipes and Support Facebook group, where you can share your favorite oil free vegan recipes, and give and receive support on your plant based journey.

White plate of Oil-Free Vegan Gingerbread cookies, cut into snowflake shapes. Fir branches and red and gold Christmas ornaments surround the plate.

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (Oil Free!)

Teresa Sklenicka
These amazing Gingerbread Cookies are a healthier version of this classic cookie. You won't believe there's no butter or oil! Made with whole grain flour, molasses, and the perfect amount of spices – you're going to love them!
4.87 from 15 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Dough Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 27 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20
Calories 125.3 kcal

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 flax egg (1 Tablespoon flax seed meal with 3 tablspoons hot water)
  • ½ cup raw cashew butter
  • ½ cup organic brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice

Icing

  • 1 cup organic powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Make a flax egg by mixing together one tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of warm water. Let this sit for a few minutes, until the mixture becomes gelatinous.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix these ingredients together well.
  • In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer, mix together the cashew butter, molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, and flax egg.
  • Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The mixture will be quite sticky, and will seem hard to mix. But keep stirring and the flour mixture will eventually mix in. Divide the cookie dough into two parts, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
  • When you’re ready to bake the cookies, roll the dough to about 1/3 inch thickness on a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters. Bake the cookies on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet for 7 minutes at 350° F.
  • Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack. Decorate as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 125.3kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 2.4gFat: 1.3gSodium: 54.1mgFiber: 2.7gSugar: 10.8gVitamin A: 1.14IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 24.02mgIron: 0.91mg
Keyword Christmas, Cookies, Oil Free, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition calculations are approximate.

By on December 16th, 2019

About Teresa Sklenicka

I love creating tasty, oil-free, vegan recipes that everyone will love (even non-vegans)! Here you'll find vegan versions of your favorite comfort foods, as well as some new tastes! Join me on a path to improving your health, helping the planet, and saving animals.

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