These snappy gluten free crispy gingerbread men cookies are spiced with cinnamon and ginger, and flavored with just a touch of molasses. Make them any shape you like!
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What's a plate of gluten free Christmas cookies without … gluten free gingerbread men? This time of year, I am bursting at the seams with new gluten free recipes for you—especially gluten free cookies.
I feel like there aren't even enough baking days before the holidays for me to squeeze in everything I want to tell you and show you. It's a nice problem to have, all around.
These cookies are snappy without being fragile, and I appreciate that in a man. Even if he is naked, except for those few buttons. They're lovely with a cup of tea, but I am partial to a nice, hot cup of homemade hot chocolate.
A few cookie recommendations:
1. Roll them thick (about 3/8-inch, as explained in the recipe). They'll be very stable cookies, and they'll still bake up snappy.
2. Bake them until they're dry to the touch, at a relatively low temperature (325°F should do it).
3. Make them wave to each other before you bake them. No one else will know, but it'll be fun for you. And anyway I'll know.
They spread a wee bit during baking, so don't bake them too, too close to each other. Ice them with a little face, or leave 'em au naturale. Either way, 'tis the season … for cookies!!
Gluten Free Crispy Gingerbread Men Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
- ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch (replace with more Cup4Cup if that is your all purpose gluten free flour blend)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (73 g) packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons (63 g) unsulphured molasses
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
- Royal icing for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar, and whisk once more to combine, working out any lumps in the brown sugar.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the molasses, honey, vanilla, butter and egg, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough will be thick and smooth, and somewhat sticky to the touch.
- Transfer the dough to a large sheet of unbleached parchment paper, cover with another sheet of parchment and roll into a rectangle about 3/8-inch thick (more than 1/4-inch, less than 1/2-inch). If you are concerned that the dough will be difficult to handle, place it in the refrigerator or freezer after you roll it out to allow it to firm up.
- Dip a gingerbread man cutter in all purpose gluten free flour or cornstarch, and use it to cut out shapes from the cookie dough. With each cut, jiggle the cutter back and forth to create a neat shape.
- Peel back the rest of the dough from around the cut-outs, and carefully peel off the men and place them, about 1 1/2-inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets.
- Gather and reroll scraps, and repeat the process until you have used all the dough.
- Place the cut-outs on the baking sheets in the refrigerator or freezer until firm (about 20 minutes in the refrigerator, or just 5 minutes in the freezer).
- Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until dry to the touch (about 15 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheets. They will crisp as they cool.
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Susie says
These are amazing! It was soo great to be able to join in the Christmas cookie fun and eat the dough (oops) along with everyone else. Great recipe!!!!
Linda Hanson Denmark says
My not quite two year old grandson has to be gluten free now too, so what fun we had making gluten free cookies together. When he comes to grandma’s house there’s no danger of gluten lurking anywhere. We used the gingerbread man recipe and made gingerbread dogs. They were perfect and did not last very long. Thanks, Nicole!
Laura B says
I really enjoyed these and my guests ate almost every single one this weekend! I did find they were very sticky when I was cutting them out. I tried your fridge trick but they were still too sticky to retain their cute gingerbread man shape when I transferred them to the baking sheet. I put a little flour under and on top of the dough and then rolled them out. That really helped and it became a fun recipe again. These will definitely be a holiday staple in my house. Thanks so much!!
Nicole Hunn says
Next time, Laura, try rolling them thicker than you did. My guess is that you tried to roll them thinner than 3/8-inch thick (which, as you can see from the photos, is rather thick). The molasses and honey in these cookies makes them too sticky to roll thin, and also makes the temperature of the dough very important!
Melody J says
Hi, I just made these cookies and I love the flavor. They did puff up and look more like Michelin men than gingerbread men, but I think longer in the freezer will fix that. Question for other gluten free bakers out there. I find many gluten free cookies too sweet for my taste. Does anyone have a solution for decreasing the amount of sugar without having a negative effect on the texture (ratios to change / just decrease the amounts / other)?
Nicole Hunn says
Melody, especially with cutout cookies, I’m afraid you can’t just reduce the amount of sugar and get the same results. It’s not just for sweetness – each type of sugar has different chemical properties and affects the chemistry of the dough as it is shaped and bakes. You would have to alter a number of the other ingredients as well.
Melody J says
Yes, exactly. I figured someone with more food science experience may have some tips. I guess I’ll just have to try various tweaks of ratios or possibly a less sweet sweetener than sugar! On a quest. Any thoughts people may have would be welcome. Thanks and Merry Christmas All!
Nicole Hunn says
Melody, especially with cutout cookies, I’m afraid you can’t just reduce the amount of sugar and get the same results. It’s not just for sweetness – each type of sugar has different chemical properties and affects the chemistry of the dough as it is shaped and bakes. You would have to alter a number of the other ingredients as well.