Description
Adorably cute, these gluten-free gingerbread men are the perfect Christmas cookie! Crispy cookies decorated in icing, you definitely need to bake a batch of these cookies for Christmas! Totally dairy-free too.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough:
- 1/2 cup dairy-free butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons demerara sugar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 3/4 teaspoons xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free flour blend already includes it)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the Icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Beat Butter & Sugars: In a large bowl, beat the dairy-free butter, brown sugar and demerara sugar together.
- Add Maple Syrup: Add maple syrup and beat for another minute.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift the gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, xanthan gum (if using), spices and baking powder.
- Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, mixing well until you get a soft and non-sticky dough.
- Chill Dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for half an hour.
- Roll Dough: Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about ¼-inch (5 mm) thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out the gingerbread men.
- Bake Cookies:Â
(i) Oven: Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the gingerbread men on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then let cool for another 10 minutes.
(ii) Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 350F. Place the gingerbread men on the air fryer rack and cook for about 7-8 minutes. Once baked, gently remove the gingerbread men cookies from the air fryer and let them cool. - Prepare Icing: Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. If the icing is too thick, add a little more lemon juice, or if it’s too liquid, add more powdered sugar to achieve the desired thickness.
- Pipe Icing to Decorate Cookies: Transfer the icing to a piping bag with a thin tip and carefully pipe the gingerbread men with icing, decorating them.
Notes
Butter: I used dairy-free butter to keep this recipe dairy-free. However, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use regular butter instead.
Sugars: I used a mix of light brown sugar and demerara sugar to create the brown color dough.
Maple Syrup: I used maple syrup for extra sweetness, but you could also use agave nectar or honey instead.
Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (a 1:1 gluten-free substitute for regular all-purpose flour) that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch). I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free flour blend that is made up of heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour). However, if you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, go ahead and use regular all-purpose flour instead.
Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours and helps to bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not already include xanthan gum, make sure to add it in.
Spices: For the festive vibes, I’ve used a mix of spices including ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Alternatively, you may also substitute the spices with 2 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead.
Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent in this recipe and helps the cookie dough to rise (very slightly), so make sure you add it in. Alternatively, you may also use 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda instead. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar) is sugar that has been processed till super fine and looks like a white powder. It is the extra-fine texture that allows the sugar to be fully dissolved in the lemon juice to form a smooth icing.
Lemon Juice: For best flavor, I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice. However, if you don’t have fresh lemons on hand, bottled lemon juice will work too. Alternatively, you may also use unsweetened non-dairy milk if you prefer.
Piping Bag: I recommend using a piping bag with a thin tip so you can decorate the cookies neatly. If you don’t have a piping bag, you may also transfer the icing to a ziplock bag and then snip off a tiny part of the corner of the bag and use it as a makeshift piping bag.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
