These vegan gingerbread cookies are so fun and festive! They are warmly spiced and have a strong ginger flavor. Top them with icing, frosting or eat them by themselves. They are especially great for Christmas and the holiday season!

Vegan gingerbread cookies.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • These vegan gingerbread cookies are so fun!
  • They are made in one mixing bowl.
  • They can be cut out into many shapes.
  • Both kids and adults love them.
  • They are great for holidays. So is this Gingerbread Loaf!
  • The ginger flavor is strong.
  • These cookies are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free and vegan.
  • Check out these soft Vegan Ginger Cookies or these Gluten Free Gingersnaps for another favorite dessert!

Ingredients & Substitutions

These are the main ingredients and substitutions for vegan gingerbread cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.

Use unsalted room temperature vegan butter. Do not use melted butter. Earth Balance makes great vegan butter sticks.

Molasses adds a great warm flavor. It pairs perfectly with ginger.

Brown sugar sweetens these cookies. For refined sugar free, use coconut sugar.

Vanilla extract adds a homemade flavor.

Both regular flour and gluten free flour work well. I do not recommend any other flours.

Both baking powder and baking soda help slightly leaven these cookies. Overall, they do not rise much.

The warm spices include cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and ground cloves.

For the icing, use powdered sugar and dairy free milk. Any type of dairy free milk works. For nut free, use oat milk or coconut milk.

Molasses, spices and ingredients.

Taste & Texture

These vegan gingerbread cookies taste like classic gingerbread cookies! They are spiced to perfection. They taste mostly like ginger and molasses.

These cookies have chewy edges and a softer center. They are only about ¼ inch thick. They are not dry or too crispy.

How to Make

Step 1

First, add room temperature butter, molasses, brown sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until completely combined and no clumps of butter remain.

Gooey molasses mixture.

Step 2

Then, add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Stir until thick dough is formed. Gather the dough into a ball.

Thick vegan gingerbread dough.

Step 3

Lightly spray a bowl with nonstick spray. Place the ball of dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour up to 24 hours.

Ball of vegan gingerbread dough.

Step 4

After chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 5

Add a sprinkle of flour to the lined pan and rolling pin. Place ball of dough on pan.

Ball of dough on floured pan.

Step 6

Then, roll out to ¼ inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread men.

Vegan gingerbread cut out.

Step 7

Gather up the scraps of dough and roll out. Repeat this process.

Scraps of dough.

Step 8

Once all of the dough has been cut into gingerbread men, place on pan. Leave 1 inch between each cookie.

Gingerbread men on pan.

Step 9

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 10 minutes before carefully placing on a cooling rack.

Baked ginger cookies.

Step 10

Once cookies have completely cooled, make icing. Mix together powdered sugar and milk.

Vegan icing in bowl.

Step 11

Add icing to a piping bag. Or, add to a Ziplock bag and cut off a corner.

Step 12

Lastly, pipe icing onto vegan gingerbread cookies.

Expert Tips & Tricks

Use softened vegan butter.

The gingerbread dough will be pretty thick.

Refrigerate ball of dough for at least 1 hour. I prefer overnight refrigeration to allow the spices and flavors to marinate.

Sprinkle some flour on the parchment lined pan and rolling pin. This prevents sticking.

Roll out and cut out dough until all scraps are used up.

Allow vegan gingerbread cookies to completely cool before adding icing or frosting.

Vegan decorated cookies.

Vegan Icing

The vegan icing is smooth, creamy and sweet. Use only powdered sugar and dairy free milk.

If needed, add a drop more of milk to mix the icing.

Add icing to a piping bag or Ziplock bag. Then, pipe onto completely cooled cookies.

How to Serve & Store

Serve vegan gingerbread cookies once cooled and iced.

Serve with milk, coffee or hot chocolate.

These cookies are great with ice cream too!

Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are they gluten free?

Use gluten free flour to make these gluten free.

Can I make other shapes?

Yes! Cut into any desired shape.

What is the difference between gingerbread cookies and ginger snap cookies?

Ginger snap cookies are usually more dry and crispy than gingerbread cookies.

Are ginger snaps vegan?

Ginger snaps are not traditionally vegan.

Do I need to chill the dough?

Yes. Chilling the dough is mandatory.

Vegan baked ginger cookies.

You May Also Like

If you make this vegan gingerbread cookie recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on InstagramFacebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along!  For more ideas and recipes, check out these Vegan Recipes.

Vegan gingerbread cookies.

Get the Recipe: Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

These vegan gingerbread cookies are the perfect cut out holiday cookie! They are warmly spiced and have a strong ginger molasses flavor. They are great for decorating!
4.75 from 4 votes

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cookies

  • 4 tbsp unsalted vegan butter, room temperature
  • 6 tbsp molasses
  • 6 tbsp brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups flour, all purpose or gluten free
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • pinch nutmeg
  • pinch ground cloves

Icing

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp dairy free milk

Instructions 

  • First, add room temperature vegan butter, molasses, brown sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until completely combined and no clumps of butter remain.
  • Then, add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Stir until a thick dough is formed. Gather dough into a ball.
  • Lightly spray a bowl with nonstick spray. Place the big ball of dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour up to 24 hours.
  • After chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Add a sprinkle of flour to the lined pan and rolling pin. Place ball of dough on pan.
  • Then, roll out to ¼ inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread men.
  • Gather up the scraps of dough and roll out. Repeat process.
  • Once all of the dough has been cut into gingerbread men, place on pan. Leave 1 inch between each cookie.
  • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 10 minutes before carefully placing on a cooling rack.
  • Once cookies have completely cooled, make icing. Mix together powdered sugar and milk.
  • Add icing to a piping bag. Or, add to a Ziplock bag and cut off a corner.
  • Lastly, pipe icing onto cookies.

Notes

  • Use room temperature vegan butter.  Do not use melted butter.
  • Both regular all purpose flour and gluten free 1 to 1 flour work well.  For these photos, I used King Arthur Flour gluten free 1 to 1 flour.
  • The dough will be pretty thick.
  • Dough must chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
  • Use flour on the parchment paper and rolling pin to prevent sticking.
  • Continue rolling out and cutting out dough until all the dough is used up.
  • Do not over bake cookies.
  • Allow cookies to cool completely before icing.
  • You may need to add a little bit more milk to the icing to make it more creamy.
  • Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Calories: 130kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 71mg, Potassium: 164mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg

Love these vegan gingerbread cookies? You can sign up here to receive healthy meal plans, exclusive new recipes and updates!