Christmas cookies are one of my favorite things. What better way to get in the mood for the holidays than by throwing on some Christmas carols and baking some cookies? The fun of decorating, the amazing, comforting smell of your home as the cookies bake in the oven, and of course, the best part: eating them. This recipe for vegan gingerbread men is one of my go-tos at Christmas. They’re full of spicy flavors from the ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, but have that cozy, nostalgic flavor from the molasses, brown sugar, and nutmeg. They’re the ideal holiday cookies and go perfectly with vegan hot chocolate or vegan eggnog. These gingerbread men are also pretty easy to make, and a lot of fun to decorate. And they’re vegan! If you need a cookie to adorn your Christmas dinner table this year, these are the ones for you.
Notes on Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients that you need to make vegan gingerbread men. Make sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page to see the exact quantities for each ingredient.
For the Cookies:
All-purpose flourBaking powderGround cinnamonGround gingerGround clovesGround nutmeg – It’s best to use fresh nutmeg and grate it yourself. Kosher saltVegan butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter.Light brown sugarMolassesVanilla extract – Be sure to use 100% pure vanilla extract.
For the Frosting:
Powdered sugarVanilla extractDairy-free milk – You can use any type of vegan milk that you prefer, just make sure that it’s unsweetened and not flavored.
How to Make Gingerbread Men
Here’s how to make these fun and easy Christmas cookies.
Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl, and stir until mixed. Mix the wet ingredients. Place the butter, molasses, vanilla, and brown sugar in a bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. This should take about a minute.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and beat until well combined. Repeat until all of the dry mixture has been added.
Chill. Divide the dough into two pieces. Shape each piece into a thick disk, cover in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Prep. When you’re ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Roll the dough. Place one of the disks of dough on a lightly-floured surface, and roll it out until it’s about ⅛-inch thick. If you have the space, repeat the process with the other disk.
Shape the dough. Use gingerbread men cookie cutters to cut out gingerbread men from the dough. Place them onto the baking sheet, making sure they’re not touching.
Bake. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the gingerbread men are firm around the edges, which should take 8-10 minutes. Cool. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then move them to a cooling rack. Make the frosting. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and some of the milk to a mixing bowl, and beat until smooth. Keep adding milk while beating, until the frosting is the desired consistency.Decorate. Add the frosting to a piping bag, or use an offset spatula to frost the cookies. Cover with any sprinkles or edible decorations, then let rest a few minutes while the frosting hardens. Then devour!
Tips for the Best Gingerbread Men
Here are some tips and tricks for making these festive vegan cookies.
Chill the dough. This recipe calls to chill the dough for at least 1 hour. But you’ll get an ever better cookie if you chill the dough longer than that. If you chill the spicy cookie dough for a few hours, or even overnight, the texture of the cookies will get even better, and the flavors will really meld together.Use softened butter. It’s important to use softened dairy-free butter when making this vegan gingerbread men recipe. Butter that’s soft will mix well with the rest of the ingredients, and cream more easily. As a result, you’ll end up with cookies that are perfectly smooth and soft. Using hard butter or melted butter will alter the texture of the cookies.Cool the cookies fully. Make sure that your cookies are completely cooled before you start decorating them. If the cookies aren’t entirely cooled, they might melt the frosting when you decorate.
How to Store These Cookies
You can store these vegan gingerbread men in an airtight container or bag. They’ll last for 5 days at room temperature, or for 10 days in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Gingerbread Men?
You sure can! Store these cookies in an airtight container or bag in the freezer and they’ll last for up to 4 months. Thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature until they’re defrosted.
More Holiday Cookies to Make
Christmas is the season for baking cookies, so don’t stop here! After you’ve made these vegan gingerbread men, try some of my other favorite holiday cookie recipes.
Vegan sugar cookiesVegan pumpkin cookiesGluten-free white chocolate cranberry pistachio cookies Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies
