Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
on Mar 19, 2022, Updated Sep 05, 2024
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There is so much to love about this recipe for Vegan Gingerbread Cookies. They are soft, tender and perfectly spiced.
These cookies taste very similar to my famous recipe for gingerbread cookies but they are made without the egg making them a great vegan alternative. They don’t skimp on flavor though. Same great taste.
Of course you want gingerbread cookies to taste good but you also want them to hold their shape. These cookies are the total triple threat. They are perfect for cutting into because the dough is firm enough to hold their shape well, yet they are chewy- plus vegan! You can’t beat that!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft, tender, and perfectly spiced for a cozy holiday treat.
- A great vegan alternative, using an egg replacer instead of eggs.
- Easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Perfect for decorating or enjoying plain, with or without icing especially fun for little bakers to help with.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter-flavored shortening
- Sugar – Granulated
- Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer
- Molasses – Light or darn (do not use blackstrap or cooking molasses )
- White vinegar
- Flour – All-purpose or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour
- Baking soda
- Spices – Salt, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Step #1. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg replacer, molasses, and vinegar, and mix well.
Step #2. Add dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, and spices) and mix to form the dough.
Step #3. Divide dough into two, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30-90 minutes.
Step #4. Roll dough, cut into shapes, and bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool and decorate if desired.
Recipe FAQs
Gingerbread cookies and ginger snaps are similar but have a few differences. Gingersnaps are crispier in nature because they bake longer whereas gingerbread cookies tend to be more tender and chewy. Gingersnaps are also traditionally circular in shape and gingerbread cookies are cut out into cute shapes.
Fancy or table molasses is the most common type used for gingerbread cookies. In the United States most all of the molasses that you see on the shelf is considered fancy molasses. Steer clear from using Blackstrap molasses or cooking molasses -that will dramatically change the flavor. They tend to be really bitter types of molasses and don’t work in this recipe.
I always chill gingerbread dough because it’s a bit sticky and difficult to roll out if done right away. This also helps the cookies to keep their shape when you bake them.
Gingerbread cookies will stay fresh for about a week when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They freeze really great too.
Expert Tips
- Refrigerating the dough is crucial for maintaining the cookie shapes during baking.
- Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies soft; they’ll firm up slightly as they cool.
- Use light or dark molasses, but avoid blackstrap molasses, as it can be too bitter.
- This vegan royal icing recipe worked great, I just added much less milk than called for so that my icing was very stiff.
- I love that Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer that is called for in the recipe and keep it on hand in my kitchen. I tried this recipe with a flax egg and the texture wasn’t quite the same.
- This recipe could be made gluten free by using a gluten free baking blend flour like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour or something similar
How to Serve and Store Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
I love to serve these cookies with a warm cup of spiced chai, vegan eggnog, or hot cocoa. Pair with vegan whipped cream or a dollop of vegan vanilla ice cream. You can add them to a dessert platter with fresh fruit and other holiday cookies.
Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Freeze undecorated cookies in layers, separated by parchment paper, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before decorating or serving.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
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Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter-flavored shortening, (226 grams)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar, (220 grams)
- 1 “egg” via Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, (1 tablespoon egg replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
- 1 cup light or dark molasses, (do not use blackstrap or cooking molasses ) (325 grams)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar, (22 grams)
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, (785 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, (9 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt, (3 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger, (3 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, (2 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves, (3 grams)
Instructions
- Add the shortening and sugar to a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about three minutes, using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment on your stand mixer. Scrape down the sides as few times as needed.
- Add the prepared egg replacer, molasses, and vinegar. Beat to combine well. The mixture will look a bit curdled.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to the bowl and mix to combine well. The dough should come together when you press it in your hands and shouldn’t be crumbly. If anything it’ll still be a little tacky to the touch. That’s ok.
- Divide the dough into two even pieces, wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 90 minutes. Don’t skip this step, it helps the cookies to keep their shape.
- When the dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Working in sections, roll the dough to ½ inch thick on a floured surface; cut into desired shapes.
- Place shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Gather and reroll “scraps” of dough as needed, using all of the dough.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, and then move to a cooling rack.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Leave plain or decorate (here are 6 Simple Ways to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies if you are looking for some inspo).
Notes
- This vegan royal icing recipe worked great, I just added much less milk than called for so that my icing was very stiff.
- The cookies don’t even need icing, they taste great as they are so don’t feel obligated to use it!
- I love that Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer that is called for in the recipe and keep it on hand in my kitchen. I tried this recipe with a flax egg and the texture wasn’t quite the same.
- This recipe could be made gluten free by using a gluten free baking blend flour like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour or something similar.
