I’ve been making gingerbread since I was a kid believe it or not and received an amazing gingerbread recipe from a very special neighbor who I credit with sparking my love for baking. She taught me so much because I was interested and happily shared her knowledge with me and for that, I’m forever grateful. She’s very funny and I remember her saying I could never share the recipe but it’s too good not to. The recipe was vegan from the get-go so that made me happy that I never had to substitute anything. It’s perfect for cookies and for gingerbread houses which I’m making for the first time in a very long time this year.
What you’ll need to make these:
- Vegetable shortening. No substitutions for this ingredient please. If concerned about hydrogenated oils, you can buy ones without it like Spectrum brand. We’re only using 1/3 cup and this makes a huge batch.
- Brown sugar. I used light brown and make sure to pack it well into the measuring cup. Unlike measuring flour, you want to compress the sugar well into the cup.
- Dark molasses. This is the secret ingredient in these and we’re adding an entire 12 oz jar of Grandmas brand original unsulphured molasses. This is the gold standard brand and if you can’t find it, use another unsulphured variety just not blackstrap as that’s way too bitter and will ruin the cookies.
- Pumpkin pie spice. Although you could add the traditional spices separately, my neighbors recipe called for this instead which includes them all and lets you add it all in one fell swoop.
Tips for success:
- Use a stand or powerful hand mixer. This is a large recipe enough to make a large gingerbread house or dozens of cookies and dough is on the stiffer side so it would be very hard to do by hand.
- Chill the dough. Dough is best rolled and baked the next day after having chilled overnight in the fridge so don’t rush it. Plan ahead and make the dough the day before.
- Roll the dough on parchment or silicone mats. Some prefer to roll out cookie dough like this onto a board or counter and then transfer it to baking sheets but rolling directly on parchment paper or a silicone baking mat is best as when you transfer cookies like this they can lose their shape or become warped looking. It’s easier too as you can just lift the parchment or mat directly onto the baking pan.
How do I ice and decorate these?
- Ice with royal icing. Gingerbread cookies don’t necessarily need additional adornment but are best with a simple piping of royal icing. I used to make royal icing with egg whites or meringue powder but found that using aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) is an amazing vegan substitution and worked perfectly.
- Decorate with festive candies. You can ice the cookies completely with royal icing then use sprinkles or decorative candies like cinnamon red hots or chocolate candies. Kids love to help with this and can make some unique designs.
- Use sanding or decorative sugars. You can sprinkle frosted cookies with sanding sugar or decorative colored sugar as well. This makes them look particularly pretty.
This vegan gingerbread cookie recipe isn’t just a holiday favorite; it’s become a family tradition now thanks to a wonderful neighbor. The balance of spices in these cookies evokes cozy memories of winter evenings spent by the fire, and they’re just as fun to bake and decorate as they are to eat.
Whether you’re hosting a holiday party, gifting a jar of cookies, or simply indulging in a sweet treat with a cup of tea, these vegan gingerbread cookies will add warmth and joy to your festivities. Enjoy the process of baking, and most importantly, savor the delicious result as these cookies are sure to become a timeless favorite in your home too. Happy baking and happy holidays!
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
48
servings15
minutes12
minutesA delicious vegan gingerbread recipe that’s been part of my family for decades.
Ingredients
- Gingerbread Cookies
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups dark molasses (Grandmas brand is best and this is one entire 12 oz jar so no need to measure)
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- Vegan Royal Icing
1/4 cup room temperature aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 lb (16 oz) powdered sugar, sifted
Directions
- Add the shortening to the bowl of a stand mixer or use a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Add the brown sugar and mix well for a few minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl and add the molasses and mix until combined for about 1 minute. Add the water and mix again for a minute scraping down the sides at least once.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice and mix on low to start so flour doesn’t fly everywhere then increase the speed to medium and mix well for a few minutes stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Remove from the mixer and I use my hands to make sure everything is well mixed together. Remove the dough using your hands into a large plastic storage ziplock bag and pat down into a large rectangle and refrigerate for at least four hours or preferably overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 350° and cut rectangles of parchment paper big enough to fit large baking sheets. I divide the dough into four large pieces evenly using a large bench scraper then place the dough onto my parchment or silicone mat. Using a rolling pin, dust the dough lightly on top then roll out to about an 1/8 inch in thickness evenly. I turn the paper as I’m working to make sure I’m rolling evenly. If your dough is a little thicker, cookies will be chewier and any thinner they will be crispier.
- Using sharp cookie cutters, press down with the palm of your hand into the dough sheet to cut out shapes. If you want maximum yield, rotate the cookie cutters the other way each time you cut making sure to leave at least 1/2” between each one as they will spread a little. Remove the extra dough scraps then place the paper with the cookies onto your baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes for regular sized cookies. If you’re using extra large shapes you may need to bake longer and if you’re making very small cookies, you’ll need to bake for less time. They should just be starting to color slightly around the edges when done. Remove from the oven and pick up the paper and move it immediately to a cooling rack so the cookies can cool completely. Once cooled completely, they’re ready to ice and decorate. Extra dough can be refrigerated or frozen for use later.
- Vegan Royal Icing
- Place the aquafaba (make sure it’s room temp) and cream of tartar into a bowl and using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, mix on low to start then increase the speed a bit just to make it a little frothy. We’re not going for soft peaks here we just want to lighten it up a little. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low to combine then increase the speed to medium and scrape down the sides until it starts to look like glue. The right consistency should be that if it’s dropped into the bowl from the beater attachment it slowly dissolves into the rest of the mixture. If it’s too loose, add a little more powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time and if it’s too thick, add a little more aquafaba a teaspoon at a time until the right consistency is achieved. Using a piping bag fitted with a coupler and small piping tip place it over a tall glass then fill with the icing and pipe decorative elements onto your cookies. Let the icing set for about an hour then enjoy! Store dried cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. Cookies can also be frozen.
Recipe Video
Notes
- This makes a lot of dough enough for a very large gingerbreads house or dozens of cookies. You can halve the recipe if need be if you only want to make a few dozen cookies.
- Cream of tartar stabilizes the icing but you could use a teaspoon of lemon juice instead or vinegar as a last resort.
- Make sure to use unsulphured molasses and Grandmas brand is my favorite.
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