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Gluten-free gingerbread cookies, decorated with faces and a small red heart, on a piece of parchment paper.

Easy Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Easy gluten-free gingerbread cookie recipe. These sweet and spicy cookies are perfect for Christmas.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

Gluten-free Gingerbread Cookie Dough

  • 3 cups gluten-free baking flour, see note (15 ounces; 425 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground clove
  • 12 tablespoons butter, softened (1 ½ sticks) (6 ounces; 170 grams)
  • ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar (5 ½ ounces; 155 grams)
  • 1 large egg (about 2 ounces; 50 grams out of shell)
  • 4 tablespoons molasses (3 ounces; 85 grams)

Cookie Icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 4 ½ teaspoons meringue powder
  • 4-5 tablespoons water

Instructions

For the Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookie Dough

  1. Whisk together gluten-free flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and ground clove. Set aside.

  2. Cream together butter and dark brown sugar until a thick paste forms, about 30 seconds. Add egg and molasses. Blend until combined. Stop mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Run mixer for a few seconds after scraping the bowl. Add the dry ingredients. Blend until a dough forms.

  3. Lightly dust your countertop with gluten-free flour. Turn dough out onto counter and pat into a round. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for two hours or overnight.

  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow to stand for about 15 minutes. This allows the dough to soften a little, making it easier to roll.

    Divide dough in half and roll out to about ¼-inch thickness on a generously rice floured countertop. Cut into shapes.

  5. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until edges are golden-brown and aromatic, about 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Be sure to allow the baking sheet to cool between batches to prevent the cookies from spreading.

  6. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Decorate as desired. Store cookies in a covered container for up to one week.

For the Cookie Icing

  1. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of water.

    Mix on high speed until thick, about three minutes. If icing is too thick, add a teaspoon of additional water until it’s the right consistency.

  2. This icing will form a crust. Transfer it to a piping bag right after you make it. Decorate cooled cooled cookies as desired.

    Icing recipe can be doubled.

Recipe Notes

Ingredient Notes.

Recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. If your flour blend doesn't contain xanthan gum, whisk 1/2 teaspoon into the flour blend before using.