Vegan Gingerbread Cookies with Simple Icing

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

These gingerbread-person cookies have a warm molasses flavor, matte brown surfaces, and simple white icing faces and buttons. Vegan butter and a flax egg make a firm dough that can be rolled and cut; chilling it for at least an hour makes the narrow arms and legs easier to handle.

Roll the dough about 1/4 inch thick and bake until the edges are set. The centers may still feel slightly soft when the cookies come out of the oven, but they firm as they cool. The recipe makes about 16 cookies, depending on cutter size.

Ingredients for Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

For the cookies

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup vegan butter, softened (115g)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100g)
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (160g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: up to 1/2 teaspoon extra ground ginger for a stronger spice flavor

For the icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
• 1–2 tablespoons unsweetened plant milk, as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Check that the powdered sugar is vegan. This dough uses vegan butter and flaxseed together; oil, shortening, and other egg replacements are not direct equal-quantity swaps. For a separately formulated option, try gluten-free gingerbread cookies with white icing rather than assuming a flour swap will work in this dough.

How to Make Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

1. Make the flax egg: Stir the ground flaxseed and water together. Set aside for 5–10 minutes, until thick and gel-like.
2. Mix the dough: Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a bowl, adding the optional extra ginger if using. In a separate bowl, beat the softened vegan butter and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in the molasses, vanilla, and thickened flax mixture. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a firm dough holds together. If it remains dry and crumbly, add plant milk 1 teaspoon at a time, only until it comes together.
3. Chill: Divide the dough into two discs, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Roll and cut: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a light-colored baking sheet with parchment; do not grease it. Work with one disc at a time, lightly flouring the surface, rolling pin, and gingerbread-person cutter as needed. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Press the cutter straight down without twisting, then lift the shapes with a thin spatula and place them about 1 inch apart on the sheet. If the dough softens or becomes sticky, chill it briefly before continuing.
5. Bake: Bake one sheet at a time for about 9–11 minutes, starting to check at 9 minutes. Remove the cookies when the edges look set and are just beginning to deepen in color. The surfaces should look matte and may have small cracks; the centers can still feel slightly soft. Smaller or thinner cut-outs may finish sooner.
6. Cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely before icing.
7. Ice the cookies: Stir the powdered sugar and vanilla together. Add plant milk gradually, starting with 1 tablespoon, until the icing holds a raised dot and line. If it runs, add a little more powdered sugar; if too stiff to pipe, add plant milk a few drops at a time. Pipe two eyes, a curved smile, and buttons down each cookie’s torso. Let the icing set before stacking.

How to Keep the Cut-Out Shapes Neat

Chilling makes the dough less sticky and helps the gingerbread people keep their outlines. If a disc is too firm to roll straight from the refrigerator, let it sit briefly at room temperature. Use only enough flour to prevent sticking; too much can leave the dough dry and prone to cracking.

Pressing the cutter straight down keeps the edges of the arms and legs defined. Transfer each shape with a thin spatula rather than pulling it by a narrow limb, and rechill soft cut-outs before baking. For another shape-focused option, see no-spread gingerbread cutout cookies.

How to Tell When the Cookies Are Done

For 1/4-inch cookies, look for set edges and a dry-looking, matte surface rather than waiting for the centers to feel hard. They will firm as they cool. A slightly longer bake gives a firmer, crisper cookie, but watch closely so the edges do not become deeply browned. Cutter size, dough thickness, pan, and oven can all affect the timing.

Serving and Storage

Arrange the decorated gingerbread people in a loose, overlapping pile on a platter or pale wooden board. Serve plain or with tea or plant milk. For a related non-vegan version, see classic gingerbread man cookies with simple icing.

Wrapped dough can be refrigerated for up to about 3 days or frozen for about 1 month. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator, then let it sit briefly at room temperature if too firm to roll.

Once the icing has set, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4–7 days, with parchment between decorated layers. Baked cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container with parchment between layers; thaw before serving. No reheating is needed.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 16 cookies and including icing: 225 calories, 3g protein, 6g fat, and 40g carbohydrates. Approximate nutrition per 100g: 400 calories, 5g protein, 11g fat, and 71g carbohydrates. Values vary with cookie size, vegan butter, plant milk, and amount of icing used.