Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies with White Icing

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

These gingerbread cookies are rolled and cut into five-pointed stars, then piped with a white icing outline that leaves each brown center bare. Molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves give the cookies their flavor; a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend makes the dough workable for cutouts.

Chill the dough before rolling to help the star points hold their shape. Bake until the edges are set and slightly darker than the centers, then let the cookies firm on the pan before moving them. The recipe makes about 20 cookies, depending on cutter size.

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

For the cookies

• 2 1/2 cups measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend (350g), preferably one containing xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar (135g)
• 1/3 cup molasses (115g)
• 1 large egg

For the white icing

• 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons meringue powder
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water, added gradually as needed

If the flour blend contains no xanthan gum or equivalent binder, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum to the dry ingredients. Do not add it if the blend already contains a binder.

How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

1. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour blend, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Add the optional xanthan gum here if needed.
2. Mix the dough: Beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in the molasses and egg, then add the dry ingredients. Mix just until the dough holds together and no dry flour remains.
3. Chill: Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate for about 1 to 2 hours, until cool and firm but still rollable.
4. Roll and cut: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Roll one disk about 1/4 inch thick between sheets of parchment or on a lightly dusted surface. Cut five-pointed stars in a mix of sizes, gently rerolling the scraps. Keep the remaining dough refrigerated.
5. Bake: Arrange the stars about 1 inch apart on a light-colored baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Bake uncovered, one sheet at a time, for about 9 to 11 minutes. Start checking small stars at 8 to 9 minutes; larger ones may need closer to 11 minutes. Remove them when the edges are set and slightly darker than the centers and the centers look dry rather than glossy.
6. Cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes so they can firm up, then transfer them carefully to a rack. Cool completely before decorating.
7. Pipe the outlines: Mix the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add water gradually until the icing is thick but pipeable and holds a raised line; add it a few drops at a time as you approach that consistency. Pipe around each star’s perimeter, following the points and leaving the center bare. Let the icing set before packing the cookies.

How to Keep the Star Points Neat

Work with one chilled dough disk at a time. If the dough softens or the points stretch during transfer, refrigerate it briefly before continuing. Support each cutout with a thin spatula, or cut the stars directly on parchment and chill the lined sheet briefly before baking if the shapes become distorted.

For another cutout style, try No-Spread Gingerbread Cutout Cookies with White Icing.

Choosing a Gluten-Free Flour Blend

Use a measure-for-measure blend intended for baking, and check whether it already contains xanthan gum or another binder. Blends absorb moisture differently, so the dough may feel slightly different from one brand to another. Almond flour is not a one-for-one substitute; it needs a separate cookie formula.

Storage and Freezing

Once the cookies are fully cool and the icing has set, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days. Wait until the outlines are firm before stacking, and separate layers with parchment if needed.

Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before rolling. For the best appearance, freeze baked cookies undecorated and pipe the outlines after they thaw.

For a different shape, see Classic Gingerbread Man Cookies with Simple Icing. For a different formula rather than a direct molasses swap, see Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per cookie, based on 20 cookies: 175 calories, 1g protein, 5g fat, and 31g carbohydrates. Per 100g: approximately 440 calories, 3g protein, 13g fat, and 78g carbohydrates. Values vary with the flour blend, cutter size, and amount of icing used.