Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

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5 from 12 votes

These soft gluten-free gingerbread cookies are perfect holiday treat! Use this dough to make gluten-free gingerbread men, snowflakes, ornaments, trees, and more!

Gluten-free gingerbread cookies in different shapes on a white serving plate.
  • Emily Dixon from One Lovely Life in a blue gingham shirt prepping fresh fruit

These Easy Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies Are Perfect For Decorating!

If you’ve been looking for the best gluten-free gingerbread cookie recipe for Christmas, we’ve got you covered! This recipe is just what we’re looking for–soft, chewy gluten-free gingerbread cookies with just enough spice, a *tiny* hint of vanilla, and a simple fuss-free icing to top them off with.

🥣 EASE: This gingerbread cookie dough can be made in a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. As long as you measure properly and follow the directions, there’s nothing tricky at all about this recipe!

🎄 FLAVORS: You’ll get the classic flavor notes here–molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves–along with a tiny kiss of vanilla that I think sets them apart.

🥛 KID-FRIENDLY. My kids LOVE decorating gingerbread cookies around the holidays, and my kids LOVE to help! (Don’t miss our piping trick in the FAQ below that works great for kids!)

❄️ TOP TIPS: Don’t skip the chill time! I know it’s annoying to wait, but chilling the dough helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven!

Happy baking! xo, Emily

Gather Your Ingredients

Ready to make a batch? Here’s what you’ll need to get started…

Ingredients for gluten-free gingerbread cookies
  • BUTTER OR VEGAN BUTTER. Butter or vegan butter helps give this gluten-free gingerbread cookies recipe its tenderness and structure. I don’t recommend swapping in oils or shortening.
  • BROWN SUGAR & MOLASSES. For sweetness and that distinctive gingerbread flavor. I usually use light brown sugar, but feel free to use dark brown sugar for a stronger molasses flavor! Also: stick with unsulphured molasses NOT blackstrap molasses!
  • EGGS. To bind the gingerbread dough together and keep it moist and soft, you’ll add an egg to the mix.
  • SPICES + VANILLA. Then, you’ll add classic gingerbread spices, like ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves, along with a little vanilla extract, which I find softens the strong tastes a bit. I like my gluten-free gingerbread cookies spiced, but not too spicy, so if you like yours even more punchy, feel free to increase the spices to your taste.
  • BAKING SODA + SALT. Standard cookie ingredients! These will balance the flavors, help your cookies puff, and keep them nice and soft while they’re at it!
  • A MEASURE-FOR-MEASURE GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR BLEND. To keep things simple and consistent, I prefer using a measure-for-measure or 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. These blends tend to bake more consistently and can handle being rolled out multiple times to make cutouts. My favorite King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Baking Flour.
  • A SIMPLE ICING FOR DECORATING. The most iconic icing for gingerbread cookies is royal icing, which provides beautiful results, but can be a bit finicky and time-consuming. You can absolutely go that route if you like (I’d recommend Mary Berry’s recipe!), but I usually use a simple powdered sugar icing that comes together in minutes.
  • COOKIE CUTTERS! If you want just gingerbread men, this gingerbread cookie cutters set has 3 sizes to choose from. Otherwise, I love this Christmas cookie cutters set, which also comes with a tree and a snowflake.

How To Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

Making gluten-free gingerbread cookie dough, step by step

First Make The Cookies

  1. Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine and set aside.
  2. Cream Butter & Sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Cream 2-3 minutes on medium speed with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
  3. Finish Wet Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add molasses, egg, and vanilla to the butter & sugar mixture. Mix on medium speed until evenly combined. (The mixture may start to look slightly separated–don’t panic!)
  4. Gradually Add Dry Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and carefully mix to combine. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir/mix until a soft dough forms (it should be a bit like play-dough).
Rolling, shaping & baking gluten-free gingerbread cookies, step by step
  1. Divide & Wrap Dough. Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half. Shape each half of the cookie dough into a disc shape and wrap each disc tightly with plastic wrap.
  2. Chill The Dough 2 Hours. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours. (Don’t skip this step! It will help your cookies hold their shape.)
  3. Preheat & Prep. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper so you can alternate baking sheets with each batch of dough.
  4. Roll Out Dough. Place a piece of parchment paper down on the counter and very lightly flour. (You only need 1 Tbsp. flour or less!) Unwrap 1 of the dough discs and lightly flour the top. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll dough out to about 1/4″ thick. Carefully, remove the top piece of parchment paper.
  5. Punch Out Shapes. Dip your cookie cutter into flour and use cookie cutters to punch out your shapes. (Try to put the cutouts close together to avoid waste and to cut down on the number of times you’ll need to re-roll the dough.) Transfer any cutouts to a prepared baking sheet. When you can’t get any more shapes out of the dough, scrape together all the scraps and re-roll them out using the same steps above. Repeat with the second disc of dough.
  6. Bake Cookies 8-10 minutes in preheated oven. Let cookies cool 5-7 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. For best results, cool cookies COMPLETELY before frosting or icing.
gingerbread cookie icing in a glass bowl, and decorated gluten-free gingerbread cookies on a green tray

Next, Make The Icing & Decorate The Cookies

  1. Combine. To make the icing, add powdered sugar to a bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Add 3 Tbsp. milk and the vanilla. Whisk until smooth, adding an additional 1 Tbsp. of milk as needed.
  2. Check the Icing’s Consistency. When you lift up your whisk and drizzle the icing back into the bowl/cup, you should be able to see the trail of icing clearly for a few seconds. If it immediately disappears into the icing, your icing is too thin. Add powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. at a time until it can hold its shape better. If the icing doesn’t drizzle smoothly, it’s too thick. Add milk a *tiny* bit at a time (1/2-1 tsp.), whisking well after each addition. You can also test the icing by adding a drop of icing to the tip of your finger. If it holds its shape when you move your hand around, it’s probably just right!
  3. Decorate. Transfer the icing to a piping bag or squeeze bottle and decorate your cooled cookies as desired. Let the decorated cookies set completely on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container. Store leftover cookies at room temperature 2-3 days or freeze up to 2 months. 
Decorated gluten-free gingerbread cookies on a green sheet pan

Tips To Get The Icing Just Right

When decorating these gluten-free gingerbread cookies, you’ll want icing that’s bright white and holds its shape. You won’t’ want it too runny or too stiff.

When you lift up your whisk and drizzle the icing back into the mixing bowl, you should be able to see the trail of icing clearly for a few seconds. If you can pipe a tiny bit on your finger without it losing its shape, it’s perfect!

  • IF IT’S TOO RUNNY. If your gingerbread cookie icing is on the runny side, just add a bit more powdered sugar and mix until it stiffens up.
  • IF IT’S TOO STIFF. Add a *tiny* bit (like 1/2-1 tsp.) of milk at a time until it loosens up. Make sure to whisk/mix well in between additions to make sure you don’t’ add too much!
Gluten-free gingerbread cookies on a green sheet pan, decorated in different ways

Cute Ways To Decorate Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men Cookies

Part of what’s so fun about this gingerbread recipe is all the fun ways there are to decorate! Try one of these cute ideas on your next batch of gingerbread people:

  • CLASSIC WITH BUTTONS. Classic gingerbread cookies often have a smiley face a few buttons down their chest. Feel free to add cinnamon candies for buttons!
  • ADD SPRINKLES. Some small sprinkles on freshly iced cookies adds a fun layer of color. If you plan to do some of the decoration with sprinkles and some without, do the sprinkle decorations first so the sprinkles stick to the fresh icing. After applying your sprinkles, add your remaining sprinkle-free decorations!
  • LEDERHOSEN. I love the look of a simple lederhosen design. It’s so cute! Make some simple “overalls” with a few connecting lines.
  • ADD A SIMPLE BORDER. Tracing around the border of the gingerbread cookie adds a lot of dimension and looks so crisp!
  • TRY A SCARF. Warm up your gingerbread men by adding a little scarf. My kids love this detail!
  • ADD A BOWTIE. A cute little bowtie looks adorable. Cover it in sprinkles for a fun effect!
  • NINJABREAD MEN. If you’ve got a family full of karate-chopping ninjas at your house, or just want to add a bit of fun to your cookie plate, these “ninjabread” cookie cutters can be so much fun!
  • SNOWFLAKES + TREES + ORNAMENTS + MORE! I’m just going to float out the idea that you can absolutely use this perfect gluten-free gingerbread cookie dough to make gingerbread snowflake cookies, Christmas trees, ornaments, stars, candy canes, teddy bears, and more. The white icing looks so lovely on all different shapes, and it can be really fun to play around with. Don’t limit yourself to just gingerbread men!
A plate of gluten-free gingerbread cookies decorated with white icing

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

An Easy Way To Pipe Icing Onto Gingerbread Cookies. A piping bag can be easy-breezy for adults, but if you’ve got little ones helping you, a squeeze bottle like these accordion-style piping bottles or these silicone piping bottles can be much easier for little hands (or beginner bakers!). You do need some hand strength, so your tiniest bakers will still need some help, but most elementary-aged kids should be able to manage okay! I’ll also just say: ain’t no shame in that store-bought game. These pre-filled icing bottles are a great way to go if you need a shortcut!

CAN I USE THIS DOUGH FOR A GLUTEN-FREE GINGERBREAD HOUSE? No. This dough will not be sturdy enough for a gluten-free gingerbread house. It’s made specifically for soft, chewy gluten-free gingerbread cookies.

CAN I MAKE THE DOUGH IN ADVANCE? You bet! If you want to make the dough up to a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator, that’s totally fine! It will likely need a few minutes at room temperature to soften a bit before you roll it out since it’ll be chilled so much longer, but the flavor and bake shouldn’t be impacted.

HOW TO FREEZE BAKED GINGERBREAD COOKIES: flash freeze them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a nonstick baking mat until they’re no longer tacky. Then, transfer to an airtight bag or container, using parchment paper to divide each layer of cookies (this will prevent them from sticking together).  This will work with decorated or undecorated baked gingerbread cookies. (So helpful if you want to bake them in advance to decorate or enjoy later!)

More Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies To Try

Overhead view of Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from One Lovely Life

Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Sweets & Thank You Gluten-Free Snowball Cookies stacked on a piece of parchment paper

Gluten-Free Snowball Cookies

Sweets & Thank You Peanut Butter Blossoms on a wire rack

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

Overhead view of gluten-free mint brownie squares on a white background with fresh mint leaves scattered around

Gluten-Free Mint Brownies

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our easy Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

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Gluten-free gingerbread cookies in different shapes on a white serving plate.

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

4.84 from 12 votes
Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
These soft gluten-free gingerbread cookies are the perfect holiday treat. Use this gingerbread dough to make gluten-free gingerbread men, snowflakes, ornaments, trees, and more! 
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Print Pin Rate
Servings: 24 cookies (depending on the cutters you use)
Calories: 186kcal

Equipment

  • Cookie Cutters

Ingredients

FOR THE GLUTEN-FREE GINGERBREAD COOKIES:

  • 3/4 cup butter or vegan butter, softened (170 grams/1.5 sticks)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (100 grams)
  • 1/2 cup molasses (120 grams)
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, like King Arthur Flour* (420 grams)
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • A few tablespoons additional flour for flouring the work surface + cookie cutters.

FOR THE COOKIE ICING:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar (240 grams)
  • 3-4 Tablespoons milk I use almond milk. You can use whatever you drink
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

FOR THE GLUTEN-FREE GINGERBREAD COOKIES:

  • Combine Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine and set aside.
  • Cream Butter & Sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Cream 2-3 minutes on medium speed with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
  • Finish Wet Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add molasses, egg, and vanilla to the butter & sugar mixture. Mix on medium speed until evenly combined. (The mixture may start to look slightly separated–don't panic!)
  • Gradually Add Dry Ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add about half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and carefully mix to combine. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir/mix until a soft dough forms (it should be a bit like play-dough).
  • Divide & Wrap Dough. Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half. Shape each half of the cookie dough into a disc shape and wrap each disc tightly with plastic wrap.
  • Chill The Dough 2 Hours. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours. (Don't skip this step! It will help your cookies hold their shape.)
  • Preheat & Prep. When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper so you can alternate baking sheets with each batch of dough.
  • Roll Out Dough. Place a piece of parchment paper down on the counter and very lightly flour. (You only need 1 Tbsp. flour or less!) Unwrap 1 of the dough discs and lightly flour the top. Cover with a second piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll dough out to about 1/4" thick. Carefully, remove the top piece of parchment paper.
  • Punch Out Shapes. Dip your cookie cutter into flour and use cookie cutters to punch out your shapes. (Try to put the cutouts close together to avoid waste and to cut down on the number of times you'll need to re-roll the dough.) Transfer any cutouts to a prepared baking sheet. When you can't get any more shapes out of the dough, scrape together all the scraps and re-roll them out using the same steps above. Repeat with the second disc of dough.
  • Bake Cookies 8-10 minutes in preheated oven. Let cookies cool 5-7 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. For best results, cool cookies COMPLETELY before frosting or icing.

FOR THE ICING:

  • Combine. To make the icing, add powdered sugar to a bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Add 3 Tbsp. milk and the vanilla. Whisk until smooth, adding an additional 1 Tbsp. of milk as needed.
  • Check the Icing's Consistency. When you lift up your whisk and drizzle the icing back into the bowl/cup, you should be able to see the trail of icing clearly for a few seconds. If it immediately disappears into the icing, your icing is too thin. Add powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. at a time until it can hold its shape better. If the icing doesn't drizzle smoothly, it's too thick. Add milk a *tiny* bit at a time (1/2-1 tsp.), whisking well after each addition. You can also test the icing by adding a drop of icing to the tip of your finger. If it holds its shape when you move your hand around, it's probably just right!
  • Decorate. Transfer the icing to a piping bag or squeeze bottle and decorate your cooled cookies as desired. Let the decorated cookies set completely on a wire rack before transferring to an airtight container. Store leftover cookies at room temperature 2-3 days or freeze up to 2 months. 

Notes

  • GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR. I highly recommend King Arthur Measure-for-Measure flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Both mixes have xanthan gum and were tested in this recipe. If you use another flour blend, you may get slightly different results.
  • MEASURE PROPERLY! Metric measurements will give you the most consistent results, but if you don’t have a kitchen scale, make sure to spoon flour into the measuring cup rather than scooping WITH the measuring cup to avoid packing too much flour into the cookie dough. 
  • FREEZING. If you want to bake these ahead of time to decorate later, simply freeze in a single layer (or with parchment paper separating each layer) for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then decorate as desired. 

Video

Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free gingerbread, gluten free gingerbread cookies, gluten-free gingerbread cookie dough, gluten-free gingerbread men

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.2g | Protein: 1.4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 159.1mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 16.7g

Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.

Find it Online:

https://www.onelovelylife.com/gluten-free-gingerbread-cookies/

This recipe was originally shared November 2020. Fully updated with improved recipe notes, new photos & video and republished December 2025.

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Recipe Rating




34 Comments

    1. Hi, Nicky! I almost always go by volume for this one. You’ll be safe either way. I got my weight measurement from the back of my molasses label (Grandma’s molasses), which says 1 Tablespoon = 15 grams. So 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) would be 120 grams.

      If you’ve measured by volume and gotten 170 grams, I think you’re still safe here.

      Reply

  3. I’ll be making these tomorrow but I’ll also be pressed for time. can I chill them in the freezer for 30 minutes instead? Thanks! I can’t wait to try them.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    These were so good. It also made a great gingerbread house. I had cutouts for walls and a roof and it worked great once we dried them out.

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    I love these cookies! Found the recipe last year, made them multiple times and using it again this year (multiple times)! They’re so good! Perfect flavor, texture and baker friendly

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Well I have been gluten free for almost 12years and I do not bake much, as I find that even when you buy baking from the grocery stores it is just meh. But I was feeling like I would try some this year and happened to come across your recipe on Pinterest. It did not disappoint. Of course the end product was not the same as baking with regular flour, but I have to say for my first time, I am impressed. Thanks so much

    Reply

    1. It’s a little tricky to split with the egg, but you can weigh it, beat it, and then add half of the egg to the batter (this will work better texturally than just using the egg yolk).

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    These turned out great. I just added more ginger the second time I made them. It’s so nice to be able to make a good gluten free cookie! and just in time for Christmas!

    Reply

  9. hoping to use this recipe for a tart crust. think it will hold up? maybe pie weights for a blind bake first? so glad to have found this recipe!

    Reply

    1. That sounds delicious! I’ve never used it for anything other than cookies before. I’d think it might puff up too much for a tart crust, but you can *try* blind baking!

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    We just made these and they turned out beautifully!! I am so pleased with the taste AND texture (and let’s be real, that’s hard to accomplish with gluten free baking)! Thank you so much. This will definitely be a staple in our holiday baking now!

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Made these cookies tonight and they are amazing! I used vegan butter and they turned out great! I also used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and it didn’t change the taste at all. I’m so happy I came across this recipe. I wanted to freeze them for Christmas so I hope they will stay good. 😬

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    These came out absolutely fantastic. They were perfect. I did use the Vegetable butter since I was making them for a GF, vegetarian friend. did exactly what you suggested for spices. I decorated hers with the icing, I had mine plain and they were scrumptious.

    Reply

    1. Oh, I’m so glad you loved them. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate it so much! You’re the best Melanie!

      Reply

  14. 3 stars
    Nice tasting but the mix was quite dry and I ended up adding extra butter and milk to create a dough, and even then it was a bit crumbly. But overall it worked well as a dough that held its shape with different cookie cutters

    Reply

    1. Jess – I’m not sure if you measured by volume or by weight, but one thing that can contribute to dryness especially with GF cookies is packed flour. If you’re measuring by weight, I find this is less of an issue. If you’re measuring by volume, I recommend the scoop and level method, where you use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level with a knife to avoid accidentally adding more flour by packing the flour down into the measuring cup. Either way, I’m glad you were able to find a way to make them work for you! 😊

      Reply

    1. I probably wouldn’t, since the bake will be a bit different and the flavor would likely be impacted, but I haven’t tested it. I’m sorry! (If you need a non-butter or non-vegan-butter option, non-hydrogenated shortening (like Spectrum) brand, would likely work!

      Reply

  17. 5 stars
    These turned out great! We did have to experiment with the baking time. Step 13 states 8 min, but our took at least 15 minutes.

    Reply

    1. Kerrie – I’m glad they turned out well for you! I’m curious with the bake–did you bake till crisp or did yours still come out soft? It could be a difference in oven temperature (many ovens actually don’t cook at the temperature they’re set to, so an oven thermometer is the only way to know if you’re really at the temp. you’re trying for), or a preference in cook time. It could also be a difference in thickness. Regardless, I’m so glad you were able to get them exactly the way you wanted! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂

      Reply

  18. 5 stars
    These turned out great! We bake gingerbread men every year but always have struggled with the dough. Not with this recipe! Not sure what the magic was, but thank you! Do you have a gf sugar cookie recipe? Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Joy, you totally made my day! I’m still perfecting my sugar cookie recipe, but it’s my next cookie to master! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. It’s SO helpful!

      Reply