Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Soft in the middle, crisp on the edges, and full of rich molasses and warm spices, this vegan gingerbread cookies recipe is the ultimate holiday treat.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Chill Time3

Total Time4

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: cookies

Calories: 72kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

½ cup (113 g) vegan butter softened to room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
3 Tablespoons (45 ml) unsulphured blackstrap molasses
¼ cup (60 ml) unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 ⅓ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
decorating icing optional, store-bought or homemade

Instructions

Place the vegan butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and cream them with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the molasses, applesauce, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix into a thick dough.
Form the dough into a large ball and cut it in half.
Lay a long piece of plastic wrap on the counter, place one dough half in the center, and flatten it into a disc about 1 inch thick.
Wrap the disc well in the plastic wrap and repeat with the other dough half.
Refrigerate the dough discs for at least 3 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Keep the dough in the fridge while the oven heats.
Unwrap one disc on the counter, leaving the dough sitting on the plastic wrap.
Roll the dough on the plastic wrap to about ½ inch thick. If the edges crack, press them back together with your hands.
Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and peel away the excess dough around them, setting the scraps aside.
Use the plastic wrap to gently lift each cookie onto a prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between them.
Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 9 minutes, until the edges are just set and the middles still look soft.
Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Repeat with the second dough disc and the re-rolled scraps.
Decorate the cooled cookies with icing, if you like.

Notes

Spoon the flour into your measuring cups and level it off so the cookies don’t turn out dense or dry.
Don’t skip the chill. Chilled dough is easier to roll and helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven.
Rolling and cutting on plastic wrap or parchment paper keeps the edges neat. You can also roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and bake right on the paper.
For soft middles, take the cookies out as soon as the edges set. Baking them longer gives you crunchier cookies.
Let the cookies cool completely before decorating, then give the icing time to set.
To make ahead, keep the wrapped dough discs in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough in the fridge overnight.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Freeze undecorated cookies for up to 3 months.

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