Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies
These almond flour gingerbread cookies are a healthier tank on a classic! They’re soft and chewy with crisp edges, spices like ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and are so easy to make.
It’s officially gingerbread season and these almond flour gingerbread cookies have been on repeat in my kitchen! They’re the perfect balance of soft and chewy with a slight crisp, have the perfect blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and a rich molasses flavor.
They only require about 15 minutes of chill time, and I promise that wait is worth it! They’re even paleo friendly- just swap the butter for coconut oil and use coconut sugar in place of brown sugar. If you love this recipe, try my almond flour brownies or almond flour snickerdoodles next.
Tips before we get baking!
- Be sure you are using blanched almond flour, and not almond meal. Almond meal is made from whole ground almonds, whereas almond flour is made from almonds with the skin removed which creates a softer, finer texture.
- An egg and a touch of tapioca starch will bind the cookies together so they don’t fall apart. You also want to ensure you let the cookies cool completely before handling or eating so the texture has time to set.
How to make almond flour gingerbread cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar. Beat to combine for about 30 seconds. Add in the remaining wet ingredients and mix to combine.
Add in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour to measure. Mix until everything is well combined. Set the dough in the fridge to set for 15 minutes. This will also make it easier to scoop. In a small bowl, mix together the white sugar and sanding sugar.
Use a medium cookie scoop and scoop the dough in balls, roll in the sugar and set on the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between each for spreading. I usually do no more than 6 per sheet.
Bake, one cookie sheet at a time, for 12-16 minutes. The center should look set, but they will continue to firm as they cool so leave them a bit soft if you want them chewy.
Use a round cookie cutter to swivel around the edges to create perfect circles as soon as they come out of the oven. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy and try my gingerbread latte or gluten free thumbprint cookies next!
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Key ingredients & swaps
Sugar. I opted for brown sugar, but any kind of granulated sugar such as white or coconut will work. I do not recommend any liquid sweeteners here.
Flour. This recipe obviously has a base of almond flour, but we’re also adding a little bit of tapioca starch to help bind all the ingredients together and absorb some of the wet ingredients so the cookies don’t spread too much too soon.
Butter. We only need two tablespoons of butter for these cookies since the almond flour adds a lot of fat and we don’t need to over do it. You can swap for a dairy free butter or refined coconut oil if you prefer.
How to store and freeze
Once prepared, these gingerbread cookies will keep at room temperature for about 3 days. Let them cool completely and then store in a container. They do get soft while in the container because of the high fat content of the almond flour, so you can pop them in the oven for a few minutes, then let them cool if you want to try to get some crisp back.
You can also freeze them before or after they bake! To freeze after, let cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat at 300 until warm through the center. To freeze before, chill the dough as usual, then scoop and add to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake at 325 for a few extra minutes to account for the frozen dough.
Can I make cutout cookies?
Unfortunately, these almond flour gingerbread cookies cannot be made into cutout cookies- they will spread way too much and lose their shape. Instead, try my vegan gluten free gingerbread cookies which use cookie cutters!
This recipe is designed to be a drop and bake type of cookie which is why we use baking soda so the cookies can spread properly.
Holiday cookie recipes you’ll love!
If you try this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out! Be sure to follow me on instagram and subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes.
Almond Flour Gingerbread Cookies
by: claire cary
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry
- 2 cups fine blanched almond flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
For rolling
- 2 tablespoons sanding sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar. Beat to combine for about 30 seconds. Add in the remaining wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Add in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flour to measure. Mix until everything is well combined. Set the dough in the fridge to set for 15 minutes. This will also make it easier to scoop.
- In a small bowl, mix together the white sugar and sanding sugar.
- Use a medium cookie scoop and scoop the dough in balls, roll in the sugar and set on the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between each for spreading. I usually do no more than 6 per sheet.
- Bake, one cookie sheet at a time, for 12-16 minutes. The center should look set, but they will continue to firm as they cool so leave them a bit soft if you want them chewy.
- Use a round cookie cutter to swivel around the edges to create perfect circles as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Notes
Comments
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I made these last night and loved them. Didn’t bother with the rolling sugar. They’re very similar to the almond flour chocolate chip cookies, which are my perennial favorite cookies to make. Thanks to the molasses and the pumpkin pie spices they have that perfect distinct gingerbread taste. I don’t usually have tapioca starch in the house so I just use cornstarch or rice flour or masa harina or even the bob’s red mill gf flour blend and it’s always turned out fine. This time I used rice flour. I do feel that the tablespoon or so of a finer, drier flour helps balance out the almond flour dough, but don’t feel like you need to go get tapioca starch specifically. Thanks Claire for these easy delicious recipes!
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Thank you, Iris! So glad you loved these!
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