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Recipes

These Healthy Vegan Gingerbread Men Taste Like the Real Deal

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Chapel Hill chapter.

This time of year, most cookie recipes use ingredients like sugar, butter, and white flour lavishly. And while there’s nothing wrong with indulging during (and after) the holidays, it’s nice to have a treat that doesn’t make you feel stuffed or queasy. Enter this vegan gingerbread cookie recipe.

These cookies pack a nutritional punch with whole grain from spelt flour, minerals like magnesium and iron from the molasses, and antioxidants from spices like ginger and cloves. Additionally, this recipe uses a flax egg, providing fiber and some protein. It’s easy to make: just take a tablespoon of ground flax, mix it with three tablespoons of warm water, and refrigerate the mixture for a few minutes. Then, add it to the recipe like a regular egg.

After baking, these cookies have a cakey texture and soft consistency, reminiscent of a warm loaf of fragrant bread. They are just the thing to have around the house to snack on with a cup of tea or hot chocolate during the winter.

Vegan Gingerbread Men

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time:1 hour Cook time: 8 minutesTotal time:1 hour 8 minutesServings:24 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. gingerbread ingredients

    Set out all of the ingredients.

  2. dry ingredients

    Mix the spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl.

  3. Jinna Hatfield

    Mix the maple syrup, molasses, flax egg, vanilla extract, canola oil, and applesauce in a large bowl.

  4. Jinna Hatfield

    Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.

  5. cut half crop

    Cut the dough into two halves with a knife, then wrap it in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

  6. Jinna Hatfield

    Take dough out of the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  7. Jinna Hatfield

    Mold the dough into a disk, then roll out on a floured surface with a rolling pin until about 1/4 in. thick.

    #SpoonTip: If you prefer a crisper cookie, roll out the dough thinner.

  8. Jinna Hatfield

    Using cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and place them onto a greased baking sheet.

    #SpoonTip: Though the gingerbread man is traditional, feel free to cut the dough into whatever shapes you prefer!

  9. Jinna Hatfield

    Bake cookies in the oven for 8 minutes.

  10. Jinna Hatfield

    Transfer cookies off the cookie sheet onto a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

  11. Jinna Hatfield

    Enjoy warm! Decorate with vegan frosting, if desired.

For more vegan Christmas cookies, check out these gluten-free sugar cookies or these no-bake avalanche cookies. For more gingerbread-inspired treats, try this vegan gingerbread granola or whip up an easy gingerbread latte to accompany these cookies this winter.

Jinna Hatfield

Chapel Hill '20

Hi there! My name is Jinna and I am a writer for Spoon University at UNC Chapel Hill. I love writing about healthy eating and sharing simple, delicious recipes. My favorite foods include (because I couldn't narrow it down to one): pimento cheese, beets, roasted sweet potatoes, and bread of any kind. When I'm not doing schoolwork or writing, I enjoy traveling, hiking outdoors, tap dancing, and doing yoga.