Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies - or Lebkuchen, as we call them in Austria - are one of my all-time favorite holiday cookies. Unlike American-style gingerbread, these cookies bake up soft, fluffy, and almost pillow-like. They’re not meant to be crisp unless you roll the dough too thin or leave them in the oven a bit too long. And the best part? This gingerbread recipe also happens to be naturally dairy free.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookie Recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 and my own Gluten Free Flour Blend. These blends do already contain xanthan gum and are a mix of a variety of gluten-free flours. This recipe should work with every multi-purpose gluten-free flour blend on the market.

Powdered Sugar: I use powdered sugar in my gingerbread cookie dough since it does give the end result in a more delicate crumb. It is also known as confectionary sugar or icing sugar.

Honey: Honey is one of the key ingredients when making gingerbread. It gives it its sweetness and traditional flavor.

Molasses: Molasses is the liquid that is left after white sugar is processed from sugar cane juice. It is a thick, dark syrup, high in minerals and lower in sugar than other syrups. It normally can be found in the baking aisle of your grocery store. I recommend using unsulphured light molasses such as Grandma's Molasses. Please be aware when using Blackstrap Molasses your cookies will have a slightly bitter flavor.

Neutral Oil: The tenderness of these gluten-free gingerbread cookies comes from vegetable oil since it stays liquid even after cooling.

Gingerbread Spice: Unlike Pumpkin Spice or Apple Pie Spice, Gingerbread Spice is not available at grocery stores here in the US. While it can be purchased at grocery stores all over Austria, here I have to make my own spice mix consisting of ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper.

Cocoa Powder: This may seem like an unusual ingredient but adding cocoa powder will give the gingerbread a darker color. Traditional Lebkuchen is made with rye flour which is darker in color than gluten free flour.

What Spices do you need to make Gingerbread Spice?

Unlike Pumpkin Spice or Apple Pie Spice, Gingerbread Spice is not something one can buy at the average grocery store in the US. While it can be purchased at grocery stores all over Austria, here I have to make my own spice mix consisting of ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper.

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookie Dough

You will be shocked to learn how easy it is to make the gluten-free gingerbread cookie dough. You can either mix the dough by hand with a spatula or a spoon or use a stand mixer.

1. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Start at a low-speed mix until a dough forms. This may take up to a minute but the dough will slowly come together.
3. Once the gluten free lebkuchen dough has formed, turn off the mixer and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Use your hands and push the dough together in a flat, round disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place it in your refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

How to bake Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

Once the gluten-free gingerbread cookie dough has peacefully rested for at least 24hrs (up to 48 hours) it's time to bake the best gluten free gingerbread cookies ever.

1. Preheat the oven to 335F and arrange the racks in the oven in the middle. This way the cookies will bake evenly. Line two baking trays with sheets of parchment paper. The amount of sheet trays needed depends on the size of your cookie cutters. While one may be tempted to overcrowd the sheet tray, make sure to leave enough room between the cookies for an even airflow.
2. Divide the gingerbread dough into half and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the cookie dough out to about ¼” thick (6 mm). If the lebkuchen dough seems to be sticky you may use some additional gluten-free flour.
3. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into desired shapes. Make sure to cut the cookies are close as possible to get a better yield each time you roll out the dough. You can re-roll the scrapes 2 times but I wouldn't go more than that. Otherwise, the cookies will start to shrink while being baked (they will still be delicious)
4. Using a small offset knife, transfer the cut-out cookies to parchment-lined sheet trays.
5. Add an egg to a small bowl and whisk until frothy. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each cookie with some egg wash. Personally, I like to brush each cookie twice which will give them a prettier finish and shine once baked.
6. Bake the gluten free lebkuchen one tray at a time at 335F for 8-9 minutes depending on the size of the cookie cutters used. The cookies are done when they look puffy and firmly set. Do not overbake the cookies since that will dry them out.
7. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the sheet tray for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.

How to decorate Gluten Free Gingerbread

Growing up, my Mom would decorate gingerbread cookies with half a walnut or almond before baking, and to be honest, to this day it's still my favorite way to decorate gingerbread cookies. But I understand most people want to decorate gingerbread with royal icing and fun sprinkles.

Royal Icing is very simple to make at home. There are several varieties of recipes out there. Some contain raw egg whites or meringue powder. I like to use powdered sugar, corn syrup (which can be replaced with honey), warm water, and vanilla extract.

To make royal icing, place the powdered sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside. Combine the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and warm water in a small bowl and stir together until the corn syrup has dissolved. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together until fully combined. The mixture will be thick and you MAY need to add a few additional drops of warm water. Be careful since a little goes a LONG way. Once you have the consistency you like, transfer the royal icing to a small piping bag fitted with a small piping tip and use it immediately.

Use the royal icing to decorate the gluten free gingerbread to your liking.

Storage & Freezing

I like to store my gluten free gingerbread cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days with a slice of apple. Why the apple? It helps to keep the gluten free lebkuchen moist and flavorful. Traditionally, Gingerbread cookies are one of the first Christmas Cookies my Mom would make every year and would stash it away in a tin container until Christmas. I have not tested this with my gluten-free gingerbread cookies since they normally disappear within a few days at my house.

As for freezing, I recommend freezing the unbaked, cut-out cookies vs the baked cookies if possible. Arrange the unbaked gluten-free cut-out cookies on a parchment-lined sheet tray and place them in the freezer until fully frozen. Once frozen layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper between them. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Note about Salt in my Recipes

I use Diamond Kosher Crystal Salt in all of my recipes unless otherwise stated. If use use a different brand or kind of salt in your kitchen please adjust accordingly since some salts can be saltier. If you use Morton’s Kosher Salt please be aware that their salt granules are smaller in size, denser, and crunchier and twice as salty.

Baking in grams

I share my recipes in grams and by weight since baking by weight is the most accurate way to bake. Digital Scales are very affordable and easy to use. You can purchase them on Amazon for less than a set of measuring cups. For small amounts under 10 grams, I like to use this Precision Pocket Scale. Measuring cups are very inaccurate which can cause significant errors when it comes to gluten-free baking or baking in general. Especially since I bake with gluten-free flours which weigh differently than “regular” flours. I do provide some ingredients like spices and leavening agents in measuring spoons. To learn more about Baking with a digital scale, make sure to check out my post about Baking by weight.

Note about Ovens and Oven Temperatures

All my recipes are tested and developed with a conventional oven. I always bake my baked goods on the rack placed in the MIDDLE of my oven. This way the heat coming from the bottom will not burn my baked goods.

If you are baking with convection (fan-forced), please adjust the recipes accordingly. Convection oven can cause baked goods to dry out quickly and still be raw inside. Since takes at least 15-20 minutes for a standard American Oven to be fully preheated. I highly recommend investing in an Oven Thermometer.

Substitutions and Modifications

Any dietary or ingredient modifications/substitutions to this recipe may alter the end result in appearance and taste. I test my recipes several times as published in this post and The Gluten Free Austrian Blog is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you find on our website.

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