Easy Vegan Gingerbread People

Makes around 16 cookies

These vegan gingerbread people are a PPK classic — the recipe has been on the site since the early days and it still gets made every single holiday season by a lot of very devoted bakers. Whether you’re going all out with your decorating or you’re a card-carrying member of the gingerbread minimalist movement, this is the recipe. It will have you singing Christmas carols to your cat. Or at least that one Pogues song.

But here’s the thing: gingerbread people are not just for Christmas. They’re for whenever you feel like making gingerbread people. Valentine’s Day hearts, Easter bunnies, Halloween skeletons, and yes, if you want gingerbread in July, just put them in bikinis and break out the sun cutters. The dough doesn’t care what month it is and neither should you.

The dough is straightforward: mix, chill, roll, cut, bake. It holds its shape well which makes it great for detailed cutters. And yes, you can make a gingerbread house with this recipe. It’s sturdy enough to hold up and it tastes significantly better than the pre-fab kits from the grocery store.

Now about the icing. You can use regular food coloring but it’s also really fun to color your icing with natural ingredients — the colors are beautiful, a little more muted and earthy, and you get to feel smug about it. Here’s a guide:

Pink: beet powder, freeze dried strawberries grated with a microplane 

Hot pink/fuchsia: dragonfruit powder

Orange: freeze dried mango (it’s more peach, not very saturated)

Green: matcha powder

Purple: freeze dried blackberries or blueberries grated with a microplane

Blue: spirulina, butterfly pea flower powder (turns purple with acidic ingredients)

Easy Vegan Gingerbread Cut-out Cookies FAQ

Can I make a gingerbread house with this recipe? Yup — the dough is sturdy enough to hold up. Just make sure you roll it a little thicker than you would for cookies, about ¼ inch, and let the pieces cool completely before assembling. Royal icing is your friend for glue.

Do I have to chill the dough? Yes. Don’t skip this step. Chilling firms up the dough so it rolls cleanly and holds its shape in the oven. At least an hour in the fridge, overnight is even better.

Can I make the dough ahead? For sure. It keeps in the fridge wrapped tightly for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to a month — just thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling.

Can I use a different oil? For sure. Olive oil and safflower oil both work well here. Olive oil will add a very subtle flavor but nothing that competes with all that ginger and molasses. Canola is neutral and reliable but you have options.

How do I get clean edges on my cutters? Make sure your dough is well chilled and your cutter is sharp. Dip the cutter in flour before each cut and press straight down without twisting. Transfer to the baking sheet carefully with a thin, flexible spatula.

Can I make these gluten free? People have had good luck with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend. The texture will be slightly different and the dough may need a little more chilling time but it works.

How do I store decorated gingerbread? In an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you’re stacking them, put parchment between the layers so the icing doesn’t stick.

Can I make these any time of year? Hells yeah. Gingerbread people are for whenever you want gingerbread people. Valentine’s Day, Halloween, July — just change your cutters and carry on.

How did I end up here? You were probably searching for vegan gingerbread cookies, vegan gingerbread people, or vegan Christmas cookies. You’re in the right place.

Easy Vegan Gingerbread People

Isa Chandra

The classic vegan gingerbread cookie — perfectly spiced, sturdy enough to hold its shape, and endlessly decoratable. Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's Day, July in bikinis — whenever the mood strikes. Includes a natural food coloring guide for the most beautiful icing.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Chill Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Baked Goods, Cookie, Dessert

Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

  

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For the cookies:

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light molasses
• 1/4 cup plain unsweetened vegan milk
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

For the icings:

• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar sifted if clumpy
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl whisk together oil and sugar for about 3 minutes. Add molasses and milk. The molasses and milk won’t really blend with the oil but that’s ok.
• Sift in half the flour, all the baking powder, soda and salt and all the spices and mix until relatively smooth. Add the remaining flour. Mix until a stiff dough is formed.
• Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or up to 3 days in advance. If you chill longer than an hour you may want to let it sit for 10 minutes to warm up a bit before proceeding.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two parchment lined baking sheets with cooking oil.
• On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Cut shapes with cookie cutters and use a thin spatula to gently place on cookie sheets. If you are using them to decorate a tree or something, remember to punch a hole in their heads (!) before baking. Bake for 8 minutes if they’re small and up to 12 minutes if they’re large, but be careful not to overbake. They should be lightly brown on the bottom but still soft.
• Remove from oven and let them cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet then move to a cooling rack. Wait until they are completely cool before icing.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze:
• Mix everything together until there are no lumps. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so to set up a bit. If it is too stiff to pipe, add water a teaspoon at a time.
• Decorate with a piping bag fit with a small, round tip. Be adorable. Look at Pinterest first for ideas 🙂 Let set for at least 30 minutes.

Keyword vegan gingerbread cookies, easy vegan gingerbread people, vegan Christmas cookies, vegan gingerbread recipe, cut out vegan cookies, vegan gingerbread house

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