These vegan gingerbread men are everything I love about Christmas baking! Perfectly spiced, with crispy edges and soft, chewy middles, they’re also the ideal base for decorating with a simple icing that dries hard. Plus, they’re dairy free, egg free, and even have a gluten free option, so everyone can join in the fun!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ fantastic recipe! tasty and perfect for the whole family. including my grandkids who have anaphylaxis to eggs and dairy. – anjee
Gingerbread cookies are one of those festive traditions that I get excited about every year. A few years ago, I made it a mission to finally get a gingerbread man cookie cutter that was about the size of my hand as I do think the best gingerbread cookies are larger in size so they remain soft when you bite into them. It’s been a fantastic investment in Christmas joy!
This dough is so easy to work though, you can cut it into any shape you like. I made a few snowflakes too, and they turned out beautifully. The gingerbread cookies hold their shape perfectly meaning you can even use this recipe to make a gingerbread house!
Whether you’re making these cookies or this vegan gingerbread cake, there’s just something so magical about the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven. It’s that iconic combination of golden syrup, dark brown sugar and all those warm spices that make my whole house smells like Christmas within minutes.
These vegan gingerbread cookies also last well in a cool, dry spot for up to two weeks, making them a great make-ahead option during the holidays. So whether you’re baking dairy free gingerbread men to decorate with the kids or to share with friends, this recipe is a guaranteed festive favourite.
You’ll Also Love: 16 Dairy Free Christmas Cookies To Make This Holiday Season
Key Ingredients
You only need a handful of pantry staples to make these vegan gingerbread cookies, and you may just already have them on hand.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Plain flour/all purpose flour – to make these gingerbread cookies gluten free, just swap to a gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum such as Bob’s Red Mill.
- Baking powder – just little bit helps the cookies puff up slightly so they remain soft.
- Spices – to give these cookies a delicious spiced gingerbread flavour we are using a combination of ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Dairy free butter – Use a quality brand for the best flavour and texture. I always use Nuttelex Buttery (Australian brand), but Earth Balance in the US is a great alternative.
- Golden syrup – while golden syrup is a common ingredient in Australia and the UK, if you’re in the US you can easily substitute it in this recipe with molasses for a similar flavour.
- Dark brown sugar – I think using dark brown sugar is a key component of making gingerbread for that rich molasses taste, but if you only have light brown sugar it will still work, the flavour will just be slightly milder.
How to make vegan gingerbread men
Making these vegan gingerbread men is simple, coming together in just a few easy steps.
Step 1: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and spices. Give it a quick stir to combine and set aside.
Step 2: Using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, beat together the dairy free butter, dark brown sugar and golden syrup until light and fluffy. This step gives the cookies their lovely soft centre.
Step 3: Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low until a crumbly dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a piece of lightly floured baking paper, and with floured hands, press it into a ball.
Step 4: Flatten the dough into a round disk and roll it out to about 5 mm (just under ¼ inch) thick. Lightly flour your rolling pin if it starts to stick. Place another sheet of baking paper on top, then transfer the rolled dough to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour (or overnight).
✨ Tip: Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape when baking. Don’t skip this step!
Step 5: Once chilled, use your cookie cutters to cut out your gingerbread men (or any shapes you like). Carefully place each cookie on a large baking tray lined with baking paper.
Step 6: Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 8–11 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden. The centres should still look a little soft. Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5–10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
💡 Soft vs crispy: For soft, chewy cookies bake closer to 8 minutes. For crispier gingerbread, go up to 10–11 minutes.
Step 7: Combine any scraps of dough, roll out again and continue cutting until all the dough is used.
Decorating Dairy Free Gingerbread Men
While these cookies taste amazing on their own, the real fun is in the decorating!
Just like with my vegan cinnamon sugar cookies, I use a simple egg free icing made from icing sugar, vanilla, and water. Add the water slowly as you only need a tiny amount to create a thick, pipeable consistency. If you add too much, you can always thicken it with more icing sugar.
Transfer the icing into a small piping bag fitted with a round tip (or just snip a corner off a zip-lock bag). Then pipe your designs. Add faces, buttons, outlines, or anything festive you like. I also created some simple snowflakes as well.
If you want to get creative, you can also make a double batch of icing and tint portions with gel based food colouring.
🎄 Tip: Always let your cookies cool completely before icing otherwise your decorations will melt! Allow the icing to dry completely overnight if you plan to stack or package your cookies as gifts.
Sally’s Tips for Perfect Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
- Don’t skip the chill time. This is key for cookies that hold their shape.
- Adjust the spice level. For a more intense ginger flavour, increase ground ginger up to 1 tablespoon.
- Check oven temperature. Every oven is different so I always recommend baking a single test cookie first if you’re unsure.
- For gluten free dough: Roll slightly thicker (about 6 mm) to help them hold shape better.
How to store gingerbread cookies
These dairy free gingerbread cookies keep beautifully for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container stored in a cool, dry spot.
You can also:
- Chill the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking.
- Freeze unbaked dough for up to 3 months. Just wrap tightly and thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
- Freeze baked cookies (undecorated) for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature before icing.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Use a 1:1 gluten free flour blend that includes xanthan gum (such as Bob’s Red Mill). They’ll still be soft, chewy, and hold their shape perfectly.
Yes! You can freeze either the unbaked dough or baked (undecorated) cookies for up to 3 months.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More Vegan Christmas Baking Ideas:
Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake
Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
Vegan Chocolate Truffles
Vegan Choc Ripple Cake
Vegan Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups plain flour/all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cup (185 grams) dairy free butter
- ¼ cup golden syrup
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
Easy Icing
- ½ cup icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ – 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the dairy free butter, dark brown sugar and golden syrup together until smooth and creamy.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft, crumbly dough begins to form.
- Lightly dust a sheet of baking paper with flour and turn the dough out onto it. With floured hands, press it together into a ball, then flatten into a round disc.
- Roll the dough out to about 5mm thick, flouring the rolling pin if it sticks. Place another piece of baking paper on top, then transfer the dough to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape.)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and use your favourite cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the shapes onto the prepared tray, leaving a little space between each. Gather up any leftover dough, roll it out again, and continue cutting until all dough is used (you may need to do this in batches).
- Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden. The centres should still look soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the easy icing. In a small bowl, combine the icing sugar and vanilla. Add water a few drops at a time until you have a thick, pipeable consistency. It should be firm enough to hold its shape when piped.
- Decorate the cookies. Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe your designs onto the cooled cookies. Leave the icing to set at room temperature overnight to harden completely before stacking or storing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This recipe was originally published in December 2020 but has been updated in 2025 with new photos and more helpful information. The recipe remains the same!
Cassie says
These were a hit in my house. Fun and easy to make with my 4 year old son who is our allergy boy so vegan is a must for us. The hardest part for him was waiting for the dough to chill! Very yummy and we had lots of compliments when we shared them around. Thank you Sally.
Sally says
Love to hear you had fun making these Cassie!
Anjee says
Fantastic recipe.
Tasty and perfect for the whole family. Including my grandkids who have anephelaxis to eggs and dairy.
Sally says
So glad you and the family enjoyed this recipe!
Mami21 says
Good recipe, I found it just a tad bland for my taste. Next time I will up the ginger to 3 tsp and the cinnamon to 2. Otherwise, it worked great and I’ll continue to use it in future. Cheers!
Sally says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂