Vegan Gingerbread Men

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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Australian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 40

Servings cookies, approx depending on size

Calories 216kcal

Author Sally

Equipment

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

Mixer: If you don’t have a stand mixer you can use an electric hand held mixer to cream the dairy free butter and sugar together.

Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks. You can also keep the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking.

Gluten free option: substitute plain flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour blend.

Nutrition