Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookie Recipe

Ali Segersten Dec 01, 2011 456 comments
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookie Recipe

Our children have so much fun cutting out and decorating these lovely gluten-free Christmas cookies! Just look at these photos, what is not to love? This time of year takes me back to baking gingerbread and sugar cookies with my mother. My brothers and I would decorate dozens of cookies with beautiful colored sprinkles and bright white icing. I wanted to share that experience with my own children, only with a healthier, gluten-free version. Thus, this recipe was born! It uses coconut sugar as the main sweetener, along with a powdered coconut sugar icing. Although coconut sugar is definitely a low-glycemic sweetener, it is still sugar, and these cookies are to be considered a sweet treat.

My recipe below calls for sweet rice flour. This type of white rice flour is made from sticky rice, or glutinous rice. It helps hold the cookies together without the use of gluten flour or gluten-free binders. I prefer to use this superfine sweet rice flour. Superfine flours are ground so finely that they lack the grittiness typically found in other types of rice flours. 

You can follow my blog post for How to Make Powdered Coconut Sugar if you would like to use a more nutritious sugar in the icing. We like to decorate these cookies with nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. You can definitely get creative here with the toppings. 

Recipe from our Meal Planner

Gingerbread Hazelnut Cut-Out Cookies

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Hazelnut Cut-Out Cookies
Servings
24 cookies
Cook Time
12 minutes
Prep Time
30 minutes

These gluten-free cut-out cookies are fun to make with your children during the holidays! I use a powdered coconut sugar icing, which has a rich caramel flavor. You can refer to my blog post on How to Make Powdered Coconut Sugar in order to make this icing. Use currants, raisins, sliced almonds, natural sprinkles, or anything else you can imagine to decorate them. I find the dough is best if it is refrigerated overnight. You can make the dough after your children are in bed and then bake the cookies with them in the morning.

Tip

I use Bob's Red Mill Hazelnut Meal Flour. It works beautifully in baking. You can check your local health food store for it or buy it on Amazon.com.  

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

2 cups hazelnut meal
1 cups sweet rice flour
½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoons ground ginger
1 pinches ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

1 cups coconut sugar
½ cups butter
¼ cups blackstrap molasses
1 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Coconut Sugar Icing

½ cups powdered coconut sugar
3 teaspoons non-dairy milk (I use almond milk)
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions

cookies:

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  2. In a separate, smaller bowl beat with an electric mixer (or vigorously whisk) together the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and mix together.
  3. Form into a ball, cover, and place into the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. 
  4. When the dough is firm and chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Place a large piece of parchment or waxed paper down onto a clean, flat work surface. Lightly flour the paper with sweet rice flour.
  6. Take part of the dough and roll it out to a little less than 1/4 inch of thickness. Put the remaining dough back in the fridge to keep it chilled.
  7. Cut the dough out using your favorite holiday cookie cutters. Carefully peel away the dough around the cut-outs.
  8. Then take a thin spatula and lift the cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (or parchment-lined cookie sheet). 
  9. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes depending on how crisp you like them. A few more minutes of baking makes them crispy. Just watch them so they don't overcook.
  10. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Then repeat with remaining dough.
  11. Let cook completely before frosting.

Coconut sugar icing:

  1. Place powdered coconut sugar in a small bowl, whisk in the milk and vanilla.
  2. Use to ice cooled cookies.
  3. You might need to make more depending on how much icing you like on your cookies. 

Use this recipe in our Meal Planner

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Posted In
Christmas cookies Coconut sugar dessert gluten-free holidays Thanksgiving Recipes xanthan-free recipes recipe
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About the Author

Ali Segersten

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.

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Comments

Christine (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:15am

posted on Facebook for the giveaway!

Jenny (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:15am

I shared this recipe on fb!
jabagne@comcast.net

Christine (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:14am

Love these cookies!! What a great recipe! we will try these for sure!! and love the vitamix giveaway!! thanks!

Jenny (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:12am

Perfect timing for this recipe, our class is buzzing about Saint Lucia cookie dough. Thanks - jabagne@comcast.net

Anonymous (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:08am

Those look delicious, Ali! Last year was the first year we made gluten free gingerbread cookies. I'd love to try this recipe out to compare.

Kristinevicker @ yahoo(dot)com

Pam (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:08am

Sounds great! I'll have to try these.

Lisa Spector (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:03am

would love any of those books...the gingerbread people look awesome!
~ Lisa

Valerie @ City… (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:03am

And posted on Facebook (citylifeeats at gmail etc)

Valerie @ City… (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:03am

Tweeted! (sorry, my email is citylifeeats at gmail etc.)

Carol (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:01am

Ali,
Thanks so much for this recipe. I've found that it's not the gluten, it's the wheat. And I've recently discovered the wonders of date sugar as a sweetener alternative that will chemically work in a cookie. Saw your technique for the powdered sugar but don't have a Vitamix - so pick me to win it! I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how am I going to powder that date sugar? I'm thinking I'll put it in a plastic bag and crush it with a rolling pin maybe. These cookies look yummy. Will definitely be trying them.

Valerie @ City… (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 6:00am

These cookies are so pretty - and I love the idea of using Hazelnut flour :)

Debra (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:58am

Tweeted! @ATHDolls

Debra (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:57am

Shared your Giveaway post on Facebook.

Debra (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:57am

I would love to be entered into your giveaway! I have been a big fan of your cookbook and use it almost daily. Thank you :)

Jen O. (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:57am

Oops! I meant to post that last question about replacing hazelnut flour under the cookie recipe, not the powdered sugar one. Sorry!

kmissy (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:56am

I posted a message on facebook also. Is there anyway to make these vegan? I'm allergic to dairy and eggs. Thank you!!!!

Audrey Jensen-- (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:53am

This cookies look amazing. Glad to see a baked item without xanthan gum.

Rachael (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:52am

I posted this on Facebook. :)

Heather (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:46am

These look delicious, I cant wait to make these with my little one.

Tessa Domestic Diva (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:43am

Shared this on Facebook for you!

ADeis1210 (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:43am

I also shared it on Twitter! Awesome recipe! I just purchased a gingerbread house cookie cutter kit and I know my four-year-old son will be DELIGHTED to make this simple yet beautiful recipe. :)

Tessa Domestic Diva (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:43am

These look so fun, my kids LOVE cut out cookies of any variety! Thanks! Tessa@TessaDomesticDiva

ADeis1210 (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:42am

I shared it on Facebook! I have some gluten-free friends who are "newbies," so I know that they will find your recipe particularly helpful at this holiday season.

Rachael (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:42am

Thanks so much! I love gingerbread. Do you think this recipe works well with almond flour, too? My husband doesn't like hazelnuts.

What an amazing giveaway selection. The cookbooks look wonderful, but I have to admit that I would love, love, love the Vitamix. :)

Thanks!

Karen R (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:41am

These look amazing! My daughter has been asking to make gingerbread cookies, now I know what we'll be doing this weekend!

kchalbi @ hotmail . com

Diana (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:41am

Thanks for the great-looking recipe and the opportunity to win.

coachacmdru (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:41am

I am sooo excited to have found your site and this recipe. I've been dreading losing my favorite cookies at Christmas and now i won't miss them. I'll have these. I'm sharing this on FB so my other friends can see it to!

THANKS!

Anonymous (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:35am

Ali,
These cookies look fantastic! We have tried cut out cookies year after year with no success. Can't wait to make these! Your give-aways look like a lot of fun and a blessing! Thank you for all you do to help my family and so many others that I have shown your blog. You are a blessing!!
Stephanie Moschel
bmoschel@mwt.net

The Gluten-Fre… (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:30am

I share your lovely post on Facebook! :) Lots of love, Debbie

Catherine (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:25am

Shared the post on Facebook!!

Catherine (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:24am

Will definitely be using this recipe - I love hazelnut flour!
Thank you for the chance at thes great prizes, too!

Catherine (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:24am

This recipe looks great - I love hazelnut flour! Thank you for the chance at the wonderful prizes!!

Kelly (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:23am

My daughter just mentioned wanting to make gingerbread dog and cat cut-outs. This recipe looks GREAT, thanks!

Kelly (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:22am

My daughter was just talking about wanting to make gingerbread dogs and cats this year. This recipe looks GREAT, thanks!

The Gluten-Fre… (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:21am

Ali, I love how recipes come to you in a flash and these Cut-out cookies are beautiful! xo Debbie

amwernz (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:03am

Your cookies look excellent and what a great giveaway! Sign me up for the prize :)

Michelle (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:02am

These look super

the5hastings (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:02am

These look amazing!!! So glad I don't have to miss out on this with my kids this year. :)

Brandee (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 5:02am

These books look great1 I would be thrilled to have any one of the! I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting the release of your new cookbook though!

Brandee
bsimmang@comcast.net

Joyce (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:54am

I subscribed to your blog.

Joyce (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:53am

I liked you on facebook.

Joyce (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:52am

Cookies look delicious! will have to try them soon.

Cilla H (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:26am

Thanks for the post, the tradition of making gingerbread cookies can now continue even though my daughter and I are gluten-free!

Kate (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:24am

I'm really excited about these cookies! Now to find hazelnut flour in Japan...

Cheryl@myhealt… (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:24am

We eliminated wheat from our diet several years ago and we stunned how much better we felt. In the past year though we started eating wheat again because we failed to plan ahead and now once again can feel the results. Time to make a change for life. Thanks for your inspiring blogging!

Kate (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:23am

I'm really excited about these cookies! Now to dig up some hazelnut flour in Japan...

Jeanette (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:20am

I have tweeted this post.

Jeanette (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:20am

I have shared this post on facebook

Jeanette (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:19am

These cookies are so cute - like the powdered coconut sugar idea for the icing.

Unknown (visitor) Dec 01, 2011 | 4:07am

Posted this on facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/LivingGlutenFree/

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