Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 195kcal
Equipment
- A stand mixer is helpful for this recipe, but not necessary.
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
Dry ingredients:
- 3 cups gluten-free all purpose baking flour
- 3/4 cup dark brown brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1.5 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1.5 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Wet ingredients:
- 8 tbsp. cold, unsalted vegan butter sticks, such as Earth Balance or Miyoko's. chopped into small cubes
- 3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 3 tbsp. almond or coconut milk
For the flax tapioca egg:
- 2 tbsp. flaxseed meal
- 1 tbsp. tapioca starch
- 3 tbsp. warm water
For the sugar coating.
- 2/3 cup raw turbinado sugar
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
Instructions
To make the cookie dough:
- To the bowl of a stand mixer or other large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. If you are not using a stand mixer, stir all dry ingredients until everything is thoroughly incorporated.
- Keeping the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the mixture looks like sandy, rocky soil. If not using a mixer, use a wooden spoon to break the butter up into the dry ingredient mixture.
- Next, slowly add the molasses, keeping the mixer on low. Then add the milk and the flax tapioca egg. Whether using a mixer or your arm and a wooden spoon (:D), stir until the dough is moist and sticky (reminiscent of peanut butter).
- Turn the dough out on a floured surface, and using floured hands, divide it in half. Form two thick disks out of each half of the dough and wrap them in plastic wrap. Place them in the fridge to chill for 2 hours, or the freezer for 30-45 minutes until they are firm. Don't forget them in the freezer! IMPORTANT: DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! Chilling the dough absolutely necessary in order to create the crinkly end texture that is the signature of these cookies. Chilling also makes the dough easier to work with.
Make the sugar coating:
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350ºF and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or cooking spray.
- Place raw turbinado sugar in a shallow bowl. Combine the powdered sugar with the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom in a separate shallow bowl.
To form the cookies:
- Take one dough disc out of the fridge at a time. Working quickly, break off an approximately 2 tbsp. piece of the dough and roll it into a ball between your palms.
- Roll the dough ball in the turbinado sugar first, and then roll it in the powdered sugar and spice mixture. Make sure that the surface of the dough ball is generously coated with the powdered sugar mixture. Then, place the dough ball on the prepped baking sheet.
- Continue forming and rolling the dough balls in the powdered sugar until all the dough has been used up. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Finally, bake the cookies for about 15-17 minutes until they have puffed up and the surface looks cracked. The cookies will be soft when you remove them from the oven and will firm up as they cool. Be sure not to over-bake as this will disrupt the chewy, gingerbread texture.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 5-7 minutes before removing them to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely before storing them. These can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition
Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!