These Healthy Gingerbread Cookies are gluten-free, paleo and include a low carb option! The dough even holds up to making gingerbread man cookie cutouts. With this recipe, no one has to miss out on Christmas baking anymore.

Gingerbread cookies are part of my earliest holiday memories. However, we called them Lebkuchen in Germany.
There is an old family recipe that my mom has been making since way before I was born. She only makes them once each Christmas season, but it is usually a huge batch and the cookies last for about a month.
The recipe calls for chilling the dough. My mom usually made the dough in a large pot (that would take up way too much fridge space), so she would just put it outside to chill in the winter cold.
This must have been so strange to us kids. This left a lasting impression and is actually my first memory of Gingerbread cookies – my mom heaving the large pot of dough outside.

Today, I am not sharing that traditional family recipe – you can find that here. But today’s recipe for gluten-free, dairy-free, healthier gingerbread cookies came into being while I was extensively testing that Lebkuchen recipe.
I was trying to find a way to make that recipe a little less difficult and complicated. However, after 5 different test batches, I just wasn’t happy with the results.
Don’t get me wrong, they all tasted absolutely amazing, but they were missing the classic soft and chewy texture of the Lebkuchen cookies I grew up with.
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies From Scratch

Finally, I gave up on that recipe and decided to make a much healthier version altogether – and these paleo gingerbread cookies were born. They have an amazing spiced and nutty flavor, and the dough even holds up to cutting out gingerbread man shapes. The ingredients list also includes all the usual spices such as ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, giving them the perfect festive flavours.
I made them with almond flour instead of all purpose flour, coconut oil instead of butter, and muscovado sugar as sweetener. You can also use regular brown or coconut sugar and other (sugar-free) substitutions. As usual with gingerbread, the dough comes out quite sticky.
The trick for dealing with the dough is to place it between two sheets of parchment paper, then roll it out with a rolling pin and freeze the dough sheet until it is quite firm.

Then, remove only one sheet of parchment, dip a cookie cutter in almond flour and cut out a shape. Now gently peel away the parchment paper backing and move the healthy ginger cookies to a baking sheet.
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies Soft
In this gingerbread cookie recipe, the key is not to overbake the cookies. Depending on your cookie cutter size, bake them until only just set (about 5 minutes). You will get a soft gingerbread cookie with a chewy texture and just a slight crisp on the edges.
If you bake the cookies longer they will turn crispy. They still taste great that way and are actually perfect if you enjoy dunking your cookies into hot beverages like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.

How to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies
I didn’t actually decorate the cookies that are pictured here at all, but I still think they look great. However, you can definitely go the typical route of piping on royal icing or attaching sprinkles and other candy treats to give them a face, buttons, etc.
You can also use nuts, seeds, or dried fruit as healthier decorations for these already healthy Christmas cookies. Press them into the cutout Christmas gingerbread cookies before baking.

How to Store Gingerbread Men Cookies
These ginger molasses cookies will keep quite a long time if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. However, they may become drier, crisper.
For the perfect soft, chewy texture you will want to consume them within the first 5 days.
If you want to store them longer, you can also pack them in large freezer bags as airtight as possible and freeze them for up to 2 months.

Healthy Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- â…“ cup light brown sugar (muscovado) coconut sugar or sugar-free alternative**
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses *
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon gingerbread spice mix
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- â…› teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine muscovado sugar, molasses, egg and coconut oil with an electric mixer until fully combined and lighter in color.
- Add almond flour, gingerbread spice mix, baking soda and sea salt. Stir until everything is fully combined.
- Prepare two sheets of parchment paper. Add the gingerbread cookie dough in on sheet of parchment. Shape it into a log with your hands, then cover with the second sheet of parchment.
- Roll the dough between the parchment paper to about â…›-inch thickness. Transfer the cookie dough sheet to the freezer and freezer for about 30 minutes until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once chilled, remove one parchment paper sheet. Dip a cookie cutter in almond flour, then cut out shapes. Carefully peel the parchment from the back and move the cut out cookies to the prepared baking sheet.
- Depending on the size of cookies you cut out, bake them for 5-10 minutes until the cookies are just set. This will produce semi-soft cookies. Baking longer will results in crispier cookies.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
- Store these healthy gingerbread cookies in a covered container for about a week.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Healthy Cookies
Another one of my favorite non-gluten cookie recipes is this coconut flour cookie recipe. If ginger is not your thing or you're simply hoping to try something different, I can' recommend that one enough. It is another family favorite!
S
I couldn't find blackstrap bolasses and had to pick up regular molasses instead. I know they're not the same thing, so what can I do to substitute for the blackstrap?
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
You should be able to easily substitute one for the other. The main difference is that blackstrap molasses is more mineral-rich than regular and has a more bitter flavour and darker colour whereas regular molasses is a little sweeter and amber in colour.
Kelly
I can't wait to try this recipe. My little girl has bee begging to make gingerbread cookies.
I've tried clicking on the "gingerbread spice" link in the ingredients and it isn't taking me anywhere. What is the gingerbread spice??
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
Hi Kelly, thanks for pointing that out! I have updated the link in the recipe. Happy baking! 🙂
Tiffany
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!! I’m allergic to almonds - do you think cashew flour would work in this recipe? Looking forward to making this with the kids tomorrow!
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
Hi Tiffany,
Yes, cashew flour should work well as a substitute! Let us know how you and your kids fare with making the cookies.
Erin
We just tried to make these, following the recipe exactly, but using coconut sugar, and there was no way this made 10 gingerbread men, unless they were teeny tiny. Definitely multiply the recipe. We only got three average size men shapes and then a few small round globs However, the dough was so soft, even after an hour in the freezer, that in the time it took to cut out just three men, the dough was too soft to cut and pick up a fourth, even using extra almond flour on the spatula and cookie cutters. I just had to scrape it up with my fingers and press it together into the glob shape and my hands were a mess. The taste is good, but the dough is not easy to work with at all and my kids couldn't help. If you have any tips to make it work better, please share.
Regina | Leelalicious
Hey Erin, I am sorry to hear the recipe wasn't working out for you. It sounds like several things went wrong here. I am not sure why you wouldn't have been able to get around 10 cookies. How big is your cutter? Mine is about 3 inches long.
I don't understand why your dough wasn't firm even after freezing. Could it be you didn't have enough flour? Or extra large eggs?
One way to make stickier dough work out better is to roll out on parchment and then cut your shapes but leave the cookie in place. Then only remove the extra dough between the cut outs using a pointy knife or toothpick. This dough doesn't spread a whole lot, so the cookies can be fairly close. Then transfer that parchment paper sheet to a baking tray and bake. After baking the cookies should be much easier to handle and remove from the parchment.
Repeat with the extra dough
Lauren
We love these cookies! Making them for a second time this Christmas season and it’s only December 2!
Regina | Leelalicious
Yay! So happy to hear this recipe is part of your holiday season
Melanie | Melanie Makes
Love how you've made this classic cookie clean and nearly guilt free!