These vegan ginger cookies are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and molasses. They’re full of warm spices, spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
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These vegan ginger cookies are the perfect dessert for those lazy winter days leading up to the holidays! I love baking anything and everything ginger during this time of year!
I’ve made my vegan ginger cake and my vegan gingerbread loaf, and now I have these healthy, guilt-free vegan ginger cookies to add to the list!
They’re on the healthier side, too, as far as cookies go! They’re refined sugar-free and oil-free and made with whole wheat flour instead of refined flour!
But they’re not missing any flavor! Maple syrup and molasses add a subtle sweetness, while the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg make a bold flavor statement!
They’re perfect for dunking in tea, almond milk, or hot cocoa. These cookies are sure to disappear this holiday season!
💗 Why You’ll Love Vegan Ginger Cookies
- Healthy whole food plant-based ingredients.
- Oil-Free
- Refined Sugar-Free
- Gluten-Free Option
- Packed with Warm Spices
- Not Overpoweringly Sweet
- Perfect for a holiday cookie exchange, homemade gift, or Christmas party dessert!
🔪Tools and Equipment
- Medium and Large Mixing Bowls
- Hand Mixer
- Spatula
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cookie Scoop
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Almond Butter: Instead of vegan butter, this recipe uses raw almond butter. Use raw almond butter rather than roasted almond butter because it has a more subtle flavor.
Maple Syrup: A refined sugar-free sweetener option.
Molasses: Adds a unique sweet flavor and chewy texture to the cookies.
Almond Milk: Added for moisture.
White Whole Wheat Flour: This high-fiber flour is healthier than white flour.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Helps to leaven the cookies.
Warm Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg bring the flavor. Add some minced fresh ginger for a more robust ginger flavor.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
Gluten-Free: For a gluten-free cookie, substitute white whole wheat flour for a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend such as this Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Flour.
Add more spices: If you prefer even bolder flavors in your cookies, I recommend doubling the amount of ginger to 1 teaspoon and adding ¼ teaspoon of allspice or ¼ teaspoon of cloves.
No almond butter? You can substitute the almond butter for cashew butter. I don’t recommend using peanut butter because it has a very distinct flavor that takes away from the ginger of these cookies. You could also use softened vegan butter if you prefer.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Gingersnaps
- In a large mixing bowl, blend together the almond butter, maple syrup, molasses, and almond milk using a hand mixer.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time, beating in between with a hand mixer or stand mixer until all the flour has been incorporated. The dough will be stiff. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Roll the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Optional: Roll the cookie balls in crystalized sugar. Gently flatten the balls with your hand or the bottom of a glass.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are light golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
📝 Expert Tips
- When measuring out the flour, use a spoon to fill your measuring cup rather than scooping the flour out of the flour bag. The flour can be packed in the bag, which will result in more flour than you need. This will ultimately result in a dense cookie.
- Make sure the oven is preheated. Since the dough requires a chill time, I recommend preheating the oven once you put the dough in the refrigerator to chill.
- Lightly press the cookies down to create flattened circles after you roll the dough into balls. If you skip this step, the cookies will be rounded balls rather than flat circular cookies.
❓ FAQS
These cookies are on the healthier side. They use all-natural ingredients and don’t use any processed oils or butter! They are completely whole food plant-based compliant. Each cookie has about 122 calories, 3 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein, and 2 grams of fiber.
The main difference between molasses cookies and gingersnap cookies is that molasses cookies are soft and chewy, while gingersnaps are crispy in texture. This ginger cookie is something in between. It’s not quite a gingersnap, and it’s not a molasses cookie. It has a softer texture than a gingersnap but is not quite as chewy as a molasses cookie.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
I enjoy serving these cookies with a glass of cold almond milk or a cup of spiced ginger tea!
If you want to dress them up a bit, dust them with powdered sugar, or top them with vegan vanilla buttercream and decorate them with holiday sprinkles!
⚖️ Serving Size
This recipe makes 18 cookies. One cookie is one serving.
🫙 Storage
After the cookies have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container. Store them at room temperature in a cool, dry place. They will keep for 3-5 days.
😋 More Vegan Cookie Recipes!
🎥 Video
Recipe
Vegan Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup almond butter raw is best
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl blend together the almond butter, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla extract, and almond milk using a hand mixer.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time, beating in between with a hand mixer, until all flour has been added and the wet and dry ingredients are completely combined. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. While dough is chilling pre-heat the oven to 375 F.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently flatten the balls with your hand. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bottom of cookie is a light golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- When measuring the flour, use a spoon to fill your measuring cup rather than scooping the flour out of the flour bag. The flour can be packed in the bag, resulting in measuring out more flour than you need. This will ultimately result in a denser cookie.
- Make sure the oven is preheated. Since the dough requires a chill time, I recommend preheating the oven once you put the dough in the refrigerator to chill.
- Lightly press the cookies down to create flattened circles after you roll the dough into balls. If you skip this step, the cookies will be rounded balls rather than flat circular cookies.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place. They will keep for 3-5 days.
Chenée Lewis
The flavors in these cookies are amazing! And so perfect for the fall and holidays coming up!
Laura
These cookies are so good. They take me back to childhood when my mom used to make ginger cookies for us. I think the maple syrup really elevates them.
Maria
Our kind of bonding with the kids are cooking together. Another activity for them, I’m so excited to try this!<3
Marie-Charlotte Chatelain
These are simply amazing! I am quite the Ginger Ninja myself:)
Shelley
These are a serious nutritional upgrade from regular ginger cookies, full of almond butter and whole wheat flour, and no refined sugar. Makes total senes to use maple syrup, too – it’s the perfect flavor match for the other wonderful spices in these delicious cookies!