These paleo gingerbread cookies have a sweet, nutty gingerbread flavor. They're made with tigernut flour, sweetened with coconut sugar and flavored with warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. This gingerbread cut-out cookie recipe is gluten free, nut free, dairy free, egg free and paleo!
My very favorite part of the holidays is making paleo cut-out cookies.
It's an activity I've loved since childhood, and now I get to partake in cookie baking and decorating with my children. (They love it too!)
The newest addition to my collection are these healthy paleo gingerbread cookies - or gingerbread men if you prefer to call them that 😉
This nut free gingerbread cookie recipe is made with tigernut flour, sweetened with coconut sugar and flavored with warming spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. I love that the dough is no-chill, easy to roll and cut and bakes in minutes.
Why You'll Love these Paleo Gingerbread Cookies
- paleo and vegan friendly - made with simple, minimally processed ingredients
- nut free - made with tigernut flour
- egg free and dairy free - these cookies use ground flax as a binding agent and palm shortening instead of butter
- allergy friendly - free from top allergens
- lightly sweetened - with coconut sugar and molasses
- easy to make - a no-chill dough that rolls out easily and bakes in minutes.
Ingredients
These paleo gingerbread men are healthy, flavorful and perfectly spiced. Here's what you need to make them:
- tigernut flour - these gingerbread cookies are made with tigernut flour to keep the recipe nut free. The best swap would be almond flour.
- tapioca starch - needed for the proper cookie texture. You can swap tapioca starch with arrowroot starch.
- ground flax - I like to make my own ground flax by grinding whole flax seeds in a coffee grinder.
- coconut sugar - to sweeten the cookies. Any granulated sugar can be used as a replacement.
- baking soda - for a slight spread to the cookies.
- salt - enhances the flavors.
- ground spices - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove
- palm shortening - this is a great paleo alternative to butter. I don't think coconut oil works as well, as the dough is more delicate and crumbly. However, you can use butter as a replacement if you don't care about the recipe being dairy free.
- molasses - for that authentic gingerbread flavor.
- vanilla extract - adds flavor.
How to Make Paleo Gingerbread Men
These cookies are super easy and fun to make - a no chill dough that rolls easily and bakes in under 10 minutes. Here's what you need to do:
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add in the wet ingredients. Mix first with a fork or spatula, then use your hands to combine the dough. The dough will appear too dry at first, keep working it with your hands until it comes together. Add a tablespoon or two of water if necessary to moisten the dough.
Cut Out the Cookies
- Next, roll the dough into a ball and flatten between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the parchment until it is about ⅛" - ¼" thick.
- Remove the top layer of parchment paper and cut out the cookie shapes. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake the Cookies
- Bake the ginger cookies at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
Cool the Cookies
- Lastly, remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Frost the Cookies
- In a small bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Mix until well combined.
- Scoop the frosting into a plastic baggie. Make a small hole in the bag by cutting off the corner.
- Pipe frosting onto completely cooled tigernut gingerbread cookies.
Storage
These gluten free gingerbread cookies are best stored in an airtight container or plastic baggie. They can be kept at room temperature, in the fridge or the freezer. Here are my recommended storage times:
- room temperature: 3-4 days
- fridge: 2 weeks
- freezer: 2 months
More Paleo Gingerbread Recipes
FAQ
Tigernut flour comes from finely ground, peeled tigernuts. Tigernuts are not actually nuts, but small root vegetables. They are naturally sweet and nutty in flavor - perfect for paleo baking!
Additionally, tigernuts contain a lot of fiber, a decent amount of potassium, Vitamin E and iron, as well as resistant starch. This resistant starch has prebiotic properties that helps promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Almond flour will most likely work as a substitute for tigernut flour in this recipe. Just note, I have not tested the swap myself.
I use a non-hydrogenated palm shortening to keep these gingerbread cookies paleo and vegan. I think it works best, however butter can be used if you aren't concerned about the recipe being dairy free.
Healthy Paleo Gingerbread Cookies (with Tigernut Flour)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 4 dozen mini gingerbread men 1x
Description
Healthy Paleo Gingerbread Cookies made with tigernut flour and perfect for the holidays. Nut free, dairy free, egg free, grain free, Vegan and a no-chill dough.
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
- 1 cup tigernut flour (105g) spooned & leveled
- ½ cup tapioca starch (66g)
- ¼ cup ground flax (22g)*
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground clove
- ⅓ cup palm shortening**
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- water***
Vanilla Frosting
- ⅓ cup palm shortening
- 3 Tbsp powdered monk fruit sweetener
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: tigernut flour, tapioca flour, ground flax, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove.
- Add in wet ingredients: shortening, molasses and vanilla. Mix first with a fork or spatula, then use your hands to combine the dough. The dough will appear too dry at first, keep working it with your hands until it comes together. Add a tablespoon or two of water if necessary.
- Roll the dough into a ball and flatten between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the parchment until it is about ⅛" - ¼" thick.
- Remove the top layer of parchment paper and cut out cookie shapes. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
For the Frosting
- In a small bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Mix until well combined.
- Scoop the frosting into a plastic baggie. Make a small hole in the bag by cutting off the corner.
- Pipe frosting onto completely cooled cookies.
Notes
*I use a coffee grinder to grind whole flax seed
**Palm shortening is a great paleo and vegan butter alternative. Grass fed butter or a different brand of vegan butter will work as a replacement.
***Depending on the brand of tigernut flour you use, you may need to add a little water to the dough. If the dough is too dry, add just 1 tablespoon of water and mix. Still too dry, add one more tablespoon. You shouldn't need more than 2.
Erika
I made these in December and am just now posting a comment...but you know...the holidays are busy! These are great. They are easy to make. I was too lazy to make the icing, so I put marmalade on them. This may sound bizarre, but it was so good that I am going to use orange extract in this recipe next year.
Katie
That sounds like a great addition! Thank you for the review - means so much to me 🙂
Reams
hiya, this recipe looks great, but I am sensitive to flax. What could I replace it with? 🙂
Katie
Hi! I've only tested these cookies with flax. Ground chia seed or another egg replacement may work, but I can't be 100% sure.
Kerstin
I just made these gingerbread men cookies for the first time and they turned out perfect !! I used almond flour as a substitute for tigernut. I will definitely be making them again. My kids were excited to help me make them and I love the fact that they are healthy for them 🙂
Katie
How funny - I just made these with my kids today too 🙂 So glad swapping with almond flour worked for you 🙂
Yvonne
Love the recipes but no quantities listed? Just pop up ads. Very frustrating.
Katie
The quantities for each ingredient are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. I'm sorry you don't like the ads, but this is the only way I earn income for all of the work that I do! I try and keep the ads to a minimum, but I want to get paid for all the hard work I do.