For anyone who bakes cookies, you KNOW that cutout cookies have a tendency to spread and ruin your designs. My recipe for Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (That Won’t Spread) will solve that very issue. Very simple ingredients (made vegan) and just 10-15 minutes of chilling time in the freezer and you get the most deliciously tender cookie that holds its shape. Let me show you how I make them!
How to make Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (That Won’t Spread)
As I mentioned, this recipe uses ingredients you should already have in your holiday pantry. All purpose flour, salt, brown sugar, spices such as ginger, cinnamon and cloves, as well as a bit of vanilla and molasses.
What can I substitute for eggs in vegan baking?
For the egg-replacer, you know I LOVE using unsweetened applesauce for baking. It comes out perfectly every single time. This recipe uses the equivalent of 1/2 an egg (1 whole egg equals 1/4 cup of applesauce). I prefer to combine the wet and dry ingredients separately, but to be honest…it probably won’t make a big difference in this recipe 🙂
Give that all a good blend and add your flour, salt and spices.
You should have a nice dough – not to wet, not too dry. If it seems too dry, you can add a bit more applesauce. If it’s simply too moist, a bit more flour. Go slowly, you shouldn’t need much to adjust the recipe.
At this point, I’d recommend chilling the dough for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator or about 10 minutes in the freezer (don’t overdo this).
What types of cookie cutters leave impressions on the cookie?
You want to look for these cutters that are almost three dimensional. The outline is a full cutter, the interior leaves the embossed markings on the dough itself. They sometimes come with a little plunger to help push the dough out of the cutter. Amazon is always a great resource for cookie cutters! If you live in the U.S., I found these at my local Walgreens of all places.
This next part is important if you are using this type of cutter. The dough needs to be thick enough (at least 1/4″) to reach the interior part of the cutter for it to leave the marks.
Also, a good tip, flour your cutter before beginning each cookie. The dough is a bit more challenging to get out than a traditional cookie.
As you can see, the ones with the deeper impressions are far prettier. I decorated minimally and the cut outs go right back into the freezer for a few minutes while the oven is pre-heating. This will assist them in holding their shape.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 8-12 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. Allow to cool before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.
Did you make this recipe for my Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (That Won’t Spread)? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought. I’d love to see what you came up with 🙂
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (That Won't Spread)
Equipment
- Hand (or Stand) Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment Paper (or Silicone Mat)
- Baking Sheet
- Cookie Cutters
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Cloves
- 3 tbl Vegan Margarine at room temperature
- 1/3 c *PLUS* 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Applesauce unsweetened
- 1/4 c Molasses
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt and spices. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the vegan margarine and sugar. Beat just until combined. Add the remaining ingredients, followed by the flour mixture.
- If the mixture seems too moist, add just a bit more flour. Too dry? Add a bit more applesauce. Chill the dough for at least 15 minutes before rolling.
- Preheat the oven 375 degrees.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough at least 1/4" thick. You need a fairly thick dough for the impressions to show. Place cutouts on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Decorate and return to chill until the oven is preheated.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies). Allow to cool for a bit before removing to a cooling rack. Cool completely before storing.