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AIP Gingerbread Cookies are a classic recipe and easy! These simply perfect holiday cookies are so much fun to make and delicious to eat! Egg-free, nut-free, Paleo and Gluten-free.
This recipe is made in part with tiger nut flour. You’ll have two options, described below: Make soft, chewy round cookies OR cut-out shapes!
If you make the cut-out shapes, you may also use the recipe to make a Gingerbread House. My son and I do this each year, and it turns out great!!
Ingredients in AIP Gingerbread Cookies
The dry ingredients in AIP Gingerbread Cookies are tiger nut flour, cassava flour, coconut sugar, gelatin, AIP spices (see below*), baking soda and sea salt. Plus, optionally, arrowroot.
There are two options when making this recipe:
- Arrowroot is added to the cookie dough if you’re making shaped, cut-out cookies — like gingerbread men! (or a house!)
- Omit the arrowroot if you’re making soft, tender, chewy, traditional, round cookies.
You choose! Both are SO good! My family loves, loves this recipe, both ways! So make a batch of each, or make your preferred recipe — super easy to include or exclude the arrowroot.
The remaining wet ingredients in AIP Gingerbread Cookies are avocado or olive oil, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and molasses.
*Lastly, the ginger! You can choose between using fresh ginger root, finely grated, or dried ginger, which is a little more convenient for some of you. Both are great. The recipe also uses a little cinnamon.
How to make AIP Gingerbread Cookies
This simple recipe is just: stir together the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients!
If you’re making the drop cookies, you’ll just place mounds of cookie dough on the prepared cookie sheet and bake — couldn’t be easier or simpler!
For shaped, cut-out cookies: Sprinkle arrowroot powder (additional after what’s used in the recipe) on your work space. Place the mound of dough down and press it flat with your fingers and hands. Top with another sprinkling of arrowroot, then roll to about 1/4″ thickness.
AIP Gingerbread Cookie dough is not finicky! You can roll it out a little thicker or thinner, use a little less or more arrowroot when rolling out, and they’ll still turn out great!
I LOVE that this recipe behaves so well, because it means that you can stay relaxed and jolly the whole time you’re making cookies — no worries, just restful holiday fun!
Once the dough is rolled out, simply use cookie cutters, and transfer shapes to your prepared cookie sheet.
See the process photos below in the Recipe itself, too, for a little added aid in what it looks like to make the cookies.
Tips when making AIP Gingerbread Cookies
If you’re making the shaped cookies, here are a few tips:
- Use a toothpick, chopstick tip or straw to gently remove the dough from the cookie cutters.
- The toothpick and straw can also be used to create circles or dashes on the cookies before baking — to decorate rustically if you do or don’t want to ice the cookies.
- Choose Otto’s cassava flour for the best results! It really does make a difference.
- Use AIP Buttercream and a small pastry tip to decorate cooled cookies. Or, you can make homemade powdered sugar icing from coconut sugar, HERE.
- If the dough is whitened by extra arrowroot powder before baking, don’t fret. It looks pretty cool when baked, like powdered sugar.
- After you’ve cut out as many shapes as you can with the rolled out dough: You’ll have scraps! Just roll these between the palms of your hands. Flatten the balls slightly, and place on cookie sheet. They make great cookies! You’ll never know they were the scraps.
How to make the Gingerbread House
See the Notes section directly below the recipe for photos of our first ever Gingerbread House with this recipe.
2023 UPDATE: This year, I updated this recipe and created a new post with exact dimensions! Find Exact AIP Gingerbread House Instructions HERE.
This recipe turns out so great. I’ve made it four years in a row now, and this year, I made two houses, so my 5 year old could decorate her own.
AIP Gingerbread Cookies or House (Paleo, GF)
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup tiger nut flour Break up any large clumps.
- ¼ cup avocado oil or olive oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil , melted and then cooled
- 2 Tablespoons cassava flour Otto's only for best results (You can use Bob's if you're in a pinch, but Otto's works best.)
- 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 Tablespoon molasses blackstrap
- 2 teaspoons gelatin
- 1 teaspoon baking soda sifted
- 1 teaspoon ginger dried OR 2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger root
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons arrowroot powder optional, use for shaped cookies; divided (do not combine the ½ cup and 3 T.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients: tiger nut flour, cassava flour, coconut sugar, gelatin, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, sea salt and optional arrowroot (only use the ½ cup arrowroot if making shaped, cut-out cookies. Omit the arrowroot completely if you're making simple flat round cookies.)
- In 2-cup glass measuring cup or small bowl, combine wet ingredients: avocado oil, maple syrup, coconut oil and molasses. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Combine. (If you included arrowroot, it will be easier to combine by using an electric mixer.)
- If you're making shaped, cut-out cookies, sprinkle 2 Tablespoons arrowroot on a work surface. Top with finished cookie dough. Use your hands to flatten and spread out the dough. Sprinkle with remaining arrowroot and roll out to about 1/4" thickness. (You don't need to be finicky or worried about doing any of this perfectly. The dough is easy to work with.)
- Cut out shapes and transfer them to your prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 1" between dough edges.If you're not making shaped, cut-out cookies. Simply scoop batter into mounds on prepared cookie sheet. Space dough apart by about 2".
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed all over and set looking, especially around the edges.
- Cool completely on rack. Then decorate if desired.
Notes
To make a Gingerbread House
2023 UPDATE: I have now created a post just for how to make and assemble your AIP Gingerbread House! YAY!!! Here it is: Exact AIP Gingerbread House Instructions. Here are the two photos I took a few years ago when we made a Gingerbread House with this recipe. My 11-year-old son made the house, and I just let him have fun, so it's not a fancy photo. We use the AIP Buttercream Frosting to hold the house together, which works perfectly.
Jean Choi says
SO fun and cute!! I cannot wait to make these soon.
Megan says
Great, Jean. Thank you! 🙂
tina says
Interesting! Starting to hear a lot about Tiger Nuts Flour, this recipe looks like the perfect one to try it out!
Megan says
Hi Tina, yes, this is a great recipe to start with if you’re new to tiger nut flour! 🙂 Gingerbread Cookies taste just like the real thing, and the dough is easy to work with. Hope you love them!
ChihYu says
There’s nothing better than a delicious gingerbread cookie – these are perfect! So fun for the holidays!
raia says
These are perfect for the holidays! What a wonderful option for people with food intolerances. 🙂 Thank you!
jennifer says
These look absolutely amazing, I love the option to use fresh ginger in there. One of my biggest holiday look-forward-to’s is anything gingerbread — totally trying your recipe this weekend, thanks!
Donny says
So cute! Those spices with molasses make the best cookie!
Sarabeth Matilsky says
We made these today, and our atheist Jewish catholic family found them truly perfect!! Crispy outside and chewy inside and decadent and exactly the right flavor. We could have eaten them all at once…and the little ones had a blast using the stiffer version like play dough to make shaped cookies that held together very well.
Cheryl Maddox says
I like these better than a regular gingerbread cookies.. I shared my cookies with my daughter and her family. They couldn’t believe these were a “healthy” cookie. Will be making these cookies again!
Megan says
Yay, Cheryl! That blesses my morning. Thanks so much for sharing, and I’m so glad!
S says
How about making them keto with almond and/or coconut flour and using monk fruit for sweetening?
Megan says
Hi S, I love this idea, but I’m not sure it would be best to base the Keto recipe off of this one… rather, better to create a fresh recipe. The reason is, not all of the flours will sub perfectly for one another. Almond flour would sub fine for the tiger nut, but then I’d need to figure out the best subs for the starchy flours, and coconut flour wouldn’t work well for that. Sorry!
Tracey E says
These sound delicious! Is there any substitute for the molasses?
Megan says
Hi Tracey, thanks! You might be able to omit it, or sub maple syrup for it.
Dan says
I just found some avocado honey at my Whole Foods that tastes like a less strong version of molasses. I am stocking up and will be making gingerbread cookies! The brand is “Good Flow Honey and Juice Company”.
Megan says
Hi Dan, that’s great to learn about; thanks for sharing that product! I hope it works well in the recipe.
Kass says
These tasted fine, but definitely did not come out as pictured, despite following the instructions exactly. I’ve made them twice now to test, and both times they baked quite thin and crispy. And yes, I used the exact brand of everything that you recommend, so that’s not it. I think this is probably a measuring issue. If you added weight measurements, it would be much easier to troubleshoot issues like this (and there wouldn’t be as many).
Megan says
Thanks, Kass, for your feedback, and I’m sorry you weren’t as happy with the recipe as you would have liked. I’m glad they tasted fine for you, and I may be able to add weights for the future. Best wishes!
John says
Hi Megan,
I love your berry breakfast cookies! I make them all the time. They are amazing. Now I’ve been trying a couple other of your recipes. For this one in particular, I didn’t use Arrowroot as I just wanted to do cookies, I didn’t use the coconut sugar or molasses. Instead, I used stevia powder. For some reason, the cookies just crumbled after. They did not hold so not sure if I should be adding more coconut oil? or perhaps add the arrowroot? Everything else was included as per your measurements. Any feedback would be appreciated. 🙂
thanks,
John
Megan says
Hi John, thanks for your comments. I’m so glad you love the berry breakfast cookies! 🙂 So, I can’t recommend you make ANY changes to AIP recipes. Sorry, but they are recipe tested carefully, and any subs that I don’t include myself in the recipe as acceptable are not a good idea. I would make the cookies exactly as written, fine without the arrowroot, and I know you’ll have perfect success. This dough is really nice, not finicky and easy to work with. So, no stevia powder. Thanks for understanding!! Egg-free baking is exact.
Reams says
Hi do you add the gelatin into the dry or soak it in water first?
Megan says
Hi Reams, you stir in dry gelatin powder (granulated) with the dry ingredients. Hope that helps!
Kim says
Hi Megan,
These cookies are absolutely delicious – my husband and I LOVE them! I have to say that It was a struggle for me in the beginning to cook AIP for my husband, but your recipes have made it so much easier. I know I can count on your recipes to be delicious, so I don’t waste money on expensive products. I just want to personally thank you for all of the time and effort you have put into your recipes and recommendations for products, and then to publish them in order to make it an easier and more pleasant experience for other people. So much gratitude!
Many blessings for your healthy journey. xo
Megan says
So sweet, Kim, thank you, for sharing and encouraging me. I’m so happy you love the gingerbread cookies, and that the other AIP recipes are blessing you; YAY! Blessings on your health journey, too!! xo
Stephanie says
These look tasty!!
Megan says
Thanks, Stephanie, it’s a great recipe! 🙂
Marlene says
I enjoy your recipes very much. One thing would make them more helpful: if you would list the ingredients in order of use. For example, if you mix dry ingredients, then wet ingredients please place them together in the recipe. Sorry if this seems picky. I really do appreciate the recipes. Thanks for your consideration.
Megan says
Hi Marlene, thank you and no problem. I appreciate your perspective and request! I have had one other reader over the years comment on this as well. I’ll highlight what I do, which I hope will help in the future. However, I see that with this recipe I didn’t do it, and I’ll recommit to always doing it for the future and will try to update this recipe today… I put the Ingredients in order of amount, firstly, which actually helps with measuring to avoid mistakes. That I did here. But what I also usually do, and will update, is to put the ingredients in order of use in the Instructions. Like this: “Combine all of the dry ingredients: tiger nut flour, cassava flour, coconut sugar …” I find this combination to help with avoiding errors overall better than the other method. I promise to update this post and to make sure I do this with future recipes! 😉 I hope you find it more helpful in the future. Blessings and best!!
Sally Avery says
Hi Megan,
Thank you for sharing this festive recipe!
Is there a way to make the recipe suitable for VAD? To that end, I also have to be careful not to combine potato (or potato-acting) products with grains.
Thank you!
Sally
Megan says
Good question. I also do not combine the two flours for my own body. I believe the tiger nut will sub well for oat flour. The cassava is the tricky one because arrowroot works so well in this recipe. Some small amount of psyllium would need to be used. And then no molasses or cinnamon. I’ll let you know if I try it. I’m making this original version this week for my son who is all done with VAD, but I’ll try to make enough time to try out a VAD version, too. 🙂
Sally says
That would be wonderful! I’m eager to hear how it goes, and if this recipe is able to be adapted for VAD plans.
Thanks, Megan!
Sally
Megan says
Hi Sally, I tried two versions with just slight variations, and both were close, but neither was perfect. I used oat flour, 4 teaspoons psyllium, and then the recipe needed more “glue” and more bulk, so I tried a couple of things. What are your other Yes flours? Can you have rice flour? Garbanzo flour? etc. I may try 1 or 2 more times.
Leanne says
I am so excited to try this recipe. What type of molasses do you recommend for this recipe? Blackstrap or regular? Thanks for your help!
Megan says
Hi Leanne, blackstrap. Yay, enjoy!!
Dorothy says
I made these for a fellowship with finger foods after our Christmas program. I made the regular round cookies, and used the cassava flour I had on hand rather than the recommended, and it seemed to work well. I’m still enjoying the leftovers!!
Megan says
Yay, Dorothy, so glad!! Thanks so much for sharing, and I’m glad the recipe worked well for you with a different brand of cassava flour.? 🙂
Pamela says
Hi Megan,
I love trying your recipes. I know egg-free ones offer few substitution options, but from the ingredients list, I can tell these cookies will be too sweet for me. What I’ve done in other recipes with success is to replace maple syrup with oil. I’m thinking to do that here and use only the coconut sugar. Alternatively, do have a suggestion for replacing the coconut sugar?
Respectfully,
Pamela
Megan says
Hi Pamela, thank you! I have not tried subbing oil for syrup before, so I hope that works for you if you try it. What I have done is to use mesquite in place of coconut sugar. It does offer some sweetness, but not too much. I think that will work better in this recipe to maintain the same outcome. I appreciate you trying to reduce the sweetness as much as you can.
Pamela says
Hi Megan. Thank you! I sincerely appreciate that you respond to each and every comment or question. Happy New Year!
Megan says
My pleasure; thank you, Pamela. Happy New Year, too! 🙂
Rebecca Vennetti says
I have been on the AIP diet for two months and these cookies were a delightful treat! I followed the recipe exactly for the round cookies and they turned out great. Thank you for posting!
Megan says
You’re welcome, Rebecca! I’m so glad you enjoyed, and thank you for sharing your results! 🙂 We have already made two batches this year also! 🙂
Krystal Wieldt says
Might you know Where can I buy the tiger nut flour locally? Natural grocers no longer Carrie’s it, I’ve also tried the kiva, two market of choice stores, capella, and Whole Foods. I’m trying to get it for tonight.
Megan says
Hi Krystal, it’s really surprising, isn’t it? I think we need to start requesting it back again!! I’ve had the same problem. I guess there isn’t enough demand for it? Let’s put in requests at Natural Grocers and MOC for the future. (Tiger Nuts brand in the box.) Sorry for you!
Jenni says
This was a spectacular failure for me, but because it was probably my own fault for changing the recipe against Megan’s advice, I didn’t think it fair to give it the one or two stars that mine deserved. I wanted to make a gingerbread cookie Christmas tree as I did last year, except that then it was simply gluten free, whereas this year I needed it be AIP. This year too, I was keen to add matcha tea, and omit/sub the brown ingredients so that my tree was green. Normally I get away with reducing the sugar in recipes, but that has been with recipes with plenty of eggs. So I made the mistake of using monkfruit/erythritol in place of the maple sugar, and omitting the coconut sugar and molasses entirely – I forgot that I had reasoned that the maple syrup and molasses supply some water to activate the gelatin, and that it would not bind together without those ;-( All in all, they are very dry and crumbly (too crumbly to assemble into a tree, much less a house), and taste bitter and sort of raw. I hope this helps someone wondering about subbing!
Megan says
Hi Jenni, thanks for sharing your good advice and sad experience. You are so right about subs with AIP recipes. I’m sorry for your sad outcome and hope you have a better experience next time!
Adrianne says
Absolutely delicious! Even though I forgot to get molasses and substituted with more maple syrup, they came out perfect.
Megan says
Great to hear, Adrianne, thanks so much for sharing! 🙂