Last Updated on August 19, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
Welcome to the holiday season! I’m kicking-off December with Grain-Free Gingerbread cookies. This dough is easy to work with: you don’t have to worry about it getting to warm and it shapes nicely.
You can use the dough to make cut-out gingerbread cookies or to build a gingerbread house with a template.
I don’t usually use powdered sugar in my baking, but I don’t know of any other way to achieve a true royal icing that will hold a gingerbread house together. Make sure to buy grain-free powdered sugar like this, since powdered sugar usually contains cornstarch.
If you’d like to let unleash your creativity and decorate the gingerbread men using a more wholesome frosting, check out my dairy-free icing recipe on page 271 of my new cookbook then grab some natural food coloring so your palette can match your holiday spirit.
Other holiday recipes you may want to check out in my new cookbook (and remember, there’s a dairy-free adaptation for each and every recipe, so you can enjoy these recipes no matter your dietary restrictions!):
Baked Pears and Cream
A subtly sweet, easy-to-assemble dessert. You can substitute with apples, add cinnamon, ginger or pumpkin pie spice or add a splash of amaretto or brandy just before serving.
Grain-Free Cinnamon Rolls
A soft but sturdy dough swirled with a sugary-cinnamon filling and topping with a white vanilla glaze. I’m making these on Christmas morning for the family!
Slice and Bake Cookies with Dairy-Free Icing
This is a recipe from the Kid’s chapter and is easy enough for the kids to make themselves. You can add chopped nuts or dried fruit to the dough for variations.
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
Makes one Gingerbread house or about 28 gingerbread men (depending on the size of the cookie cutter). I used this template for the gingerbread house.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 4 cups finely ground almond flour
- 6 tablespoons coconut flour, plus additional for rolling out the dough
- 1 cup coconut sugar (you can substitute with maple sugar, sucanat or organic whole cane sugar)
- 1 teaspoon unflavored grass-fed gelatin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 10 tablespoons pastured lard or palm shortening, chilled
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 large eggs
For the Royal Icing:
- I used this recipe or see page 271 in my new cookbook for a delicious dairy-free icing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust the rack to the middle position. Place the almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, gelatin, sea salt, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times to incorporate. Add lard and pulse for eight 1-second pulses. Add molasses and eggs and process until the mixture comes together to form a dough.
- Sprinkle a clean flat surface with coconut flour and roll the dough out until it’s 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into cookies, using a gingerbread man cookie cutter or cut using a template to make a gingerbread house. Place cut-out cookies on a baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper. Bake cookies for 11 minutes. (If making a gingerbread house, bake the frame of the house for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are turning golden brown. You want the house to be a bit overdone, so that it holds its shape when propped up to make a house. If you under-bake the sides and roof of the house, you can put it back in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up the cookie. Just make sure to let it cool again to room temperature before assembling the house.)
Loving your new cookbook so far! I know you haven’t tested it this way.. but any thoughts to if this receipe may work without eggs? with a gelatin or chia “chia” egg instead?
It’s worth trying! 🙂
We are allergic to eggs, so I will try this recipe with chia or gelatin egg. I’m sure it will work great.
Is there an ingredient that can be used in place of gelatin? I’m a vegetarian and see gelatin used in a number of your delicious looking recipes, which I’d love to try. Many thanks!
I haven’t tested it, but I hear agar agar is a good substitute.
Thank you, Carrie. I’ll give it a try.
Would love to try these! Where can I find the grass-fed gelatin and pastured lard?
You can use the links in the ingredient list to see where I purchase these products.
The gelatin you use in the recipe…I couldn’t find on the label where it states it comes from grass fed beef??? Is Amazon showing a different product from what you used?
You can read all about their products on their website: http://www.greatlakesgelatin.com
Literally yesterday I was googling away hoping to find a grain free gingerbread recipe, and thought ‘I wish Carrie had one’ Thank-you for hearing my subconscious thought, I am so thankful and cant wait to try these!
Yay! Just in time! 🙂
OMG I haven’t made a Gingerbread House in ages! I love them! My first thought was “Goody, only two eggs to replace, I can totally do that.” My next was actually an answer to your question. You can bind a gingerbread house in the traditional method, with molten sugar. You stick the edges in while it’s extremely hot (hard crack stage, if I recall) and immediately glue them together. Make sure you have a bowl of ice water on hand in case some spills on you and keep the kids away but it works.
We used the molten sugar method at work to do our gingerbread house. I used to be a pastry chef in a large fancy hotel. We would also use it for the windows!
I’ve done that before for windows and it’s so fun!
I’ve done this before and it works really well! Making windows with the molten sugar is so fun because you can light the house up from the inside!
This looks like an amazing recipe. I can’t wait to make them with my daughters. Love love love your blog!
Can I use coconut oil or butter in place of the lard/shortening?
I haven’t tested it, but it’s worth a try. You will need to chill the dough and work quickly with it, as it will start to get very soft as you are rolling and cutting. If it gets too soft while you’re cutting, then put it back in the fridge until it’s firm again.
These sound great! My son has been begging to make gingerbread men but we can’t use coconut flour-do you have a suggestion for adapting this recipe? Thanks!
Carrie, is there a good subsitute for almond flour? We are nut allergic. Thanks!
I haven’t tested it yet, but I would try 1/3 cup coconut flour, 1/3 cup tapioca flour and 1/3 cup arrowroot flour for each cup of almond flour in the recipe.
Thank you Carrie…when I try this I will post my results!
I can think of a couple of little girls at my house who would LOVE to make this recipe! My oldest daughter’s kindergarten class is making the classic graham cracker gingerbread houses in class later this month; I’m sure she would love to make one out of a cookie she can actually eat. I’m sure you had fun making yours, too!
Unsoaked almond flour does not agree with me. Is there another flour you can substitute?
I haven’t tested this recipe with other flours. You can always soak, dehydrate and then grind up the almonds to make your own flour.
Absolutely ADORABLE! You are so creative! I love your pretty gingerbread house and gingerbread boys! What a fun and festive way to start the holiday season! xo
Hi, I just got your book and I can’t wait to start cooking.
For this recipe,Can I use a different flour? I am allergic to almonds.
Thanks
Claudine
Thank you!!!! My son came from school asking to make ginger bread men, and I was so happy that I saw the recipe on your website. We made them yesterday, and now even I can enjoy a cookie with my coffee. Speaking of you recipes: one of the few websites that provides recipes that really work and turn out as promised. After I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, I went ahead and ordered your cook-book. And I don’t even generally like muffins or anything pumpkin (I needed to utilize left over baked pumpkin)! Great job!
Thank you for the kind words! I really appreciate the feedback. I’m so glad you could make gingerbread men and enjoy them with your son! 🙂
My son begged me to make gingerbread cookies this evening so we used your recipe. I’m not normally a fan of the gingerbread flavor but these were great! Slightly crisp around the edges and soft in the middle…just the way I like a cookie to be. Couldn’t tell a difference whatsoever that they were grain free. Great job!
How should the cookies be stored and how long are they good for?
Thanks for this recipe, Carrie. Really delicious — we live on an organic farm in the mountains in Spain, and gingerbread cookies aren’t known here. Rather, turrón and marzipan treats. Fun to be able to enjoy your recipe here. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
These turned out beautifully!! I used the Williams Sonoma icing recipe and it turned out great, even without the cream of tartar I did not have on hand. One note: I found the molasses flavor quite strong so next year I might sub some of it out for maple syrup or honey.