Gingerbread Men
When I was working as a pastry chef, making gingerbread was part of our weekly production schedule. We used to make the most amazing gingerbread houses glued together with chocolate or royal icing. They were so big that you could almost walk through one of the doors and sit down inside them. The cookie dough was pretty durable so it could hold up for about 4 weeks before the walls started caving in and it was made from a base of white flour, butter, eggs. spices and sugar.
These days I still love making gingerbread, but in a smaller cookie form and in a much healthier way than the original. They are easy for kids to make and wonderful as presents or Christmas tree decorations too. I’ve replaced the white flour with ground almonds, which give these gingerbread a wonderful flavor and slightly softer texture than traditional versions. Almonds also increase the nutrient profile so each cookie is full of protein as well as being lower in refined sugar. The butter has been replaced by cold pressed olive oil, which is healthier for the heart and acts as an anti-inflammatory. I’ve used fresh soft pitted dates to sweeten most of my cookie dough then added a combination of honey and molasses which adds a wonderful depth and richness to the gingerbread. Egg white helps bind it together – and without it, the dough becomes crumbly and hard to handle. However it can still be made into smaller round cookies, but not into gingerbread men. It’s important that you rest the dough in the fridge or freezer for a bit to harden up a tad which will make them easier to handle and form into shapes. Keep in mind that this gluten free cookie dough is only suitable for making cookies, not houses. I’ve also added a spelt flour recipe to the bottom of this page for you to enjoy.
GLUTEN FREE GINGERBREAD MEN
280 g (2 3/4 cups) almond meal (ground almonds)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
4 fresh soft pitted dates (60 g)
50 ml cold pressed olive oil, macadamia or coconut oil
40 g honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
1 egg white
Combine almond meal, dates and spices in a food processor.
Process until combined and mix is crumbly.
Add olive oil, honey (+molasses if using), vanilla + egg white.
Process again until a soft dough forms.
Remove the dough and flatten down slightly between 2 pieces of grease-proof paper (baking paper) – about 3 mm thick (1/8 inch).
Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the dough to firm up. If in a hurry, place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Cut out into shapes with a gingerbread cutter and place cookies onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bake at 150 C. for 30 minutes or until golden.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Makes 10
Protein: 6 g
Total fat: 20 g
Saturated: 1.7 g
Carbs: 6.3 g
fiber: 2.7 g
calories: 230
kilojoules: 961
To decorate, melt a little white chocolate and spoon into a small home made piping bag made from the baking paper. Cut the tip to let a little chocolate run out then decorate gingerbread with smily faces and buttons.
NOTE: These gingerbread cookies made from ground almonds are for cookies only. For wholemeal spelt gingerbread and for those with nut allergies use the following recipe:
SPELT GINGERBREAD RECIPE:
280 g wholemeal spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
100 g soft fresh pitted dates (about 6)
100 ml cold pressed olive oil
80 g honey or (60 g honey + 20 g molasses)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white
Combine all the ingredients as per the above instructions for the gingerbread. Allow 1 hour rest time in the fridge before cutting out into shapes and cooking.
Makes 10.
Nutrition using wholemeal spelt
Protein: 3.8 g
Total fat: 10 g
Saturated: 1.5 g
carbs: 26 g
fiber: 3.6 g
calories: 216
kilojoules: 903
Contact Teresa Cutter
Teresa, you have just made my day. I am a mad crazed gingerbread fan and now I can eat it to my hearts content and feel virtuous whilst doing it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the absolute best! xx Megan
Love it! Thank you.
Definitely making these on the weekend needed an idea for my son’s friends at daycare and at least I can make it allergy-friendly
Yay!!!!! Thank you – cant wait to try them!
Thanks for the spelt version. It’s great to have a nut-free option because our kids go to school and daycare which have banned nut products from packed lunches due to allergy concerns.
Yes Tracey…will always try and post the 2 versions if possible for the school kids lunch box.
These sound fantastic, I can’t wait to make these for christmas
Alex and Milo and I have just put our trays of gingerbread men in the oven. Alex insisted that he wanted chocolate gingerbread men, so we’ve added a bit of cacao powder! They smell divine and look very cute. We used dried cranberries for eyes, cashews for smiles and pistachios for buttons! Yummy!
Hi Teresa, I am wondering wether this recipe can be used to make
a gingerbread house? If so what quantities would be needed?
Are you planning on making a gingerbread house yourself?
Thanks!
Hey Elle
the recipe using almond meal is too delicate to make a large house. You will need to use the spelt flour version recipe below:)
Hi Teresa, can’t wait to try these recipes. Just wondering how much 40g of honey is in tablespoons or cup measures. Thanks
Sarah
About 1 tablespoon Sarah…that should do it.
Loving the healthier versions of Christmas treats! Had been excitedly waiting for this one!
A fruit mince pie recipe would be absolutely amazing too
Hi Teresea, I am looking at making these for my clients, how long will these stay fresh for??
Mel
Thank you
1 week Melissa….store or wrap well as soon as they have cooled and they will be delicious:)
Hi, could I add a scoop of vanilla protein powder to increase protein content?
Never tried it Patrycja – you could try and see. In my opinion, the almonds are a lovely natural source of protein and one scoop of protein powder would only raise it up 1-2 grams or so. You may be better off having the cookies with a glass of your favourite milk.
OMG I have made two batches of these and they are AMAZING!! Thank you so so much x
Hi there, Cant wait to try these and maybe give a few wrapped up as gifts… How long woul they last in air tight container? Thank you
Around 2 weeks Cass
Hi Teresa, I do not have a food processor, mine broke. Can i do these by hand?
Thanks, Amanda
Hey Amanda, You may an issue with the dates in the recipe as they are chopped into the mix. Leave them out and add 1 – 2 tablespoons of molasses or honey to compensate.
Mine were a disaster – didn’t have honey so used just molasses, completely over baked them and then they got stuck inside cookie cutter – too much molasses …oops
Hey Kate. Don’t give up on making these. They are very simple. Don’t forget to throw your cookie dough into the fridge or freezer to firm up before cutting into gingerbread men. You need to watch these carefully. They get brown very quickly. Turn down your oven a notch too….
x
Success with the 2nd batch
Thanks Teresa
Hi Teresa
Is it okay to substitute rice malt syrup for the honey.
Yes Sandra
Hi Teresa,
These look great! Could you use coconut flour in replacement of the spelt flour/almond meal?
Thanks
Hi Teresa!
You are my saviour at the moment! I’m on a Candida cleanse and cannot have any yeast, fruit, sugar, wheat, spelt, coffee, dairy etc ….the list goes on! I really want to make these and i am going to substitute the honey/maple with yacon syrup- is there anything i can use instead of the dates? Can i put more syrup in? Thank you!! xx
Add a touch more Yacon and you’ll be great
x
Hello – Gingerbread is a favorite of mine – alas I cannot eat eggs – any substitutions for the egg white in this recipe – I love your site and would love to try and make these too!
Hi teresa
i love ginger bread but with more kick!
i made these and loved them but any chance i can increase the ginger or cinnamon to give them more power?
if so can you tell me how much? and do i have to alter everything or just the spices?
Yes you can for sure Rebecca. Increase spices by 1/2…..taste the dough and add another 1/2 if you need to. The flavour develops after cooking so it’ best to increase in smaller amounts. T:)