This easy recipe for healthy Ginger Cookies is ready in less than 30 minutes and is going to be your new favorite Christmas dessert! These are gluten-free and Paleo friendly, nicely spiced with ginger, soft and chewy inside, and made healthier with almond flour.
Want to make your own flour for this recipe? Here's how to make almond flour - it's easy!
Taste: This healthy gluten-free alternative to the classic gingerbread cookie tastes as delicious as they should - buttery and perfectly spiced with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Texture: Instead of crunchy and crispy, these are soft and chewy inside, and have that nice crinkled top we expect from a homemade soft-baked ginger cookie.
Diet info: These are gluten-free, grain-free and Paleo. They're low-carb, and with minor adjustments you can make this recipe Keto and diabetic friendly. For Vegan, making it dairy-free and replacing the egg is a breeze 😉
⭐️ Featured review
"These are the best ginger cookies I've ever tasted. I used coconut oil instead of butter and they turned out fab." -- Viv (see comment)
Ingredient notes
Because this ginger cookie recipe is Paleo and Gluten-free, we will be using healthy sweeteners and flours. Also, they're are made without molasses and wheat flour.
- Almond flour: The best grain-free Paleo flour for baking! Here it binds well with the wet ingredients and creates a thick, soft and chewy cookie, a little more nutty tasting compared to the original but absolutely delicious.
- Unrefined coconut sugar: No molasses is needed! Coconut sugar helps keep the cookies sweet, moist and chewy while adding a touch of nutrients from vitamin C, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc and copper.
It would be nice to make these using no sugar, but it's the holidays and adding a sweetener really helps with flavor and texture. Very little is added though, keeping them low-carb and just sweet enough.
Substitutions you can make
- Almond flour - use a gluten-free oatmeal (not Paleo) or finely ground pumpkin or sunflower seed flour. Coconut flour will not work.
- Spices - replace ground ginger with about 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger.
- For Vegan - replace butter with coconut oil, organic palm shortening or Vegan butter. And instead of adding an egg, use flax egg or 2 tablespoons of almond butter to help bind the ingredients.
- For Keto - make it sugar free by substituting coconut sugar with xylitol or golden monk fruit sweetener, and either omit the honey or replace it with maple keto syrup.
Note: There are many more possible substitutions you can make to fit your dietary needs. So be sure to read the comments below to see how people have adjusted the recipe.
How to make it
The full written recipe is below, but let’s walk through the steps so you feel confident when baking these gluten-free ginger cookies with healthier ingredients.
- Mix together dry ingredients. Start by mixing with a spatula in a large bowl the almond flour, coconut sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
- Whisk together wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together using a whisk or handheld mixer the wet ingredient (butter, honey, water, egg). Be sure to use softened butter or coconut oil.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients together. With your spatula, make the dough by mixing together the wet and dry ingredients.
- Roll the dough balls. Roll the dough into balls (about 1 ½ tablespoons per ball), and place them 2-inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat flattening each cookie with the palm of your hand.
Note about step 4 above: It's a good idea to chill the dough in the freezer before rolling for 40 minutes to 1 hour. This is optional but recommended so it's easier to handle.
- Bake and serve. Finally, bake in a preheated oven to 350°F for about 10 minutes or until the bottom and edges start to turn brown. Then, transfer the cookies onto a wire rack to cool.
Baking tips
- Be sure to use finely ground and blanched almond flour for a lighter texture and best results.
- For an extra punch, make triple ginger cookies by adding ground, fresh and crystallized ginger. In addition, add ¼ teaspoon each of ground cloves and all spice.
- Make your very own vanilla extract and add 2 teaspoons for flavor. So amazing and easy, you’ll find yourself never buying it from the store again!
- Make ahead - make the cookie dough ahead of time and keep it frozen or refrigerated until ready to bake. Allow it to come to room temperature or bake while still chilled.
- Dip and roll the dough balls in a sweet ginger-sugar mixture coating all sides before baking to spice it up and sprinkle extra on top if desired.
Ginger-sugar mixture: mix together ¼ cup coconut sugar + 1 teaspoon ground ginger + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Storage
To keep your cookies fresh, store in a glass/plastic sealed container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
Can they be frozen? Yes, freeze the dough or the baked cookies in a plastic sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen dough and bake as directed or if already baked, eat them frozen or reheat in the microwave or oven at 350°F for 5 to 10 minutes.
🙋♀️ FAQs
Yes. You'll need a rolling pin and gingerbread cookie cutter. Roll the chilled dough evenly on a piece of parchment paper to ¼-inch thick. Then cut out gingerbread men, re-rolling and chilling the dough as needed to cut out more. Bake and decorate as desired.
Note: Even though you can roll and cut the dough, this recipe makes softer, chewier and not quite as crumbly cookies as traditional gingerbread or ginger snaps.
Although I chose to make these healthy ginger cookies without molasses, you can add it for a deep, dark molasses flavor. Simply substitute the coconut sugar and honey with ½ cup, mixing it together with the wet ingredients in step 2 of the recipe.
In particular, unsulfered blackstrap molasses is a healthier nutrient dense and Paleo approved sweetener with a lower sugar content and high in vitamins and minerals.
Take a look at those crackled tops, don't they look delicious? I wish the lens on my camera could capture the amazing warm freshly-baked smell too!
These have just the right amount of ginger flavor, even for kids, and are an excellent healthy alternative for your celebrations this holiday season. Read the reviews below - you'll be amazed at how much people love this recipe.
After you make them, I want to see your photos and know what you think, so please comment below, I love hearing from you. Happy Holidays! – Adriana 🧡
Here're more holiday dessert ideas to inspire your healthy, gluten-free and Paleo baking creations!
Recipe video
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Recipe
Soft and Chewy Healthy Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cup (286g) blanched almond flour
- ½ cup (68g) unrefined coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine Himalayan salt
- 6 tablespoons (80g) pastured butter, soften, or coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons (57g) raw honey, or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (26g) water
- 1 egg, room temperature
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together with a spatula the almond flour, coconut sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together with a handheld mixer or whisk the butter, honey and water. Then whisk in the egg until combined.
- Using a spatula, mix dry and wet ingredients together. Do not over mix.
- Cover and freeze dough for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until it's easy to handle.
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the chilled dough into balls (about 1 ½ tablespoons per ball), and place each 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each cookie with the palm of your hand.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottom and edges start to turn brown, then set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- For dairy-free substitute the butter with coconut oil or palm shortening.
- For an extra punch, add ground, fresh and crystallized ginger. In addition, add ¼ teaspoon each of ground cloves and all spice.
- Make ahead - make the cookie dough ahead of time and keep it frozen or refrigerated until ready to bake. Allow it to come to room temperature or bake while still chilled.
-
Dip and roll the dough balls in a sweet ginger-sugar mixture coating all sides before baking to spice it up and sprinkle extra on top if desired.
- Ginger-sugar mixture: mix together ¼ cup coconut sugar + 1 teaspoons ground ginger + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Nutrition per serving
This recipe was originally published on Dec 4, 2014 and this post has been updated with new information and photos. No adjustment were made to the original recipe.
