How To Make Vegan Gingerbread Men

Gingerbread men are a delicious and tasty treat that can be enjoyed all year round, not just at Christmas! 

There are plenty of ways that you can go about creating a vegan take on this well-known treat in a way that is just as delectable as the regular gingerbread recipes, whilst also being a healthier option.

How To Make Vegan Gingerbread Men

There is literally nothing not to like about vegan gingerbread men!

If you are looking for a way to create some decadent vegan gingerbread, then keep reading as we are going to be looking at a simple and easy-to-follow vegan gingerbread man recipe!

Let’s get started. 

Ingredients

Before we get into the recipe, let’s first take a look at the ingredients that you will need to get started. There are certain ingredients that are essential, whilst others are only optional. 

Essential Ingredients

  • Baking Soda or Bicarbonate of Soda: This will give your gingerbread men a little bit of some much-needed rise. 
  • Brown Sugar: Any sugar will work for this recipe, but brown sugar will give the cookie a darker look.
  • Gingerbread Spices: There are various ways that you can add that spiced taste to your gingerbread men, but the amount of spice that you add is all down to personal preference. Some of the best ways to create that gingerbread spice include nutmeg, cinnamon, and- of course- ginger! Use as little or as much as you so choose, or a combination of all three at varying levels. 
  • Golden Syrup: Golden syrup adds a touch of sweetness to your gingerbread men without being too overpowering. You can also switch out the syrup for molasses too if you so choose.
  • Oil Or Vegan Butter: Whichever one you choose is completely up to you, as both work completely fine and are able to offer that smooth and buttery biscuit flavor. If you are considering opting for vegan butter, one great choice is Naturli vegan butter, as it is an entirely organic option that uses the best quality of ingredients without sacrificing the buttery flavor. 
  • Plain or All-Purpose Flour: Either style of flour will work fine for your gingerbread men, but if you are looking for an option of flour that removes all gluten from the equation, then gluten-free flour also works well. 

Optional Ingredients

  • Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar: If you are looking for a way to appropriately decorate your gingerbread men cookies without sacrificing the vegan-friendly nature of the baked goods, then using powdered sugar or icing sugar is an excellent way to do so. It gives you the opportunity to dress up your gingerbread men a little bit, and can also make them look particularly festive if you are making them for the holiday season. 
  • Edible Silver Balls: Another great decorative option for the festive period, edible silver balls make for a fun way to decorate gingerbread men, such as by using them as buttons on their bodies or as their eyes. Mix and match these up with other sweets to create a unique take on the gingerbread man cookie. Just make sure to double-check all of the ingredients of your chosen sweets before you use them to ensure that they are definitely vegan friendly. 

Vegan Gingerbread Men Recipe

Vegan Gingerbread Men Recipe
  • Make sure that you have all of your ingredients at the ready, as well as something to stir the mixture with and a high-quality rolling pin. You will also want to have some cookie cutters to hand so that you are ready to cut out your gingerbread men once the dough is ready. 
  • Once everything is present and accounted for, begin the process by adding the vegan butter or the oil with the flour. 
  • Mix up the flour and the butter/oil until it creates a consistency similar to that of breadcrumbs. 
  • Now that you have your breadcrumb-like mixture, add in the salt and the brown sugar. 
  • Next up, you will want to start heating up your golden syrup or molasses in a pan. 
  • Begin to add your chosen spices- ginger, nutmeg etc- into the pan with the golden syrup and stir them together to warm the mixture through. 
  • When the mixture is appropriately warmed, pour this syrupy mixture into the flour, butter, salt, and sugar mixture. 
  • Combine everything together thoroughly using your chosen tool for stirring. 
  • Keep stirring it up until the mixture becomes a soft and smooth ball of dough. 
  • Remove the mixture from the bowl and lay it out on a clean surface.
  • Grab your rolling pin and begin to roll out the dough until it becomes completely smooth and flat. 
  • Your dough is now ready! 
  • Next, grab your chosen cookie cutters and begin to cut your shapes out of the vegan gingerbread dough. 
  • Once your shapes are all cut out in the way that you want, you should be ready to pop them in the oven. 
  • Place them in the oven on a baking tray and bake the gingerbread men at around 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit or gas mark 4). They will need to be baked for around 15 minutes and then left to cool for another 10 to 15 minutes or so. The cookies will harden as they cool, which will make it easier for you to decorate them. 
  • Your gingerbread men are now ready to decorate if you so choose! This is an optional step, though, so you can always just start enjoying your vegan gingerbread men immediately if you would rather. 

Final Thoughts

So there you have a simple and delicious recipe for making vegan gingerbread men! 

Whether you are making them for the holiday season or just feel like baking up a batch of delicious vegan cookies for you and your friends and family to enjoy, these gingerbread men are sure to be a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike (Check out this Breakfast Cookie Recipe which uses carrots, ginger and raisins here)!

Kimberly Kidd
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