Superfood Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Hello, gluten-free ginger snaps! This soft ginger cookies recipe yields the ultimate healthy gluten-free cookies, aka superfood cookies. Enjoy the gluten-free gingerbread cookies today! 

You guys know how I have a sweet tooth. And when I’ve been in my house pretty much 24/7 because of the coronavirus pandemic, I’ve found myself baking…a lot.

Of course, the registered dietitian nutritionist in me needs to whip up healthy-ish recipes, enter these power cookies. They remind me of gingerbread men!

Made with lots and lots of good-for-you ingredients, these gluten-free ginger cookies are really, really tasty but without a ton of added sugar—and no butter. Read on to find out how to make ‘em!

By the way, each cookie is just 120 calories and boasts 3 grams of filling protein!

Thanks to the folks at NOW® for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own, as always.

Why gingersnaps in July?

Before I tell you how to make this gingersnap cookie recipe, you might be wondering why I decided to make these gluten-free gingerbread cookies in the summer!

Well, I’ll tell you why. This year has been so out of whack. I mean, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, my destination wedding got canceled, and I’ve been stuck at home going on 100-plus days now. I’ve actually lost count.

So if nothing is normal right now, why not enjoy some comfort food and Christmas holiday goodness in the summer?

Also, ginger helps soothe your tummy. And I don’t know about you, but all the yoga and meditation in the world isn’t keeping me from getting an anxiety-induced tummy ache every now and then.

Plus, when I was a magazine editor way back when, my favorite time of year was Christmas in July.

I got to go to all the holiday previews in the summer sunshine, get my picture taken with Santa Claus, and unwrap presents…and then do it all over again (without the Santa photo opp!) come December.

Not that you need an excuse to eat gingerbread in summer, but there you go!

Ingredients

These gluten-free gingerbread cookies are so easy to make. I’ve had friends ask me how I get my gluten-free baked goods to be moist and tasty, and the key is creating the perfect balance of ingredients.

Here’s what I included in these chewy ginger gluten-free almond cookies.

Flour

I used two types of flour in this ginger cookie recipe. I used a cup of LivingNow’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, which is a blend of white rice flour, brown rice flour, organic tapioca flour, potato starch, potato flour, and cellulose.

I’ve found that using a really good all-purpose gluten-free baking flour is really key for creating quality gluten-free baked goods. I also used a cup of NOW’s Organic Almond Flour. This flour adds significant protein and fiber to the recipe.

Beet sugar

Have you ever cooked with beet sugar? It performs pretty much the same as cane sugar, and the granulated sugar is extracted from sugar beets. I used NOW’s Organic Beet Sugar.

You don’t need to roll these ginger cookies in sugar, rather you’ll sprinkle them with a sugar-and-spice mixture before popping them in the oven!

Dark brown sugar

What would ginger cookies be without dark brown sugar? Brown sugar gets its color from the addition of molasses. I’ve cooked with a lot of brown sugars, and I’m really a fan of the rich texture of NOW’s Organic Dark Brown Sugar.

The dark brown sugar performs better in this recipe than maple syrup would, because these gluten-free gingerbread cookies require a minimal amount of liquid.

Flax seed meal

I have a few hidden ingredients in these gluten-free ginger snaps. One of them is NOW’s Organic Flax Seed Meal.

The seeds are perfectly ground to blend into the cookies, and they add a lot of nutritional bang. Per 2 ½ Tablespoons, they offer 3 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber!

Hemp hearts

This is another ingredient that helps make this baked good a superfood cookies recipe! Per 3-Tablespoon serving, NOW’s Organic Hemp Seed Hearts offer an amazing 10 grams of protein and 25 percent of the daily value of iron!

Cocoa powder

Want a chocolate-y taste without the addition of actual chocolate chips? Here’s your ingredient, which contains absolutely no added sugar. I used NOW’s Organic Raw Cocoa Powder.

A major benefit of cooking with cocoa powder is that the ingredient supplies lots of naturally occurring polyphenols and flavonols.

I would normally use vanilla extract in a cookie recipe, but you don’t need it with the addition of cocoa powder.

Milk powder

How many times have you opened up a container of milk, used 2 Tablespoons for a recipe, and then had the rest of the jug expire? That’s why I’m a fan of baking with NOW’s Organic Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder. You just need to add some liquid to reconstitute it.

If you want to make these gluten-free gingerbread cookies dairy free, you could substitute the milk powder for a soy milk powder.

Spices

I love adding spices to my recipes because they add great flavor and sweetness but have no added sugar. This recipe boasts ground nutmeg and cloves, which both provide lots of health-helping antioxidants!

Almond butter

I love an almond butter that contains just one ingredient, dry-roasted almonds, which is the case with the Nutty Infusions Roasted Almond Butter.

This ingredient also happens to add lots of nutrients to the gluten-free gingerbread cookie recipe. In a 2-Tablespoon serving, you get 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, as well as several minerals.

Plant margarine

If you think that margarine contains partially hydrogenated oil and trans fats, think again. That version of margarine was so decades ago. Now, plant margarines contain plant-based ingredients that are heart healthy, such as avocado oil and olive oil.

Plant margarine has such a butter-like texture that you wouldn’t know there’s no butter-and-sugar combo in this recipe!

Eggs

I love baking with eggs, as they add so many nutrients to my recipes. You get protein, eye-helping lutein and zeaxanthin, and brain-helping choline!

Crystallized ginger

I have to admit: One of my favorite snacks is  crystallized ginger. It tastes like candy but offers the benefits of ginger. I like that NOW’s Organic Crystallized Ginger Dices is non-sulfured.

Step-by-step instructions

Anyone can make these gluten-free gingerbread cookies, I promise. First, preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, almond flour, ¼ cup beet sugar, brown sugar, flaxseed meal, hemp hearts, cocoa powder, milk powder, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cloves, baking soda, and salt.

Then in a medium mixing bowl, gently mix together the almond butter, margarine, and eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix together. Stir in the crystallized ginger.

Next, in a small bowl, combine remaining beet sugar, nutmeg, and cloves. Spray two large cookie sheets with cooking spray. Using a medium cookie scoop, place cookie dough on the sheets. Use a fork to flatten the cookies.

Sprinkle sugar and spice mixture on top of the cookies, then place in the oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from oven, and place on wire racks to cool.

Now that you know how to make this ginger cookies recipe, how excited are you to make a superfood recipe?

While I eat these cookies for dessert—I often pair one with a decaf espresso—I won’t fault you if you decide to include one in a superfood breakfast!

Recipe FAQ

More superfood recipes

If you love these gluten-free gingerbread cookies, you’ll also enjoy these baked goods:

• Dairy-free orange cake
• Chickpea chocolate chip cookies
• Peanut butter cookies

I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if you make these ginger gluten-free chocolate cookies!