Gingerbread cookies- Wheat and Gluten-Free Recipe

 

I used to be totally thrilled by this recipe-- it rolled out great and the house smelled like Christmas as the cookies baked, and then, of course, they tasted delicious.  (See notes and attribution at bottom of recipe.)

NOW-- today-- in 2026, I am not longer a distributor for any essential oil company. In fact, I hardly own or use any essential oils. I have come to believe (now, this might just be me-- do your own research-- ask the health carepeople you trust) I feel that using as many essential oils as I did over about 15 years, I may have done some damage to my breathing apparatus (my lungs).  Today, at 76 years old, I am less extreme in my habits. I prefer fresh outdoor sea air (and I do live near the sea) to little bottles of highly condensed essential oils and the vapors they give off.  I prefer fresh flowers and the flowers blooming in my garden. I am fairly frugal with teh spices and herbs I sprinkle in baking and soups. And I personally feel lmore balanced in my life.  I have kept the essential oils in this recipe, but personally, I use only organic spices these days, and not so much either. A little goes a long way.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups organic brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups arrowroot powder
1 1/2 cups amaranth flour
3 T. organic baking powder
2 t. organic cinnamon powder (make sure it is genuine cinnamon)
10 drops Young Living Ginger Essential Oil* (I grind up a thumb-sized piece of gingerr)
5   drops Young Living Nutmeg Essential Oil* (I use just a pinch of nutmeg spice)
5   drops Young Living Clove Essential Oil* (I don't use cloves in any form)
1 1/2 cups Organic Cane Sugar
1/2 cup organic applesauce
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, melted in a cup in a bowl of hot water
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
2 T. vanilla
coconut oil, for oiling cookie sheets or you can use a silicone sheet on top of a pizza pan like I did-- no extra oil needed and the cookies don't stick at all.

*ONLY USED ESSENTIAL OILS THAT WERE SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND ONLY IN SMALL SMALL QUANTITIES!!! If you do not have SUCH Essential Oils, I would suggest using the actual whole food items: raw ginger, nutmeg powder, cloves.

Decorator's Frosting
 In bowl or VitaMix (what I did), combine together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, amaranth flour, baking powder, and cinnamon,  and set aside. Pour into a small bowl (if you are using the VitaMix).  Place the remaining "wet" ingredients in the VitaMix and combine. Pour into a large bowl. 

 Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir well to combine.

 Cover the bowl, place it in the refrigerator, and chill the dough for 1 hour or more.  (I left mine overnight in my cool sideroom).   

Using a little oil, lightly oil (or mist with oil) two non-stick cookie sheets and set aside. Sprinkle a little arrowroot over a work surface (I didn't bother with this step). 

Divide the chilled dough into quarters, work with only one quarter of the dough at a time, and keep the remaining dough covered and chilled until needed. Working in batches, roll out the quarter of dough to 1/4-inch thickness, and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

 Carefully transfer the cut cookies to the prepared cookie sheet. 

Bake them at 350 degrees for 6 minutes (the cookies will feel slightly soft to the touch). Allow them to cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. 

Repeat the rolling and cutting-out procedure for the remaining cookie dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

To make Gingerbread People: Cut the dough using a person-shaped cookie cutter. Carefully transfer the cut cookies to the prepared cookie sheets...

To make Glazed Gingerbread Cookies: Cut cookies as desired and bake as directed above.

 Prepare the Decorator's Frosting and use it to decorate the completely cooled

 cookies, as desired. 

Allow the frosting to set completely before transferring the cookies to an airtight container.

Yield: 3 - 4 Dozen

NOTES AND ATTRIBUTION

I got it from the Veganchef.com but I made some adjustments-- I did not use any baking soda and increased the baking powder to 3 T. and therefore left out the salt (I'm a low salt eating plan).  I used some essential oils instead of all dry spices.  I substituted extra virgin coconut oil for the safflower oil called for in the original recipe.  I also used a great silicone sheet that meant the cookies did not stick as they cooked and popped off nicely.  You can search on the Veganchef.com site for the original recipe if you want a more traditional take. :

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Disclaimer:This blog reflects my own personal beliefs about the health benefits of being gluten-free. I am not a Medical or Health Care professional and any information or products contained in this blog are not meant to replace your responsibility to consult with the appropriate health care provider about your own circumstances and concerns.

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🥤 Article and photos © 2026 Cynthia Zirkwitz | Organic Granny
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