Gluten-Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

What could possibly be better than gluten-free gingerbread cookies? Why Gluten-Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies of course!

Seriously, if you have never been very excited about gingerbread cookies before or you think everything is better with chocolate added, you’re in for an incredibly wonderful surprise with these Gluten-Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies!

These cookies are delightfully chocolate—but not too chocolatey—and not overly spicy either. They have the perfect amount of chocolate flavor and the perfect amount of spice.

Plus, of course, they are cut-out cookies. We all love cut-out cookies for the holidays!

I know that the very artfully iced cut-out cookies get the most attention—and I am right there with you ooh-ing and aah-ing over them! However, when I am making cut-out cookies myself, I almost always go for plain, un-frosted cookies.

Sometimes with just a handful of minimally frosted and sprinkled cookies in the mix. For visual appeal, you know. Never anything fancy. As you can see from my photos here.

Although I rarely make cut-out cookies, I have so many cookie cutters that I have collected over the years and I love them all.

Cookie cutters that are applicable for different seasons (you’ll be able to see most of the Christmas cookie cutters I have by looking at these photos) and some that are appropriate for all seasons (e.g., heart, house, dog, cat).

The mini Christmas cookies shown are made from cutters from a fairly new set. I could not resist their cute size or the assortment of cutters. I think the mittens are my favorite.

This size of cookie is ideal for those who just want a nibble of cookie goodness. They can also satisfy your baker’s need for “a taste” as you bake without really reducing your overall cookie yield!

I adapted this recipe from one on the Bark & Bradley Moose Cookie Cutter package. It’s easy and the dough is wonderful. It’s really great to work with, too, which is not always a given with cut-out cookie dough. 

My late father-in-law’s nickname was Moose so I bought the cookie cutter, which came with the recipe and spice package, and made the gluten-full version for him long, long ago. This same cookie cutter (and other cookie cutters from the same company) is now available as a vintage purchase on sites like Etsy.

Which cookie cutters will you be using this holiday season? I’d love to hear about them and what you think of these Gluten-Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies!

More Gluten-Free Christmas Recipes You Should Check Out

~ Gluten-Free Cappuccino Cookies

~ Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies You’ll Want To Make Right Now(the last installment of my series)

~ Gluten-Free Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

~ The Softest Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls

~ Sweet Ginger Sriracha Roasted Cashews

Gluten-Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Yield: 4 dozen average-sixed cut-out cookies

Gluten-Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

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If you have never been very excited about gingerbread cookies before or you
think everything is better with chocolate added, you’re in for an incredibly
wonderful surprise with these Gluten-Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies! These cookies are delightfully chocolate---but not too chocolatey---and not overly spicy either. They have the perfect amount of each.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 43 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened (dairy or non-dairy; I have used soy-free Earth Balance successfully)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup molasses
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I always use my homemade vanilla extract)
• 3 ½ cups gluten-free flour mix (I use my Two-Ingredient Gluten-Free Flour Mix)
• 1 ¾ tsp xanthan gum
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground ginger

Icing Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 to 4 tbsp water, or more if needed

Instructions

! Cookie Instructions

1. Add butter to a large mixing bowl. Cream with a wooden spoon or mixer. (If using a mixer, use it minimally. Don't whip the butter or the butter and the sugar in the next step.)
2. Add sugar to butter, creaming them together until mixed.
3. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla extract, beating until well mixed.
4. Add gluten-free flour mix, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger all a little at a time and slowly mixing well.
5. Seal mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
6. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
7. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out onto parchment paper (or a lightly floured surface) to about 1/8-inch to ¼-inch thickness.
8. Dip each cookie cutter into gluten-free flour mix immediately before you use it to cut out a cookie. After cutting out all your cookies for your baking sheet, save scraps and add back to existing cookie dough, using a wooden spoon or your hands to recombine the dough.
9. Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets leaving a small amount of space between them.
10. Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes until almost firm. (Tiny cookies like the ones shown only take about 6 minutes.) Do not overbake.
11. If you use parchment paper, you can leave the cookies on baking sheets to cool rather than moving them to a wire rack. The less moving the better IMHO, especially if you have a more fragile cookie design.
12. Cool cookies completely before icing.

Icing Instructions

1. Whisk together water and powdered sugar, adding more water until you get the consistency you want.
2. Dip front of each cookie in icing or spoon icing on cookie where you want it, and then transfer iced cookies to a drying spot (e.g., wire rack). Top with sprinkles or other decorations as desired. Let stand 1 hour or until set.
   
   

Notes

Adapted from recipe on the Bark & Bradley Moose Cookie Cutter package.

When I halve this recipe, I beat the egg in a small bowl and use 2 tablespoons as my “half” egg (reserving the other half for another dish later that day or cooking it right away as a treat for my dog). The half egg method works great.

You may need to let the dough sit out just a few minutes after removing it from the fridge before rolling it out. If you can’t cut out all your cookies within a few minutes, you’ll want to stick your dough back in the fridge.

I have chilled my dough overnight before and had no issues but if you are chilling your dough more than an hour, you do have to make sure that your dough is completely covered and sealed well with plastic wrap. You do not want it to dry out. Also, having your dough chilled that long does mean that it will need a few more minutes on the counter to “unchill” some before you roll it out.

When storing your cookies, place the frosted cookies in a separate container from the unfrosted ones as the moisture of the frosting tends to soften the cookies some.

Did you make this recipe?

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