Vegan and gluten-free gingerbread cookies, made with a base of hazelnut and coconut flour, are a nice healthy-ish treat for the holidays. Decorate for edible ornaments or enjoy these lightly sweet spiced cookies as is.
Place the coconut oil and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat on high speed until fluffy and lightened in colour, a couple of minutes. Add the date syrup (or molasses) and beat again to combine.
Add a tablespoon of milk and mix with a wooden spoon. The dough should be crumbly but hold its shape when pressed with your hand – think shortbread. Add another tablespoon of milk if needed.
1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Use your hands to gather the dough and press it into a disc. Place the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, top with another sheet, then roll it out to an approximately 20×30 cm (8×12 inch) rectangle.
Cut the dough into your desired cookie shapes. The cutters used here are 5 cm (2 inches) across – if yours are larger, baking for a minute longer.
Lift the bottom sheet of parchment paper and place the rolled out dough onto a large baking sheet. Remove the excess dough (set it aside to roll out again). Space the cookies with 2-3 cm (1 inch) between them – they shouldn’t spread.
Chill for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator or ten minutes in the freezer.
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to cool fully on a rack. Ice if desired.
The cookies will keep in an airtight container for about two weeks in a cool place, and freeze well.
Notes
• The cookies will be soft when first out of the oven but will crisp as they cool.