This is a guest post by my friend Danielle. I tried some of Danielle’s gingerbread men, and let me tell you, these things are delicious! I love the flavor and chewiness of the cookie. Plus, they’re just adorable, aren’t they?
by Danielle McKinney
This recipe for gluten-free, grain-free gingerbread is adapted from a food blog based out of Yorkshire, Gluten Free SCD and Veggie. These gingerbread men are slightly soft and chewy with a sweet and spicy flavor that you’ll love – and will make your house smell like Christmas no matter when you make them!
If possible, use a darker honey (such as buckwheat) or even molasses to create a much deeper flavor.
Gingerbread Men (Grain Free)
Ingredients
- 10 dates
- 1/3 cup honey (for vegan option, use agave nectar)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons ginger
- 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/3 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
Instructions
Date paste
- Soak pitted dates in warm water until soft (30 minutes up to 3 hours).
- Place dates in food processor or blender and blend until smooth; if necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons water to create a smooth paste. See note.
Gingerbread Men
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Pour honey, spices, and 2 Tablespoons of date paste to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until the edges begin to bubble slightly. Remove from heat and stir in oil until absorbed.
- Add baking soda.
- Add salt to mixture, then slowly stir in almond flour. If necessary, use your hands to roll into a smooth, moist ball of dough. Allow to cool to room temperature – refrigerate if desired to speed things up.
- Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment paper until about ¼ inch thick. Cut out gingerbread men or desired shape; collect extra dough, re-roll, and cut out until all dough has been used up.
- Bake on lined cookie sheet at 350 for 7-9 minutes. Time will vary based on the size of your cookies, so keep an eye on them. Cookies are done when they feel firm to the touch and a light touch leaves no imprint. Allow to cool on tray for 15-20 minutes, then remove to cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
This will leave you with extra date paste that’s great for smoothies or other baked goods. If your food processor is small enough, you only need about 5 dates for this recipe; otherwise, you’ll need about 10 to chop it fine enough.
Danielle is married to Ryan and is the happy mom of baby Rory and a turtle named Grimace. She has been successfully following the specific carbohydrate diet since 2011 to treat Crohn’s Disease and loves to cook and bake items that are delicious and healthy!
These look beautiful and delicious! I put this on my list of recipes to make 🙂
xo,
-Cassidy
These look so lovely! I’ll have to try your adapted version Danielle, I’m so pleased you’ve worked with it!
Would this be good without the dates?
No, the dates are necessary in this recipe.
Does you use fresh ginger?
No, it’s ground ginger in a spice bottle.
I am learning to cook gluten free and I love recipes
What would you suggest as a substitute for almond flour? Can’t have nuts 🙁 do you think a mix of different light gluten free flours would work or sunflower seed flour?
I don’t know of a good substitute. It would probably be best to find a gluten-free recipe that doesn’t use almond flour. I’m sorry I don’t have one to offer.
Can you substitute prunes for the dates? And also can you use another type of flour besides almond flour, which is expensive.
These turned out excellent. I found it really does help to gradually add in the oil, as 2 tablespoons were plenty. Bf loved these.
Baking these now for my almost 13 year old daughter who is on the SCD for her Crohn’s. Although she has been on the diet for nearly 11 months, this is her first Christmas on it, so I am trying to find recipes for sweets that make it seem like Christmas. These should help out! Thanks for sharing!
These are amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
I added molasses btw, and used the whole package of dates because my recipe was 3.5x this. They worked great, refrigerated overnight for the dough. Plus add coconut / almond flour on the surface to dust.