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    Home » Dessert

    Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

    Published: Nov 9, 2021 · Modified: Oct 19, 2022 by Lee · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments .

    Jump to Recipe

    Soft and chewy, these Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday cookie list! The perfect blend of spices with a little sweet icing, no one would ever guess they’re gluten free, nut free, seed free, egg free and easily vegan!

    Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops gluten free Gingerbread Cookies.

    For more cookie recipes, check out my Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies, Black and White Cookies and Vegan Blueberry Cookies.


    I don’t know about your kids, but in my house, Dinosaurs reign supreme. Well, at least with my daughter. 


    She’s wanted to be a paleontologist since she was 2. It was always comical to watch that tiny little human tell other people she’s going to be a paleontologist one day, just like Mary Anning (her paleontological hero). 


    You of course don’t need to use dinosaur cookie cutters (these are the exact ones that I use), but quite frankly I don’t know why you wouldn’t. I’m obsessed! For regular cut out cookies, check out my Cut Out Sugar Cookies!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Substitutions and Variations
    • How to Make Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
    • Expert Baking Tips
    • Other Cookie Recipes You'll Love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies
    Freeing the Dinosaur Cookies from the mold.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Softened butter or vegan baking stick: Don’t use melted. Melted butter tends to make the cookies spread out more and you want them to keep the shape of the cookie cutters.
    • Light brown sugar: The light brown sugar contains some molasses which causes the cookies to be even softer! 
    • Cinnamon: Brings in that sweet yet woodsy flavor.
    • Ginger: It wouldn’t be a gingerbread cookie without this lovely spice!
    • Molasses: Brings that sweet yet smokey and a bit bitter flavor.

    See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

    Substitutions and Variations

    How to Make this Vegan

    • Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
    • Swap out the butter with vegan baking sticks.

    This recipe has not been tested with these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!

    Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops Cookies on a plate.

    How to Make Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

    Step 1: Cream The Sugar

    In a large bowl or an electric mixer or a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter or vegan baking stick until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat until creamy again.

    Step 2: Make the Cornstarch Water

    In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix the cornstarch and water together until it is thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.

    Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients

    Add the cornstarch water mixture and the vanilla to the wet ingredients and beat on high for 2 minutes.

    Step 4: Whisk the Dry Ingredients and add to the Wet

    In a separate large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and beat until just combined. The dough will be thick and a bit sticky.

    Step 5: Make Discs and Chill

    Make two disks with the dough, wrap each one in plastic wrap and chill them for a minimum of 3 hours. I actually froze one of the disks and made the second batch about a week later. If you’re going to freeze one batch, wrap in plastic wrap and then put in a zip top bag. Also it’s a good idea to write the date on the bag of when you made the dough.

    Step 6: Preheat the Oven

    Once the dough is done chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Step 7: Roll the Dough and Cut the Shapes

    Unwrap one of the disks and lightly flour a clean work surface with gluten free flour, as well as your rolling pin and hands. If the dough feels hard and seems to be cracking, I like to work it in sections. Break a piece off and work it in your hands until it is soft. Once it is soft, roll it out till it is ¼ inch thick. Use your dinosaur cookie cutters (these are the exact ones I use) or whatever cookie cutters you like and press into the dough. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

    Step 8: Bake

    Place the cookies about an inch apart on the baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes.

    Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 min or so before removing them. Once they have cooled completely, you can decorate them with icing.

    For the Icing

    Step 1: Whisk the Ingredients

    Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. If the icing seems too thick, add half a tablespoon more water. If it’s too thin, add 2 more tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.

    Step 2: Decorate

    Once the icing is made, spoon it into a zip top bag. Make a very tiny snip at the bottom corner of the bag to squeeze the icing out. Decorate your cookies as desired. The icing does take almost a full 24 hours to set so don't stack the cookies on top of one another until they have hardened completely.

    And there you have it! Deliciously festive Dinosaur Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies that are gluten free, nut free, seed free, egg free and easily dairy free!

    Hope you guys love them as much as we do!

    A gluten free tyrannosaurus Cookie with icing for bones.

    Expert Baking Tips

    • Refrigerate the dough- This is a must with egg free cookies. The dough needs to be chilled for at least 3 hours so that it doesn’t spread all over the place once they bake. Once you shape the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic, pop it in the fridge for 3 hours. 
    • Work the dough in your hands- After the dough is done chilling, if it is too hard to work with and is breaking apart, simply break off a section and work it in your hands until it is soft and you can roll it out. You want to roll it out to about ¼ inch in thickness.
    • Let the cookies cool before decorating- If you put the icing on a hot cookie, it will melt into a giant puddle. 
    • Use a zip top bag for the icing- You don’t need any fancy equipment for decorating these babies! I snipped a tiny corner off of a zip top bag. You can use that and a toothpick if you like to help spread it. 
    • Don’t stack the cookies- The icing takes a good 24 hours to set, make sure you don’t stack them until the icing is dry. 

    Other Cookie Recipes You'll Love

    • Fruity Pebbles Cookies with a bite taken out.
      Fruity Pebbles Cookies
    • Melted chocolate chips on a cinnamon sugared cookie on a plate.
      Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • A Funfetti Cookie with a bite taken out.
      Funfetti Cookies
    • A Sprinkle Sugar Cookie with a bite taken out.
      Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

    Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!

    Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @laneandgreyfare and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube! Enjoy!!! 

    📖 Recipe

    A gluten free tyrannosaurus cookie with icing for bones.

    Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

    Author: Lee
    These Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies are soft, chewy and delish! Best part is, they're gf, nf, seed free, egg free and easily vegan!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 9 minutes mins
    Chill Time 3 hours hrs
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 24 minutes mins
    Course Cookies
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 Cookies
    Calories 189 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the cookies:

    • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
    • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
    • ⅔ cup unsulphured molasses
    • 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 3.5 cups gluten free 1:1 flour (I use a 1:1 gf flour with xanthan gum)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
    • 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    For the icing:

    • 1.5 cups confectioners’ sugar
    • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
    • 2-2-5 tablespoons room temperature water
    • Pinch of salt

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl or an electric mixer or a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter or vegan baking stick until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and molasses and beat until creamy again.
    • In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix the cornstarch and water together until it is thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
    • Add the cornstarch water mixture and the vanilla to the wet ingredients and beat on high for 2 minutes.
    • In a separate large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and beat until just combined. The dough will be thick and a bit sticky.
    • Make two disks with the dough, wrap each one in plastic wrap and chill them for a minimum of 3 hours. I actually froze one of the disks and made the second batch about a week later. If you’re going to freeze one batch, wrap in plastic wrap and then put in a zip top bag. Also it’s a good idea to write the date on the bag of when you made the dough.
    • Once the dough is done chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Unwrap one of the disks and lightly flour a clean work surface with gluten free flour, as well as your rolling pin and hands. If the dough feels hard and seems to be cracking, I like to work it in sections. Break a piece off and work it in your hands until it is soft. Once it is soft, roll it out till it is ¼ inch thick. Use your dinosaur cookie cutters (these are the exact ones I use) or whatever cookie cutters you like and press into the dough. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.
    • Place the cookies about an inch apart on the baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes.
    • Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 min or so before removing them. Once they have cooled completely, you can decorate them with icing.
    • To make the icing: Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. If the icing seems too thick, add half a tablespoon more water. If it’s too thin, add 2 more tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.
    • Once the icing is made, spoon it into a zip top bag. Make a very tiny snip at the bottom corner of the bag to squeeze the icing out. Decorate your cookies as desired. The icing does take almost a full 24 hours to set so don't stack the cookies on top of one another until they have hardened completely. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 152mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 147IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    This Dinosaur Gingerbread Cookie recipe was adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction's Favorite Gingerbread Cookies.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. John

      November 09, 2021 at 5:56 pm

      5 stars
      Dinosaur Gingerbread Cookies? What will you think of next?!

      Reply
      • Lee

        November 10, 2021 at 11:01 pm

        Haha thank you!!!

        Reply
    2. Ahbra

      February 13, 2023 at 12:15 pm

      5 stars
      this recipe was amazing!! I made these cookies into footballs for the Superbowl and they were a huge hit - soft, chewy, icing for laces was perfect, just delish!!

      Reply
      • Lee

        February 13, 2023 at 11:26 pm

        That's such an amazing idea!!! Thanks so much!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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    Lee, the beautiful founder of Lane and Grey Fare.

    Hi guys, I'm Lee! As a mother of two children with celiac disease and multiple food allergies, I wanted to share all that I’ve learned with others in a way that’s entertaining and helpful. All my food is 100 percent gluten free, nut free, seed free, egg free and most of my baked goods can easily be made dairy free (vegan).

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