Maple-sweetened almond-flour gingerbread trees with a little molasses and a delicate nutty crumb, served without icing.
Maple syrup sweetens the almond-flour dough in this version, with a little molasses for flavor. Tapioca starch is part of the flour combination and should stay in the formula. Broad tree shapes and a full pan rest make the delicate cookies easier to handle.
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Gingerbread Cookies with Maple Syrup Recipe
Per tray: 8–11 minutes · 2 trays of 9 cookies on 13 × 18-inch pans
Allow 77 minutes: 25 hands-on, 0 chilling, 22 for all baking trays, 20 cooling and 10 resting. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Mixing bowl and spatula
- US measures and digital scale
- Rolling pin and two parchment sheets
- 2 1/2-inch broad Christmas tree cutter
- Two 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Thin spatula and cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Scale ingredients and US equivalents. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time.
Instructions
Combine the nut-flour dough
- Whisk almond flour, tapioca flour, soda, ginger and cinnamon. Stir in cooled melted coconut oil, maple syrup and molasses until a cohesive slightly sticky dough forms.
Allow moisture absorption
- Rest at room temperature 10 minutes to let the flours absorb liquid. No scheduled refrigerator chill is needed.
Roll between parchment
- Heat to 350°F (175°C) conventional or 325°F (165°C) fan. Roll rested dough between parchment to 1/4 inch. Cut broad 2 1/2-inch trees and lift carefully onto lined pans, 1 inch apart. Avoid narrow branch tips.
Set the fragile cookies
- Bake 8–9 minutes for tender centers or 10–11 for firmer edges. Look for light golden edges. Almond flour browns readily; check the first tray early.
Leave on the pan longer
- Cool 10 minutes on the pan before moving gently, then another 10 minutes on a rack. The warm cookies are fragile and become stronger when cold. Optional egg-free cookie icing is additional.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Use pure maple syrup
Pancake syrup varies in composition and does not supply the same maple flavor.
Keep the tapioca
Starch helps bind the egg-free nut-flour dough.
Rest on the pan
Warm almond cookies are fragile; cool 10 minutes before moving.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 3 days | Cool completely, then store airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Wrap dough tightly. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze a tightly wrapped dough disk. Thaw covered in the refrigerator, then let become pliable enough to roll. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Warm undecorated cookies briefly at 300°F for 3–5 minutes if desired; cool before decorating. |
Notes
- Pure maple syrup sweetens this almond-flour dough alongside a tablespoon of molasses. Pancake syrup and artificial maple-flavored syrup are not equivalent. Almond flour and tapioca starch are a designed combination, not a one-for-one flour swap. Contains tree nuts and coconut; the plain dough has no egg or dairy.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pancake syrup?
Use pure maple syrup for the specified flavor and consistency.
Does this still contain molasses?
Yes, 1 tablespoon balances the maple syrup and warm spices.
Is this a wheat-flour recipe?
No. It uses almond flour and tapioca starch and contains tree nuts.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
