Soft gluten-free gingerbread cut-outs with tender molasses centers, a shortening-based dough and a long hydration rest.
The shortening-based dough is rolled between parchment before its long refrigerated rest. Give the specified baking blend time to hydrate, then cut the cold sheets into broad shapes. Keep the blend and its xanthan gum as listed rather than substituting a single-grain flour.
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Soft Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 9–10 minutes · 4 trays of about 12 on 13 × 18-inch pans
Allow 335 minutes: 35 hands-on, 240 chilling, 40 for all baking trays, 20 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Electric mixer and mixing bowl
- Rolling pin with 1/4-inch guides
- 3-inch cutters and thin spatula
- Two 13 × 18-inch baking sheets with parchment
- US measures and digital scale
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Instructions
Cream shortening and sugar
- Whisk gluten-free flour, soda, salt and spices. Beat shortening with sugar about 2 minutes until creamy. Add egg, vinegar and molasses, scrape the bowl and mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients on low until combined.
Hydrate the flour in thin sheets
- Divide dough in half. Roll each between parchment to an even 1/4 inch before chilling. Stack on a tray and refrigerate 4 hours. This rest hydrates the gluten-free blend and firms the soft dough.
Cut cold dough
- Heat to 375°F (190°C) conventional or 350°F (175°C) fan. Peel off top parchment and cut 3-inch shapes. Lift with a thin spatula to lined pans, 1 inch apart. Keep unused sheets cold and reroll scraps gently.
Retain soft centers
- Bake one tray at a time for 9–10 minutes, checking at 8 in a strong oven. Edges should be set and centers dry-looking but still yielding. Do not wait for a hard cookie.
Lift carefully
- Rest 3 minutes on the pan, then cool about 17 minutes on a rack. Optional gluten-free cookie icing is additional and must go on cold cookies.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Hydrate before cutting
Four refrigerated hours reduce graininess and help the soft dough hold a shape.
Use shortening as written
Its water-free structure supports tenderness and reduces butter-style spreading.
Stop when set
A soft cookie becomes firmer while cooling. Long baking makes gluten-free edges brittle.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 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 1 month | Freeze portions airtight; thaw covered in the refrigerator before baking. |
| 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
- Use a complete gluten-free baking blend containing xanthan gum, not almond flour or single-grain flour. The listed US volume reflects the specified blend at approximately 124 g per cup; gram weight controls the formula. Shortening is deliberate: replacing it with butter changes spreading and moisture. Check ingredient and decoration labels for gluten.
- The specified complete blend already contains xanthan gum. Do not add an extra dose during the hydration rest.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use almond flour here?
No. Almond flour cannot replace a complete starch-and-flour blend with xanthan gum.
Why is the dough chilled after rolling?
The long rest hydrates the blend while keeping the sheets easy to cut cold.
Can I replace shortening with butter?
That changes water content and spread; use shortening for the stated texture and method.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
