Gluten free vegan Ninjabread Men made with an easy gluten free, dairy free, egg free, gingerbread cut out recipe are a fun treat that the whole family can enjoy during the holidays.
I have been DYING to make some cute little gluten free ninjabread men since I saw these cookie cutters on Amazon a year or two ago.
Plain gingerbread men are still ultra cute and definitely a family tradition, but little ninja gingerbread men?!? I have some little brothers who are all over this kind of stuff. And they are just plain fun.
I finally folded, and bought some ninjabread men cookie cutters to make these super cool gluten free vegan ninjabread men cookies as a part of this gluten free cookie exchange and giveaway (don't miss the recipes or the giveaway after the recipe in this post.) I think the cookie cutters were worth the investment!
(This photo is a clickable collage. Just click on the photo you want to get the recipe for!)
I started this baking project like I do many others. With a fussy baby on my hip, trying to finish using the mixer before I put her down for her nap. Rushed. Tired. Luckily I didn't make any mistakes EXCEPT that I was planning to make the gluten free ninjabread men cookie dough vegan also. I was just making a few changes to the gingerbread cutout recipe in The Essential Gluten-Free Cookie Guide. I was already using shortening, but I needed to use a flax egg instead of the chicken egg that I normally use. As soon as the yolk hit the bottom of the bowl I realized my mistake. So I hurried and finished making the cookie dough, put it in the fridge to chill, and then put Baby T down for her nap.
Then I made another batch of cookie dough, this time using the flax egg like I had planned too.
I can't complain too much, I just got double the gluten free ninjabread men out of it.
To keep my ninjabread men vegan, I used an egg-free royal icing to decorate them. It really is just powdered sugar with the tiniest bit of water mixed it. It worked perfectly! Just be careful to not add too much water. If you do the frosting will run all over the place.
When I first started decorating them I was rushed. I could tell the baby was starting to wake up from her nap, and I had to pick Miss E up from preschool very soon. The first dozen cookies looked terrible! If you follow me on snapchat (@flippindelish) you got a peek at my cookie decorating adventures. If you don't follow me on snapchat, you'll just have to take my word on it. The first cookies were ugly.
I wasn't entirely satisfied in my abilities to decorate the cookies I took pictures of either but I decided this gluten free vegan ninjabread men recipe is just about making something that the whole family can enjoy together. It was just about having fun! By the end of it I was having a blast, even decorating a few cookies in the likeness of some of my favorite Doctor Who characters.
So bake up a batch of these gluten free vegan ninjabread men and decorate them with your friends and family this holiday.
Are you looking for paleo or grain free gingerbread men? Check out my friend Taylor's Paleo Healthy Gingerbread Cookies.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Gluten free vegan ninjabread men made with an easy gluten free, dairy free, egg free, gingerbread cut out recipe are a fun treat that the whole family can enjoy during the holidays.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup shortening (I used butter flavored vegetable shortening, but use whatever is your favorite)
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- ½ cup molasses
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 17.5 ounces (approx 3 cups)my gluten free flour blend
For the egg free royal icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 -2 tablespoons water (I used 1 ½ tablespoons)
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of hot water. Set aside and let sit for at least 5 minutes. This is your flax egg.
- Cream together the brown sugar and shortening. Add the flax egg and molasses and mix until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Split the dough in half. Form each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour, up to several days.
- When you are ready to bake your cookies preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Roll the dough about ¼ inch thick and cut out with ninjabread men cookie cutters, or gingerbread people cookie cutters.
- Place the cut outs on your prepared baking sheet , about and inch apart, and bake for 8-10 minutes. (8 for a chewier cookie, 10 for a crisper cookie.) The cookies will still be very soft when you remove them from the oven but will have lost their "doughy shine". They will set up as they cool.
For the egg free royal icing
- Mix the powdered sugar and water together, about a teaspoon at a time, until you get a very thick but smooth icing.
- Scoop into a decorating bag or sandwich bag with a tiny bit snipped off of the corner.
- Decorate your cookies as desired with icing and any desired sprinkles or candies.
Notes
If you use this cookie dough to make your gingerbread houses, bake the cookies for a few minutes longer so that they are extra crisp. The length of time will depend on how big your pieces are.
Nutrition Information
Yield 36 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 68Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 2mgSodium 42mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 0gSugar 7gProtein 0g
All nutrition info is a guestimate and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to the Food Allergy Blogger's Conference. While I was there I got to meet many of the awesome bloggers participating in this giveaway. I also got to meet up with some great companies, including NoGii. NoGii was founded by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She designed NoGii's products to make a gluten-free lifestyle easier (and tastier) for the entire family. Since the conference I've been snacking away on the sample protein bars and shakes NoGii sent home with me. NoGii very graciously is providing the prize to the winner of this giveaway ($135 value), which includes:
- 1 Box of NoGii Chocolate Coconut Protein Bars
- 1 Bag of Chocolate Caramel Bliss D’Lites
- 1 Jug of Vanilla Whey & Quinoa Protein Powder
- 1 box of Nuts About Tropical Fruit Bars
- 1 NoGii shirt
The Caramel Bliss D'Lites are my favorite! I also was super impressed with the Whey & Quinoa Protein Powder. I have been looking for a safe protein powder that still tastes good, and I have finally found it. I mixed mine up with just milk, and even my sometimes picky husband really liked it. Normally I feel like I have to blend protein powder up with fruit and ice cubes to make it "palatable." That was not the case with NoGii's protein powder.
I'm also giving away a signed copy of my cookbook, The Essential Gluten-Free Cookie Guide. It is full of cookie recipes, including the not-vegan version of these cookies.
Be sure to check out the NoGii blog, it is full of information, tips, and gluten-free recipes. You can also find them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
Check out all 18 recipes in our virtual gluten-free cookie exchange, listed in the order they appear in the photo, left to right, row by row:
- Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookies Recipe from Vegetarian Mamma
- Gluten-free Vegan Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free
- Gluten-free Snickerdoodles Recipe from Only Taste Matters
- Gluten-free Vegan Ninjabread Men Recipe from Flippin' Delicious
- Gluten-free Vanilla Wafers Recipe from gfJules
- Gluten-free Cranberry Bliss Oatmeal Cookies Recipe from Making It Milk Free
- Gluten-free Strawberry Thumbprints Recipe from Learning to Eat Allergy-Free
- Gluten-free Holiday Sandwich Cookie Assortment Recipes from Go Dairy Free
- Gluten-free Cranberry Lime Cornmeal Cookies Recipe from Cafe Johnsonia
- Gluten-free Caramel Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe from Faithfully Gluten Free
- Gluten-free No Bake S'mores Cookies Recipe from My Gluten-free Kitchen
- Gluten-free Dairy-free Sugar Cookies Recipe from Allergy Free Alaska
- Gluten-free Pfeffernusse Recipe from Fearless Dining
- Gluten-free Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe from Maebells
- Gluten-free Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies Recipe from Around My Family Table
- Gluten-free Chocolate Gingerbread Bars Recipe from Gluten-Free Palate
- Gluten-free Snickerdoodles Recipe from Gluten-Free Homemaker
- Gluten-free Christmas Wreath Cookies Recipe from Gluten-free Frenzy
Linked up at Gluten-Free Recipe Fix: Holiday Edition
jules
ADORABLE! I love how you've decorated these cute little guys! You've inspired me to do a better job of decorating my gingerbread men ... and now I have to go make some more!
~jules
gfJules.com
flippindelicious
Thanks Jules! I think I'm happy with how they turned out after all. I was being WAY too hard on myself. Of course they didn't look just like the photo on the box!
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma)
These look awesome! My boys would LOVE ninja cookies!
flippindelicious
Thanks Cindy! I am going to have to make them again for my brothers. They are big into Ninjago, so I think they'd love them.
Colette
Brianna, those cookies are adorable!!
flippindelicious
Thanks Colette! They were a lot of fun.
Lacy
These are so cute! I have those same cookie cutters and made Ninjabread cookies for my son's bday last year but they weren't gf. I'm excited to try your recipe!
flippindelicious
Thanks Lacy! I thought the cutters were so fun.
Annie
Oh my word! How cute are these Ninjabread men! This is so clever! I have a four year old cousin who would LOVE these!
flippindelicious
Thanks Annie! My daughters loved them too.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
SO in love! They are so cute and I love gingerbread men!
Chandice
These are darling just like everything else you do!! <3
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog
I LOVE THESE COOKIES!! They're way too adorable! And how did you make the individual images clickable in the collage? Love that idea.
flippindelicious
Thanks Sharon! I used a free online image mapper to make the clickable collage. It isn't too tricky!
Elle @ Only Taste Matters
These are so cute you had me laughing out loud! Love them!
flippindelicious
Awwww. Thanks Elle!
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free
Those are so freakin' cute! I'm going to have to look for those cookie cutters and those cookies ... they look so perfect!
flippindelicious
Thanks Alisa! I thought they were really fun.
Amanda
These are so cute! I love them, I'm sure they are hit with kids and adults!
flippindelicious
Everyone has loved them so far!
Elise @frugalfarmwife.com
These are awesome! My little boy would go gaga for ninjabread men! 🙂
flippindelicious
Thanks Elise! They are so fun and festive.
Lindsey | Cafe Johnsonia
My kids have been freaking out about ninjabread cookie cutters. I'm going to surprise them and make these this week. Your cookie recipes are always SO AMAZING!
flippindelicious
Thanks Lindsey! I'm sure they will love them. I brought some to my daughter's preschool. Definitely a huge hit!
Mukul Singhal
Those cookies are soo good 🙂 My cousin will definitely gonna love this. 😉
Thanks for sharing !!!!
flippindelicious
Hi Mukul,
I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe! I hope your cousin loves them too. Can't wait to see what you bake next. -Brianna
Shivang Gupta
I really like this post 🙂
My wife read this post regarding the Vegan Ninjabread and she tried this for our children. When my boy first saw this it gets kind of excited and he said pop's I dont want to eat this and I was like why the boy and he said these cookies are looking so cute that I don't wanna eat. 🙂
Jokes Apart, My boy takes these cookies to their school to and share this with their friends and they all loved these cookies.
Again, thanks for such a good receipe 😉
flippindelicious
Hi Shivang! My kids love the Ninjabread cookies too, they are so fun. I'm so happy your family enjoyed them, and were able to share them with their friends. I can't wait to hear what other recipes your family tries!
Happy Baking! -Brianna