Extracrisp,beautifully spicedand ideal to dunk in milk! Not much is lost (if at all!) in these ultra special gluten free and keto gingerbread cookies!
Gluten Free & Keto Gingerbread Cookies
A True Holiday Special!
Just like my snickerdoodle cookies, these gingerbread cookies translate outstandingly well into their gluten free and low carb counterparts.
Making them some truly special cookies to indulge in over the holidays and Christmas!
Plus:1g net carbs a pop. Doesn’t get much better than that!
The Gingerbread Spices
Gingerbread spices can vary a bit from recipe to recipe (and you can adjust a bit to taste!). These guys aredominantly ginger and cinnamon, with highlights of cloves and nutmeg (freshly ground preferably) and a touch of freshly ground black pepper to round everything up.
(Extra!) Crisp
These gingerbread cookies are trulynice and crisp!Just be sure to not leave the dough too thick, and bake until fully golden.
Having said that, if you’re on the other band and prefer your gingerbread cookies soft, simply make them thicker and bake until just set. You’ll get a nice crisp edge with a soft center.
Whatever you decide, keep in mind that sugar alcohols take a while to crisp up (so give your cookies a few hours!).
Also, if they didn’t get quite so snappy on the first round, feel free to allow them to cool down and pop them back in the oven for 5 mins. Think Italian biscotti!
The Deets
The one indispensable thing, is that the dough be thoroughly chilled before baking. Why? The butter in the dough has to have solidified once again before you can roll it out and cut it up. That way, it won’t stick and the shapes will come just right. Plus, you want to give the spices time to permeate through the dough in order to get supernice and fragrant cookies.
So, if possible, allow the dough to rest in the fridge overnight. Though 3 hours would do as well if in a pickle.
The Flours
Gingerbread cookies are traditionally a wheat cookie. To make them gluten free and keto, I found that super fine almond flourdid a killer job (solo!). Add a touch of xanthan gum, and we’re golden.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’sor WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds.
Note also that I add a bit more baking soda than is customary (1/2 teaspoon rather than 1/4 or even nil). Reason being, that the slight bigger rise helps aerate the almond flour and get a better texture.
The Sweetener
This recipe works best with erythritol, without a doubt. Not only is it roughly 1-to-1 in sweetness to sugar (and the volume is important here), but it lends a very similar crunch and chew. No other sweetener does that.
Also note that adding a teaspoon or twoof blackstrap molassesaddsa tonne of umami and improves browning.
Keep in mind that blackstrap molassesis considered a low glycemic sugar. Oneteaspoon (7g) adds 5g net carbs, so just 0.2g net carbs a cookie (i.e. 1/4th the sugar of a strawberry!). But carbs aside, it’s also known to bea nutritional powerhouse rich in vital vitamins and minerals; such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium.
Fun fact: Molasses contain high amounts of chromium, which has been studied to increase glucose tolerance levels.
But if it’s still not your thing, just do a brown sugar sub (such as Lakanto Golden!)!
(Extra Crisp!) Keto Gingerbread Cookies
Extracrisp,beautifullyspicedand ideal todunk in milk! Not much is lost (if at all!) in these ultra special gluten free and keto gingerbread cookies!
Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.
4.86 from 27 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American, European
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 73 kcal
Ingredients
- 192 g almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 80 g grass-fed unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/3-2/3 cup golden erythritol *
- 1-2 teaspoons blackstrap molasses optional (but improves browning and taste)*
- 1 egg
Instructions
Add almond flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, and spices to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined and set aside.
Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer, 1-2 minutes. Add in sweetener and molasses (optional), and continue to cream until light and fluffy (8-10 minutes).
Add in egg, mixing until just incorporated. The mixture will appear slightly 'broken' (i.e. not thoroughly smooth).
With your mixer on low, add in half of your flour mixture- mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the rest.Wrap cookie dough with cling film (saran wrap) and refrigerate overnight (much preferred). But if in a pickle, 3 hours will do.
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and cutout the shapes. Note that the thickness will determine much of the texture: thinner cookies will be much crispier, while a thick dough (particularly if under-baked) will yield a softer one. Place shaped cookies on the prepared baking tray and place in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to baking.
Bake for 10-20 minutes, until fully golden. Note that I found baking time varies a lot here, depending on thickness and size of the cookies. So just keep an eye out for them, and note that if you like them crisp you'll want to push the baking time as much as possible (until deep golden).
Allow to cool for ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely, as they'll continue to crunch up (can take a few hours). Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Note that these keto gingerbread cookies are even better the next day, after the spices have had some time to mingle. And also (for some inexplicable reason), the sweetness also intensifies the day after.
Notes
*If you prefer your cookies on the sweeter side (and not doing any icing), feel free to up the sweetener to 1/2-2/3 cup. And Please see section on Sweeteners for deets and possible substitution.
The shaped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months, and they can be baked straight from the freezer (adding 2-3 minutes more to the baking time).
Please note that nutrition facts were estimated with the touch of molasses.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gingerbread man (or lady!) | Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 6.7mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Keyword keto gingerbread cookies, low carb gingerbread cookies
Whip up this recipe?Comment below or drop me a line @gnomgnom._ and tag #gnomgnomyum!
