There are many symbols of Christmas, from holly to Santa Claus, and crackers to Christmas pud. One of my favourites is the gingerbread man with his cute smiling face and rosy cheeks. I am always drawn towards gingerbread man decorations for my tree, and Christmas cards featuring these adorable characters. These vegan gingerbread men are a fun and delicious way to enjoy one of the most charming symbols of Christmas time. It would be great fun to make them with kids and let them get creative with the decorations! They have the perfect balance of sweetness against spicy ginger, making them a tasty treat for the whole family this Christmas.
Step by step…
I started by putting all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and stirring them together.
In a small pan I melted the dairy free spread with the golden syrup and treacle.
I poured the syrup mixture into the dry ingredients and mixed until a dough formed. I wrapped it in cling film and chilled it in the fridge for 1 hour.
Using a pastry mat which I floured well, and a floured rolling pin, I rolled the dough out.
I cut out gingerbread man shapes using a cookie cutter and laid them onto baking trays. Of course you could cut out any shapes you like.
I popped the cut out shapes on the trays into the freezer for 10 minutes, then I baked them for 8-10 minutes.
Once they were fully cool I made some icing and piped it onto the biscuits to decorate them. You could also use chocolate to decorate, or leave them plain.
Then the friendly smiling vegan gingerbread men were ready! Are they just the cutest? Almost too cute to eat, but only almost!
These vegan gingerbread men were absolutely yummy. They are crispy round the edges, then nice and soft in the middle. The punch of ginger flavour is just right, and you get bits of sweet icing in every bite.
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
| Baking trays | Mixing bowls | Cooling rack |
| Kitchen scales | Rolling pin | Gingerbread man cutter |
| Piping bags | Mixed spice |
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More Gingerbread recipes…
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| Gingerbread Loaf Cake | Gingerbread House | Ginger & Lemon Cake |
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| Gingerbread Cupcakes | Vegan Gingerbread Trifles | Gingerbread Bonfire Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce |
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| Gingerbread Cake with Ginger Buttercream |
Vegan Gingerbread Men
Dairy and egg free gingerbread cookies
Ingredients
For the gingerbread
- 150 g Plain flour
- 150 g Wholemeal flour
- 150 g Light brown sugar
- 1 tsp Mixed spice
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground ginger
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 60 ml Golden syrup
- 1/2 tbsp Black treacle
- 140 g Dairy free butter/margarine
For the icing
- 75 g Icing sugar
- Enough water to make a thick paste
Instructions
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Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, line your baking tray(s) with baking paper
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Put both the flours, light brown sugar, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl and stir them together
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In a small pan on the lowest heat, melt the dairy free spread with the golden syrup and treacle
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Pour the syrup mixture into the flour mixture and combine with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Bring it together more with your hands if needed
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Wrap it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for 1 hour
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Flour your pastry mat or work surface well, and flour your rolling pin. Roll the dough out and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes
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Lay the cut out dough pieces onto your lined baking tray(s). Keep re-rolling the dough until it is all used
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Put the baking trays into the freezer for 10 minutes, this will help the gingerbread keep it's shape when baking
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Remove from the freezer and bake them for 8-10 minutes, leave them on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack
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Once they were fully cool, mix the icing sugar with enough cold water to make a thick paste (you don't want it to be runny)
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Put the icing into a piping bag and pipe faces, buttons and squiggles onto the gingerbread men. You could also use chocolate to decorate, or leave them plain
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Store in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 1 week. You can also freeze them without the decoration
Recipe Notes
Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing Cinnamon, Coriander Seed, Nutmeg, Clove, Pimento, Ginger. If you can't get hold of it, use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead
If you like this, check out more of my Cookie recipes!
Or you might like more of my Vegan recipes!
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Your recipe is very different from mine (not vegan) but I’m sure your version is healthier and still delicious. I love all things gingerbread too; we decorated gingerbread houses for almost 20 years (I baked them 5-6 and the kids decorated them) my main tree is all gingerbread ornaments and a smaller kitchen one, I have all kinds of pans and cookie cutters with gingerbread man theme, and the list goes on. Many posts are on my blog – stop and say hello the next time you stop by 🙂 Thanks for sharing a favorite cookie on “my holiday table” with Fiesta Friday.
Thank you Judith, I’m glad to meet a fellow gingerbread lover!
These little gingerbread men look so attractive with their little white wintry outfits, and I really like the healthy twist with adding wholemeal flour to this recipe:)
Thanks Monika!
These look so cute! I love a gingerbread man 🙂 x
Thanks Cat!
Yum, these look amazing!
Thanks Jess!
They are darling!! I love gingerbread, too1! Thanks for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday!
Mollie
Thank you!
These look lovely, I’m on the lookout for biscuits that the kids can decorate at the moment. And I definitely need a pastry mat in my life 🙂
It’s so handy! I love the Joseph Joseph one I have!
I love gingerbread and there is something very special about gingerbread men isn’t there? Although I always have to make some women too!
I have different sized cutters so I can make a whole gingerbread family! 🙂
Thank you for bringing your handsome little men to #CookBlogShare:)
Thanks Monika!
Your little gingerbread men look so cute! My 4 would love them (they’re gingerbread men addicts!). I’m like you: my eye gets drawn to anything ‘gingerbread man’ in the festive season: cards, decorations, wrapping paper 🙂 Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays.
Thank you! I’m glad you appreciate gingerbread men as much as me!
They are so cute! And it’s always great to see egg free baking. We made some at the weekend but didn’t have ginger so they were cinnamon men instead! #freefromfridays
I’m learning more and more about egg and dairy free baking, and really enjoying it!
They are so cute – I love them! You are right that gingerbread men are such a lovely part of Christmas. I love making them with the kids. Eb x
Thank you! I bet it’s so fun to make and decorate these with kids 🙂
So cute! I agree, gingerbread men are so iconically Christmas. These little guys are just gorgeous x
Thanks so much Kate!
These are brilliant – such very happy gingerbread men Kat 🙂 Love that you’ve added some wholemeal flour into the mixture – something I’ve never tried with gingerbread biscuits.
Angela x
Thanks Angela!
One of our favourite past times this time of year making gingerbread men
Me too Candace!
Just put the dough in the fridge and another batch in the freezer to make in a couple of weeks time. I had a sneaky taste of the dough and it’s yum! Thanks for the recipe ?
Hey. this is a great recipe. i was wondering if you know how long they would keep for in an airtight tin?
Hi, if you keep them in an airtight container in a cool place I would recommend no longer than 1 week. You can also freeze them without the decoration. I hope that helps!
tried these yday as part of a vegan xmas dinner, were delicious! left them in for slightly longer than the recipe suggested, but they still tasted great 🙂 will definitely be making again!!