Healthy Vegan Gingerbread Cookies (Flour-Free/Oil-Free)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tahini (this is what I used), almond butter, or cashew butter
• 1/4 cup sugar-free applesauce or pumpkin puree (if using homemade pumpkin puree, make sure to strain it through cheesecloth before using)
• 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 2 tablespoons water) 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or raw cane sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Add all the wet ingredients together, in a medium-sized bowl, using a hand mixer or rubber spatula. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and using a hand mixer or spatula mix the ingredients together to a thick, wet dough.
2. Transfer the dough to fridge or freezer for at least 45 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 175°C.
4. Now there are two options: Roll the dough into balls and flatten on a parchment-lined baking tray. Then you will have regular round cookies. Alternatively, if you’re looking to make gingerbread men or other shapes follow the next step.
5. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the cookie dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Coat the spatula, a rolling pin, or even your hands with some olive oil and spread out the dough. Using a cookie cutter cut out the gingerbread men and place them in 3 rows on a parchment-lined baking tray. You can roll the scraps together and repeat this process until all the dough has been used. I ended up with 10 gingerbread men and made a little round cookie with the remaining scraps.
6. Bake the cookies in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool. 
7. Once the cookies are cooled you can decorate them as you’d like!

Notes

• I used melted iChoc white vanilla as a ‘glue’ for cookie decorating, but you could also use regular icing, leave the cookies plain, or dip the gingerbread men’s legs, hands, or head into white chocolate! The possibilities are endless.
• If you prefer a different nut or seed butter, it can be used interchangeably with the tahini. Keep in mind that it will impart a different taste. Almond butter, pecan butter, or cashew butter would work best in this recipe. I don’t recommend using peanut butter!