Almond Flour Gingerbread Men

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Almond Flour Gingerbread Men:  the healthiest, most simple gingerbread recipe EVER! These cookies are gluten-free, Grain-free, Paleo, and Refined Sugar-free. The recipe is made with wholesome, gut-friendly ingredients like Bob's Red Mill almond flour, Nutiva coconut flour, coconut oil, and cinnamon. I used just a touch of honey for natural sweetness, and blackstrap molasses to create that delicious traditional gingerbread flavour.

Recipe Tips

  • I used almond flour for this recipe, but almond meal works too! If you don't have almond flour, you can easily make your own. Just grind raw or roasted almonds in a coffee grinder or food processor until flour consistency.

  • Make sure to use blackstrap molasses instead of regular cooking molasses. Blackstrap molasses is filled with antioxidants and nutrients, whereas cooking molasses is more refined and stripped of nutrients.

  • The dough MUST be chilled for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Do not skip this step! Chilling the dough makes rolling much easier, and helps the cookies stay together perfectly.

  • Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from the tray.

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Paleo Icing Sugar

For a healthier icing alternative, I recommend making your own icing sugar! The standard recipe is 1 cup granulated sugar of choice (coconut sugar, monk fruit, xylitol, etc) to 1 tbsp arrowroot powder or tapioca starch. Combine the two ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until well mixed. Use this homemade icing sugar as a substitute in your favourite icing recipe. I added coconut oil, vanilla, and almond milk to create my icing.Coconut butter also makes an excellent zero-sugar icing. Just melt the coconut butter with some vanilla extract, and drizzle!

RECIPE

(Makes 16 cookies)

INGREDIENTS

DRY

  • 2 cups almond flour or meal

  • 1/3 cup coconut flour

  • 1 tbsp cinnamon

  • 1 tsp ginger

  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

WET

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

  • 1 egg

METHOD

  1. In a medium sized bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and sea salt. Mix together until combined.

  2. In a separate bowl, stir together honey, molasses, melted coconut oil, and egg. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix until a smooth, sticky dough has formed. Using your hands, roll the dough into a large ball. Then, place the dough in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill. This will help the dough stay firm and together while your roll.

  3. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, dust your counter or table's surface with a generous amount of coconut flour to prevent the dough from sticking.

  4. Once the dough is chilled, place on the floured surface. Roll into a thin layer, approx 1/4 inch thick. Cut out the gingerbread men using a cookie cutter, and place on a parchment paper-lined tray.

  5. Bake the cookies at 325 degrees for 8-12 minutes. The exact time will depend on your dough's specific consistency, and the consistency of cookie you want. For a softer cookie, take out after 8 minutes, and for a crunchier cookie, leave in for the full time.

  6. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the tray. Decorate as desired, and serve.