Egg-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Are you ready to ring in the holidays? Time to bake some gingerbread cookies! These delicious Egg-Free Gingerbread Cookies were a tip from one of our loyal subscribers, Shannan Aalders McLaughlin. The original recipe is by Adrienne Belair and can be found on AllRecipes.com. When you have a child with food allergies, it can be tough to find baked sweets that have the same taste, texture, and color as the classics we all know and love. This easy recipe for Egg-Free Gingerbread Cookies definitely delivers! It’s also incredibly versatile. As Shannan says, “We’ve made them soft, more crunchy, used them for houses, and my kids devour them.” What more could you ask for Christmas? Enjoy!

Makes:

48 cookies

Hands-on time:

40 minutes

Start-to-eat time:

8 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

Cookies:
4 ounces butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup water
1 tablespoon dark corn syrup (or molasses)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
Buttercream Frosting:
2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
milk, as needed

Kids kitchen skills:

stovetop cooking
baking
mixing frosting

Tools:

measuring cups & spoons
2 mixing bowls
hand mixer
small saucepan & stirring spoon
plastic wrap
baking sheets & parchment
rolling pin
cookie cutters
wire rack

Step-by-step

Grown-up steps

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl with a hand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
In a small saucepan, bring water, corn syrup, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to a boil. Pour the mixture over the butter and sugar and beat until blended. Gradually stir in flour and baking soda until dough is smooth.
Divide the dough in half and flatten each piece into a disc. Wrap them in plastic and refrigerate 8 hours (or overnight).
Heat the oven to 375° F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Let the dough soften for a few minutes. Then roll each piece in a circle about ⅛ inch thick. Cut out shapes using gingerbread men cookie cutters, and space out the unbaked cookies on the baking sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until the tops of the cookies look dry. Let the cookies finish cooling on a wire rack, while you make the frosting.
Beat the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla together until the mixture is combined and a little stiff. Add milk to thin it out to your liking. Spread frosting over the cooled cookies, and eat up!