Gingerbread Men Cookies (Vegan)

"Run run as fast as you can! You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! It's my favorite time of year. I mean, come on, you can't go wrong with Elf and Christmas Vacation. 

Found this recipe by Minimalist Baker, check it out here: http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-gingerbread-men/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+MinimalistBaker+(Minimalist+Baker)

They make a gluten free version, so check that out! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon of flax seed meal and 2.5 tablespoons of water)

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup almond butter

• 3 Tbsp molasses

• 1/4 cup vegan butter, softened (I prefer coconut oil, as vegan butter is often very artificial) 

• 3/4 tsp ginger

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 cups gluten free baking / pancake mix (linked the gluten free recipe!) 

Instructions: 

Preheat: 350 Degrees F

Cook Time: 8-10 minutes

Prep Time: 1 hour - overnight

1. Prepare flax egg in a bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes

2. Next add in the brown sugar, almond butter, molasses, butter (coconut oil, melted to mix evenly), spices, salt, and baking soda

3. Finally add in the flour or gluten free mix to the wet ingredients 

4. Cover and chill dough for an hour at least, or overnight 

5. Preheat oven to 350 degree F

6. Roll out dough in between two wax or parchment papers with light flour sprinkled on the bottom and top of dough 

7. Peel off top sheet and cut dough with cookie cutters 

8. Freeze cookies for 5 minutes before putting in oven. I put mine in the fridge and they worked fine. 

9. Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly brown on edges. Time varies depending on size of cookies. Smaller cookies = shorter time and vice versa. 

10. Allow cookies to cool 2-3 minutes on sheet before transferring to cooling rack to ensure they don't break. 

11. Store at room temp. 

Peppermint spatula optional

Make a little gingerbread family!