Charlotte Emily
- Dec 24, 2022

Gingerbread Biscuits

Updated: Dec 26, 2022

Vegan Gingerbread Biscuits

These gingerbread biscuits are so simple, easy to make and definitely a goodie to enjoy all year round... though to me it's not Christmas without a few gingerbread biscuits! Using just a few staple baking ingredients that you most likely already have in your cupboards, these biscuits can be made quickly, without missing out on any flavour.

The biscuits have a slight crunch to them and are a little softer in the centre. Whilst they aren't a sweet biscuit, the syrup provides a deep sweetness that adds to the strength of the ginger and cinnamon... these are definitely the main flavours in these biscuits, there's no mistaking them! With only a mixer, baking tray and space to roll needed, these are such an easy treat to make and are fun for everyone.

Watch me make these here!

Jump to the Recipe ↓

Do I need the cinnamon?

This is totally up to you! I like the cinnamon with the ginger... they're such a great combination. You can definitely take the cinnamon out and just go for ground ginger if that's what you'd rather.

Are these gingerbread biscuits soft or crunchy?

Well this is- as well as sweetness, brown sugar helps with colour and the depth of the sweetness. s. . 15 minutes. If you prefer a crunchier biscuit, leave them in for 18 minutes (or perhaps a little longer, just keep an eye on them). Either way, once they've cooled a little after coming out of the oven, they will be crunchy. Then, when left in an airtight containerthe for a few hours, they will be a little softer... though how much softer depends on their baking time.

How much will these gingerbread biscuits spread in the oven?

Overall, they don't spread and lose their shape too much in the oven - there will of course be a little increase in size as they spread a little, but nothing drastic. One way to help make sure there is minimal change as they bake, is to pop the tray of biscuits in the fridge for 30 minutes before popping them in the oven.

Do they need icing?

For flavour, they don't... these biscuits hold their own with their deep flavour and texture. However, for decoration or a little added sweetness, icing is a must! I used a little vanilla buttercream to decorate these biscuits, but you can use whatever you have to hand!

Do I need any fancy equipment?

Nope not at all! All you need is a baking tray, rolling pin, cookie cutters, spatula and stand mixer (or handheld mixer). These gingerbread biscuits can be made by hand - creaming the butter and sugars can take a while, as can mixing in the flour, but you can do it without a mixer! The biscuit dough is simply rolled out on a flat surface with some flour, then cut out with your shapes and popped on your lined baking tray.

How do I store these gingerbread biscuits?

These gingerbread can be stored in an airtight container for up to week, no problem! Though you can also make the biscuit dough ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, then bake and store the gingerbread in an airtight container for another week.

What goes into these gingerbread biscuits?

Dairy-Free Butter - baking block butter works best, for taste and texture in baking, so I'd stick with that (but any dairy-free butter will be great).
Caster Sugar - this provides the sweetness to the biscuits.
Brown Sugar - as well as sweetness, brown sugar helps with colour and the depth of sweetness.
Maple Syrup - just like the brown sugar, maple syrup adds sweetness and helps with colour but also adds a subtle caramel-like flavour to the biscuits.
Vanilla Extract - just for a little extra flavour.
Plain Flour - this makes up the base of the biscuits and gives them texture.
Ground Ginger - they can't be gingerbread biscuits with out the ginger!
Cinnamon- cinnamon and ginger are such a perfect match, this combination just adds such a boost to these biscuits.

Gingerbread Biscuits

Total Time : 1 hour - 1 hour 3 minutes

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Chilling Time : 30 minutes

Baking Time : 15 - 18 minutes

Makes : 40 - 46 gingerbread biscuits

Ingredients

230g Dairy-Free Butter
100g Caster Sugar
50g Brown Sugar
3 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
260g Plain Flour
3 tsp Ground Ginger
2 tsp Cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C fan and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
In a bowl or a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together. Then add the maple syrup and vanilla extract, mixing until it’s all combined.
Once combined, add in the flour, ginger and cinnamon and continue to mix until a dough forms (don’t worry if it’s sticky).
Transfer your dough onto a floured surface and roll it out to around 1/4 cm thick. If it's sticking to the surface or the rolling pin, just dust more four around... it won't affect the final biscuit!
With your chosen cookie cutters, cut out your biscuits and transfer them to your lined baking tray. If you'd like a sharper shape to your biscuit, pop the trays with the biscuits on in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. However you can miss this step and go ahead and pop the biscuits straight in the oven if you'd prefer.
Bake in your biscuits for 15 - 18 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven.
Leave them to harden slightly on the baking tray for a couple of minutes, before transferring them to a rack to cool.
Once cool, store in an airtight container and enjoy!