Super Easy Gingerbread Cookies (Gluten-Free + Grain-Free!)

Last week Lincoln’s school baked Gingerbread Cookies as a class. Yep, a whole mess of three year olds mixed, rolled, and cut gingerbread men out then placed them onto baking sheets and sent them to the oven. Have I told you lately how much I admire teachers? You men and women are SAINTS!

Anyway, when the kids went back to check on their cookies 15 minutes later, they found an empty oven and a trail of flour leading from the kitchen to their classroom! Apparently the gingerbread men had banned together to escape the confines of their hot home…only to land on a cookie plate and eventually into the mouths of 14 tiny cookie monsters.

I’m telling you, when the doors opened to let us parents in at the end of class, the children were losing their MINDS over the fact that their cookies had JUMPED out of the oven, and RAN down the hall, before they ate them all up. It was one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.

Which is why I was on the receiving end of this gleeful face when I told Lincoln that we’d be baking MORE gingerbread men at home that very afternoon! (Sans flour trail on the floor because HELLO!!! Not happening.) Needless to say, these adorable and delicious cookies were a total hit.

Whether you need a fun project to do with your kids this winter break (it’s a-comin’!), are an avid holiday baker looking to get gingerbread cookies on the cooling rack a little faster, or you know, just love cookies (hi!) you are definitely going to want to try these shortcut gingerbread cookies made the semi-homemade way with Simple Mills Pumpkin Muffin and Bread Mix, who this post is sponsored by.

Yep, these gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo-friendly cookies require zero hard-to-find, DIY flour blending. Just add a few pantry staples to this preservative-free, gum-free, 8-ingredient, almond flour-based muffin mix and you’ll be on your way to gingerbread cookie town! (Which is where those gingerbread men should have run off to!)

Have you tried any of Simple Mills’ products before? You can buy them directly on their website, and they’re also sold in HyVee’s health market, Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts (here’s their store locator,) and Amazon.

I randomly picked up a box of their almond crackers a few months ago and instantly became a fan of the brand. Their Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Crackers are a staple of my afternoon snack time and, as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, their Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is SO dang good. Anyway, a few weeks after I first tried their products, Simple Mills reached out to see if we could work together on a project for the holidays. Crazy coincidence, and of course I said YES! I really, really love and believe in these products which are made with very few ingredients and zero preservatives. If you need to eat gluten or grain free, or are just looking for a healthier way to enjoy some of your favorite baked goods and snacks – Simple Mills, all the way.

But back to these Super Easy Gingerbread Cookies! Like I said, they’re easily made by adding a couple spices to Simple Mills’ Pumpkin Muffin and Bread Mix along with molasses, an egg, coconut oil, plus a little sugar. Roll them out, cut into any shape you want, bake, then decorate. Your house is going to smell INSANE, by the way. Like, the corner of your kitchen where the cookies are cooling is going to radiate gingerbread. Get excited!!

These little cookies would certainly brighten someone’s day if you were to take them a couple, OR at the end of this post I’m sharing a cute cookie-making kit that would make a wonderful holiday gift for a friend or coworker who loves to bake…or eat! I don’t know about you but easy homemade gingerbread cookies > holiday socks in my world!

Start by adding the baking mix to a large bowl. Baking with kids is fun, but messy! Did I mention how much I love teachers?!

To the baking mix whisk in 3/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground cloves. In another bowl whisk together 1 egg, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil, 3 Tablespoons molasses, and 1/4 cup either coconut sugar OR granulated sugar (which is optional.) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry then mix until a dough is formed.

Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes then roll to 1/4″ thickness between two sheets of parchment paper. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes then transfer the dough, which will be soft, to a parchment paper or silpat-lined baking sheet.

Once all the cookies have been cut out, refrigerate the baking sheet with the cookies on it for another 10 minutes before baking for 20-25 minutes at 275 degrees.

Let the cookies cool completely, then let the fun begin! You can use your favorite royal icing recipe to decorate these cookies or pick up a tub of Simple Mills Vanilla Frosting, which is HONEST TO GOODNESS one of the best things I have ever eaten. Scoop the icing or frosting into a piping/ziplock bag outfitted with a piping tip then go to town. Like the muffin mix, this icing has zero funky ingredients.

You could use mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, raisins, red hots – anything, really – to accent your gingerbread men and make them your own. Tip: if you use the Simple Mills frosting know that it doesn’t harden like royal icing. Just a heads up in case you need to transport them somewhere!

Either enjoy the cookies right away, or store in an airtight container for several days. Don’t forget to save a couple for Santa!

As I mentioned, you can easily create a cookie-making kit with the muffin mix! Just gather a box of Simple Mills Pumpkin Muffin & Bread mix, a holiday cookie plate, and a few cookie cutters then tie them up with a sweet bow and hand deliver with the recipe. I can of course see this being a hit with a gluten-free friend, but also a teen who likes to bake?

However you go about it, I hope you love and enjoy these sweet and simple, Super Easy Gingerbread Cookies this holiday season!

Super Easy Gingerbread Cookies (Gluten-Free + Grain-Free!)

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Description

Super Easy Gingerbread Cookies are, you guessed it, incredibly simple! Add a couple pantry staples to boxed muffin mix then roll, slice, and bake!

Ingredients

makes 10 gingerbread men

• 1 box Simple Mills Pumpkin Muffin Mix
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar OR granulated sugar (optional)
• 3 Tablespoons molasses
• 1 large egg
• Icing/frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees then line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together muffin mix, ginger, and cloves. Whisk together oil, sugar, molasses, and egg in a small bowl then pour into dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to make dough easier to roll out.
3. Turn dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper then cover with another sheet of parchment paper and roll to 1/4” thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes then transfer to prepared baking sheet (dough will be soft.) Refrigerate dough for another 10 minutes then bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and firm. Cool cookies completely then decorate with icing.

Notes

• Use your favorite royal icing recipe to decorate these cookies, or Simple Mills Vanilla Frosting.

Cookie recipe adapted from Simple Mills

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.