These sugar-free gingerbread men are also gluten free, grain free and made with whole food ingredients. They are fun to make and fun to eat.
They will help keep your children sugar free whilst still enjoying baking together. Read my top tips below, if you’re hopeless at icing/frosting.
Sugar-Free Gingerbread Men
The irony after naming these sugar free gingerbread men is that I have just realised (now I have finished the graphics on all the images) that there are actually only two little gingerbread men in the photos. I wrote this post in December, so maybe the cookies reflect my state of mind at this time of year.
I do like the festive shapes of the angels, trees, hearts, and stars. My son did make some trains and dinosaurs, but they never made their way into the shot (the cookies ‘disappeared’ somehow).[clickToTweet tweet=”I just found these amazing #sugarfree gingerbread men. Fun to make, & made with #wholefood #realfood ingredients. ” quote=”I just found these amazing #sugarfree gingerbread men. Fun to make, & made with #wholefood #realfood ingredients. “]
Why not make some cute little sugar free gingerbread men or festive shapes for Christmas gifts this year? I have some FREE printable gift tags for you on the low carb Christmas mince pies page. These sugar-free gingerbread men would look beautiful wrapped in clear cellophane and ribbon. Simple, yet elegant.
At Christmas time, it is almost impossible to keep the heavy sugar treats from the children, without them feeling like they’re missing out. Now you can make these super cute and super easy sugar-free gingerbread men instead.
Tips for a better dough
These sugar-free gingerbread men are a little tricky to roll out, especially if you are used to the gluten in wheat flour, but I have found rolling them between two sheets of baking parchment saves them from sticking to the kitchen worktop, saves washing up and they pull away cleanly.
Take a look at how I roll out my pizza dough, I use the same method.
You may also need to adjust how firm or sticky the dough is. Almond flour will absorb more liquid than if you use almond meal. The dough will also reflect the temperature and humidity.
So if your gingerbread dough is too sticky, add a little more almond flour/meal, and if it is too dry, add a few drops of water.
Tips for icing/frosting
If you are lousy at icing/frosting gingerbread men (or really can’t be bothered) then throw some icing in between the gingerbread men and sandwich them together. Just call them gingerbread ‘sandwiches’ and everyone will be impressed at how creative you are.
This is a great recipe to be used all year round and with all types of cookie cutters. You can even adapt or remove the spices to make a sturdy almond cookie.
So whether you are reading this at Christmas time or mid-year, these are great little sugar-free gingerbread men (or gingerbread cookies) to make.
Sugar Free Gingerbread Men
Ingredients
Sugar free gingerbread men
- 110 g butter softened
- 4 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
- 1 egg
- 200 g almond meal/flour
- 4 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
Sugar free icing/frosting
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp cream cheese (regular not spreadable)
- powdered sweetener to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Sugar free gingerbread men
- Mix the butter and sweetener together until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and mix.
- Add all the other dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Adjust the dough with extra almond flour or water until the dough is the right consistency to be rolled out.
- Roll between two sheets of baking parchment, cut out various shapes using cookie cutters and place on a lined baking tray.
- Bake at 180C/350F for 10-12 minutes or until cooked (cooking times will vary considerably for this recipe and how crispy you like your gingerbread men). Once cooked, you may want to turn them upside down and bake for a further minute to ensure they are crisp.
Sugar free icing/frosting
- Microwave for 10-15 seconds or heat on the stove gently to soften (not melt) the butter and cream cheese together. Mix.
- Add the vanilla and add sweetener to taste. Mix.
- Allow to cool slightly and thicken enough to be able to be piped onto the gingerbread men.
- If the icing/frosting is too thick, add a few drops of water, if too thin, allow to cool in the fridge to allow the butter and cream cheese to solidify slightly.
Notes
To keep low carb and on track this season, you may wish to look at –
- Low carb Christmas mince pies
- Spiced almonds
- Frozen white Christmas
- Easy low carb Christmas cake
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Leisa says
Hi Libby due to not liking the taste of coconut flour (I can taste even a small amount in a recipe) is there a substitute eg: protein powder or chia flour?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m afraid I have never tried either of these as a substitute in this recipe. If you give it a try and it works, I’d love you to come back and let us know.
Jen says
Do you have a nut free version?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Sorry, not for this gingerbread men recipe. I like a challenge, I’ll try and develop one soon.
Jen says
Hi, do you know whether the biscuit recipe works with margarine instead of butter? I’m thinking of making these for a friend who is both gluten- and lactose-intolerant, but sometimes substituting dairy-free margarine in place of butter doesn’t work for roll-out recipes. Cheers!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I think the margarine will be too soft for the cookie dough to roll out. You could perhaps try with half the mixture so it isn’t a huge waste if it doesn’t quite work?
Sarah B says
Can I use gluten free flour?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Many gluten-free flours are incredibly high in carbs as they are based on rice flour for example. They also work in completely different ways to almond flour and coconut flour. This post will explain Gluten-free vs Grain-free and this post is my Ultimate Guide To Low-Carb Flours.
Sarah says
Hi Libby.
I went ahead and made these with gluten free flour. The carbs aren’t really an issue (more important to watch the sugar, as it’s for a diabetic). They worked, were lovely and crumbly. Froze half and topped with crystallized ginger (having soaked it to get rid of excess sugar) before baking. A real hit as she wants me to make more!!!! Thank you.
jemimah Kreeck says
Hello, In regards to the nutritional table I was wondering how many biscuits did you make so I can work out what 1 serving is, thankyou
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
The recipe states it makes 30 biscuits – sometimes I make more or less depending on size, but it gives you an idea of the nutrition for 1/30th of the recipe.
K Fisher says
Really disappointed with this recipe. Just binned the lot. I had to add another cup of almond flour to make it workable. Rolled between baking paper, cooker cutter but YOU CAN”T PICK THEM UP WITHOUT BREAKING!!!!Then only taste like almonds with spice, what’s the point? Save yourself the trouble, time & expense
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
You shouldn’t have had to add an extra cup of almond flour, that is what made them crumbly and only taste of almonds! That’s not the recipe I developed. I would check your almond flour isn’t the low fat variety or out of date. These aren’t as sturdy as sugar and flour gingerbread, sure, but you simply slide a knife under them and place them on the lined baking tray.
Anne says
what weight is a stick of butter? In Australia we get 250g or 500g packs.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I always put both measurements to help my metric and imperial readers. This recipe states 110g / 1 stick butter. I am in NZ so use metric also.
Emma says
Brilliant recipe, thank you! I can’t believe how great the dough is to work with considering there was no wheat flour in it. Absolutely no dramas rolling and cutting shapes, and the post-bake consistency is terrific. Another 10/10 from me!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Emma this is so lovely to read. I am so glad it works so well. My children have made this a few times since I developed it (they are always my recipe testers). Have a very merry Christmas and New Year, Libby x
Rachel says
is the butter meant to be ‘softened’ or melted as per the recipe suggests? I cant seem to get the melted butter and sweetener to go light and fluffy
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I have amended it to softened, that would be easier to blend the two together.
Lisa says
Could I use a cookie “gun” for these?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Probably not, they aren’t gooey like a traditional cookie dough is. I roll them out between two sheets of baking parchment. Let me know if you give it a go though with your cookie gun, I’d love to try one of those.
Evelyn Sinclair says
Great recipe! The exact recipe has a good consistency, easy to manage with the parchment roll out and taste really good. I serve the cookies with a bowl of apple sauce for dipping – tastes like apple pie
LexiLovesToTravel says
I’ve made these twice now and have almost mastered them. For his recipe I personally think they taste better a little bit more crisp than regular gingerbread recipes. I use cinnamon instead of cloves, again, as personal preference. I’m very impressed with this recipe and they would make a great year-round biscuit treat! Thank you.
Edith says
I like the recipes but I find your posts hard to read because it is in gray print a
nd does not show up as well as black pri t
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
is it just my website or do you need to turn the contrast up on your monitor? I have it set at the darkest black I can. Sorry to hear this.
urthboundmisfit says
It’s got to be their browser settings. I’m on Windows 7 and Chrome, and I can read your blog posts just fine. If they’re reading from their phone, that introduces even more potential complications.
Jan says
I have the same problem reading several websites. If the contrast is turned up I wonder if it’s the font? I can see this one okay for the most part, but some are very hard.