Gingerbread Cookie Balls {Gluten-free}
Festive. Chewy. Stress-free. Looking for a fun holiday cookie that’s simple to make and packed with holiday cheer? Meet your new favourite recipe: Gingerbread Cookie Balls. These treats are an adaptation of our beloved Chewy Almond Cookies, but with a warming gingerbread twist! Think soft, chewy cookies with the cozy flavours of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger—they are perfect for adding to holiday cookie boxes or bringing to festive gatherings. Best of all, they only require ingredients you likely already have at home and can be made in less than 30 minutes. Try them today!
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Gluten-Free and Fuss-Free: Made with almond flour, they’re naturally gluten-free and require no special skills or fancy gadgets!
- Holiday Flavour in Every Bite: Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, these cookies are bursting with holiday cheer.
- Perfect for Gifting: Their crisp exterior and deliciously chewy interior make them an ideal homemade gift for friends and family.
5 Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t have almond flour?
No problem – You can always make your own by finely grinding blanched almonds or by experimenting with different nut flours! See below for my step-by-step guide for making your own nut flour.
Sofia’s Baking Tips
Making your own nut flour: A simple and stress-free way to customize flavours or use what you already have in your pantry. Here’s how:
1. Choose Your Nuts: Almost any nut works—walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, or pistachios. Use raw, unsalted nuts for the best results. Toast them lightly if you want a richer flavor, but ensure they’re completely cool before processing.
2. Blend in Batches: Add a cup of nuts to a food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse in short bursts, pausing frequently to scrape down the sides. This prevents the nuts from overheating and turning into nut butter.
3. Avoid Over-Processing: Stop when the nuts are finely ground and resemble the texture of flour. A few small pieces are fine, but don’t let the mixture become oily.
Optional Sifting: For a finer texture, sift the nut flour through a fine-mesh sieve and reprocess any larger pieces.
4. Store Properly: Nut flours can spoil quickly due to their natural oils. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Pro Tip: Nut flour is slightly denser than almond flour, so use it in recipes with moist ingredients or combine it with a starch like cornstarch or tapioca flour for lighter textures.
This DIY method is not only cost-effective but also lets you experiment with different flavors to create your perfect cookies!
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
Almond meal is typically a coarser almond powder that contains almond skins. Almond flour is most commonly used for baking and is made from blanched, peeled, almonds that have been very finely ground. For this hearty almond cookie recipe, both almond meal and almond flour will work great!
How do I store these cookies?
These Gingerbread Cookie Balls can be safely stored in an airtight container for up to a week. If gifting them in a cookie box, I recommend using a tightly sealing cookie box (such as a tin box), when possible, to seal in the freshness.
Can I freeze these Gingerbread Cookie Balls?
Yes! Freeze the dough or baked cookies in an air-tight container/freezer-bag for 3-6 months.
Can I make these cookies vegan/plant-based?
Absolutely! You can substitute regular, large eggs, with flax eggs (ground flax seeds + water) for a purely plant-based recipe.
Sofia’s Baking Tips
1 Flax egg (plant based egg substitute) = 1 tbsp Flax meal + 3 tbsp water (cold or warm)
Let sit for 5 minutes then its ready to use!
The Ingredients you will need to make this cookie:
- Almond flour – For that soft and chewy cookie texture that is naturally gluten-free!
- Brown sugar – For that chew and extra molasses moisture
- Eggs – I recommend large eggs that help to bind the cookie together
- Spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) – Gingerbread spices!
- Salt – flaked sea salt to balance the sweet flavours!
How to make my Gingerbread Cookie Balls
Preheat oven to 350F (325F convection bake). Line 1-2 baking trays with parchment and set aside (note: 2 trays allows you to bake all the cookies at once).
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Add almond flour, spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), a pinch of salt, and mix together with a spoon or spatula until a thick, wet, paste forms.
Form into 1 tbsp dough mounds, roll into balls, and place on a baking sheet, 1-2″ apart.
Decorate with coarse sugar (as desired).
Bake for ~15 minutes or until the tops are dry to the touch, and the bottom are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet.
Dust with powdered sugar and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Enjoy!
Also check out:
Bakery Style Ginger Molasses Cookies
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Chewy Almond Cookies (Gluten Free)
Gingerbread Cookie Balls
Ingredients
- 300 grams (~3 cups) Almond Flour unbleached, fine ground
- 1 cup Brown Sugar packed
- 2 Eggs large, room temperature
- 3 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (325F convection bake). Line 1-2 baking trays with parchment and set aside (note: 2 trays allows you to bake all the cookies at once).
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Add almond flour, spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), a pinch of salt, and mix together with a spoon or spatula until a thick, wet, paste forms.
- Form into 1 tbsp dough mounds, roll into balls, and place on a baking sheet, 1-2" apart.
- Decorate with coarse sugar (as desired).
- Bake for ~15 minutes or until the tops are dry to the touch, and the bottom are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet.
- Dust with powdered sugar and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
- Enjoy!
