I have a cookie cutter fetish. I love all kinds – vintage, metal, holiday, everyday. I’ve got cutters for every holiday, too.
Naturally, I couldn’t let this Christmas go without making some of the season’s most iconic treats. My mom saw them when she visited recently and said how cute they are. I have to agree. Decorating them is just as much fun as rolling them out and cutting little people.
I decided to use buckwheat flour to give the cookies a nutritional boost and add that earthy flavor I love so much. Buckwheat is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb, not a grain. It has lots of health benefits, too, including:
- being rich in flavinoids, which when eaten regularly may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- containing high-quality protein that includes all 8 essential amino acids
- a high fiber content which is essential for reducing the risk of many diseases such as breast cancer and cardiovascular disease
I also threw in some psyllium husks, just like I did with my pie crust. It helps the cookies roll out easily and keep their shape when you transfer them to the baking sheet.
I decorated the cookies with the same frosting I used for my Chocolate Cut Out Cookies except I didn’t color it orange.
Do you have a kitchen obsession, something you can’t help but bring home when you see it?
Listen to Me & Kelly from The Spunky Coconut
Kelly had me on her podcast this week – we had so much fun chatting about food, cooking, pregnancy, and life. Listen here.
Grain-free gingerbread men that are easy to roll out and cut.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups buckwheat flour plus extra for rolling
- 1/4 cup psyllium husks
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, not melted
- 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup blackstrap molasses
Instructions
- Whisk together the buckwheat, psyllium husks, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, salt, and nutmeg.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the coconut oil and coconut palm sugar until light.
- Beat in the egg until combined. Add the blackstrap molasses and mix until combined.
- Add the flour in one addition and mix until combined.
- Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
- Use buckwheat flour to flour a piece of waxed paper. Dust the exterior of the dough with a little buckwheat flour.
- Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter dipped in flour to cut out the little people. Re-roll scraps until all of the dough has been used.
- Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes depending on how big your cookies cutter is.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If desired, decorate by piping on eyes, a smile, and clothes with decorator's frosting.
Much love,
Amy
Cara
posted on December 7, 2011 at 9:20 am
Hey Amy, will psyllium husk powder work, or does it need to be whole husks? I’m checking out what my local vitamin shop has to offer. Thanks!
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Againstallgrain.com
posted on December 7, 2011 at 10:42 am
These look so cute! I wish I could use buckwheat but it has such a high glycemic index and is still really high in carbs despite not being a grain. Any substitution suggestions? I’ve been wanting to make gingerbread all season!
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Amy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 10:43 am
@Againstallgrain.com, Feel free to try this with another flour. I didn’t so I can’t tell you what else to use. Have fun!
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Katie
posted on December 7, 2011 at 10:52 am
Hi Amy! These are lovely cookies and I am fascinated with adding psyllium husks to the batter. Do you think that would work for any roll-out cookie dough, like sugar cookies? It doesn’t look like you have to add anything else to the batter when adding the husks (ie. liquid)…is that what your experience has been? Love these cookies!
Katie
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Amy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 10:42 am
@Katie, I have another psyllium husk recipe that I’m publishing next week. Yes, I think it’s great for cookies. You might start with this recipe for sugar cookies and then sub in some psyllium husks because it’s already easy to work with:
http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/spritz-cookies/
Hugs & Happy Baking!
Amy
[Reply]
gail
posted on December 7, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Hi Amy,
I am not suprised at how cute these Gingerbread people of yours are! How precious you made them, and the little ladies I see in the background. They just come alive.
I was thrilled to see you used Buckwheat flour as I am always looking for buckwheat recipes. I love the flavor in baked goods but cannot tolerate the taste of Kasha when cooked. I didn’t realize that buckwheat was that high on the glycemic index, but if it is better nutritionally then that compensates for the carbs. I have tried searching the internet for cookbooks devoted exclusively to buckwheat, especially for sandwich bread recipes but nothing I could find. The recipes usually contain wheat too.
Amy are you aware of a sandwich bread recipe that uses mainly buckwheat. If so, I would love to give it a try.
I too have pysllium powder, and I am wondering if that will work in place of the husks!
Merry Christmas to all from your friends to the North.
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Amy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 10:41 am
@gail, I don’t know of a buckwheat bread but it shouldn’t be hard to make. Buckwheat is easy to work with. I’ll add it to my ‘to-make’ list – but no promises…I have a baby on the way.
Have you tried my Overnight Buckwheat Pancakes? I think you’ll love them.
http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/yeasted-buckwheat-pancakes/
Merry Christmas to you, too! I am originally from Ohio and really miss being there this time of year. Enjoy the cold – I hope you have a White Christmas.
Hugs,
Amy
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Lily
posted on December 7, 2011 at 12:52 pm
I’m wondering if I could throw in some ground flax seed instead of psyllium, which I don’t have on hand. How much would I use?
@gail — I’ve seen a bread recipe on Gluten Free Goddess that uses buckwheat, but have not tried it yet: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/05/whole-grain-gluten-free-bread_17.html.
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Amy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 10:38 am
@Lily, You’d have to try it out yourself. I didn’t test the recipe with ground flax seeds. Would love for you to come back and share what you learn.
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gail Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 11:05 am
@Lily, Thanks Lily. I actually made this bread back in May when Karina put it on her blog that day, and it was quite crumbly. I may try it again but put in 3/4 cup of more buckwheat in the place of the 3/4 cup of brown rice as I think it was the brown rice that made is so crumbly. Ideally I would like a recipe that would be mostly all buckwheat flour.
Merry Christmas.
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Dia
posted on December 7, 2011 at 2:51 pm
These look delightful!!! & I love gingerbread!
I have some coconut sugar – which I got before reading this –
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/coconut_palm_sugar.htm –
Note: “What no one is warning consumers about is that coconut palm trees are meant to produce coconuts, not sugar! When the sap used to make coconut palm sugar is collected from the coconut palm tree, from the flower bud that will eventually form a coconut, that tree can no longer produce coconuts!” ….
I’d rather have the milk & oil – am using up the bag I got, but mostly use other OG sugar
I also love sorghum flour, & think I do better with that than buckwheat (it may be a contamination issue, rather than the buckwheat itself!) …
Thanks for a fun recipe!
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Amy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 10:37 am
@Dia, I have seen that article and honestly, every other source of information out there says that coconut palm sugar is sustainable. I love Tropical Traditions – they’re a great company and their products are really good. Still, I have to wonder why they’re slamming coconut palm sugar – is it because they make most of their money on coconut oil? I don’t know. After doing my research on this and taking info from many, many different sources I decided to disregard that article.
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Dia Reply:
December 10th, 2011 at 11:07 am
Thanks
When I was looking for that article, I found mostly positive comments too – it would be wonderful if it’s really OK! So much info to sift through!
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shannon
posted on December 7, 2011 at 3:00 pm
can anything be substituted for the blackstrap molasses? i can’t have molasses and i’d love to be able to have gingerbread this year (this is my first gluten, dairy, sugar (list goes on) free christmas).
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Amy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 10:35 am
@shannon, You can use another liquid sweetener, like honey or agave. Yacon syrup or brown rice syrup would be nice if you have that on hand, too.
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Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry
posted on December 7, 2011 at 3:18 pm
These are too cute and I love the fact that they are made with buckwheat flour!
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Emily
posted on December 7, 2011 at 4:36 pm
I bought some coconut palm sugar in disc/swirl form some weeks ago and cannot figure out the best way to cut them up to use in baking. My food processor won’t cut through because they’re too sticky. They’re too thick to cut up with a knife in any reasonable amount of time and I’ve found they don’t melt down very quickly either.
Do you have any secrets?
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Amy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 10:34 am
@Emily, I’ve seen people who buy the disk grate in on a box grater. I have never purchased the disk form…too much work for me. Here is a link to what I buy:
http://www.iherb.com/Sweet-Tree-Organic-Coconut-Palm-Sugar-Blonde-16-oz-454-g/34435?at=0&rcode=SIR086
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Maggie
posted on December 7, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Beautiful cookies Amy. I love that you used buckwheat flour – so good for you! Thanks for sharing and using coconut oil
I love using it not melted, it reminds me so much of our butter days! xo
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Amy Reply:
December 9th, 2011 at 10:32 am
@Maggie, Yes! It really does ‘cream’ much like butter does. I love how it works in these cookies. So easy to sub for butter.
xoxo
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vegetarian
posted on December 8, 2011 at 7:24 am
Great Recipes! Looks delicious and yummy! Thanks for posting this!
Love your recipes!
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Carol, Simply Gluten Free
posted on December 8, 2011 at 10:09 am
How cute!!!!
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Brandon
posted on December 9, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Your gingerbread men are so handsome!
Thanks for the idea of using buckwheat flour. Can’t wait to make these little guys.
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InTolerant Chef
posted on December 11, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Lovely recipe indeed! I have several hundred cookie cutters, and they’re ALL my favourites, they are so much fun
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Beth
posted on December 12, 2011 at 9:24 am
I made these over the weekend. My daughters loved them! My older one said they tasted ever better the second day – and how often do people say that about GF foods? Thanks for a great recipe!
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B. S. Hayden
posted on December 12, 2011 at 12:24 pm
PSYLLIUM is a bulk forming laxative, used to treat constipation and should not be used as a food. It is a MEDICATION, and should be prescribed by a doctor.
SEE The National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health Government Publication at this site:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000092/#a601104-sideEffects
Two major cereal companies included psyllium in their ingredients in the 1980s and they both discontinued the use, due to the WARNING on the labels!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
December 12th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
@B. S. Hayden, Yes, psyllium husk are a insoluable fiber. It’s so very important to have a diet high in fiber – it keeps your intestines and colon healthy and helps prevent many diseases, including cancer and heart disease.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition did a study and found that it does indeed help lower cholesterol: http://www.ajcn.org/content/71/2/472.full
Psyllium is widely used in foods to increase fiber intake and help with digestive issues. NaturalNews.com uses it many ways, including this smoothie: http://www.naturalnews.com/027941_psyllium_appetite.html
Many people on a gluten-free diet are lacking good sources of fiber. Psyllium is one way to help incorporate it.
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Janet VW
posted on December 20, 2011 at 12:47 am
Hi Amy, Thanks for sharing this recipe. It didn’t work so well for me. I doubted that putting the dough in the fridge for an hour would be a good idea, considering that coconut oil hardens when cold. But I followed the recipe anyway. The dough was super hard after one hour and I had to just let it sit at room temperature so that I could work with it. Also, the cookies turned out a bit dry. I’m not a big fan of buckwheat, but I stuck to the recipe. I thought the flavor of the buckwheat overpowered the other flavors. If I were to make this again, I would either use raw buckwheat or try a milder flavored flour. Overall, I was disappointed. This recipe calls for a lot of expensive ingredients, but only makes a so-so cookie. Thanks anyway for sharing your recipe. It is a good starting point for another cookie, and I do appreciate that it contains healthier ingredients.
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Heather
posted on December 20, 2011 at 5:37 am
Thanks for the recipe! I left out the psyllium husks and used brown sugar (because I thought my boys would complain about the coconut palm taste). We also had to use an egg substitute. We have to eat egg/nut/wheat free. However, they turned out a little dry. I was thinking maybe I should add more molasses? I know buckwheat can tend to turn out dry.
However, they tasted excellent, so thank you very much for the recipe!
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Janet VW
posted on December 20, 2011 at 10:56 pm
Amy, I have to amend my previous comment. My boys devoured these cookies today. So, while I wasn’t a big fan, my “customers” were! I also would add that the thicker cookies were much better than those that I rolled thin. Thanks!
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Kacey
posted on December 22, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Hi Amy-
I made these cookies to take to my extended family’s holiday gathering. I used ground flax in place of the psyllium husks, simply because I couldn’t find any psyllium at our local Whole Foods. (weird, huh?) Just to set the stage–my husband and I don’t do white sugar and flour for our health, my sister is gluten-intolerant, and my mom is gluten-sensitive, but my aunts, uncles and cousins eat everything–fried snack foods, sugary sodas, sweet potato casserole that is mainly brown sugar and margarine, etc. These cookies were a hit! My sister was so excited to have something sweet she could eat, and one of my aunts thought they were delicious. Thanks so much for a great recipe–one that is sure to become a holiday tradition in my house!
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Amy Reply:
January 6th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
@Kacey, Yea!! So glad the flax worked and everyone loved the cookies. Kudos to you for being creative in the kitchen.
Hugs,
Amy
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Emma Galloway
posted on December 26, 2011 at 6:30 am
Your cookies look and sound amazing and a far cry from my failed attempts at gf, df, sf gingerbread cookies that I made a few weeks ago. I’ll have to remember this recipe for next year! I hope you had a great Christmas and all the best for the new year and motherhood
xx
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Diana
posted on February 1, 2012 at 12:39 pm
LOVE these cookies! I actually made them just as cookies, (not gingerbread men) did not refrigerate the dough, or roll them out, or use cookie cutters. (lazy!) the cookies were crispy chewy spicy sweet!! I used psyllium powder, ( instead of husks) and organic non hydrogenated palm shortening, instead of coconut oil. Both substitutions worked out fine. My husband who has no food allergies loves them too. I made them for a party tonight, and I have to hide them from him so I have some left! Thank you.
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Amy Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 3:23 pm
@Diana, Yea, Diana!! Thanks for sharing your substitutions. These are yummy cookies.
xoxo!
Amy
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Maija
posted on December 10, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s coming on Christmas and I have a one year old grand-daughter that is not given sugar or sweets at all. I’ve been looking for something I can try for her.
I’m puzzled by the psyllium husks and powder. Wouldn’t psyllium powder be Metamucil? I do have that, but I also have ground flax.
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Heather @ Stuffed Pepper
posted on December 13, 2012 at 7:15 pm
Hi Amy,
We made these last night and they were great! What’s the best way to store them and how long do they last?
Heather
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Heather @ Stuffed Pepper
posted on December 13, 2012 at 7:20 pm
P.S. I didn’t use the psyllium husks because my body doesn’t seem to like them. And I used 1/4 cup palm shortening and 1/4 cup soy-free, dairy-free “buttery spread” only because I thought I had coconut oil only to find out I didn’t too late! But even with all these changes, they turned out great!
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Julie Vance
posted on December 15, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Amy,
I made these today and they are the best GF cookie I’ve made yet! I like the texture for rolling out and transferring…I’ve had trouble with other recipes that resulted in dough that was unwieldy. I used flaxmeal with water instead of the egg and I added a few tablespoons of freshly grated ginger to make them more gingery.
Thank you for all the great recipes!
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