Gluten Free Gingerbread

A homey and comforting Gluten Free Gingerbread that welcomes December with warm spices and molasses. A tender gluten-free crumb makes this gingerbread stand out from the rest, and it needs just simple ingredients to make.

Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Gingerbread

Welcome the cozy season with a wonderful gluten free gingerbread snacking cake that will fill your house with the smells of holidays, spice, and winter warmth. This easy, delicious recipe pairs oat and almond flour to make a dense, sturdy cake that’s sweetened with molasses and brown sugar for a beautiful caramel note and depth of flavor. The cake is richly spiced with all the good spices we expect in a gluten-free gingerbread, including ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. I’m not kidding when I say this cake lasted about two days in my house. My girls loved it, always my barometer for a successful cake. I think you’ll love it, too.

What You’ll Need for Gluten Free Gingerbread

Here’s a quick look at the ingredients in this gluten-free gingerbread cake. The full ingredient amounts and detailed instructions will be in the recipe card lower down.

• Oat flour – My favorite baking flour, oat flour is a wonderful whole grain gluten-free flour made from ground oats.
• Almond flour – Use almond flour rather than almond meal for a finer crumb.
• Leavening agents – Baking powder and baking soda.
• Brown sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Buttermilk – To make homemade buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon vinegar into 1 cup of milk.
• Egg – Choose large eggs.
• Unsalted butter
• Coffee or hot water
• Ground spices – Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves.

How to Make GF Gingerbread:

1. Prepare: Grease a 9″ square pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Make batter: Whisk together the dry ingredients, then whisk together the butter and molasses and add to the dry mix.
3. Combine: Add the coffee or water to the batter, then add the egg and buttermilk.
4. Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes until set.
5. Cool: Remove from oven and let cool in pan at least 30 minutes.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips that will help you make this delectable gluten free gingerbread:

• Rest the batter: Let batter rest while the oven heats. Oat flour, like all gluten-free flours, benefits from a rest to let it absorb liquids.
• Use room temperature ingredients: Bring ingredients to room temperature before folding them into the batter. This will allow them to better incorporate and result in a more evenly-baked cake.
• Oat flour substitute: Swap sorghum flour.
• Almond flour substitute: You can use another nut flour of choice or try teff flour.
• To make dairy-free: Make homemade, dairy-free buttermilk by whisking 1 tablespoon of vinegar into 1 cup of non-dairy milk. Let stand for 10 minutes, then use it in the recipe. Swap the butter for melted coconut oil or a non-dairy butter of choice.
• Make it refined sugar-free: Substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar to make this recipe refined sugar-free.

How to Store

here’s how to keep this gluten free gingerbread:

• Counter – Place squares of gingerbread in an airtight container and store it on the counter for up to 3 days.
• Fridge – To make this gluten-free gingerbread last a bit longer, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
• Freezer – You can freeze the entire cake by wrapping it tightly in plastic, then foil, and storing it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Or place individually wrapped portions in a freezer-safe bag. Defrost the cake in the fridge before eating.

Serving Suggestions

Serve slices of gingerbread warm, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on top. If you’re feeling extra, drizzle over caramel sauce. And around the holidays, you can sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top of the gingerbread, ice cream, or whipped cream for a festive touch.

More Holiday Recipes

• Oat Flour Sugar Cookies
• Cranberry Margarita
• Cranberry Orange Scones
• Gluten-Free Cranberry Cake

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