These gingerbread olive oil cookies will soon become a regular in your holiday baking repertoire. And this gingerbread man recipe is made without butter!
I really enjoy baking. I especially enjoy eating what I bake! My friends don’t seem to mind my baking experiments, either. Every holiday I experiment and try a brand new cookie recipe and mix them in with some tried and true favorites. And this year is no different.
When my kids were younger, they never cared for the strongly spiced gingerbread cookie. So I came up with this mildly spiced gingerbread man recipe. And because I bake with olive oil, these olive oil cookies are just as delicious as their butter counterparts.
Baking with olive oil
As you may (or may not) know, I bake primarily with extra virgin olive oil ever since I wrote an olive oil cookbook. From pie crusts to scones and even cookies, olive oil can easily replace butter in your baking. And you won’t really miss the butter, either.
And despite some of the myths you may have heard about cooking or baking with olive oil, yes you can bake most anything with this beautiful oil. The key to successful olive oil baking is the quality of olive oil you are using. I have written a lot about baking with olive oil, but I’ll share with you two big tips here.
First, only use extra virgin olive oil. This is first pressed, cold pressed olives. Secondly, taste the olive oil you want to bake with, straight up, alone. If it makes you gag, it is probably rancid. If it is peppery, those peppery notes will come out in your baking.
Extra virgin olive oil comes in a variety of flavors, from mild to pungent, depending on when the olives were harvested and pressed. Use a mild buttery olive oil for baking sugar cookies. But with these gingerbread olive oil cookies, you could totally use a more peppery and stronger flavored olive oil.
Gingerbread man recipe
This year, I was determined to update the gingerbread cookie by using olive oil instead of butter. It took a few tries, but here it is. The cookie is mildly spicy – enough to give you a kick, but it should not overwhelm you, making it very kid friendly.
As I was experimenting and making batches and batches of my olive oil gingerbread cookies, my kids kept stealing one as they passed by. Middle Child requested them in his lunch box.
My Princess would eat one when she came home from school. The Professor felt a gingerbread cookie (or two) with a glass of milk was a healthy breakfast.
I guess their tastebuds have evolved after all!
Fast forward a couple more years and those kids are now teenagers (GASP!) and guess what? They request these gingerbread cookies more often than they do the sugar cookies. And honestly, I like them more, too.
Gingerbread cookies without butter
Again, when choosing an olive oil for these gingerbread olive oil cookies, you can use a mild, buttery oil or a spicy, pepper infused oil for more kick. I have done both and each batch turned out delicious.
The only difficulty I have encountered in preparing olive oil cookies is that they are stickier than the butter based dough. So I just roll the cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper and problem is solved.
A great perk about olive oil cookie dough is that is does not need to be chilled like butter dough. You can chill it of course, but it is not necessary. Just prepare the cookie dough, roll it out, cut it up and bake!
How to decorate gingerbread olive oil cookies
I totally admit that I am all thumbs when it comes to decorating cookies. But that doesn’t keep me from trying! One reason I love baking these gingerbread cookies is that I don’t really have to do much to make them look good.
You can full on ice the entire cookie with cute shorts and suspenders. I like to pipe white royal icing around the outline of the gingerbread man. After the cookies were baked and iced, I used a bamboo skewer to pierce two holes in the neck of my gingerbread men and tied some red and white bakers twine.
Feel free to decorate your cookies any way you want. You can even add sprinkles or leave them plain. Either way, everyone will love these delicious olive oil cookies.
More gingerbread recipes
Can’t get enough of gingerbread flavor but don’t feel like dealing with cookie dough? Here is a fabulous recipe for The Hamilton Cookbook Gingerbread Cake.
Gingerbread Olive Oil Cookies
These gingerbread olive oil cookies will soon become a regular in your holiday baking repertoire. And this gingerbread man recipe is made without butter!
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup + 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together 3 cups flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together brown sugar, molasses, egg, and olive oil until creamy and combined.
- Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, and beat until dough starts to form and clump together.
- Coat flat work surface or cutting board with some all-purpose flour. You can use up to 1/4 cup flour
- Gently knead dough into a round disk.
- Olive oil cookie dough is sticky, so you will need to lightly flour a silicone mat and place it (flour side down) over the dough. You can also use two sheets of parchment paper.
- Carefully roll until out dough until approximately 1-cm thick.
- Using cookie cutters, cut into desired shape. Dip a thin spatular into flour and gently transfer cut cookies at least 1-inch apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes for shapes approximately 4-inches long, 12 minutes for larger sizes.
- Remember, olive oil cookies do not brown. If you bake for too long, you will have firm, crisp cookies.
- Let sit on baking sheet for 10 minutes after removal from oven, and then using a thin spatula, transfer to a cooling rack.
- Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Serving Suggestions: Serve alone or decorate with royal icing.
Cooking Tips: If you want a harder, crisper cookie, bake for 12 minutes. Remember, olive oil cookies do not brown. For darker cookies, use dark brown sugar.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32Serving Size:
1 cookieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 79 Total Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 6mg Sodium: 57mg Carbohydrates: 17g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 7g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g
Priscilla @shescookin says
I love everything about this post – those adorable cookies, the cause, and the lovely Japanese jewelry! Great giveaway, thanks for sharing, Laura! Happy Holidays too you and your family!
Elena says
Hi Laura! You have a great website and fantastic recipes. Your gingerbread cookies are lovely and so are the jewelries by Nozomi Project. I would be happy to win one 🙂
Greetings from Romania!
Elena
Sandra Hurt says
Love the look of the Kaede Necklaces. Commented on both their fb & instagram pages.
Marisa says
Dear Laura,
the cookies look very cozy, beautiful work! I use olive oil for every of my recipes, I never use butter and I don´t miss it at all. Olive oil is a wonderful product.
I found Nozomi Project very inspiring. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Hugs,
Marisa
Adair @ Lentil Breakdown says
That cookie shaped to hang on a glass is GENIUS! And thanks for turning me onto the Nozomi Project. Their jewelry is beautiful.
Tania says
I have been following Nozomi Project for a while, I think it is great and Awesome. And your Gingerbread cookies are awesome. I bake everything from scratch here at home for my daughter but could never get the cookies to turn out just right. Thank you for sharing your lovely Recipe. We are going to try and make it later this month if we can get the money up for ingredients. Being a single mom and out of work right now near the holidays is not fun.
Sue Takamoto says
Hi Tania- Thanks so much for following Nozomi Project! I love when our Nozomi friends pop up in different places! I’m going to try and make gingerbread cookies with my kids as well!
Sue
Darlene Grant says
Love the Nozomi project. What a wonderful thing out of such a tragedy.
Zsofi Ordogh says
I like your website! Both the cookies and the jewelries are amazing! I follow you on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well 🙂
Jenny Gremm says
I love gingerbread too!!! Will have to try this one this year! I love the Nozomi jewelry too!!! They really do have beautiful pieces and that it is helping in the extended relief effort. Too often we tend to think of the restoration as just a short term thing but for those living through it, it does take much longer. It’s exciting to know that from brokenness can come such beauty!!!
Joyce Talkington says
Happy holidays, Laura.
I love these cookies and must give them a try! Big fan of olive oil and with twelve grandchildren I am sure there are going to be a lot of happy faces, Thank you for posting the recipe!
I ‘liked’ Nozomi Project a couple months ago and last week placed my third order. A great cause and beautiful jewelry! I treasured my years in Japan and my heart is warmer when I wear their offerings <3
Manda says
Live the project.
Isha Esses says
Laura,
Such a hopeful story you published today! I just love it when people tap into their ability to turn the “why?” into the “to what?”. Turn their tears into growth and beauty.
It reminded me of the the site of the Israeli artist who turns Qassam Rockets fired at his village into fabulous art. His way of transforming objects of war into expressions of peace.
If you have time look at: http://www.rocketsintoroses.com/ Just another of those hopeful projects. (I have nothing to do with his project, you just made me remember him.)
Thank you for sharing! May the person who wins wear the jewelry with humble pride!
Shalom from Israel
Dania Smith says
These are beautiful, and this is a great cause too – thank you for sharing about it!
Dania Smith says
I liked the Nozomi Project page on Facebook as well!
Maria Mills says
Love your recipes, always so tasty and interesting. Thank you
Anita k says
This was a very enjoyable read.I’m making these with my grandchildren.thanks so very much for sharing.following your great page on Facebook also.can’t wait to see what you do next.
Farrah says
Those cookies are adorable, and I love the cause and that super pretty jewelry! :] Thanks so much for having this giveaway!
AER says
Such beautiful jewelry! Thanks for the giveaway!
Liz Schmitt says
Yum, I can smell the gingerbread – thanks for supporting a wonderful cause. I miss you, in case you don’t know this 😉
Aaron says
The necklace and earrings are beautiful.
Aaron says
I gave the Nozomi Project a like on Facebook!
carla M says
Beautiful necklace and Earrings!
Amy @ Life to the Full says
Beautiful jewelry! Love the necklace especially 🙂
gloryj says
What a beautiful idea and such a creative group to make a positive out of such a negative event. The jewelry is so attractive and carries with it their hope for the future.
melanie mcclung says
beautiful jewelry through a tragic story – i love how something good can come from something so bad