I’ve followed a lot of gingerbread recipes and am, honestly, constantly disappointed. Some are too spicy, some too gooey, some call for way too many ingredients, and others are too sweet. This gingerbread is absolute perfection. I plan to make it in bulk this holiday season for friends, teachers, neighbors, and family to enjoy because I KNOW it’s that good and will be loved by all!
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If you want your house to instantly feel like the holidays, make this Gingerbread. Warming, comforting, EASY (always easy), and so delicious, you will instantly feel the sparkle of the holiday season. While I like to gift pumpkin loaves to teachers and neighbors in October, this is the gingerbread I’m baking and passing out in December. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make your very own festive, delicious gingerbread!
- 1½ cups (186 grams) of all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
- ⅔ cup (139 g) of brown sugar, lightly packed
- 4 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (153 g) of molasses
- ⅔ cup of hot water
- Powdered sugar and whipped cream, for topping (optional, but highly suggested)
How to Make a Gluten Free Gingerbread Loaf
- Prep – preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8 metal baking pan, then set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients – add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices to a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients + sugar – add the brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, molasses, and water to a large bowl and whisk until the eggs are fully incorporated. Then, whisk the hot water into the mixture.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients – add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and whisk until you can no longer see any flour, and the batter is free of any lumps.
- Bake – pour the batter into the greased baking pan, then bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool, dust with powdered sugar, and serve – let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
How to Store
Store your gingerbread loaf in an airtight container on the counter. Storing it this way will keep the bread moist and delicious for up to a week!
Does a gingerbread loaf need to be refrigerated?
Gingerbread doesn’t need to be refrigerated! In fact, while storing your gingerbread in the refrigerator may prolong its life for a couple of days, it’ll also dry it out a bit, so we actually recommend storing your gingerbread on the counter.
Can a gingerbread loaf be frozen?
Yes! Feel free to freeze your gingerbread for up to 3 months. You can do this in one of two ways:
- Freeze the whole thing – once cool, wrap the entire gingerbread loaf in plastic wrap, then slide it into a large freezer safe bag or airtight container. To thaw, simply place the gingerbread (still wrapped in a container) in the fridge overnight.
- Freeze individual portions – let your gingerbread cool, then go ahead and cut it into individual servings. Wrap each serving in plastic wrap and store them in a plastic freezer-safe bag or airtight container. To thaw, let an individual piece sit at room temp for an hour or so or in the fridge overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
This gingerbread recipe does call for 2 eggs, but if you need to modify it and make it egg-free, feel free. We did some really extensive (the effort it took to not say “eggstensive” was BIG) egg-free testing and you can find the full write-up in our Guide to Egg-Free Baking. We found that the very best egg replacer for cakes is plain Greek yogurt, believe it or not! Yogurt is a great egg replacer because the lactic acid in it reacts with baking soda or powder to help baked goods rise. It also adds a bit of extra fat and creates a creamier texture. If you choose to go this route, you’ll need a ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt per egg (so a ½ cup total in this recipe).
There are a couple of reasons that your gingerbread may sink. If the gingerbread is underbaked, it’s more likely to sink in the middle as it cools. Another possible reason for sinking is making the batter too far ahead of baking – if the raw batter sits for too long before going into the oven, the baking soda may start to react with the other ingredients too quickly, making it so that it can’t do its job while in the oven.
The easiest ways to ensure moist, delicious gingerbread are to keep it from overbaking and to store it in an airtight container on the counter.
It can! To make this gingerbread recipe dairy free, simply sub the regular butter for a non-dairy butter substitute (ghee would be my favorite, followed by coconut oil).
More Favorite Dessert Recipes
Gluten Free Gingerbread
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (186 grams) all-purpose or GF flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅔ cup (139 grams) brown sugar lightly packed
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (153 grams) molasses
- ⅔ cup hot water
- Powdered sugar and whipped cream for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8 metal baking pan, then set aside.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices to a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and molasses to a large bowl and whisk until the eggs are fully incorporated. Then, whisk the hot water into the mixture.
- Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and whisk until you can no longer see any flour, and the batter is free of any lumps.
- Pour the batter into the greased baking pan, then bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
- Egg-free: swap each egg with a ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt.
- Dairy-free: use a dairy-free butter substitute in place of the regular butter.
Nutrition
Hi! Love you content, and really appreciate that your recipes are gluten free! I made this yesterday, would highly recommend decreasing the amount of molasses! It overpowered the other flavors at 1/3 cup. I would say a scant 1/4 cup at most in my opinion. The consistency was nice and springy. Mine rose a ton in the middle so I think it could also do with slightly less leavening powders (baking soda/powder). I used King Arthur cup for cup.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful feedback with us, Fernanda! We will take those recommendations into consideration. -Team FF
Is it possible to use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar??
Hi Kim, we haven’t tested this recipe with coconut sugar. It might work, but please let us know if you try! -Team FF
I see molasses listed in the ingredients but not in the instructions. Do you add with the other wet ingredients, or last with the water? Thank you!
Good catch, Keri! We are so sorry about the confusion! Yes, the molasses goes in with the wet ingredients. We’ve updated the copy and recipe card to reflect. Thanks for letting us know! -Team FF
Hallo, I wd like to try this, but 2 questions: 1. I note you don’t use Xanthum Gum to bind – thank goodness, as I gather it’s not a healthy ingredient in Baking, but as you don’t use a Binder as such, do I takeitthe Loaf binds well enough with the Eggs?
2. I can’t find a good G/ F Flour as such, and wonder if you think a combination if Lupinn& Almond Flour wdwork,on a 1 to 1 ratio? Or whether you can suggest another G/ F Flour or combination of G/ F Flours – that wd not require a Binder. There are as you know so many good new and nutritious Flourson the Ma4ket, it seems a pity not to make use of. But Iwd need to know what I am doing!
Thank you. Ann
Do you use unsalted butter in this recipe?
Hi Ann! We used salted butter. -Team FF
how is this gluten free? It uses all purpose flour in the ingredients
Hi Cathy, we’re so sorry that was confusing! All of our recipes are formulated gluten free (we used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure in this recipe) and can also be subbed with AP flour. We’ve updated the recipe card to offer both options. Thank you for asking for this clarification! -Team FF
This was so yummy! I made it to accompany a “breakfast for dinner” and it was a hit. It took a bit longer in the oven (about 50 minutes) but I used coconut oil so that can be why. I also added a paleo cinnamon vanilla glaze for an extra shine, so delicious!
I plan on making this again for Easter weekend!
YUM!!!
Made this recipe for Christmas and it was raved about! I did add Vanessa Barajas’ mascarpone goat cheese frosting as a topping for those that wanted it and together they are divine! Great recipe; thank you for sharing it!
I’m so glad you liked it!!