Healthy Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies (Sugar-Free, Oil-Free, Big Batch!)

Christmas baking has always been about sharing, not about making just a few perfect cookies!
This year, with a huge pumpkin waiting in my kitchen, I decided to bake properly: a big batch of soft pumpkin gingerbread cookies, enough for the whole family!

Pumpkin makes the gingerbreads naturally moist, spices bring that unmistakable Christmas warmth, and the large portion means no one has to count cookies or feel like there isn’t enough to go around 😉

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Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies

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Prep time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 16–20 minutes

Total time: ~40 minutes

Yield: about 40–50 soft cookies

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Ingredients

Wet ingredients

• 1 - 1.5 kg pumpkin puree
  (from fresh pumpkin, well drained)

• 4 flax eggs
  (4 tbsp ground flaxseed + 10 tbsp water)

• 2–3 tsp vanilla extract

• 1–2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Dry ingredients

• 700 g buckwheat flour

• 120–180 g erythritol (powdered)
  (adjust to taste – pumpkin needs more sweetness)

• 60 g unsweetened cocoa powder

• 4 tbsp ground ginger

• 3 tbsp cinnamon

• 1½ tbsp gingerbread spice

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• ½ tsp ground cloves

• 2½ tsp baking soda

• Optional: pinch of salt (or omit completely for ultra low-sodium)

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Instructions

1. Prepare the flax eggs

2. Mix ground flaxseed with water and set aside for 10 minutes until thickened.

3. Mix wet ingredients
   In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, flax eggs, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar.

4. Mix dry ingredients
   In a separate bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, erythritol, cocoa powder, spices, and baking soda.

5. Combine the dough
   Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until a thick, soft dough forms.
   The dough should be soft but workable, not runny.

6. Chill the dough (recommended)
   For easier shaping, refrigerate the dough for 20–30 minutes.

7. Shape the cookies
   Roll out the dough to about 1–1.2 cm thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut out shapes using cookie cutters, or shape the cookies by hand for a more rustic look.

8. Bake
   Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.
   Place the shaped cookies on a lined baking tray and bake for 15–20 minutes, until set but still soft.

   
   
   

9. Cool
   Let the cookies cool completely on a rack before decorating.

10. Decorate
    Decorate with your choice of toppings: simple icing, pumpkin glaze, cocoa drizzle, fruit purée, or spices.
    You can decorate each cookie differently or leave some plain.

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Notes

• Because this recipe contains a veeery large amount of pumpkin, the sweetness may need adjusting. Pumpkin naturally mutes sweet flavors, so don’t be afraid of using more erythritol.

• This dough is very flexible and works well for different shapes. You can roll it out and use cookie cutters for gingerbread people, hearts, or stars, or shape the cookies by hand for a more rustic look.

  
  
  

• If your pumpkin puree is very watery, gently cook it down before using to avoid overly soft dough.

• Buckwheat flour gives these cookies a deep flavor; it’s intentional and works beautifully with Christmas spices.

• This is a big-batch, family-style recipe. You can easily halve it, but it was designed to make enough cookies for sharing during the holidays.

• Decorating & Topping Ideas:

  • simple white icing (plant yogurt + vanilla)

  • pumpkin-based topping with spices

  • cocoa or chocolate glaze

  • mashed berries or fruit purée

  • cinnamon or cocoa dusting

  • orange or lemon zest

  • crushed nuts or seeds

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Nutrition (approx. per cookie, 1 of 45)

• Calories: ~70 kcal

• Protein: ~3 g

• Carbohydrates: ~14 g

• Fiber: ~4 g

• Fat: ~1.5 g

• Sodium: very low

Values are estimates and depend on the exact ingredients used.

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