Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookies

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookies anyone?? 

Probably the cutest cookies I’ve ever made, there’s nothing not to like about these little gingerbread people tucked inside chocolate chip cookie beds and sprinkled with candy canes. Plus, these cookies are vegan, gluten and nut free, so you can share them with pretty much everyone this holiday season (but you may not want to…)

I cut down on the baking and used grocery store gluten free gingerbread cookies, but feel free to make your own!

Recipe for CHOCOLATE CHIP GINGERBREAD COOKIES (GF, VG, nut free) 

Makes 16 cookies 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoon ground flax

6 Tablespoons water 

1/4 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1 tsp vanilla extract or powder

1/4 cup neutral flavored oil, like canola

1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour*

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 box gluten free gingerbread men (I used MI-DEL brand) 

3/4 cup dairy free mini chocolate chips 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Make flax egg replacer by mixing 1 tsp ground flax seeds with 2 tsp warm water in a small bowl and set aside. *If you are making your oat flour from scratch, add gluten free oats to a high speed blender and blend until a fine flour forms. Measure 1 1/2 cup into a medium bowl and add all remaining dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients in medium bowl and then add to dry along with flax egg. Mix until just combined and stir in mini chocolate chips. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving space for them to spread quite a bit. I suggest only 3 rows of 3 cookies each for a standard baking pans. Break gingerbread people in half, saving the bottoms for snacks! Press the tops into the cookie dough, angling the bottom/waist of the gingerbread people down as if they are being swallowed up! 

Bake for 10-12 minutes until bottoms are just beginning to brown. Cool on cookie sheet and enjoy warm.