Description
These Vegan Dark Chocolate-Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies are a festive treat combining warm spices, chewy candied ginger, and rich dark chocolate ganache. Perfectly soft yet slightly crisp, these cookies capture the essence of gingerbread with a vegan twist, using oat and almond flours, coconut sugar, and molasses. The thumbprint centers filled with homemade dark chocolate ganache topped with candied ginger make them an irresistible holiday cookie that’s both comforting and indulgent.
Ingredients
Scale
Candied Ginger
- 1 cup coconut sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for coating
- 2 cups water
- 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch thick coins
Cookies & Chocolate Ganache
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour (180 grams; store-bought recommended)
- 1/2 cup superfine almond flour (68 grams)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (72 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (6 grams)
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger (7 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1 gram)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (1 gram)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (3 grams)
- 7 tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted (77 grams)
- 6 tablespoons blackstrap molasses (132 grams)
- 4.2 ounces (2 bars) Hu Simple Dark Chocolate, roughly chopped into shards
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut cream
Instructions
- Make the Candied Ginger: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of coconut sugar with 2 cups of water and heat over medium-low flame. Stir every minute until sugar dissolves. Add ginger coins and simmer gently for 30-35 minutes until the liquid thickens into a syrup. Drain ginger, toss with 3 tablespoons coconut sugar, and refrigerate to cool and dry. Reserve syrup for cocktails if desired.
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Make the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together oat flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Add melted coconut oil and molasses. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until a moist dough ball forms.
- Shape the Cookies: Divide dough into 14 equal pieces and roll into balls. Place evenly on prepared sheets. Use your thumb to press a deep indentation in each, almost to the pan but leaving the edges intact. If cracks appear, pinch the dough to form a retaining wall. Chill the cookie trays in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 14 minutes, checking at 10 minutes to ensure indentations remain deep. Press them again with a teaspoon if they are filling in. After baking, press the centers one last time while the cookies cool on the trays.
- Make the Chocolate Ganache: Heat coconut cream in a small saucepan until just simmering around edges. Remove from heat, add chopped chocolate, and stir until melted and smooth. Spoon ganache into cookie indentations.
- Assemble and Chill: Top each ganache-filled cookie with one piece of candied ginger. Let cookies sit at room temperature until chocolate sets, or chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes for faster setting.
- Store the Cookies: Keep in a covered container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days to maintain freshness and set texture.
Notes
- The candied ginger can be made several days in advance and stored refrigerated. Only 14 pieces are needed; extras are perfect for snacking.
- Use store-bought oat flour for best texture; alternatively, make your own by finely grinding rolled oats.
- Check the cookie indentations during baking to keep them deep enough for the ganache filling.
- Refined coconut oil is preferred for neutral flavor and better texture, but unrefined can be used for a coconut taste.
- These cookies can be refrigerated up to 3 days, but are best enjoyed within that timeframe for optimal freshness.
- The syrup from candied ginger can be saved and added to cocktails or beverages for extra flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 105 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
