Gingerbread Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

These Gingerbread Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies are a spinoff of my most famous recipe, my Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies. And if there’s one thing you can count on from me, it’s that I will take my famous cookie recipe and adapt it to every single holiday known to mankind. That’s because this recipe is THAT GOOD, and it’s so versatile and can be adapted a million different ways. 

These cookies are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and can easily be made vegan-friendly. They are truly perfect for everyone, and I know that you’re going to love them!

While I fully believe that my Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies (or LCTCCC – for those in the know 😉 ) are perfect all year round, I’ve also found that adapting them for each holiday season has made them even better. Why? Because nothing is better than fun and festive cookies!

These cookies are made festive by the addition of one of my favorite holiday flavors – gingerbread! I know I’m not alone in my love of gingerbread; from gingerbread men cookies to gingerbread loaves, sweet and spicy gingerbread is the tell-tale sign that Christmas is around the corner.

If you’re unfamiliar with gingerbread, or have never worked with it before, it’s essentially a flavor blend consisting of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and a sweetener like sugar or blackstrap molasses. In this recipe, we’ll be using molasses!

But Nicole, What is Molasses?

Molasses is a natural sweetener made from sugar cane! To make molasses, sugar cane is mashed to create juice. Then, a second boiling creates molasses. After this syrup has been boiled a third time, a dark viscous liquid emerges known as blackstrap molasses.

The reason we are using molasses is not only for the rich flavor, but because it actually has the lowest sugar levels of any sugarcane product, which keeps this recipe lower in sugar, without sacrificing the sweetness. Woohoo!

What You Need to Make These Gingerbread Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you’ve made my Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, then you’ll know these ingredients well! And if not, don’t worry, they are incredibly simple. 🙂 All you need are a few ingredients to make these delicious, festive, holiday cookies!

• Almond Flour: I created this recipe with almond flour, and that’s because I love sneaking in extra protein from the almonds as well as those healthy fats — think of these as cookies that keep you full instead of leaving you hungrier! If you are nut-free or can’t find almond flour (and also, I get that almond flour is expensive), you can substitute for oat flour, whole wheat flour, or regular flour, all in the same ratio – 1 cup!
• Tahini: For people that are new to tahini, tahini is ground up sesame seeds, that becomes a paste. The consistency is like a nut butter that looks like peanut butter, and the best way I can describe the taste, is that it tastes nutty. If tahini just isn’t your thing, you can substitute the tahini for any nut butter you like: almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, and even sunflower seed butter.
• Maple Syrup: Now, you guys! This recipe makes 16 cookies and only calls for 1/2 cup of maple syrup, which I think is pretty damn impressive. I love using maple syrup because I love that maple taste, but others have used liquid sweeteners with success! I also know that honey works, as does coconut sugar. If you are using coconut sugar, just make sure that your tahini is nice and liquidy, since you aren’t getting the extra moisture from the liquid sweetener.
• Molasses: Molasses is vitamin and mineral-rich, and it’s also a great source of potassium. Now, you might be wondering what the difference is between all the different molasses varieties you see on the market. To be honest, I can write a separate blog post on that topic, but for purposes of what you need for this recipe, just pick up either “pure molasses” or “blackstrap molasses.” We can get into the why on another day.
• Eggs: This recipe calls for one egg! And you can definitely substitute the egg for a flax egg. To make a flax egg, all you do is get out a small bowl, and whisk together 1 tablespoon ground flax seed meal with 3 tablespoons water, and let it sit for about 5 minutes to thicken. And yes, you treat it like the regular egg, and add it to the dough batter after the dough has chilled for 30 minutes, along with the baking soda.
• Baking Soda: You need it. This is what make the cookies rise and creates that magical texture I talked about above!
• Chocolate Chips: To keep this recipe refined sugar free, I used dairy free chocolate chips. But you can feel free to use any chocolate chips you want, or even chop up a chocolate bar and toss it in. And when it comes to the amount, I always go for the full cup of chocolate chips, because when it comes to chocolate, we measure from the heart!
• Cinnamon & Ginger: The ground cinnamon and ginger in this recipe (and molasses) is what makes this recipe different from the OG Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, so what ever you do, don’t skip these crucial ingredients!
• Collagen Peptides: Now this ingredient is totally optional. It doesn’t change the cookie texture whether you use it at all. I love adding a scoop of collagen peptides simply to get in some extra protein, and it has no flavor, so why the heck not. If you are vegan or don’t have any, just omit it and you’ll be A-okay!

How to Make These Gingerbread Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, tahini, collagen, maple syrup, molasses, cinnamon and ginger.
2. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Remove from the fridge and stir in the egg and baking soda, followed by the chocolate chips.
5. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Using a cookie scoop, form cookies and place about two inches apart.
7. Bake 10-11 minutes, undercooked is better.
8. Transfer to a cooling rack, add some sea salt flakes, and enjoy!

If you like gingerbread, you might want to check out my other fabulous gingerbread recipes!

They are guaranteed to invoke that cozy, holiday vibe that we all love and crave!

Best Ever Paleo Gingerbread Loaf

Gingerbread Truffles

Gingerbread Molasses Cookies

I hope you guys love this recipe! If you make it, please leave a comment and rating below! And of course, if you share on Instagram, make sure to tag me so I can repost your creations! xx