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    Home » Recipes

    Gluten free Gingerbread Loaf (vegan, paleo, AIP)

    Published: Dec 21, 2021 · Updated: Dec 22, 2021 by gohealthywithbea | This post may contain affiliate links | 10 Comments

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    a graphic with 2 pictures of gingerbread loaf (one with a close up and the other one with a slice and a tea set) with text overlay with the title
    a graphic with 2 pictures of gingerbread loaf (one with a close up and the other one with a slice and a tea set) with text overlay with the title

    This gluten free gingerbread loaf is the perfect holiday treat. It is deliciously soft and moist. Fabulous for holiday baking with the kids!

    a close up on an iced gingerbread loaf

    If you are craving a spicy treat but don't have time to make gingerbread cut out cookies this gingerbread loaf is your answer. It is super easy and quick to make.

    This gluten free gingerbread loaf is also paleo, vegan, AIP compliant, coconut free and cassava free. But I can assure you that nobody will even notice.

    Notes about the ingredients

    Tigernut flour (or almond flour for those who are not on AIP nor nut free)

    If you don't know what is tigernut flour and want to learn all about it, you can read The complete guide to tigernut flour.

    If you are on AIP and still in the elimination phase, you have to use tigernut flour (because almond flour is not AIP compliant).

    Those who are not on AIP nor allergic to nuts can use almond flour instead of tigernut flour.

    Are there any AIP compliant substitutions?

    Unfortunately there are no possible substitution for the tigernut flour if you are on AIP and still in the elimination phase. Why? Because all the other AIP compliant flours have very different texture and they all need their own amount of liquid. So it is not possible to replace the tigernut flour with another flour without altering the entire recipe.

    Arrowroot

    It is a starch. If you are not cassava intolerant, you can substitute it with tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour).

    Other possible substitutions, only if you are not on AIP nor Paleo diets: you can use potato starch or corn starch instead of arrowroot.

    Pumpkin purée

    You can either use canned pumpkin purée or homemade pumpkin purée (I just take cooked pumpkin or butternut squash and put it in the blender with the other liquid ingredients from the recipe).

    Blackstrap molasses

    If you can't or won't use blackstrap molasses, I suggest replacing it with same quantity of maple syrup.

    Maple syrup

    If you want to reduce the maple syrup quantity in this recipe, I suggest replacing it by same quantity of oil or coconut milk.

    On the contrary, if you want to add some sweetness to your gingerbread, you can add more maple syrup. To do that, reduce the quantity of extra virgin olive oil of the same amount. For example, you want to add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. In that case you will have to reduce the olive oil quantity by 1 tablespoon. In other words, you need to keep the same amount of liquid.

    Extra virgin olive oil

    If you can't have extra virgin olive oil, you can use any other oil of your choice to replace it.

    If you want to make this recipe oil free, I suggest replacing the oil with same quantity of coconut milk.

    Spices

    This gluten free gingerbread loaf recipe uses a combination of cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

    Feel free to adjust the spices quantities to your own taste and omit if you are intolerant.

    Icing (optional)

    If you want, you can ice your gingerbread loaf. Here are 2 different options to do so :

    • coconut butter
    • vanilla frosting (if you are coconut free)

    Nut allergy?

    Good news if you have a nut allergy and need a nut-free version, you can make this gingerbread loaf with tigernut flour. Because tigernut is not a nut!

    a slice of gingerbread loaf on a plate with a fork cutting a piece, a cup of tea and a pot in the background

    How to make this gingerbread loaf

    • Preheat oven to 360° F (180° C)
    • In a blender (I'm using my favorite Vitamix) combine the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, blackstrap mollases, olive oil, lemon juice (or ACV) and vanilla. Blend until well combined.
    All the wet ingredients blended together in a blender
    • In a large bowl, combine the tigernut flour, arrow root, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sea salt. Stir.
    All the dry ingredients mixed together in a bowl
    • Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until well combined.
    All the ingredients for the gingerbread loaf mixed together in a bowl to make the batter
    • Line or lightly oil a rectangular 4 x 8 inches (10 x 20 cm) baking tin and transfer the batter into the tin. Or choose a muffin pan if you want to make muffins instead of a loaf.
    gingerbread loaf batter in a rectangular tin
    • Bake for about 35 minutes for the loaf (or for about 25 minutes for the muffins). To make sure that it is cooked, insert a thin bladed knife into the centre of the gingerbread loaf, the knife should come out clean. Wait for it to cool down completely before removing from the tin.

    Optional :

    • If you want, you can ice your gingerbread loaf. For that, spread the icing on, using a knife. Chill until frosting is set. Voilà!
    a slice of gingerbread loaf on a plate with a fork cutting a piece, a cup of tea and a pot in the background

    Can I make muffins instead of a loaf?

    Yes! If you prefer muffins, you can make this as muffins instead of a loaf. Cook them a little less longer (about 20-25 minutes).

    Can I freeze this?

    Yes you can. Although I recommend freezing it without icing. Personally, I like to slice it before freezing it. That way, I can just take whatever quantity I want. Then pop the slices in the toaster and done!

    To thaw this gingerbread loaf, you can also just take it out of the freezer a few hours ahead of time of pop it in the oven for a few minutes.

    Other holiday recipes you might also like

    • Mango and avocado salad with shrimp (paleo, AIP)
    • Dutch oven pork tenderloin with orange (AIP, paleo, whole30)
    • Crispy Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies (paleo, vegan, AIP)
    a slice of gingerbread loaf on a plate with a fork cutting a piece

    Gluten free Gingerbread Loaf (vegan, paleo, AIP)

    gohealthywithbea
    A super easy and allergy friendly holiday treat.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 326 kcal

    Equipment

    Blender

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 250 grams pumpkin purée
    • 150 grams tigernut flour if you are not on AIP nor nut intolerant, you can use almond flour instead of tigernut flour
    • 50 grams arrowroot see notes for substitutions
    • 60 milliliters maple syrup see notes if you want to reduce quantity
    • 60 milliliters extra virgin olive oil or other oil of your choice (see notes to make this oil free)
    • 2 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses see notes for substitutions
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • Pinch of sea salt

    For the optional icing :

    • coconut butter barely warm

    For an optional coconut free icing :

    • vanilla frosting

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 360° F (180° C)
    • In a blender combine the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, blackstrap mollases, olive oil, lemon juice (or ACV) and vanilla. Blend until combined.
    • In a large bowl, combine the tigernut flour, arrow root, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sea salt. Stir.
    • Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until well combined.
    • Line or lightly oil a rectangular 4 x 8 inches (10 x 20 cm) baking tin and transfer the batter into the tin. Or choose a muffin pan if you want to make muffins instead of a loaf.
    • Bake for about 35 minutes for the loaf (or for about 25 minutes for the muffins). To make sure that it is cooked, insert a thin bladed knife into the centre of the gingerbread loaf, the knife should come out clean. Wait for it to cool down completely before removing from the tin.

    Optional :

    • If you want, you can ice your gingerbread loaf. For that, spread the icing on, using a knife. Chill until frosting is set. Voilà! Bon appétit!

    Notes

    Although I spend quite a lot of time converting all my recipes to cups (yes, manually, in my kitchen!) I highly recommend using a scale and measuring for weight rather than using cups. The reason for this is, apart from the whole debate on accuracy, the density of certain gluten free flours and starches differ a lot from one brand to another. Also keep in mind that all cups are not the same size all around the world which makes another good reason to use a scale so you won’t get this issue.
    Please note that I'm using a 15 ml Tablespoon. 
    If you want to reduce the maple syrup quantity, I suggest replacing it by same quantity of oil or coconut milk. On the contrary, if you want to add some sweetness to your gingerbread, you can add more maple syrup. To do that, reduce the quantity of extra virgin olive oil of the same amount. For example, you want to add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. In that case you will have to reduce the olive oil quantity by 1 tablespoon. In other words, you need to keep the same amount of liquid.
    If you want to make this recipe oil free, I suggest replacing the oil with same quantity of coconut milk.
    If you can't or won't use blackstrap molasses, I suggest replacing it with same quantity of maple syrup.
    If you are not cassava intolerant and don’t have any arrowroot you can substitute it with tapioca starch/ flour. If you are not on AIP nor Paleo diets you can use potato starch or corn starch instead of arrowroot.
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used. Please note that the nutrition facts don't take into account the optional icing. 

    Nutrition facts per serving

    Calories: 326kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 6gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 191mgPotassium: 223mgFiber: 4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 6486IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 2mg
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    « Crispy Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies (paleo, vegan, AIP)
    Anti inflammatory foods list pdf (free printable) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lisa

      December 22, 2021 at 10:17 pm

      Hi, can I use Bobs Red Mills 1:1 gluten free flour. I don’t like almond flour or tiger nut flour? Thanks

      Reply
      • gohealthywithbea

        December 22, 2021 at 10:58 pm

        Bonjour Lisa. I have never used Bob's Red Mills 1:1 gluten flour because we don't have it in France. But I just went online to see the ingredients in this flour mix. By the look of it, it should work. Though I would use it to replace both the almond/tigernut flour and the arrowroot (you won't need it). You might (it's hard to say when you haven't tried a flour mix) have to adjust the liquid quantity a little bit. Just look at the picture of the batter (in the process pictures in the introduction) so you have an idea of the consistency it should have. Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
        • Lisa I Badillo

          December 28, 2021 at 2:29 pm

          5 stars
          Hi, the flavor of this cake is delicious. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I’ll be making again ❤️

        • gohealthywithbea

          December 28, 2021 at 6:21 pm

          Bonjour Lisa. Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you love this recipe! ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to tell me!!

      • Tara

        December 23, 2021 at 2:49 am

        Hello!!! Could I use regular molasses instead of blackstrap?

        Reply
        • gohealthywithbea

          December 23, 2021 at 7:59 am

          Bonjour Tara. Technically yes, you can use regular molasses instead of blackstrap. But if you are on AIP, from what I understand, regular molasses is not recommended. Here is an article on molasses by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne if you want to check it out for yourself: https://www.thepaleomom.com/blackstrap-molasses-the-sugar-you-can-love/

    2. Jan

      January 17, 2022 at 2:04 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! And Bea, I truly appreciate that you have AIP recipes that are coconut-free. Merci!

      Reply
    3. Brittany

      May 19, 2022 at 1:30 am

      5 stars
      I made these as muffins and they are DELICIOUS! I have been struggling on the AIP diet and craving something sweet, but every recipe I've tried so far has been gross. These are going to be a staple for me year round! Thank you, so much!!

      Reply
      • Rooh

        June 12, 2022 at 5:09 pm

        Hi,
        What flour can I use instead of tigernut and almond.
        Am on AIP but I don't have tigernut flour.

        Reply
        • gohealthywithbea

          June 13, 2022 at 10:30 pm

          Bonjour. I answer this question in the recipe introduction: unfortunately there are no AIP compliant substitutions.

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    ABOUT BEA, recipe creator, HHC, CGP

    Hello! I’m Bea, a holistic health coach, certified gluten free practitioner and recipe creator. I'm also a French woman who has been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and decided to heal herself naturally after many years of strong painkillers. Here, I'm telling you about my journey that allowed me to stop all medication, hoping that it will inspire you. I'm also sharing my recipes, to show you that "free from" food can be delicious. Read more

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