Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Bear Cookies

Tis the season for cookies! Today I’m sharing a twist on classic gingerbread with these Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Bear Cookies. Chocolate makes everything better right? The answer so far, based on everything I’ve tried, is yes!

Recently my pregnancy cravings lead me to a favorite little treat, chocolate covered animal crackers. Not eating as much chocolate as usual being pregnant I found it odd but they were so good. I was going to make my own with some of my favorite chocolates but was craving gingerbread the day I was going to make them so switched things up. I  guess I better give baby boy some credit for this creation.

Adapting my Graham Crackers, aka Camp Crackers (I even shared a gingerbread version for a few years ago) tweaking with slight improvements I’ve made over the years.

Making small crackers it does make a lot but it goes really quick. Even dipping all of them only takes roughly 30 minutes. If you don’t feel like dipping them all you can keep some plain for snacks or even ice little faces on them with icing or chocolate.There are many options. Making so many and being quick they’re great for cookie exchanges and large holiday gatherings or sharing with friends.

Gingerbread is one of my favorite holiday treats. Cookies, cakes, breads, even the warming scent of gingerbread candles. I like them traditional and cracker like and chewy covered in sugar.I’m not sure I could pick a favorite other than with gingerbread I tend to go traditional and more cracker like and for gingersnaps I like them chewy. Technically they are molasses cookies as they are chewy and gingersnaps are crisp. While there are subtle differences and people interchange their names all I know is they’re all delicious in their own way and are perfect any time of day during the holiday season.

I’m honestly not sure I’ll get many cookies backed this year besides other than these that I made a few batches of and are almost gone. I am a little sad about it because I always make sugar cookies and take a whole day to myself to decorate them while my husband and the girls go to lunch and do some last minute shopping. This year with the remodel and me being pregnant I’m just trying to go with the flow and not add too much or get stressed out.

A couple days ago when I realized I most likely won’t get to make my sugar cookies I broke down and cried, darn pregnancy hormones. We finally got our tree yesterday and have a busy week but if I can fit in baking them this week I might have a chance to decorate at least a couple dozen. I did bake up a quick batch of brownies with candy cane Joe-Joe’s and marshmallows Saturday to enjoy while decorating the tree yesterday but they disappeared so we just had cocoa. What is your favorite holiday cookie or holiday tradition? I have many favorite traditions but when it comes to cookies sugar cookies would be my favorite to make and spritz cookies my mom makes and gingerbread would be my favorite to eat.

Today is Monday, aka Meatless Monday. If you have a recipe to share I hope you link up with Deborah and I below. If not I hope you find a few other inspiring recipes linked up below.

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Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Bear Cookies

Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Bear Cookies are an update on classic gingerbread cookies covering them in chocolate, because everything is better with a little chocolate! These bite size little cookies are perfect for any holiday cookie plate or anytime and little kids love them. Gluten free and vegan friendly.

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

12 minutes

Passive Time

30 minutes

Servings

dozen 2" cookies

Ingredients

Gingerbread Bear Cookies

• 2 c all purpose gluten free flour or buckwheat flour (I prefer 1c gluten free all purpose and 1c buckwheat or all buckwheat flour)
• 2 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 2/3 c coconut palm sugar, depending on how sweet you would like them (our family is half and half, some like them with less some with more)
• 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 c coconut milk, or non dairy chai beverage
• 1/4-1/3 c canned pumpkin, not pie filling
• 1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
• 2 TBSP maple syrup
• 2 TBSP molasses
• 1/4 c coconut oil, melted

Chocolate Coating

• 12-18 oz dark chocolate (Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips Hu Chocolate are my favorites)
• 2-3 TBSP coconut oil

• 12-18 oz dark chocolate (Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips Hu Chocolate are my favorites)
• 2-3 TBSP coconut oil

Prep Time 1 hour Cook Time 12 minutes Passive Time 30 minutes Servings dozen 2" cookies Ingredients Gingerbread Bear Cookies 2 c all purpose gluten free flour or buckwheat flour (I prefer 1c gluten free all purpose and 1c buckwheat or all buckwheat flour) 2 TBSP ground flaxseed 2/3 c coconut palm sugar, depending on how sweet you would like them (our family is half and half, some like them with less some with more) 1 TBSP ground cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp sea salt 1/3 c coconut milk, or non dairy chai beverage 1/4-1/3 c canned pumpkin, not pie filling 1 TBSP pure vanilla extract 2 TBSP maple syrup 2 TBSP molasses 1/4 c coconut oil, melted Chocolate Coating 12-18 oz dark chocolate (Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips Hu Chocolate are my favorites) 2-3 TBSP coconut oil 12-18 oz dark chocolate (Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips Hu Chocolate are my favorites) 2-3 TBSP coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl combine wet ingredients, then mix in with the dry ingredients. Form dough into a ball with your hands.
2. Place dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until you are ready to make them but no longer than a day.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Remove dough from the refrigerator and place half of the dough on a piece of parchment paper, then place another sheet of parchment paper on top and use a rolling pin to roll the dough about 3/16″ thick. If you have a non stick fondant mat and silicone rolling pin you can use these in place of parchment paper which is what I do.
5. Remove top sheet of parchment paper and cut out bears or desired shape.
6. Place on a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet spacing about 1" apart.
7. Pull dough from the refrigerator and roll the next back placing scrap pieces back into the fridge if they are getting to warm and sticky to roll.
8. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.
9. Let cool 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool.
10. When cookies have cooled, about 30 minutes, you can dip them in chocolate.
11. Line baking sheets with parchment paper to place the dipped bears on, I used 2 rimmed baking sheets when dipping all of the bears.
12. Heat the chocolate and coconut oil (you can start with smaller amounts, 6oz chocolate to 1 TBSP coconut oil if you don't want to heat it all at once or coat all of the bears) together in a microwave safe bowl heating in 30 second intervals stirring in between until melted or use a double broiler to melt chocolate and coconut oil.
13. Once chocolate is melted and smooth you are ready to dip your bears.
14. Drop bears one at a time in the melted chocolate and lift out with a fork, not poking them but scooping, tap off excess chocolate and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
15. Continue until all of the bears are coated, or as many as you want, heating the chocolate as needed if it cools and becomes to thick to get a nice even coat.
16. Let chocolate set, if you want it to set quicker you can place trays in the refrigerator (or outside if you live where it's cold and it isn't snowing).
17. Enjoy!
18. Once chocolate is set store bears in an airtight container in a cooler area (doesn't need to be the refrigerator just not where it's too hot).

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