Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies are soft and chewy with hints of cinnamon and ginger. The perfect Christmas Cookie this holiday season!
The holidays are here and these soft gluten-free molasses cookies are the perfect way to kick off the season. Similar to gingerbread cookies, there is a hint of holiday spice throughout the dough, along with a sweet molasses flavor. The texture of these gluten-free molasses cookies is soft and chewy with a crunchy sugar coating.
Gluten-Free Molasses Cookie Ingredients
These gluten-free ginger molasses cookies are the perfect holiday treat!
- Gluten-Free Flour: Bob's Red Mill is the gluten-free flour blend that works well in this recipe. For best results, I recommend weight the flour with a food scale.
- Butter: Softened unsalted butter works great for this recipe. For a dairy-free option in place of the butter, try Earth Balance dairy-free baking sticks.
- Egg: One large egg or flax egg will help to bind the ingredients.
- Molasses: One-third cup of unsulphured molasses gives these cookies the best flavor!
- Dark Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar has a rich molasses flavor which works well in this recipe.
- White Sugar: The organic cane sugar helps balance the flavor of the cookies, and is used in the crunchy exterior coating.
- Vanilla Extract: Use a high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Baking Soda: Two teaspoons of baking soda in this recipe helps with the signature cracks in these cookies.
- Salt: For flavor.
- Holiday Spices: Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves, are the perfect blend of spices!
How to Make Gluten-Free Soft Molasses Cookies
This is one of our favorite holiday cookie recipes! Easy to make, and full of rich molasses flavor.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or KitchenAid mixer, add the softened butter and both sugars. Cream together on high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the molasses and beat until combined. Then add the egg and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until light and fluffy.
- On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 90 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, non-stick aluminum foil, or silicone baking mats.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the dough chills over 2 hours and is stiff, let the dough come to room temperature for 15 minutes, then proceed to bake.
- Pour granulated sugar into a small bowl. Scoop dough out and shape into balls nearly the size of a tablespoon (30g each).
- Roll each dough ball through granulated sugar then place the ball of dough onto the baking sheets spacing 2-inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
What is The Best Molasses to Use?
These chewy ginger molasses cookies are made with dark unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses. It has a sweeter flavor and lighter texture. My favorite brands to use are Grandma’s brand and Wholesome.
My Molasses Cookies Did Not Crack
There are a couple of reasons why your gluten-free cookies may have not cracked:
- The dough was not chilled long enough: It's important to have a chill dough in order to form the little cracks at the top.
- Baking soda is not fresh: You can check your baking soda by adding a teaspoon to a bowl and topping it with an acid, like lemon juice. If the baking soda fizzes, then it's fresh.
- Too much flour: Measuring the flour is very important for the right texture.
Can You Make Molasses Cookies Ahead of Time?
Yes, these cookies can easily be made ahead of time and frozen. Place the baked cookies in a tightly sealed ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Remove the cookies from the freezer the night before serving.
Can You Make These Molasses Cookies Dairy-Free or Vegan?
Yes, these cookies can be made both Vegan and Dairy-free by using Earth Balance Vegan Butter baking sticks and a flax egg. Coconut oil is not recommended for this recipe.
Pro Tips For The Perfect Cookie
- Measure your flour: Measuring the flour is very important in this recipe, as too much will result in cakey dense cookies. I recommend using a food scale for accuracy, but if you do not own a food scale, spoon your flour into the measuring cup until overflowing ( do not pack the flour ) and level off the top with a sharp knife. I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour in this recipe. Please note that different flours may yield different results.
- Chill the dough: Chill the dough for at least 90 minutes. The dough should have a texture like playdough and be workable when rolling.
- Roll the dough in textured white sugar: The crunchy topping is accomplished by using textured white sugar. My favorite brand is Wholesome Organic White Sugar, which I use both inside the recipe and to coat the outside of the dough.
- Cracked Tops: When removing the cookies from the oven, bang the baking sheet on the counter three times. This will help the cookies to flatten and cracks to form. Allow the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Do not make the cookie dough balls too big: Only measure 30 grams or a tablespoon of dough at a time as these cookies will spread.
Looking For More Holiday Cookies? Check Out These Links
- Chocolate Mint Cookies (Gluten-Free)
- Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Option)
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free)
- Snowball Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)
- Raspberry Almond Linzer Cookies (Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Option)
Recipe
Gluten-Free Soft Molasses Cookies
Diet :Gluten Free
Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies are soft and chewy with hints of cinnamon and ginger. The perfect Christmas Cookie this holiday season!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour, (290g) Bobs Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, (142g)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, (100g)
- ½ cup sugar, (100g)
- ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses (85ml)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sugar Coating
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or KitchenAid mixer, add the softened butter and both sugars. Cream together on high speed for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the molasses and beat until combined. Then add the egg and vanilla extract. Continue to beat until light and fluffy.
- On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours (4 hours is optimal or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, non-stick aluminum foil, or silicone baking mats.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the dough chills over 4 hours and is stiff, let the dough come to room temperature for 15 minutes, then proceed to scoop and bake.
- Pour granulated sugar into a small bowl. Scoop dough out and shape into balls nearly the size of a tablespoon (30g each).
- Roll each dough ball through granulated sugar then place the ball of dough onto the baking sheets spacing 2-inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time in a preheated oven for 9 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 143kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 143mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 119IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
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