If you love ginger, this Gluten Free Ginger Cookie recipe will make your day! Not only are these gluten free ginger cookies bursting with ginger and molasses flavors, but there are also chunks of candied ginger to add a delicious zing!
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My husband has been begging me to make him a gluten free ginger cookie for about a month now.
Gingersnap cookies were his "team's" go-to snack when he was a programmer. The guys would dig in and eat these cookies during those late nights to keep them energized. Although my husband doesn't miss those "all-nighters" getting the code ready for products to ship, he does miss gingersnaps since going gluten free."
Get ready for the holidays with these amazing gluten free cookie recipes.
Why Make These Cookies:
- The gluten free gingersnap cookies we buy in the store are usually very hard and crunchy. We often will use these store-bought crunchy gingersnaps for pie crusts, but they can be hard to eat out of the bag.
- My gluten-free ginger cookies recipe makes soft cookies that melt in your mouth!
- These cookies are perfect for cookie exchange parties. If you need more ideas for a cookie exchange party, here are my favorite Gluten Free Cookie Exchange recipe ideas.
If you LOVE ginger as much as we do, you may want to try these Gluten Free Gingerbread Magic Bars.
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours in this recipe.
- Xanthan Gum- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Candied Ginger - This adds some extra zing! There are so many things you can do with these gingersnaps! You can eat them as they are, drizzle icing on top, or even make whoopie pies out of them with a little frosting.
- Molasses - Feel free to use regular or blackstrap molasses.
- Vanilla Extract - I recommend using pure vanilla extra t
- Eggs - Use size large.
- Butter - You will want to use unsalted butter for this cookie recipe.
Tips For Success:
- Add white chocolate chips for a sweeter cookie
- To make these nut free, substitute the ½ cup almond flour for ¼ more of the gluten free flour blend.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn't contain xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon!
- I have made this recipe with a butter substitute, butter, and coconut oil. The cookies spread a little more with the coconut oil but still taste delicious. This is the best way to keep this recipe dairy free!
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk in the wet ingredients to blend them. I soften the butter.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to a large
To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using the spoon method or leveling method. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale. To make a scale even trickier, every gluten free flour blend has a different weight.
Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well and add the chopped candied ginger pieces. If you love a LOT of ginger flavor, feel free to add more candied ginger! Note you can also use a standing mixer if you like
Step 4: Use a small or medium-sized cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Pat the cookie flat just a little bit to help them spread. Optional: Sprinkle coarse sugar over each cookie.
Step 5: These gluten free molasses cookies take about 10 minutes to bake at 350º F. Baking time may vary depending on how large the cookie dough balls are. Remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool.
Recipe FAQ:
You can easily use a standing mixer to make this gluten-free cookie recipe.
Definitely! Most of the cookie recipes on my blog can be frozen. Add cooled, room temperature cookies to a freezer bag and squeeze out the extra air. They should keep fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer.
You can make these cookies dairy-free using plant-based butter like Earth Balance.
I like to use blackstrap molasses, but either kind is fine to use in this cookie recipe.
These gluten free gingersnap cookies make delicious Christmas cookies and are perfect for a holiday cookie exchange!
This post was updated from an older November 2017 post with more detailed instructions.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes to Try:
- Gluten Free Gingerdoodles
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Easy Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 tablespoon powdered ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons candied ginger chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Spray non-stick oil onto a cookie sheet.
- In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
- In a small bowl, add all wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Using a cookie scoop, put batter onto the cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until done.
- Remove from oven onto a cooling rack.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- These cookies will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Abby Jacobson
I have regular gluten free flour which I got it bulk form a local coop. Do you think I would need to add xanthan?
Sandi Gaertner
Without knowing the ingredients of the bulk blend, I can't advise on the xanthan gum. Is there an ingredient list? If you are Celiac, I would definitely not buy bulk gluten free flour due to potential cross contamination.
Barbara Hummel
These are excellent. So delicious. Used Bob's Red Mill Flour blend, and added Zantham gum. The candied ginger gives them the right zing.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked them Barbara 🙂
Betsy
I originally printed your GF gingersnap recipe from the Yummly site. There was an error...they had listed 2 TBSP of baking soda instead of 2 Tsp ! BIG DIFF !
Your correct recipe is very tasty and quick.
Sandi Gaertner
That is so odd it shows up wrong in Yummly. I am glad you liked it...I am not sure how to contact them about this.
Lillian
I made these cookies tonight and my family loved them! My cookies were thin perhaps because I melted the butter? I also had difficulty judging when to take them out of the oven. Would love some guidance on how to achieve the thicker cookie as in the photo associated with this recipe.
The inside of the cookie is soft, chewy and delicious with a bit of a kick. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Lillian, I think using butter that is softened, but not melted could be the key. It can also depend on the gluten free flour blend you used as different blends use different grain/starch ratios. I am glad you liked the flavor 🙂