Cooking and Serving: 20 minutes | 18 cookies
Ingredients
Step * Expert tips | Ingredient substitutions
Description
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 18 cookies
Ingredients
Step * Expert tips
Ingredient substitutions
Instructions
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
A bit darker on the outside, soft and pale on the inside, these molasses cookies.
have just the right amount of warm allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves for a.
little bite and all the warmth of the season.
Typically, soft and chewy cookies get their texture from a lot of butter, but.
these gluten free molasses cookies have only 4 tablespoons of butter in the.
whole batch. Their texture, instead, comes in part from the molasses that also.
gives them a lot of their depth of flavor.
They’re so soft and chewy that they don’t even become solid when you freeze.
them. So you can easily bite into one right out of the freezer.
INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED
overhead image of ingredients in gluten free molasses cookies with names of.
ingredients in black type.
image of ingredients in gluten free molasses cookies with names of ingredients.
Gluten free flour blend: You can use any of my recommended gluten free flour.
in this recipe, but be sure to add 3/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum if you use.
Nicole’s Best, or another blend that doesn’t already contain xanthan gum. If.
you use Better Batter, don’t add any more xanthan gum.
Baking soda: If the cookies are baked right away, adds a bit of rise, and.
helps the cookies brown in the oven.
Salt: Brightens and balances the other flavors.
Ground spices: cloves, ginger, allspice and cinnamon are the spices that.
you’ll find in pumpkin pie spice, plus nutmeg. They’re in different.
proportions, but the flavor profile is very similar, so you can use 1 1/4.
teaspoons total of that instead if you prefer. They provide warmth, bite, and.
Granulated sugar: Adds a simple sweetness and makes the cookies tender.
Butter: Adds moisture, tenderness and flavor. We use unsalted butter so we.
can control the amount of salt in the recipe and because the moisture content.
of salted butter is actually different. If your butter is salted, just leave.
Molasses: Made from ripened cane sugar without any preservatives, unsulphured.
molasses has the deep, rich flavor of dark caramel.
Eggs: Bind the other ingredients together, provide rise in the oven, and also.
give the cookies a tenderness and slightly cakey texture.
MAKE THE RAW COOKIE DOUGH
In a large mixing bowl, place all the dry ingredients (gluten free flour,.
xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, all the warm spices) plus granulated sugar and.
Add the soft butter, molasses, and beaten eggs, then mix to combine. The raw.
cookie dough will be pretty sticky and soft, which is what makes the cookies so.
soft after baking. But wet your hands before you handle the dough to prevent.
large round metal mixing bowl with gluten free flour blend, white sugar, and.
dark and light brown spices with large wire whisk next to bowl on marble surface.
round metal mixing bowl with gluten free flour blend, white sugar, and dark and.
light brown spices with large wire whisk next to bowl on marble surface.
same mixing bowl with whisked white powder.
mixing bowl with whisked white powder.
same mixing bowl with beaten eggs, softened stick of butter, and brown molasses.
mixing bowl with beaten eggs, softened stick of butter, and brown molasses on.
same bowl with soft light brown mixed gluten free molasses cookie dough with.
bowl with soft light brown mixed gluten free molasses cookie dough with metal.
SHAPE THE COOKIE DOUGH AND BAKE AT 325°F.
Using two small spoons or a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop that’s a bit.
overfull, scoop portions of about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough.
Shape each into a ball gently with your wet fingers, and place each piece about.
2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Use wet fingers to press each into a.
1/4-inch thick disk since the cookies don’t spread that much in the oven.
Bake at 325°F for about 10 minutes or until no longer shiny. Once they’re.
crackled-looking, they’re done baking.
Let them cool completely on the baking sheet (about 10 minutes), since they’re.
fragile when they first come out of the oven.
moistened fingers of two hands holding and shaping a soft ball of molasses.
cookie dough above a white paper-lined gold baking sheet.
fingers of two hands holding and shaping a soft ball of molasses cookie dough.
above a white paper-lined gold baking sheet.
wet fingers pressing down on light brown round of cookie dough into a disk on.
white paper on gold baking tray.
fingers pressing down on light brown round of cookie dough into a disk on white.
paper on gold baking tray.
4 evenly spaced light brown raw disks of molasses cookie dough on same lined.
evenly spaced light brown raw disks of molasses cookie dough on same lined.
same baking sheet with 4 gluten free molasses cookies now somewhat darker brown.
baking sheet with 4 gluten free molasses cookies now somewhat darker brown and.
HANDLE WITH WET HANDS
Since this cookie dough has so much molasses, it tends to be relatively sticky.
I like to portion it with a #50 ice cream scoop.
, but it’s sticky enough.
that it can be challenging to get all the dough off the scoop mechanism.
Wet the cookie scoop, and your hands when you use them to handle it. The.
moisture will create a barrier between your hands and dough, and keep it from.
If you’re having trouble scooping the dough or removing the portions from your.
scoop, try chilling the dough a bit. You do want it to be room temperature when.
the baking sheet goes into the oven, though, so let it warm up at room.
temperature a bit before baking.
DON’T CROWD YOUR COOKIE SHEET.
You might be tempted to space the cookie dough closer together so you don’t have.
to use multiple baking sheet. But since the cookies spread about an inch in.
every direction, you need to leave room between each dough ball, or you’ll end.
up with one giant cookie.
DON’T DISTURB AFTER BAKING.
Let the baked cookies cool right on the baking sheet. They’re very delicate when.
warm and will crumble or squish if you don’t let them cool first.
Baked molasses cookies on white paper on tray.
molasses cookies on white paper on tray.
DAIRY FREE
The dairy in these cookies comes only from the 4 tablespoons of butter. If.
you’re dairy-free, I’d recommend trying to replace the butter with vegan butter.
like Miyoko’s Creamery or Melt brand.
I don’t recommend using Earth Balance buttery sticks in place of butter, since.
they contain too much moisture and salt. The cookies are already soft and spread.
just the right amount.
EGG FREE
There are two whole eggs in this recipe, and they are a very important part of.
the texture and structure. You could try replacing each with one “chia egg” (1.
tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and.
allowed to gel) or one “flax egg.”.
VEGAN
If you’d like to make a vegan molasses cookies, you can try following the.
VEGAN
If you’d like to make a vegan molasses cookies, you can try following the.
Notes
sugars aren’t processed with bone char.
Molasses cookies in a tall stack
cookies in a tall stack
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GLUTEN FREE MOLASSES COOKIES RECIPE
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
gluten free molasses cookies
free molasses cookies
These gluten free molasses cookies are super soft, tender, and wonderfully
spiced with ginger, allspice, cloves and cinnamon.
* 1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
(please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
* ⅜ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
* ¼ teaspoon baking soda
* ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
* ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
* ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
* ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
* ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
* ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
* 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 4 tablespoons (84 g) unsulphured molasses
* 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
* Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached
parchment paper and set them aside.
* In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, ground
cloves, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground cinnamon and granulated sugar,
and whisk to combine well.
* Add the butter, molasses, and eggs, and mix to combine. The dough will come
together and be thick but soft.
* Scoop the dough using a spoon or small ice cream scoop into portions about 1
1/2 tablespoons each. Using wet hands, gently shape each piece of dough into
a round, and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. You can
expect about 18 portions.
* With moistened fingers, flatten the balls of dough into disks about 1/4 inch
thick. They’ll spread about 1-inch during baking.
* Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until
golden brown around the edges, light brown on top and mostly firm on the top
to the touch (about 10 minutes). When done, they won’t glisten in the center
like they did when they were raw and wet.
* Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before serving
(takes about 10 minutes). They will be fragile when warm, but will become
firm once cool. Peel off the paper from the back to remove the cookies from
Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g
| Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
These are really soft, tender cookies that don’t dry out quickly. They’ll stay
fresh covered in a covered dish on the counter for at least 3 days. If it’s warm
and humid in your kitchen, the cookies may get a little sticky, since they’re so
For longer storage, these cookies freeze really well. Since they’re soft and a
don’t have any especially crispy parts, it’s best to freeze them on a baking
sheet first in a single layer. After about an hour, they’ll be frozen enough to
pile them into a freezer-safe ziptop bag.
You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. They don’t freeze solid,
so you can eat them right from the freezer or let them sit for 30 minutes at
room temperature first.
For a more festive look, try rolling each wet ball of dough in coarse sugar to
make crackle top molasses cookies, like we did with our fancy gluten free drop
flatten as directed, and when the cookies bake, the sugar will melt and crack to
give you tons of visual appeal and a crispy layer.
Try icing the tops after they cool like we do our soft gluten free pumpkin
can also drizzle royal icing
the cookies, or dip half of each cookie into white chocolate. While the icing or
chocolate is still soft, add a few colorful holiday sprinkles.
What’s the difference between molasses and gingerbread cookies?
Gingerbread and molasses cookies have similar flavors and ingredients. But
gluten free molasses cookies are chewier and are rolled or dropped onto a cookie
sheet. Gingerbread cookie dough is usually firmer and rolled out into shapes,
like the men in my gluten free gingerbread cookies
There are also gluten free gingersnaps
spices and aroma, but they’re a bit spicier, and super crispy all the way
through. They even “snap” when you break them in half.
What brand of molasses is gluten free?
I use Grandma’s brand unsulphured molasses for baking as it’s gluten free and
deep, rich flavor. It’s also easy to find on grocery store shelves.
How do you keep the cookies from falling apart?
Be sure not to handle the cookies at all until they’ve cooled completely on the
baking sheet. Otherwise, they’ll fall apart. And if your gluten free flour blend
doesn’t contain xanthan gum, be sure to add it or the cookies won’t hold
Do I need to refrigerate the raw cookie dough?
No, this cookie dough should be at room temperature when you bake it. If you’d
like to make the raw dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or
freezer, that will make it easier to handle. Shape it, and then let it warm to
room temperature before you put it in the oven.
Can I use coconut oil in place of butter?
You could try using virgin coconut oil, the kind that is soft solid at room
temperature, in place of butter. The cookies will probably spread a bit more,
but it should still work relatively well.
If using a gluten free flour that has xantham gum in it do you still add that
No, only add more xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t contain any. If it contains
any xanthan gum, leave the additional amount out of the recipe.
Molasses Cookies raw on tray, baked on tray, and arranged on a cake plate
Cookies raw on tray, baked on tray, and arranged on a cake plate