Gluten-free Ginger Cookies

If you enjoy gingery desserts, you’re going to love these big, soft ginger cookies! Perfectly spiced with a nice crunchy outside and soft pull-apart interior, they taste like gingersnaps but are larger and chewier. The molasses gives the cookies a warm, rich flavor and delightful sweetness.

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I grew up in a small town in New England, and one of my favorite things to do as a child was to visit the local candy shop. This was not just any candy shop; this was one of those utterly adorable old-fashioned stores that sold suckable sweets in jars and always had a tray of homemade fudge on the counter. As much as I liked their candy, I loved their homemade cookies.

The cookies were baked fresh at the shop every morning, and they had all the classic varieties like chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal raisin, all of which looked delicious. But for me, the most enticing cookies in the entire shop were the golden-brown, oh-so-soft ginger cookies. I remember buying my very first one; it was quite large and individually wrapped, the top was slightly cracked and dusted with sugar, and it had the most amazing gingery smell. The taste was even better– soft and gooey on the inside, crunchy on the outside, beautifully spiced and perfectly sweet.

Since I began baking, I’ve been trying to come up with a gluten-free recipe to recreate the magic of these cookies. I knew that molasses was essential to the taste, as were the spices, and I thought that butter would help the cookies spread and give them a rich flavor. Adapted from Gluten-Free Palate’s recipe, I’m happy to say that my version comes pretty darn close to the beloved cookies from my childhood.

These ginger cookies are soft and chewy, sweet but not too sweet, and delightfully spicy just like gingersnaps. They spread beautifully when baked, and have a nice crisp exterior, and a lightly cracked, golden-brown top dusted with sugar. These cookies take me right back to my childhood, and I’m sure that you will love them too!

What you will need

These delicious cookies are easy to make and only require a handful of ingredients. If you can’t find molasses, I would recommend using Golden Syrup as a substitute. Here’s everything you need:

• gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used Jizerka univerzální, which is a Czech variety)
• caster sugar
• molasses
• unsalted butter  (softened)
• 1 large egg
• baking soda
• ground ginger
• ground cinnamon
• salt
• granulated sugar (for rolling the cookies)

How to make Gluten-free Ginger Cookies

Before you start making the cookie dough, make sure that your butter is nice and soft so it can be whipped up easily. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream the soft butter, sugar, egg, and molasses in a large mixing bowl for 1-2 minutes.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.

Cover the dough, and let it chill in the fridge for at least one hour (or up to overnight).

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / 160°C. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and roll into balls approximately 2 inches or 5 cm in diameter (each ball of dough should weigh approximately 35g).

Dip one side of the dough into the granulated sugar and place the ball sugar side up on the parchment paper. Each cookie should be at least 2 inches apart on the tray.

Bake for around 14 minutes (one tray at a time) until the cookies are slightly brown on top and are starting to crack.

Let them cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. As the cookies cool down, they will make your kitchen smell absolutely amazing.

These delicious cookies can be enjoyed as a light dessert with a glass of milk, or as an afternoon snack with a warming cup of tea or coffee. They are truly a ginger-sweet treat!

Tips for success!

• These cookies will spread quite a lot when baking, so it’s important that they are at least 2 inches or 5 cm apart on the baking tray. Depending on the size of your baking tray and oven, you may need to bake them in stages.
• I recommend weighing your ingredients for better accuracy. Since I bought a kitchen scale, I find it so much easier and faster than measuring by cups.
• You need soft butter for the creaming process. I usually let my butter sit out of the fridge on the counter for a few hours before baking if the weather is warm, or overnight in the colder months.
• Chill that cookie dough! The dough will be very sticky after you make it, and chilling it helps it firm up so you can easily roll it into balls. It also helps the cookies stay crispy on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside. So don’t skip this step!

This nutritional information is based on the brands and ingredients I used for this recipe. They may not be 100% accurate for you. Please check your nutrition labels for more precise information.