Gluten Free Ginger Cookies (Nut Free)

Name: Gluten Free Ginger Cookies (Nut Free)
Prep time: PT-481231H34M13S
Cook time: 11 min
Ingredients: ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted*; ½ cup brown sugar, loosely packed; ¼ cup white sugar; 1 large egg; 2 tablespoons molasses; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 2 cups oat flour; ¼ teaspoon salt; White shimmer sugar for coating

November 1, 2021

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Gluten Free Ginger Cookies are soft ginger cookies with a crisp exterior for the perfect holiday cookie! Made with oat flour, their mild ginger and molasses flavor isn’t overwhelming but complements this hearty cookie.

Gluten Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free option, Soy Free

OK my friends… I created THE holiday cookie you want in your life! They’re soft, chewy, with crisp edges and delicate hints of ginger and molasses.

And if ginger isn’t usually your thing I promise that you’ll still love these cookies…

Meet my Gluten Free Ginger Cookies!

I’m not really a ginger cookie type of person. Many ginger cookies are just too sharp for me. But ginger and molasses flavors scream holidays, so here we are! These have a gentle ginger flavor that’s not overwhelming. It’s just warm enough, if you could imagine what I mean.

I don’t usually like ginger cookies, but these have just enough sweetness to balance out the zing from the ginger and molasses.

Plus, they’re made with oat flour, so they have a bit of a hearty feel to them too (and gluten free!).

Ingredients to Make Gluten Free Ginger Cookies

You’ll need 10 ingredients to make these cookies (+ salt), including:

Butter
Brown sugar
White sugar
Egg
Molasses
Cinnamon
Ground ginger
Baking soda
Oat flour
Shimmer sugar for coating (optional, but recommended)

As you can see, there are many “traditional” cookie ingredients. I don’t try to “healthify” everything because that just doesn’t work. You want your cookies to taste good!

However, using higher fiber oat flour in this recipe works beautifully because ginger cookies tend to be a heartier cookie. They’re not supposed to be light and fluffy or airy.

What makes these ginger cookies gluten free?

These cookies are gluten free thanks to the aforementioned oat flour. If you’re on a strict gluten free diet, be sure to use certified gluten free oats when making oat flour or buy strictly gluten free oat flour.

A note on ingredient substitutions for this gluten free ginger cookie recipe…

Can I use whole wheat flour or all purpose flour?

I have not tested this recipe with another flour. I suggest following the instructions as written. It’s super easy to make your own oat flour, however. Pulse oats in a food processor or blender until flour-like consistency forms. You can store in an airtight container for ease.

Can I use natural sugar (like coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.)?

It depends… Coconut sugar subs well for brown sugar and is fine for white sugar. The reason I like to use brown sugar specifically is because it’s white sugar with molasses. These cookies also have molasses in them, so it adds another layer of flavor.

I do not suggest using liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup because that changes the ratios of dry ingredients to wet ingredients. These ratios are what baking is all about, so it’s important not to tamper with them if you want the same desired result. However, if you try it and enjoy it, let me know!

Can I use fresh grated ginger or chopped ginger in a jar instead of ground ginger?

I recommend against it. Ground ginger is a dry ingredient. Fresh grated ginger and chopped ginger are wet ingredients. Again, you’ll mess with the ratios. However, if you wanted to add some finely chopped crystallized ginger that would be fine.

How to Make Gluten Free Ginger Cookies

This recipe is a 3-step process. First you’ll make the dough. Then you’ll chill the dough. After chilling, you’ll bake the dough.

Although that seems like a more involved process than some other cookie recipes, it’s still a fairly easy recipe to make (you just need patience!). You don’t even need any fancy equipment – just a mixing bowl and sturdy spoon. I love using a silicone spatula for mixing.

First, let’s make the dough…

Mix together the butter and sugar. Then add the egg and molasses. These are your wet ingredients.

Next, we’ll add the dry ingredients, including the cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda, oat flour, and salt. I prefer to add the oat flour in ½ cup increments because it’s easier to mix in.

Now it’s time to chill the dough.

Cover the bowl and chill for at least one hour, but overnight is fine. Does anyone else love to do some late night baking, but don’t want to wait for batches of cookies to go in and out of the oven? This is a great dough to make the night before you plan to bake!

You need to chill the dough because the cookies will spread too much if baked right away. By allowing the butter to chill you’ll get a beautiful spread when it’s time to bake these ginger molasses cookies.

Last, it’s time to bake the cookies!

Take the dough out of the refrigerator as your oven preheats. Using an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll into balls.

On the side, keep a small dish with shimmer sugar. Dip each dough ball into the shimmer sugar. It adds this delicious bite of sweetness on the outside. Plus, the sugar kind of looks like ice and adds to the “this is a perfect winter cookie” situation you have going on!

Can I use regular granulated white sugar for the coating?

You could, but I prefer the shimmer sugar because the crystals are larger. They’re just prettier when they come out of the oven!

Place the dough balls a few inches apart on the baking sheet because the cookies will spread when they bake.

I found 11 minutes to be the perfect baking time for those crispier edges, but chewy center. Of course every oven is different, so I suggest checking on your cookies after 10 minutes. If you use a smaller cookie scoop of course this time will be even less.

Can you make gingerbread men with this recipe?

I don’t think that will work, but I honestly haven’t tried this.

Cracks on molasses cookie with sanding sugar

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make Gluten Free Ginger Cookies

These cookies actually don’t require much fancy equipment. I don’t have room in my kitchen for large kitchen appliances (like a stand mixer) and getting it out of the garage is not too fun. To be honest, since I’m now in my third trimester (tomorrow!), even bending down to get my handheld mixer is a bit much.

So for this easy ginger cookie recipe you only need…

Mixing bowl
Sturdy silicone spatula
Large baking sheet
Parchment paper or a silicone mat
Ice cream scoop or cookie scoop

Fun Ideas to Serve These Flourless Ginger Cookies

While cookies are just fun to eat as they are, I have some even better ways to enjoy these cookies…

Make an ice cream sandwich: high quality vanilla ice cream would be my go-to choice to sandwich between these cookies
Make cream pies: put your favorite buttercream in the middle. Kind of like an oreo, but ginger style. Again, I’d choose vanilla.
Enjoy with a cup of hot cocoa: fa la la la la la la la la