Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies! Chewy, soft and sure to become your new go-to Christmas cookie!

pile of molasses cookies stacked on brown parchment paper

Soft Molasses Cookies. Molasses Crinkle Cookies. Soft Ginger Cookies. Whatever you call them – these cookies are sure to become your go-to Christmas cookie!

These cookies are soft with the perfect amount of chew. They are spiced with ginger and coated in a festive sparkly sugar that gives them a delicious crunch.

I’m usually a total chocolate girl – but I’m alway surprised how much I love these cookies! For more holiday cookies try these gluten-free gingersnaps, gluten-free gingerbread cookies or gluten-free shortbread cookies.

molasses cookie dough with cookie dough scoop

Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies

There are a few tricks to making perfectly soft, non-grainy gluten-free molasses cookies.

The first is to add a secret ingredient – almond butter!

Almond butter is definitely not the first thing you think of when it comes to molasses cookies. But trust me! It’s the key to soft, chewy cookies in this recipe. A little almond butter adds structure, chew and richness. And don’t worry – you won’t even know it’s there.

The next trick is to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend. I like to use King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour that I buy on Amazon. I like how it comes in big, easy-to-use bags. (Not sponsored!)

I’ve found that gluten-free flour tends to be a little denser than regular flour. When swapping it in for recipes it’s best to decrease the amount of flour slightly.

I originally tried this recipe with 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour but found the cookies had a a much better consistency with 1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour.

ball of dough being sprinkled with sugar

After you mix the dough together it’s important to give it a 1-hour rest. This gives the gluten-free flour time to hydrate and really makes a difference. It’s key for non-gritty gluten-free cookies!

When you’re ready to bake, I like to scoop these cookies out using a cookie scoop then roll them in some cane sugar. Organic cane sugar works great for this since the texture is a little coarser.

It gives the cookies a delicious crunch and festive sparkle!

close up shot of molasses cookies with white napkin

You can easily make these cookies dairy-free or refined-sugar-free if needed. Just use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in place of the butter to make these dairy-free.

To make these cookies refined-sugar-free substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar and skip rolling the dough in cane sugar.

With all these tricks friends and family will never guess these cookies are gluten-free! They make a welcome addition to any Christmas cookie plate!

cookies on white plate with glass of milk in background

image for pinterest of molasses cookies stacked on brown parchment

Tricks for Perfect, Soft Gluten-Free Cookies

Almond butter: Provides structure, richness and chew

Add the right amount of flour: Use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend and add just the right amount

1-hour rest: Gives the flour time to hydrate and prevents grittiness

Roll them in sugar: For extra crunch and a little holiday sparkle!

For more recipes check out these gluten-free Christmas cookies (hint: they’re buttery drop-style sugar cookies!)

gluten-free molasses cookies up close on brown parchment paper
5 from 45 votes

Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 24 servings
Perfect, chewy molasses cookies! The dough needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour before baking. Rolling these in a little sugar before baking gives the cookies a delicious crunch!

I like making these with King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Flour.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup butter or vegan butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups  gluten-free 1:1 baking flour

Optional:

  • Raw sugar or granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, vanilla, almond butter, molasses, and butter until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly until combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Place about 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl, if using. Scoop out 1-2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough and roll in the sugar. Place on a baking sheet.
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center has set. Cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

*Make these dairy-free: Use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in place of the butter.
*Make these refined-sugar-free: Use coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar and skip rolling the cookies in sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.7mg

More favorite Christmas cookies…

The Best Almond Flour Sugar Cookies {Grain-Free}

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Hi, I’m Erin!

BS Food Science,

MS Nutrition

I believe you can make amazing, gluten-free food with everyday ingredients that everyone will enjoy. I’m here to share my tried-and-true recipes with you!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have made these for a couple years now from your recipe. I love a good ginger cookie and when I saw this recipe, I figured this was the one! I really do double the ginger, but everything else is just right and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Makes my Christmas Merry!

  2. 5 stars
    My new favorite recipe! I made these for a cookie exchange and had to make more to replace the ones I ate while cooking them. 🙂 I left the dough in the fridge for about 8 hours and they turned out perfect. Two suggestions – keep dough cold and use raw sugar to roll the dough. The dough is much easier to roll when cold. Still tastes great with perfect texture when dough sat out while waiting for a pan to cook, it was just easier with cold dough. They were a huge hit with my friends. I’ll be making these again and again!

  3. 5 stars
    Wow! These are wonderful. Have always loved pfeffernusse but never thought that anything could compare in gf baking.
    These are found on the ‘may be frozen’ page. Are they frozen after being scooped out before baking?
    I plan to add allspice and a scant amount of cloves when I make them again, which will be soon, to replicate the pfeffernusse! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    These are divine. As someone who hasn’t had gluten or dairy in over 20 years I missed a perfect soft molasses cookie. Even my friends with no dietary restrictions love them!

  5. Made them tonight. Flavor is good but the texture seems a bit grainy… Any ideas what I may have done incorrectly?

  6. 5 stars
    I’ve made these once so far – I used a pure cane sugar syrup from a local rum distillery and swapped out the almond butter with pecan butter. They were phenomenal, and everyone that tried them loved them. So soft and chewy, even a week later. I’m making two more batches today!

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