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My easy recipe makes best gluten free gingersnaps that are crispy outside, yet chewy inside. They’re so delicious that even the kids love them!
I love baking all of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes with my daughters every holiday season. My whole family loves my Gluten Free Gingersnaps, so they’re on our list every year.
My girls were little when I started making them, and years later I can still hear the squeals of delight from when they bit into the cookies for the first time. They have such a delicious flavor and the ginger gives them a little kick too, but not too much of a kick.
If you like chewy yet crispy cookies, then this recipe makes the perfect cookie for you because these are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. And they have such a pretty crackle on top that you’ll want to make them again and again.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup of softened unsalted butter
- 1 cup of granulated sugar (divided)
- ½ cup of brown sugar
- ⅓ cup of blackstrap molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2 ¼ cups of gluten free all purpose flour
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer
- Silicone spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
By the Numbers: How to Make Gluten Free Gingersnaps
Follow these simple step by step instructions to learn how to make the most amazing gluten free gingersnaps with simple ingredients any time of year.
Step 1: Prepare Baking Sheets and Preheat Oven
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugars
In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, cream ¾ cup of softened butter, ½ cup of white sugar and ½ cup of brown sugar.
Step 3: Add Molasses, Eggs and Spices
Scrape the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add ⅓ cup of blackstrap molasses and 2 whole eggs and continue mixing until everything is well combined. Next, add 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, ½ teaspoon of sea salt and 1½ teaspoons of baking soda to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
Step 4: Add Gluten Free Flour Blend
Last, add 2 ¼ cups of gluten free all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1) and mix until well combined. The mixture will be slightly wet and sticky.
Step 5: Make Cookie Dough Balls
Carefully roll the gingersnap cookie dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in the remaining ½ cup of white sugar. Lay the dough balls on prepared baking sheets. Repeat until you’ve used all the dough.
Step 6: Bake GF Cookies
Bake your cookies for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are crackled and set. Cook less time for a softer cooker and more time for a crunchy cookie.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes or they’re starting to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely down to room temperature.
Step 7: Eat Ginger Cookies
You can now eat your gluten free gingersnap cookies or store them in an airtight container to enjoy later.
Tips for Making the Best Gluten-Free Gingersnaps
Answers to all of your questions about making this gluten free gingersnaps recipe, including tips and substitution ideas.
Best gluten free flour for cookies
For this gluten free gingersnap cookie recipe, I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (the blue bag). It combines finely ground brown rice flour, sweet white rice flour, whole grain sorghum flour, potato starch and tapioca flour with just enough xanthan gum to make chewy cookies, which is what I was looking for in this recipe.
I like my cookies to have a bit of crunch on the outside, with a soft, chewy inside. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour is formulated specifically for baked goods like cookies, brownies and cakes.
The protein in the sorghum flour helps give them an almost wheat-like texture and aids in browning too. I was pleased with how well it worked in this gluten free gingersnap cookies recipe as well as some of my other gluten free cookies like these:
However, you should be able to use any gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Just keep in mind that all gluten-free flours have different ingredients and will result in a slightly different texture.
Substitute fresh ginger
If you’re hoping to make your cookies with fresh ginger, it’s standard to use 1 tablespoon fresh in place of dried. So, since this recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, you can use 2 tablespoons of of fresh ginger. For best results, grate it into a paste rather than mincing it.
Storage tips
Once cooled to room temperature, you can store your cookies in an airtight container on the counter for about 4 days or in the fridge for about a week. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.
Dairy free option
While real butter works best in cookies, you can substitute vegan butter or solid (refined) coconut oil in its place for dairy free cookies.
Gluten Free Gingersnaps Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter - softened (but not melted)
- 1 cup granulated sugar - divided
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup blackstrap molasses - or dark molasses
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2¼ cups gluten free all purpose flour
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer
- Silicone spatula
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, ½ cup of the cane sugar and the brown sugar with an electric mixer.
- Add the molasses and eggs and continue mixing until it’s well combined. Then add the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, sea salt and baking soda and mix well.
- Last, add the Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and mix until well combined. The mixture will be slightly wet.
- Roll the gingersnap cookie dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in the remaining ½ cup of cane sugar. Lay the ball on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until you’ve used all the dough.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are crackled and set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- Eat your gluten free ginger cookies fresh or save for later.
Nutrition Information Per Serving
More Amazing Gluten Free Desserts
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it many times for my sister with gluten allergies. I’d actually like to use it for a crowd of people who are not gluten-free. Am I able to substitute all purpose flour?
I’m glad you like my gluten free gingersnap cookies recipe Angela. I’ve never tried making it with all purpose flour as I’ve been gluten free for almost a decade now. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out.
Since you’re using the Bob’s RM GF Baking flour (not the cup for cup) do you add in the recommended xanthum gum from the table on the package?
Hi Judy, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour already has xanthan gum in it, so no I do not add more.
Sorry! The picture that goes with your recipe that I found showed the regular BRM baking flour, not the cup for cup, so I assumed without reading your entire post that you used that flour. I just tried your recipe but the dough was too wet to roll, so I added more flour. A bit too much bc my cookies didn’t spread out. But they taste great! So, I will try again with less flour. I can’t use the cup for cup bc I am allergic to almonds and rice. Ugh.
Ah, where did you find my gingersnap recipe alongside the other Bob’s Red Mill flour? I’ve only tested this recipe with the 1-to-1 in the blue bag. One tip you may not know about gluten free baking is letting the dough or batter rest. It takes longer for gluten free flour to absorb liquids than regular flour, and letting it rest will also help with that gritty texture some people complain about. You can also chill cookie dough before rolling it into balls, but this is a sticky dough.
Yes I did to start with the 2 1/4 cups of gf flour. But the dough was Soooo sticky I couldn’t get it to go in to balls. So, I added more gf & xanthum gum per table. I think I just added too much is all so I’ll have to play around with it. It really sucks being allergic to wheat, almonds aaaand rice!!!!
Unfortunately not all gluten free flours are the same. I hope you find one that works with all of your allergies. Have you looked at Better Batter Artisan Blend? That’s the next one I plan on trying out.
Really nice flavor although a bit dry.
If they came out a bit dry, I recommend baking the cookies for a couple minutes less time next time. Some ovens cook a bit hotter than others. 🙂
Would coconut sugar work instead of white cane sugar?
I haven’t tried it before. They definitely won’t be as sweet using coconut sugar vs cane sugar.