These Gluten Free Molasses Cookies have been a family favorite for years. With a deep molasses flavor and a touch of warm spices, this classic recipe has been perfected over time. With their melt-in-your-mouth texture, don’t be afraid to make a second batch!
The holiday season is all about bringing joy through simple, homemade sweets, and this gluten-free molasses cookie recipe is a holiday baking staple, especially in my holiday cookie boxes. These cookies have the perfect chewy texture that takes me back to cozy Christmases spent with family, enjoying the warm scent of homemade cookies.
Just like my soft gluten free Christmas cookies, gluten-free snickerdoodle cookies, or 4-ingredient Grinch cookies, this recipe is wonderfully easy, making it a perfect choice for baking with little ones. Whether you’re putting together a christmas charcuterie board or sharing a plate at your next festive gathering, these molasses cookies are sure to become family favorite in your home as well!
Why you’ll love these gluten free molasses cookies
- Soft & Chewy Texture: Perfectly balanced with a slight golden brown outside and a melt-in-your-mouth soft texture inside. You’ll have no choice but to reach for seconds.
- Rich Molasses Flavor: Packed with warm spices and deep molasses richness that sings “holiday flavor.”
- Holiday Classic: Perfect for Christmas or any cozy day, with flavors that bring festive warmth.
Ingredients for gluten free molasses cookies
- Flour: I love our gluten-free flour blend but you can also use an all purpose blend of gluten free flour.
- Molasses: Regular un-sulfured molasses has the best taste and texture. Try to avoid blackstrap molasses, as it’s much stronger and can overpower the cookies.
- Spices: A blend of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves brings out the Christmas flavors. Adjust to taste if you prefer a stronger or milder spice flavor.
- Butter or Coconut Oil: For a dairy-free option, use coconut oil but butter also works well.
- Brown sugar: Adds a hint of caramelized sweetness and extra chewiness.
- Other baking basics: You’ll need eggs, baking soda, white sugar, salt, and xanthum gum.
What type of gluten free flour works best?
A 1:1 gluten-free baking blend that includes xanthan gum works best for these cookies, you can also use our gluten free flour blend. If you are looking for a store bought option, King Arthur gluten-free all purpose flour (the one I recommend), Bob’s Red Mill cup for cup, Pamela’s artisan flour and Cup4Cup are great options.
a 1-1 blend is the best for classic cookies recipes like these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies or these monster cookies.
How to make gluten free molasses cookies
Wet ingredients: Whip together the sugars, molasses, and egg in a bowl until smooth, then add the oil and mix again, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Dry ingredients: In another large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix the dry ingredients into the wet making sure to scrape down the sides
Chill: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour to enhance the texture and flavor.
Roll: Roll the chilled dough into 2-inch balls and coat them with sugar for a sweet and crisp exterior.
Bake: Place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden around the edges.
Why do I need to refrigerate the dough for gluten-free cookies?
Refrigerating the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour allows the gluten-free flour to fully hydrate, which helps prevent a gritty, crumbly texture in your cookies. This refrigerating time also improves the overall consistency and texture, giving you a chewy, soft cookie.
Storing and make ahead
Storing: After the cookies are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container or ziplock baggie at room temperature for up to one week.
Freezing :The cookie dough will freeze well for up to 3 months. Roll into balls and freeze on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe bag or container. You can bake frozen dough, adding a minute or two to the cook time.
How to make ahead: Make the dough ahead of time and store in the fridge for an even deeper flavor.
More recipes with ginger
If you’re craving more ginger-goodness filled recipes, try Gingerbread Pancakes for a cozy breakfast, or bake up a batch of Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men to decorate. Festive drinks are one of my favorite things about the holidays, enjoy a Gingerbread Martini Mocktail, or host a Gingerbread Pudding Cake and Decorating Party
More family favorite desserts
- Classic Christmas cookie recipe
- Gluten free Oreo balls
- Christmas popcorn
- Gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
- Divinity candy
- Gluten-free nutter butters
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Chewy Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies with Ginger
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sugar plus more for rolling the cookies
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup coconut oil, slightly soft but still solid
- 2 cup gluten-free flour
- 2 teaspon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Real Salt
- 2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Whip sugars, molasses and egg until smooth
- Add in the oil and combine, wiping down sides of the bowl
- In another large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients
- Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients making sure to scrape down the sides
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour to give you the best end result cookie possible
- Roll into 2 inch balls and roll in additional sugar
- Place 2 inches apart on a silicone lined or parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden and still soft to the touch
- Remove carefully and immediately from the baking pan and let cool on a wire cooling rack
Notes
Storing and make ahead
Storing: After the cookies are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container or ziplock baggie at room temperature for up to one week. Freezing :The cookie dough will freeze well for up to 3 months. Roll into balls and freeze on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe bag or container. You can bake frozen dough, adding a minute or two to the cook time. How to make ahead: Make the dough ahead of time and store in the fridge for an even deeper flavor.Nutrition
This post has been on our site since 2012! We have updated it with new photos and helpful tips. Here is the original photo.
Saba says
I was diagnosed with celiac disease along with my daughter in 2017, and one thing I have missed are the ginger molasses cookies from Tim Hortons. They were my absolute favorite cookies. Welll, move over timmies!! There’s a new cookie in town! These are delicious! Thank you for making me feel a little more normal, and a whole lot happy with these cookies. Awesome recipe! I used Pamela’s flour and followed the recipe exactly. Perfection.
Chandice says
Awwww this comment absolutely made my night!! What a wonderful thing to read right before bed. I am so glad you loved them, they are my favorite too! 🙂
Sharon Thomas says
I have a grandson who has been diagnosed with celiac disease, so I’m always looking for good GF recipes. THIS recipe is AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! I had King Arthur GF Measure for Measure Flour, and it worked beautifully. I only got one! Everyone loved them. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe that no one would ever guess was gluten-free!
Chandice says
Oh I love hearing beautiful things like this! So glad your grandson and everyone else was pleased. Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Nicole Washington says
OH ea. Its about that time! I love these cookies!
Chandice says
Haha, so glad to hear it!
Amanda says
These cookies came out so good! I love a soft and chewy cookie, so these were perfect for me, and the molasses added such a decadent touch.
Chandice says
Thanks Amanda, so happy to hear this!
Karyl Henry says
These cookies look so good. I love the tip to freeze the dough balls so you can easily bake them on demand.
Chandice says
Thanks Karyl, it definitely helps during the busy holiday season. 🙂
Heidy Linn says
These gluten-free ginger molasses cookies came out so awesome! I made them for my best friend, who is gluten intolerant, and she LOVED them! These are so much better than any store-bought gluten-free cookies! I can’t wait to test out some of your other recipes that I found when I was looking around your blog.
Happy Holidays
Heidy
Chandice says
Awww thanks Heidy (love the spelling!), I am so glad your friend loved them! They are one of my favorites too. 🙂 I recommend the Christmas crack next…
Sharon says
I love molasses cookies and this is such a great recipe so you can make them gluten-free for everyone to enjoy during the holidays.
Chandice says
Thanks Sharon! Definitely great for any holiday gifting or gathering. 🙂
HEATHER PERINE says
I love ginger molasses cookies! And I love that my friends who can’t have gluten can enjoy these too. Going to whip some up and give them as a gift this year!
Amy Liu Dong says
I will definitely making these cookies for my kids and I am pretty sure they will like it. YUM!
Valerie Skinner says
I love a good chewy gingerbread cookie this time of year and even better if they are gluten free! I am saving this recipe so I can make them with my son this year!
Amy says
OMG these cookies were yum! I have never tried using molasses before but no turning back now! I love ginger anything so I made a double batch. This didn’t last long in my house!
Petro says
Yum! These look incredibly delicious & so easy! Can’t wait to make them!
Linda Simmons says
Awesome GF molasses cookie! Tastes just like my Mom’s old recipe with AP flour and Crisco. I followed recipe exactly except I used King Arthur GF flour with Xanthum Gum included so I omitted the recipe amount given. I checked cookies at the 12 minute time and removed from oven. They were slightly crispy on outside, soft and chewy on inside. Every pan was perfect after 12 minutes cook time. Such an easy recipe. Will defiantly make again!
Chandice says
Thanks Linda, I am so glad you loved them! They are my favorites. 🙂
Melinda Wilcox says
Thank you so much for this recipe….altho I seem constitutionally incapable of following one so I am a testament to its inherent soundness and flexibility. I used 1 stick butter with 2T coconut oil, 2 t. ginger and 1 t cinnamon, 1/4 t salt, 1 1/2 c. Walmart GF flour (which is quite good) , 1/3 c finely ground old fashioned oats, plus your listed ingredients as written, except no allspice or extra xanthum gum . I always bake a test cookie and the first one was a bit flat so I added 2 T extra oat flour and the next one came out like your photo but a bit browner. These are so easy to over bake. Delicious flavor and chewy crisp texture. Thank you!!!
Chandice says
Oh I love hearing this! When people can play with the recipes a bit and get creative in the kitchen and still get a great result, I am always so happy 🙂 Glad you love them. They are one of my favorites!
Julie Black says
Hi
I just made these yummy cookies for a cookie swap that was supposed to be tomorrow, but was just rescheduled to next week due to a big snow storm. Can these cookies be frozen without impacting the flavor or texture?
Thanks,
jules
Chandice says
They should be just fine. 🙂 Hope you love them!
Kit says
Wonderful taste, but they flattened out like crazy! Good taste, but I was bummed they didn’t look like the photos of your cookies. The only difference was my flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 flour (it does have Xanthan gum in it).
Chandice says
Hi Kit, I am so sorry. I have been working on this recipe so I am going to update it right now. If you don’t use this exact GF flour, you will need to add 1 tsp. xanthan gum. You can also blend flours like we have updated with for exact results. Thank you, I hope you make them again. 🙂
Kit says
Thanks, Chandice. Bob’s does have Xanthan gum in it, but perhaps the trick is to add additional. I will try it again at some point. Thanks for the reply!
Sabrina says
just made these and they are great! i used robinhood brand gluten free flour and margerine instead of coconut oil. I did have to add an additional 1/3 cup of flour and they were still too tacky to roll in sugar but they turned out great!!
Chandice says
Hi Sabrina, I am so glad you loved them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We really appreciate it! 🙂
Lois says
I’ll admit I didn’t use Pamela’s gluten free flour, so maybe that is what completely changed the outcome of this cookie. The cookies spread out like pancakes and were certainly not soft and chewy. The only difference was the flour, ( and I did use a name brand gluten free flour) could that make such a huge difference? These were not good at all. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .
Chandice says
I am so sad to hear this and so sorry it happened this way for you. I have only heard amazing things so I am going to get in the kitchen this week and try to get you some answers. Did your flour blend have xanthan gum or guar gum? That would definitely make a difference. I apologize, that’s actually my fault for not including the need to add that if you don’t use this exact blend. Again, I will get in the kitchen to try it with other flours and get you a more detailed recipe. Thanks for your patience.
Lois says
My 1 to 1 flour does have Xanthan gum in it, but it is listed as the last ingredient so perhaps it wasn’t enough to get the job done. Certainly appreciate you checking this out. Other than the crispness rather then soft / chewy and the spreading, they had great taste. I also let the cookie dough rest before baking. Appreciate your help.
Desiree says
I followed it to a t almost . But I mixed some coconut oil butter . Amazing ! And perfect !
Chandice says
Aw, thank you so much for letting us know!! I am so happy you loved them! 🙂
Michelle R says
Hands down I’d share this with my gluten free momma and sister