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Gluten-Free Chocolate Ginger Cookies {dairy-free & vegan options}

Name: Gluten-Free Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup (125 g) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour (or 1 to 1 GF all-purpose flour blend); ½ cup (50 g) Bob's Red Mill GF oat flour (or try an equal weight of sorghum flour); ½ cup (45 g) dutch process cocoa powder; 1/4 cup (27 g) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and kept warm; 1/3 cup (100 g) molasses (I use blackstrap); 1/3 cup (65 g) light or dark brown sugar; 1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar (preferably organic cane sugar), plus another 1/3 cup for rolling the cookies; 1 large egg (2 ounces out of shell); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 6 ounces (170 g) chopped dark chocolate, plus a handful for the tops

Published Dec 16, 2019

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These soft & chewy gluten-free chocolate ginger cookies make a cozy holiday treat filled with gooey pockets of melted dark chocolate, warm baking spices, and earthy molasses. Thanks to Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post!

10 Years of Ginger Molasses Cookies

TBG turned 10 this year! To celebrate, I'm closing out 2019 with a twist on an old favorite recipe that I shared almost 10 years ago to the day. Ginger molasses cookies were my very favorite cookies at the time, and I adapted an epically great formula from Cook's Illustrated. I stirred chocolate into some of the cookies, three kinds of ginger into another portion of the dough, and some I dredged in citrus sugar.

I shared a gluten-free ginger molasses cookie recipe in 2012 which has become a fan favorite and one that I make nearly every year. This year, I couldn't get gooey chocolate cookies out of my head. So I experimented with a double chocolate variation, swapping a portion of GF oat flour for cocoa powder and stirring in dark chocolate chunks.

I'm thrilled with how these GF chocolate ginger cookies came out, and can't stop dunking warm cookies in a cool glass of milk for dessert (and lunch dessert, and breakfast dessert...) I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!

Ingredients for GF Chocolate Ginger Cookie Success & Substitution Suggestions

A trio of flours creates a pillowy, chewy texture. Oat flour adds earthy flavor and makes the cookies bake up soft and tender. You can try substituting sorghum flour by weight if you prefer. Sweet rice flour creates a sturdy texture, but Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF AP flour should work just as well. Tapioca flour makes the cookies extra thick and chewy. And if gluten isn't an issue for you, trade all of these flours for 200 g AP wheat flour.
Cocoa powder adds dark chocolate flavor. I prefer dutch-process cocoa, but you can try natural cocoa if that's what you have on hand.
Baking soda helps the cookies spread and form pretty crackles.
Fine sea salt sharpens the flavors.
Warm baking spices – ginger, cinnamon, and allspice – give these cookies a gingerbread vibe that sings of winter holidays.
Melted butter is easy to incorporate – no mixer needed! You can use vegan butter for a non-dairy option; my favorite is Miyoko's.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar sweeten the dough. I prefer organic sugars which have a bit more molasses and larger crystals, but either will work.
An egg helps the cookies puff up in the oven. But my eggless/vegan readers can substitute an egg replacement such as Just Egg, or try applesauce or aquafaba. You may need to tinker with the flour if the cookies spread too much or too little.
Molasses adds earthy flavor, moisture, and chew. I've tried these with dark unsulphured and blackstrap molasses and both work. A lighter molasses should work too.
Vanilla adds a topnote of flavor.
Chopped dark chocolate melts into rich puddles within the cookies. I prefer bittersweet chocolate with around 70% cacao mass.

How to Make Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies

These gluten-free chocolate ginger cookies look a bit fancy, what with their sparkling sugar crinkles, but they're nearly as easy to make as any drop cookie. Simply stir together the melted butter with the sugars, molasses, egg, and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients and stir them into the egg mixture. Stir vigorously for about 40 strokes – this activates the sticky ingredients making for more dense, chewy cookies. Stir in the chocolate.

Chill the dough until firm, at least 1 hour and up to a few days. Scoop the cookies into balls. I like to use a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop to make uniform balls. Roll the dough balls in sugar and top with a chunk or two of chocolate. Bake and devour!

The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Enjoy these gluten-free chocolate ginger cookies warm with a glass of milk or plant milk. Or cozy up with a vegan gingersnap latte.

When cooled, these gf chocolate ginger cookies keep beautifully, airtight at room temperature, for up to 3 or 4 days. The molasses and brown sugar keep them pliable and moist and the flavors continue to emerge and meld as they sit.

Give the Gift of Gluten-Free Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Stack these in a wide-mouth mason jar tied with decorative twine for a sweet homemade edible gift. Or include them in a box with other holiday cookies.

*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten-free chocolate ginger cookie recipe, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*

4.91 from 10 votes

Gluten-Free Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies

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These soft & chewy gluten-free chocolate ginger cookies make a cozy holiday treat filled with gooey pockets of melted dark chocolate, warm baking spices, and earthy molasses.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

chilling time: 1 hour

Total: 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup (125 g) Bob's Red Mill sweet rice flour (or 1 to 1 GF all-purpose flour blend)
½ cup (50 g) Bob's Red Mill GF oat flour (or try an equal weight of sorghum flour)
½ cup (45 g) dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 cup (27 g) Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and kept warm
1/3 cup (100 g) molasses (I use blackstrap)
1/3 cup (65 g) light or dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar (preferably organic cane sugar), plus another 1/3 cup for rolling the cookies
1 large egg (2 ounces out of shell)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces (170 g) chopped dark chocolate, plus a handful for the tops

Instructions

In a medium bowl, sift together the oat flour, sweet rice flour, cocoa powder, and tapioca flours with the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
In a large bowl, stir together the butter, molasses, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
Stir in the flour mixture with a sturdy wooden spoon. Once the flour is incorporated, stir vigorously for 40 strokes - this activates the stickiness of the flours and makes for chewy cookies. Stir in the chocolate.
Cover the dough and chill until firm, 1-2 hours or 1-2 days.
When you're ready to bake, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line 2 rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
Scoop the cookies into 1" balls (a spring-loaded #40 ice cream scoop works wonders) and roll each ball in the sugar. Place the balls at least 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are puffed and cracked, and the dough between the cracks looks underbaked, 7-10 minutes, rotating the pan after 5 minutes to ensure even baking. Repeat with the second pan.
Let the cookies cool slightly on the pan (or if they've been overcooked, whisk the parchment and cookies straight off the sheet and onto a cooling rack), then use a thin, metal spatula to remove the cookies to a cooling rack. Cool completely (the cookies will still be baking from residual heat), then store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

If gluten isn't an issue for you, try replacing the oat, sweet rice, and tapioca flours with 200 g all-purpose wheat flour (about 1 1/2 cups).

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 77mgPotassium: 158mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 132IUCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

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