Soft and chewy and bursting with spice, these gluten-free molasses cookies boast a pillowy, tender texture and sparkly, crinkled tops.
I've also shared a double chocolate version of this cookie. Find more gluten-free cookie recipes for every craving!
Let's just get one thing straight: these are not gingersnaps. Not that there's anything wrong with gingersnaps. They're light, crispy, crunchy; just the thing for dunking in a mug of tea, or grinding with butter to make into a crust for pumpkin cheesecake squares, say. In fact, I have a recipe for GF gingersnaps in my book Alternative Baker that are perfectly dreamy.
These soft gluten-free molasses cookies just aren't them.
Soft & Chewy Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies
I first shared this recipe back in 2012 and they've been a reader favorite as well as a personal favorite ever since. I make these every fall when the air turns cool and I crave warm, spicy comfort in the form of pillowy ginger cookies.
I adapted this recipe from three different sources: Alice Medrich's wheat-free Ginger Cookies from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies, my own tests with gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, and my favorite glutenous version from Cook's Illustrated.
These gluten-free ginger molasses cookies are incredibly moist, chewy, and tender in a way that glutenous cookies can only wish for. A generous pour of dark molasses keeps them soft for days, while adding deep, rich coffee notes that play off cinnamon, ginger and black pepper. They are little pillows of spicy love.
Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions
These cookies are easy to make with a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients and gluten-free flours.
- Butter makes these cookies moist and soft. I make these with melted (rather than softened) butter, meaning you just whisk everything together. For a dairy-free variation, use a plant-based butter instead. Miyoko's vegan butter is my favorite!
- An egg adds moisture and structure. You can try using a flax egg or a commercial egg substitute. A reader made these using 1/4 cup Just Egg and they worked well!
- Granulated and brown sugars (light or dark) make these cookies just sweet enough. I prefer organic sugar which has larger crystals and extra molasses flavor. You can use coconut sugar in place of both sugars by weight, but the cookies won't crinkle on top.
- Molasses gives these cookies their signature rich taste and chewy texture. I've used both unsulphured and blackstrap molasses and both work great. Lighter molasses will make the cookies sweeter and lighter in color but will likely work too.
- Vanilla adds flavor along with the classic spices: ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and a little black pepper. A hit of salt sharpens the flavors.
- A trio of gluten-free flours stands in for all-purpose. Sweet rice flour helps the dough hold together, oat flour adds whole-grain goodness and a fluffy crumb, and tapioca flour makes them extra chewy. You can use a GF AP blend in place of any or all of the flours by weight. Oat flour can be swapped for buckwheat flour or teff flour for a richer flavor. Tapioca flour can be swapped for arrowroot flour.
- Baking soda helps the cookies lift and spread, forming pretty cracks on top.
How to make Soft & Chewy GF Molasses Cookies
The dough for these gluten-free ginger cookies comes together with just 10 minutes of active time. The dough needs to chill for at least 1-2 hours, until firm enough to roll into balls, but the cookies are best when the dough is allowed to chill for 1-2 days. The recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. Double the recipe if you need moar cookies. See below for more cookie baking tips!
Tips for baking the best gluten-free ginger molasses cookies
- Cookies are particularly sensitive to small variations in ingredient amounts, as well as dough and oven temperature. When this dough is first mixed, it is gooey and soft, more like a quick bread batter. If you can wrestle it into a ball, roll it in sugar, and get it onto a baking sheet, it will spread generously in the heat of the oven; not quite flat as a pancake, but close. The texture will also have a vaguely gluten-free quality.
- If you can bear it, cover the dough and chill it for at least an hour or two, or, even better, for one to two days. The starches in the flours will absorb moisture from the dough and swell, making for a smoother, sturdier dough. Now when you form the firm dough into balls, they will spread and puff into thick and chewy, crinkled pillows. Their mouthfeel will be smooth, almost creamy on the inside.
- I love that this recipe uses melted butter that gets simply stirred together with the other ingredients rather than creamed in a stand mixer. It takes about 5 minutes to mix up. You can weigh your ingredients right into one bowl and have minimal washing up to do afterwards.
- The key to the pretty cracked tops is to bake the cookies one sheet at a time on the top rack. Bake them until the edges start to set but the centers are soft, puffed, and cracked.
- These gluten-free ginger molasses cookies keep beautifully when properly under-baked; I like them even better on days 2 and 3 when the flavors have melded even more.
Gluten-Free Cookie Boxes for the Holidays
These moist and flavorful cookies are perfect for gifting. Make a few different types of cookies to mix and match into boxes and all your gluten-intolerant friends will thank you! Here are some favorite gluten-free holiday cookies to pair with them:
- Gluten-Free Cut-Out Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Biscotti with Hazelnuts & Chocolate
- Gluten-Free Rugelach
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Ginger 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 ginger molasses cookie recipe, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Crinkle-Top Gluten-Free Ginger Molasses Cookies
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup GF oat flour (such as Bob's Red Mill) (4 1/2 ounces)
- ¾ cup sweet rice flour (such as Koda Farms Mochiko) (4 ounces)
- ¼ cup tapioca flour (such as Bob's Red Mill) (1 ounce)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and kept warm (4 ounces)
- ⅓ cup molasses (I use dark unsulphured) (3 1/2 ounces)
- ⅓ cup light or dark brown sugar (2 1/4 ounces)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (preferably organic cane sugar), plus another 1/3 cup for rolling the cookies (2 1/4 ounces)
- 1 large egg (2 ounces out of shell)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the oat, sweet rice, and tapioca flours with the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, 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.
- Cover the dough and chill until firm, 1-2 hours or preferably 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" 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 sheet.
- Let the cookies cool slightly on the sheet (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
- My original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum, but I've tested them without and didn't detect a difference, so I've removed it from the ingredients.
- If you can, start these cookies a day (or even two) ahead; the dough benefits from a day of chilling, resulting in thicker, chewier, smoother cookies. If you must have cookies straight away, go ahead and bake some off; they will spread more, and will have a thinner and more brittle texture, but they will still be good.
- Err on the side of underbaking, removing the cookies when they are puffed and cracked, with the dough between the cracks looks underbaked. For the craggiest cookies, bake the trays one at a time in the upper third of the oven.
- I recommend weighing the ingredients for these (and all) cookies as slight variations in amounts can cause the cookies to spread too much or not enough. (Besides, measuring molasses into a cup and then trying to get it back out again is no fun).
- I use a dark, unsulphured molasses here, but I'm guessing that blackstrap or light molasses will work, too, though blackstrap will have a more assertive molasses flavor, whereas the light stuff will yield a more mild, kid-friendly cookie.
- Sweet rice flour is stickier than regular white rice flour and can be found with other gluten-free flours at health food stores, or at Asian grocers.
sweet road says
These cookies look like they have the perfect amount of fluffy and chewiness. Yum!
Paleoliscious says
Oh My, these look absolutely amazing! Just want to bite into them, I can absolutely see they are chewy and thick. Thank you, I will definitely try it!
Spicie Foodie says
Hi, I saw these on Pinterest and had to rush over for the recipe. Wow they look so good! I love what you said...little pillows of spicy love.. Would the recipe still be okay without the xanthan gum? I can't get it find it locally. Thanks for sharing!
Alanna says
Thanks, all, for the kind words!
Spicie- I think you could probably get away without the xanthan gum, as there are so many other sticky things in the recipe; they may be more delicate. Please let me know how they come out!
marla says
Love this recipe! Will be linking back to this in my upcoming post :)
Alanna says
Awesome! Feel free to post the link here when it's ready. :)
Anonymous says
Do you think these would be good as thumbprint cookies with jam?
Alanna says
I love the idea, but think the dough is probably too soft, and the cookies too spready, to hold a thumbprint.
Augusta says
These look DIVINE! Alanna, can you recommend a substitute for the oat flour? I hate to alter them at all (they look so perfect!), but my son has Celiac Disease--and although some Celiac sufferers don't seem to have trouble tolerating oats, he does :-(
Thank you so much for the recipe, either way.
Alanna says
Thanks, Augusta! I'm assuming you've tried certified GF oat flour. I would probably try either an all-purpose GF blend, sweet rice flour, or sorghum flour in place of the oat. I'm no expert, though, so they might take a bit of experimentation. If you can weigh the flour (use 4 1/2 ounces instead of going by the volumetric 1 cup measure), you'll have a good advantage. I'm guessing that these are fairly forgiving, since they have other sticky ingredients (egg, molasses, xanthan gum and tapioca flour) so hopefully substituting the oat flour won't be a problem. Please let us all know how they come out when you try them!
Augusta says
Thank you so much for the advice, Alanna. I'll be sure to weigh the ingredients, and I'll let you know which flour I use-- and how it works out.
(We've only ever given him certified GF oats, but whenever we've tried it's always caused him trouble. Apparently that's not uncommon for people with Celiac, so if you post the results of my test, it might be useful to other admirers of your blog :-) )
Alanna says
You're welcome! I do hope the cookies work out.
So sorry that your son has trouble with oats. Thank you for mentioning it, and I'll pass along this information to my readers. Cheers : )
Anonymous says
I have guar gum on hand do you know if I would just add the same amount as the Xamthum gum? Do the two gums add a taste and do they taste different? I am new to GF and this will be my first attempt.
Anonymous says
Another question: What does the pepper do for the recipe? Have you made it with and without? Is it the secret ingredient that makes these cookies POP in your mouth? And will it go with candied ginger?
Alanna says
I've tried swapping guar gum for xanthan gum in other recipes with poor results. However in this recipe you might get away with it since there are other sticky ingredients. They are both flavorless.
As for the pepper, I like the extra spice, which does go with candied ginger, but you can certainly leave it out if you prefer.
Anonymous says
Alana please add this into the appropriate place in my previous comment that is awaiting approval before it posts.
I used Black Strap Molasses.
Robynn
Alanna says
Hi Robynn, Blogger doesn't seem to let me edit other peoples' comments - my apologies. Thank you again for all your questions and comments! :)
Anonymous says
I made this recipe with a few changes and OMGosh I have made the perfect cookie. Thank YOU Thank YOU Thank you!!
I have been researching gluten free baking and what things can be substituted in recipes and how to do it. I can't stand wasting ingredients and I wanted the cookies to be extra healthy, chewy, and out of this world yummy. This recipe was my first attempt at gluten free baking. I substituted too many items the first time and the cookies spread out like crazy. They were still very chewy and delicious. I learned that when substituting chia seeds in the form of a gel that can add too much liquid to a recipe. It is better to grind chia and add it to the liquid ingredients or to the dry ingredients.
My second batch which turned out wonderful. Baked for 14 minutes because when you add chia seed it increases baking time.
(I ground all my own flours from the whole grain in order to get the maximum nutrition and freshness. I have a Vitamix to grind with.)
My changes:
Replaced the moochie rice--I used Aborio white rice which is high in protein and iron. It is also a gutenous rice like the moochy rice but with a lot more nutrient value.
Replaced the Xanthan gum-- with 3 teaspoons of dry ground chia seed. I chose this amount unscientifically based on the fact that I was going to add honey increasing the wet ingredients in the recipe. (It worked perfectly whew!) I had read that you can usually leave the gums out of a recipe and they tend to be what make a recipe behave difficultly. And because many people have problems digesting the gums. So I really want to learn how to cook with out the gums all together.
I added 1/4 teaspoon of cloves to butter mixture.
I also added 2 TABLESPOONS of FOOD GRADE Diatamacious Earth added to the oat flour for it's health benefits. (DO NOT USE POOL GRADE, THAT IS NOT EDIBLE(Check out the health benefits)---http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/diatomaceous_human_use.html
I rounded most of my spice measurements. I added the spice measurements to my heated butter (in a double boiler to release the full potency of spices into the sugars and molasses.
I measured my molasses 1/3 cup then I added 2 big spoonfuls of honey to the molasses in the glass measuring cup bring the gooey ingredients up to the 1/2 cup mark.
I stirred the molasses, the warm butter, and the spices together. It was really easy to get all the sticky following the molasses next into the sticky cup. All the sticky ingredients stuck in the sugar and scooped easily into the bowl.
I was afraid to add the pepper at first (till I researched and saw that it was a normal ingredient.) It is the ingredient that made the flavors 'POP'. Next time I will round that spoon too.
I added two teaspoons of GRATED (not chopped) ginger,(big difference in results)into my butter mixture.
I added 1/2 cup of finely chopped sugared jelly ginger candy just before refrigerating.
The cookies came out absolutely PERFECT. I will experiment with this recipe minus the spices for choc chip cookies. The chewy texture of these cookies is wonderful!!!!
And the flavor gets richer and stronger as they sit. Oh so yummy.
Robynn
Alanna says
Wow, you did a lot of research and experimentation - right on! I'm so glad you liked the final product. Thank you for sharing all your tips and adaptations. Let us all know how the chocolate chip version comes out. Happy baking!
Anonymous says
I found your recipe last night for your non GF 'Tripple Ginger Chocolate Cookies' and laughed, oh maybe I should just stir the chocolate chips into this recipe and it will be 'GF Tripple Ginger Honey Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies' How does that name roll off your tongue?
Robynn
Jade says
These are delicious! I omitted the xantham gum because I didn't have any and I used Splenda instead of sugar - they were amazing! Nice & soft.
Alanna says
So glad you liked them! Thanks, Jade.
Anonymous says
Ridiculously awesome cookies. I think we used a combination of tapioca flour, regular rice flour, and all-purpose gluten free baking flour, substituting by volume rather than weight, and they turned out great. We currently have baker's sugar instead of granulated sugar in the house (I know, weird), so that got substituted in all cases. The only intentional change we made was to add a bunch of ginger chips to the recipe, which gave them awesome little spicy nuggets. Soft and chewy, not too sweet, but way too easy to eat by the handful. Thanks Alana!
Alanna says
Yay! So glad to hear it. The ginger chips sound fantastic - I will definitely give that a try next time.
Anonymous says
I'm hooked on these now, not sure whether to thank you or not (haha)
I double the recipe except only 1.5 times the spices, so I have enough for a few days. Whether they spread or poof, the next day it is heaven on a plate waiting for me on the counter. I just ate another one. Truly, after becoming intolerant of one food item after another, I am overjoyed to have these at hand. Many thanks.
Alanna says
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thank you for the sweet comment. :)
Renut says
Now I can succumb to a Gluten-free diet without feeling abused, because this recipe allows me to continue eating my favorite cookies! They are delicious and every bit as good as the real thing! I didn't use the melted butter because I also have a milk allergy. Instead, I substituted butter with Spectrum's Organic Butter-flavored Vegetable Shortening and didn't melt it, but creamed it with the sugary ingredients. Thank you, Alanna, for the time you took to do the experimenting with this old-fashioned favorite cookie recipe and for posting it! Smiles and blessings to you!
Alanna says
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that! So good to know that you can use a healthy vegetable shortening in place of the butter. Thank you for the super lovely comment! Smiles and blessings back atcha. :)
Tetramoon says
OK did I do something wrong? I followed recipe, although I did need to use regular rice flour, let the dough refrigerate for a whole day, and made sure my oven was the correct temp. It was almost too sticky to handle at all. I used a #40 scoop with the scoop flattened at top. My cookies spread big time! They don't look anything like the picture...they look like pancakes. However, they are still chewy and delicious! I omitted the black pepper to make them more tasty for the little ones.
Tetramoon says
I will definitely make this recipe again, but will probably increase the flour by 1/4 cup. The kids are raving about them!
Alanna says
Hi! Thank you for the comment and the feedback. I'm sorry to hear about the sticky dough and super spreading. Did you weigh your ingredients or measure them by volume? Cookies can be fussy about little differences in ingredients, so it can help to weigh them if you have a little kitchen scale. The regular rice flour could be the culprit, too. I would think that your plan to add a bit more flour should do the trick either way. I'm so glad you and your kiddos are liking them regardless! Happy baking. :)
Vicki Bensinger says
Wow these are beautiful cookies and great tips for making them turn out perfect. Now to head over to Whole Foods to locate all these ingredients. Nice blog - Angie from Angie's Recipes sent us over here.
Alanna says
Hi Vicki! Thanks for the sweet note, and I hope you love the cookies! Come back and let me know how they come out. :)
Anonymous says
Your recipes are amazing! You truly have a gift and I thank you so much for sharing it with everyone! These cookies are hands down my favorite. I think they are better and any cookie with gluten too! I just love them, and so does my family!
Alanna says
Wow! Thanks for the really sweet comment! I'm so glad you like the cookies. :D
Anonymous says
I made them yesterday and, since there were none on hand, swapped out the egg with some soaked flax, coconut oil for the butter and it worked beautifully! for the record, i've been baking with duck eggs - so decadent - and can't wait to throw one at this recipe.
i too topped them with some chopped candied ginger because i have this undiagnosed ginger obsession...
thanks much for great recipe (all of them!!) - your little corner of the internet is my most visited when it comes to food, and i'm always sending people links to your posts.
so happy to have found you!
Alanna says
Hi! Thanks for the really kind words! I'm so glad to know that these cookies can be made with flax and coconut oil instead of butter and eggs - I'll have to try that! Duck eggs sound like a fun addition, too. Thanks for reading and sharing, and for the sweet note! :D
Mike says
Wow! This is the most AMAZING GF recipe for cookies I have ever made or tasted! I followed the recipe and did everything EXCEPT follow your advice about baking only one sheet at a time. I should have listened! The top sheet turned out exactly as shown, while the sheet underneath spread but did not crack. Those cookies turned out crunchy, so I have halve a batch of crackled and halve a batch that are crunchy! I left the dough out after it had cooled for about an hour; it was so stiff I wasn't sure I could form balls. The hour let the dough get just pliable enough to work. I did push down the balls with a wet hand, thinking they may not spread into thin-enough cookies. They did turn out fine, so I will keep doing that. Thanks for this amazing recipe, and this entire site! I can't wait to try some of the other GF recipes!
Alanna says
Hi Mike, Thanks for the great comment - I'm so glad you like the cookies and the rest of the blog! Thanks for reading. :)
Lorie Saad says
I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free flour in place of the flours in this recipe...turned out great.
Alanna says
Oh I'm so glad to know that BMR's GF flour works here. Thanks!
Monica says
Did you replace cup for cup of all the flours for the one? I'd like to try with my Mama's almond blend flour.
Linz says
Thank you!!!! Made these tonight- spread out a little because I couldn't wait an hour.😉 They were so delicious! I have been missing these for a long time- you are a blessing from Heaven.😘
Elizabeth says
These are awesome!! My husby can't have oats so I swapped for spelt flour (so, these were wheat free but not gluten free). I also used GF AP flour blend, as that's what I had on hand (Costco). Husby also can't have pepper, but used cloves instead. PERFECT combo of crispy outer and chewy inner! Very similar to Martha Stewart's Chewy chocolate ginger molasses cookies that I've made every year (but now can't have).
naila says
wow it sounds nice cookies sure i,ll try it
thank you
Kate says
these are excellent, i made them with Domata flour and they turned out fantastic. Great with a good cup of coffee and not too sweet.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Barbara A Holmberg says
Just pulled last cookie sheet from oven of these aromatic (can smell from all three levels of home) crackly, sparkling cookies! L❤VE this recipe, thank you for developing & sharing. Followed exactly, chilling dough is ESSENTIAL (24hr+) Rounded teaspoon yeild 48. Baked 7.5 min.
Debbie says
These rose beautifully then fell before they cracked. I’m sure it’s because I subbed flax for xanthan gum. They are still soft with a crispy edge. Just lovely. Any thoughts? I have allergic reactions to xanthan and guar. Digestive issues with psyillium and glucomannan. Trying to learn this. Thanks.
Alanna says
Hi Debbie, Hm, that's interesting. I mean, they're supposed to have cracks on top, but I'm assuming you mean that the cookies cracked all the way through? I'm surprised that small amount of xanthan gum would have such a big effect and that flax wouldn't work as a substitute. Did you use 1/4 t flax? I might try adding more like 1 teaspoon or even up to 1 tablespoon, or trying chia seed instead. Did you use sweet rice flour as specified rather than regular rice flour? Follow all the other instructions to a T? Also FYI there's a version in my cookbook made with no gum that uses mesquite flour and they are yum!
Debbie Feely says
Hi, thanks for your reply. I used 1 teaspoon of flax in place of the xanthan and chilled overnight, about 20 hours. Otherwise I followed exactly. What I meant was the cookies puffed up beautifully but never crackled. I’ve made regular gingersnaps with similar ingredients for years so I know what that looks like. These just quietly deflated flat. They taste fine, just very flat and smooth. I will try again as this is my favorite gluten free recipe to date, after several months of trying.
Alanna says
Hi Debbie, thanks for the details! That's so interesting. You might try adding a bit more flax if you don't mind more chewiness in the texture. You could play with the oven temperature (maybe increase it a bit?) and the leavening (more baking soda?) to see if that does anything. Keep me posted!
Rachel Whitehouse says
Great recipe. The flavour is lovely and the texture is perfect. I was a little worried about the texture with all the sweet rice flour.
The only problem I had was they didn’t spread so then the did rise and crack. At 5mins I went to rotate my first sheet, still balls. So I pressed them with a spatula. All the rest I pressed out before baking.
I think I’ll try a little less sweet rice flour next time.
I used my flour mix instead of the oat flour. It has sourghum, tapioca starch, potatoe starch and rice flour.
Alanna says
Hi Rachel, Thanks for trying these cookies and for the note! I'm not surprised the cookies didn't spread as much if you swapped in a flour with more finely ground starches for the oat flour, which is high in fiber and doesn't absorb a ton of moisture. I think taking down the flour mix next time is a good call!
[email protected] says
I'm so excited to be making this recipe for a cookie swap I'm hosting! I just put my finished raw dough in the refrigerator, and it was more like a cake batter than a dough. There's no way I could roll it into balls as it is currently. Does it change significantly from chilling or do I maybe need to add a bit more flour (I scooped and leveled properly but don't own a food scale.)? Thanks for the advice...and the great recipe. I may have licked the spoon, so I know they'll taste excellent even if I've botched the shape 😜
Alanna says
Aw, let me know how they turned out and I'll help troubleshoot if I can!
Genevieve says
You gave me hope when I first tried this recipe. Hubby was in disbelief that they were gluten free! It gave me the push to finally go on my quest! In 2001, Martha Stewart came out with a chocolate gingerbread that I've been dying to duplicate since going gluten-free seven years ago. You gave me the template for that replication, and I am eternally grateful. No one can tell the difference! I threw caution to the wind and went without a scale for the dry ingredients (reckless, I know! Next thing you know, I'll be running with scissors!). I used Bob Red Mill's 1/1 baking flour instead of rice flour, and added 3tbps of Dutch-processed cacao, along with extra ginger, and a tiny bit of cloves. Dumbed in some Caillebaut dark chocolate chips, and baked as per your instructions. I almost wept they were so good!!!!!
Alanna says
Yay! I'm so glad you love the cookies! That chocolatey version sounds right up my alley - thank you for sharing your variation!
Josie Gaines says
Your recipe doesn't to state how much xanthin gum to add to the batch.
How do I know how much to add?
Alanna says
Sorry for the confusion! In my headnote I said that I removed it from the recipe, but I neglected to remove it from the instructions, so I'll update that! No need to add any xanthan gum. :)
Sierra Mills says
These cookies are really incredible! Just like mom’s regular molasses coolies. I added xanthum gum and they were absolutely Perfect.
The Bojon Gourmet says
Ah, so glad to hear this! :)
Monica says
How about using Mama's almond blend flour? I an exciting to try since these were my mom's favorite cookies to make for Christmas.
Ann says
I baked these up today but they first puffed and didn't crack. I kept them in the oven waiting for them to crack but they just flattened out. They taste amazing but not pretty like yours. I followed the recipe and weighed my ingredients and left in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking. Any idea what I did wrong? I did omit the xanthan gum.
Alanna says
Hm, interesting! I just made these last night without xanthan gum and they looked just like the ones in the photos. Is it possible your oven runs cool, or that you baked them on a low rack in the oven? Those could both prevent cracking.
SJ says
I used 50 grams of amaranth flour and 50 grams of oat flour and added some chopped crystallized ginger since I liked the ginger amaranth biscuits in AB. They came out quite nice although next time I'll likely leave out the crystallized ginger and maybe add chopped chocolates per your 2019 Dec 16 post. Or maybe use 45 grams of cocoa powder and add crystallized ginger in lieu of the chopped chocolate. So many options! My favourite, though, is your mesquite ginger cookies. Those are amazing!!
Alanna says
Oh I LOVE the idea of using amaranth in these! And I'm so glad you love the mesquite ginger cookies - I need to make those again! Happy baking to you!
Sarah says
Mine didnt crack either :/ but still yummy
Alanna says
Hm that's so curious! I'm so glad you liked the taste though. :)
Trish says
Made these this week exactly as written, chilled them over 24 hours, then baked them. They taste really good but went totally flat. Should I have just chilled them longer? Am curious because I was looking for a nice, plump ginger cookie. Thanks for for your thoughts.
Alanna says
Hm, these have been made many times by different readers over the years and I've never had that complaint before that I can remember. Did you measure by weight or volume? Does your oven run true to temperature and do you have a thermometer in there to make sure? If you make them again, I would try adding an extra 2 tablespoons of flour and increasing the oven temp by 25ºF. Let me know!
Trish says
I always measure by weight as that seems to give the best outcome. Which flour should I use for the additional 2 T? I’m not sure about the oven temperature, so I’ll have to check into that. I do find that for your bar recipes I usually need to add up to 10 minutes to the baking time, so it merits investigation. Thanks for those thoughts!
As an aside, I made your mesquite ginger cookies and liked them, though my husband wasn’t a fan. So I made vegan chai ice cream and put them together with the cookies for ice cream sandwiches - wowza! He appreciated their flavor after that :-)
Alanna says
Oh sorry, I just saw this! Ok that's great that you're measuring by weight, although still mysterious. Hmmm! I guess I would try adding still more flour? Maybe 2 T each sweet rice and oat?
I'm glad you liked the mesquite ones! Omg vegan chai ice cream sounds AMAZING with them. I want that right now. <3
Trish says
Ok - made them again, adding the extra 2 T of flour and raised the oven temperature by 25 degrees as you suggested after 3 days in the fridge with the same results. And they didn’t develop cracks either, but the flavor is terrific! I’m wondering if shaping these and then freezing them for a while would work?
Alanna says
That's so odd! Was there any difference in this batch from the last? Please tell me how you're measuring your dry ingredients - by weight or volume? If volume, you should use the dip and sweet method. Are your flours from Bob's Red Mill or a different brand? It sounds like there's too much moisture / not enough flour in the dough for some reason. You could try freezing the dough, but it really shouldn't need that.
If you make them again, I would advise baking off a test cookie first. If it still spreads flat, you could add more flour to the rest.
Let me know if you want to troubleshoot over the phone. My email is [email protected]. I'd love to get to the bottom of this!
Melonie (@hey_wiggle) says
Beautiful recipe. I made one sub, was out of oat flour so I used 2.5oz of buckwheat flour plus 2oz of chickpea flour in its place. The buckwheat added that nice, well, deep and nutty buckwheat flavor, and the chickpea flour gives a special mouthfeel that I love, so I definitely recommend this exact substitution and would continue to bake it this way.
I baked one batch after ~4 hours of chilling, and will bake the rest of the dough tomorrow, I can't wait to see how the texture transforms. My first batch was wonderfully crispy on the outside, and fluffy - almost airy - on the inside.
Alanna says
I'm so glad you liked the cookies! I always crave them this time of year myself. Those substitutions sound divine - I'll have to try that next time!
Ruthie says
I bake with mostly organic flours and ingredients and cannot find OG sweet rice flour any comparable substitutions that will not change the texture? thank you
Alanna says
Hi Ruthie, Mochiko makes an organic version! I also saw an organic one on Amazon (who I try to avoid but you could search elsewhere!)
Caitlin Schuman says
Hi Alanna! Thank you for your amazing recipes. I know I should have followed it to a T but will you help me please troubleshoot a substation? :) I measured by weight... but made my own oat flour in a high speed blender and then subbed (again by weight) cassava flour for the sweet rice flour because I wanted to get this recipe in the oven during naptime :) the dough is chilling in the fridge but it’s VERY wet. More batter than dough. I’m hoping a day in the fridge will help the oat flour absorb moisture but do you have any ideas or reassurances? I’m baking these as Christmas presents so would like to fix them on the front end. :) Thank you thank you for your help!!!
Alanna says
Oh no! Is the batter still wet after chilling? Did you use weight or volume for the flour? It sounds like you may need to soften the dough and mix in some more flour. I would recommend baking off a test cookie to see how much they spread. Please let me know how it goes!
Caitlin says
Hi Alanna! I did exactly what you recommended and baked a test cookie (4 actually) :) after letting it rest in the fridge for 2 days and they spread maybe a TINY bit more than I wanted them to but really they turned out amazing! I think the time gave the oats a chance to work their magic. Had lovely cracks too. Found that the baking time went up by 2 minutes after that time the fridge (more like 9-10 minutes rather than 7). Knowing that this worked I may try the same substitution (cassava for sticky rice flour) in your GF biscotti recipe this week. Oh and FYI - I also tripled the recipe which is SO much easier to do by weight. Thank you for the weights and for creating such successful recipes that stand up to a fair amount of user “abuse.” ;) Really appreciate the response too!
Alanna says
I'm so glad they worked out! Letting the dough chill to give the oats time to absorb moisture was a genius move. Please let me know how it goes with the biscotti!
And I completely agree - once you bake with weights you never go back! So much easier, cleaner, and more accurate too.
Kate says
These cookies look amazing! Could I use arrowroot flour in place of tapioca flour in this recipe?
Alanna says
Thank you! I haven't tested that out but I *think* it should work. Please let me know if you try!
jacqueline says
Dear Alana,
I am so so so excited!!!!!! After years of following you I have finally bought you amazing, gorgeous, thrilling, luscious book.
As much as I am dying to try to get my hands on some mesquite flour, for now may I substitute it for something else in your giner/snaps and cats???
Alanna says
Aw thank you for getting my book - I hope you enjoy it! There's a buckwheat variation in the notes that uses buckwheat and oat flours. I think teff flour would also work. Please let me know what you try!
Joanna says
Hi, do you think I could sub a flax egg for the regular egg? I realize that will probably not give me the lovely crackling but baking for someone with allergies. Thank you!
Alanna says
I think it's worth a try! Please let me know how it works. I'd recommend baking off a single cookie at first to see how it spreads. If it spreads too much, you can add more flour. If it spreads too little, you can flatten the cookies a bit before baking.
Alanna says
I'm so glad you like them! One of my favorite ever recipes too. Happy winter solstice and happy baking!
Joanna says
With the flax egg they were still yummy but much flatter. Thanks for the recipe!
Alanna says
That's so helpful to know - thanks for testing them out! Maybe adding another couple tablespoons of tapioca and/or oat flour would help. I need to test these out myself! Anyway, so glad you enjoyed them regardless!
Joanna says
I tried again and used a flax egg made with soy milk instead of water, that helped!
Randee says
This recipe is PERFECT. I come back to it every year around the holidays and I get so stoked to make them! So soft, so chewy, perfect spice. Definitely think ahead and keep these in the fridge for a day. They are SO worth the wait.
Alanna says
Thanks so much for the kind words Randee!
Kelsey says
Just thought I'd drop in and say these are amazing. I subbed with King Arthur GF measure for measure flour in place of all the other flours (I measured in ounces) because it's what I had on hand. Amazing. Chewy. Cracked. Perfect. I dipped some in white chocolate and sprinkled dried cranberries on top. Sooo good. The sweet, spicy, and tart all together works well. Thanks for a great recipe for Santa! Happy Holidays :)
Alanna says
I'm so glad KA flour worked well and that you loved the cookies! That topping sounds so pretty and delicious!! Happy holidays to you as well!
Kayla says
Do you think Just Egg would work to make these vegan? Or would you recommend a different substitute?
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
That's a great question! I haven't tried Just Egg in cookies, but I did try it in my gluten-free pancakes and it worked great there! Will you let me know if you test it out?
Kayla says
They turned out so delicious! I believe they spread more than yours, but that could be because I only chilled the dough for 2 hours, and not because of using Just Egg. They still cracked beautifully! You make my favourite cookie recipes!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw that's fantastic! I'll add that as an option to the recipe, thank you for testing it out! How much Just Egg did you use in place of the egg?