Made with wholesome ingredients, these Almond Flour Ginger Molasses Cookies are a grain-free and refined sugar-free version of classic gingerbread cookies. Add the optional glaze for iced cookies!
For my friends who love that classic ginger and molasses combination, these easy soft and chewy almond flour ginger molasses cookies are a great gluten-free alternative that tastes just like the real deal!
Bursting with just the right level of sweetness and plenty of festive flavor, they are everything you’d expect in an explosion of gingerbread.
This easy recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, and paleo friendly, making it ideal for most individuals with dietary restrictions. It is also a healthier version of classic gingerbread cookies for a guilt-free experience!
There’s no need for a stand mixer (or any kitchen appliances), and no need to refrigerate the dough prior to baking!
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for ginger molasses cookies:
Ingredients for Ginger Molasses Cookies:
Almond Flour: Taking the place of regular all-purpose flour, we use finely ground almond flour. This generates a light and chewy texture! Almond flour also brings protein, healthy fats and fiber to this easy gingerbread cookie recipe.
Egg: An egg helps bind all of the ingredients together and helps generate a chewy texture.
Unsalted Butter: Rich flavor and chewy texture is brought to you by butter! Replace it with melted coconut oil if you prefer.
Molasses: Classic gingerbread cookies feature blackstrap molasses for rich, sweet, festive flavor.
Pure Maple Syrup: Because molasses has a powerful flavor, we also use pure maple syrup for the remaining sweetness. Replace it with brown sugar if you’d prefer.
Fresh Ginger: Traditional gingerbread cookies are packed with ginger flavor, either from ground ginger or fresh ginger. I like using fresh ginger because it brings a definitive freshness that is difficult to mimic.
Ground Cinnamon and Ground Nutmeg: Our warm spices that bring additional festive cheer to the cookies.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The leavening agents here, we need baking powder and baking soda to help prevent the dough from spreading too much and to help the dough rise.
Sea Salt: A pinch of salt levels up all of the flavors.
Optional Icing:
For iced ginger molasses cookies, we simply need powdered sugar and water. This simple glaze is the icing on the cookie!
Now that we’ve discussed the simple ingredients, let’s bake cookies!
How to Make Almond Flour Ginger Molasses Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, melted (and cooled) butter, molasses, pure maple syrup, and ginger until the wet ingredients are well combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until the dry ingredients are combined and the almond flour lumps are out.
Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until a sticky dough forms. The cookie dough will be much stickier than normal cookie dough – this is normal.
Use a small cookie scoop, small ice cream scoop, or two spoons to scoop gingerbread cookie dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving two inches of space between the cookie dough balls.
Note that the dough will not generate a smooth ball of dough, as the consistency is fairly sticky.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, or until the sides have firmed up but the center is still chewy.
For a soft cookie with gooey centers, bake for 7 minutes and for firmer cookies, bake for 8 to 9 and for crispy cookies, bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool to room temperature before moving them. They are very delicate when they are still warm, so I recommend keeping them on the cookie sheet throughout the cooling process.
How to Make Iced Ginger Molasses Cookies:
For a classic icing, simply mix the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and water (or milk) in a small bowl until a smooth consistency forms and all the lumps are out of the sugar.
Dip the cookies upside down into the glaze and immediately lift them out. If you hover in the glaze for too long, the cookies may sink into the glaze or fall apart.
Transfer the glazed gingerbread cookies back to the baking sheet or to a cooling rack to dry completely. If you’d like to sprinkle the wet glaze with sprinkles for a festive look, feel free. Serve your ginger cookies with hot tea or milk and enjoy!
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Store cookies in a large zip lock bag or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: For longer term storage, freeze cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
For all those times you’re craving that unmistakable gingerbread flavor, whip up this easy recipe! It requires hardly any time to toss together and is here to spread holiday spirit all around.
These chewy molasses cookies are so packed with molasses flavor, you’ll only need one to satisfy your gingerbread craving!
The next time you’re baking up some Christmas cookies, also try some of these holiday favorites.
More Christmas Cookies:
- Raspberry Filled Snowball Cookies
- Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Paleo Mexican Wedding Cookies
- 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy gluten free ginger molasses cookies are here for your festive enjoyment during the holiday season and beyond!
Almond Flour Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 6 Tbsp (3oz, 85g) unsalted butter melted and cooled*
- 3 Tbsp (44ml) molasses
- 3 Tbsp (44ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) fresh ginger peeled and grated, or 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 cups (225g) finely ground almond flour
- 1 Tbsp tapioca flour **
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Optional Icing
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 to 2 Tbsp (30ml) water or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, melted (and cooled) butter, molasses, pure maple syrup, and ginger until the wet ingredients are well combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until the dry ingredients are combined and the almond flour lumps are out.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until a sticky dough forms. The cookie dough will be much stickier than normal cookie dough – this is normal.
- Use a small cookie scoop, small ice cream scoop, or two spoons to scoop gingerbread cookie dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving two inches of space between the cookie dough balls. Note that the dough will not generate a smooth ball of dough, as the consistency is fairly sticky.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, or until the sides have firmed up but the center is still chewy. For a soft cookie with gooey centers, bake for 7 minutes and for firmer cookies, bake for 8 to 9 and for crispy cookies, bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool to room temperature before moving them. They are very delicate when they are still warm, so I recommend keeping them on the cookie sheet throughout the cooling process.
Iced Ginger Molasses Cookies:
- For a classic icing, simply mix the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and water (or milk) in a small bowl until a smooth consistency forms and all the lumps are out of the sugar. Dip the cookies upside down into the glaze and immediately lift them out. If you hover in the glaze for too long, the cookies may sink into the glaze or fall apart.
- Transfer the glazed gingerbread cookies back to the baking sheet or to a cooling rack to dry completely. If you’d like to sprinkle the wet glaze with sprinkles for a festive look, feel free. Serve your ginger cookies with hot tea or milk and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can make my Chewy Oatmeal Ginger Molasses Cookies, which are made with oats and no flour.
If you’d like to use a different flour like oat flour, gluten-free flour, or coconut flour, I recommend following a different recipe to be sure it turns out as expected.
Yes! Simply replace the melted butter with 4 tablespoons of melted coconut oil. Or, you can replace the butter with equal parts vegan butter spread.
I recommend sticking with a finely ground almond flour for the best results. Almond meal is usually a coarse grind, which results in a grainy texture.
Yes. If you own a stand mixer, you can use the paddle attachment to prepare the dough.
This recipe for ginger cookies makes 17 cookies. You can easily make a double batch if you’re intending to share this holiday treat with your friends and family.
Can the egg be replaced with something else to make this vegan?
Hi Linda! Thanks so much for your interest in the recipe! I haven’t tested it with an egg replacer, but I think it might work with flax eggs. If you try it, I would add another tablespoon or two of tapioca flour for binding. Happy baking and happy holidays!