These soft and chewy gluten free molasses cookies are perfect for lunchboxes or to enjoy with a cup of hot cider. They're just like the classic cookies from the Archway box, with all the deep flavor of molasses and all the right spices. No need to chill the cookie dough!
What makes these the best gluten free molasses cookies?
Remember Archway Cookies? Those white, plastic-covered packages, 4 or 5 stacks of perfectly round, perfectly soft cookies. A wee bit darker on the outside, soft and pale on the inside, with just the right amount of spice to make them taste just like fall feels.
My gluten free son remembers none of this, since he’s been eating a gluten free diet for as long as he can remember. But I remember them and always thought they were the best ever molasses cookies, and I want him to enjoy something just like them. And maybe you miss them, too?
What gives these gluten free molasses cookies their texture?
Typically, soft and chewy cookies get their texture from a fair amount of butter, but these gluten free molasses cookies have only 4 tablespoons of butter in the whole batch. Their texture, instead, comes in part from what gives them a lot of their flavor (and their name): molasses.
When you bake with brown sugar instead of granulated sugar, you typically get a softer cookie. But that’s because brown sugar isn’t unrefined white sugar.
Brown sugar is granulated sugar with molasses added to it. Here, we use 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, and add 1/4 cup (or 4 tablespoons) molasses to the recipe. It gives the cookies tons of texture and flavor.
How to handle this very soft gluten free cookie dough
Since this cookie dough has so much molasses, it tends to be relatively sticky. I like to portion it with a #50 ice cream scoop, but it’s sticky enough that it can be challenging to get all the dough off the scoop mechanism.
If you’re having trouble scooping the dough or removing the portions from your scoop, try chilling the dough a bit. You do want it to be room temperature when the baking sheet goes into the oven, though, so let it warm up at room temperature a bit before baking.
Once the portions are on the baking sheet, moisten your hands to roll each portion into a ball, then flatten it into a disk. The moisture will create a barrier between your hands and dough, and keep it from sticking.
More tips for making the best gluten free molasses cookies
Measure your gluten free flour carefully
Gluten free flour tends to be heavier than traditional wheat flour, so it's especially important that you measure out the correct amount to achieve the perfect texture for which molasses cookies are known.
When measuring out your gluten free flour blend, ditch the measuring cup and use a digital kitchen scale instead. Measuring by weight rather than volume is the best way to replicate this recipe.
Don't crowd your cookie sheet
You might be tempted to fill your cookie sheet to the brim with dough balls so as to get your hands on these soft, chewy cookies as quickly as possible.
Don't do it! Seeing as these gluten free spice cookies spread about an inch in every direction, you need to leave room between each dough ball, or you'll end up with one giant cookie.
Give your gluten free cookies time to cool
As is the case with many gluten free cookies, these gf ginger cookies need time to cool down once they leave the oven. This is because they're quite delicate when warm and are prone to crumbling or squishing if you handle them while hot.
How to store gluten free molasses cookies
These cookies firm up wonderfully after they're complete cool. And then with each day that passes, they almost seem to get softer and chewier.
You'll store these gluten free molasses cookies the same way you would store any other. Package them up in a glass container with a lid, and they should maintain their texture on your kitchen counter for at least a few days. If it's warm and humid in your kitchen, the cookies may get a little sticky, since they're so soft.
Can I freeze gluten free molasses cookies?
If you've made too many cookies to eat in a week or just want to keep these soft molasses drop cookies on hand for enjoyment at a moment's notice, you can pop them into the freezer for long term storage.
Simply wait until the cookies have cooled completely, and then stack them with a piece of parchment paper between each cookie. Put your stacks of cookies in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. The parchment paper will keep the cookies from sticking together and makes it easier to grab just a couple when you want a quick snack.
Gluten free molasses cookies: substitution notes
Gluten free, dairy free molasses cookies
The dairy in these cookies comes only from the 4 tablespoons of butter. If you're dairy-free, I’d recommend trying to replace the butter with vegan butter like Miyoko’s Kitchen or Melt brand.
I don’t recommend using Earth Balance buttery sticks in place of butter, since they contain too much moisture. The cookies are already soft and spread just the right amount. More moisture would lead to more spread, in an unpleasant way.
Gluten free, egg free molasses cookies
There are two whole eggs in this recipe, and they are a very important part of the texture and structure. You could try replacing each with one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel), but I’m not entirely sure if it would work.
Vegan, gluten free molasses cookies
If you'd like to make a vegan molasses cookies, just follow my substitution notes above for eliminating dairy and eggs, and be sure that your sugars aren't processed with bone char. Keep in mind, though, that the more ingredients you switch out, the less likely your cookies will turn out like mine did.
FAQs
Is molasses gluten free?
Yes, pure molasses is absolutely gluten free as it comes from sugar cane or sugar beets — there isn't a trace of wheat, barley, or any other gluten-containing ingredient in the unadulterated stuff.
But as with all things in a gluten free life, you always need to check product labels to be sure the molasses you're picking up hasn't been contaminated.
What's the difference between gf gingerbread cookies and molasses cookies?
Gingerbread and molasses cookies are quite similar. They use many of the same ingredients, and you could be hard-pressed to tell them apart taste wise.
Where these cookies vary most is texture and shape. Gluten free molasses cookies are chewier and are rolled or dropped onto a cookie sheet.
By contrast, gingerbread cookie dough is usually firmer and rolled out into shapes, like the men in my gluten free gingerbread cookie recipe.
Are gf molasses cookies and ginger snap cookies the same thing?
Molasses cookies and ginger snap cookies are also very similar. The biggest difference between the two is that molasses cookies are soft and chewy throughout, while ginger snap cookies are more crispy on the outside with just a touch of chewiness all the way in the center.
If you are craving a bit of crunch in your cookie this holiday season, check out my gluten free ginger snaps recipe.
Why didn't my gluten free ginger molasses cookies spread when baking?
There are the number of reasons why gf molasses cookies may not spread, but they all come back to the improper measurement of ingredients.
For example, if you use too much gluten free flour, your cookie dough will be too firm to spread. If you don't use enough butter or sugar, maybe because you're watching calories, the result will be the same as if you used too much flour.
Why did my gluten free spice cookies come out cakey?
When you use too much flour or cut back on the sugar, you're more likely to end up with cakey cookies rather than chewy ones. You have to maintain the right ratio of ingredients to get the perfect texture.
Why are my soft and chewy molasses spice cookies falling apart?
Did you snatch your cookies off the cookie sheet as soon as they came out of the oven? This will lead to a crumbly mess as the cookies don't have time to firm up.
Another reason you might end up with cookies that fall apart? You forgot the xanthan gum, which acts as a binder. Make sure that your gluten free flour blend contains it; otherwise, you have to add some separately.
Can I make almond flour molasses cookies?
No, I've never tested this recipe with almond flour, and I don't think it would turn out well at all.
Can I make coconut flour molasses cookies?
I've also never tested my gluten free molasses cookies recipe using coconut flour, and I don't recommend it. Coconut flour is truly unique and should only be used in recipes that are developed for it, like our coconut flour pancakes.
Do these chewy molasses cookies need icing?
I think that these soft molasses cookies are perfect just the way they are. But if you want to pretty them up for the holidays or some other occasion, I do have a couple of ideas for you.
First, you can roll each dough ball in coarse sugar to make crackle top molasses cookies, like we did with our fancy gluten free drop sugar cookies. When the cookies bake, the sugar will melt and crack to give you tons of visual appeal and a crispy layer.
You can also decorate ginger molasses Christmas cookies by drizzling royal icing over the top of the cookies, or dipping half a cookie into white chocolate. While the icing or chocolate is still soft, add a few colorful holiday sprinkles.
Can I freeze gluten free molasses cookie dough?
Yes, you can freeze molasses cookie dough so that you're always just a few minutes away from freshly baked cookies.
To do this, prepare the recipe as instructed to the point where you make the dough balls. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet, and freeze them until they're no longer sticky. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you're ready for cookies, remove the dough balls from the freezer and let them defrost on the counter until they're truly at room temperature before baking, or they won't spread properly.
How to make gluten free molasses cookies, step by step
Gluten Free Molasses Cookies | Soft and Chewy Drop Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (84 g) unsulphured molasses
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, ground cloves, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground cinnamon and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the butter, molasses, and eggs, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough will come together and be thick but soft.
- Divide the dough into 18 to 24 parts with a spoon or small ice cream scoop, depending on how large you’d like the cookies. They’ll spread at least 1-inch during baking.
- With moistened hands, roll each portion of dough into a ball, and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. With wet fingers, flatten the balls of dough into disks about 1/4 inch thick.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until golden brown around the edges, light brown on top and mostly firm on the top to the touch (about 10 minutes).
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before serving. They will be fragile when warm, but will become firm once cool.
Notes
Gluten Free Molasses Cookies | Soft and Chewy Drop Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (84 g) unsulphured molasses
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, ground cloves, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground cinnamon and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the butter, molasses, and eggs, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough will come together and be thick but soft.
- Divide the dough into 18 to 24 parts with a spoon or small ice cream scoop, depending on how large you’d like the cookies. They’ll spread at least 1-inch during baking.
- With moistened hands, roll each portion of dough into a ball, and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. With wet fingers, flatten the balls of dough into disks about 1/4 inch thick.
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until golden brown around the edges, light brown on top and mostly firm on the top to the touch (about 10 minutes).
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before serving. They will be fragile when warm, but will become firm once cool.
Mary Catherine Duffy says
make them for a monthly church event. They go down very well
Merry says
I followed the recipe exactly except that my flour had xanthan gum in the mix so I didn’t add any. The cookies tasted good but were much flatter than those in the picture and pretty much a gooey mess even when left to cool. It seems like they needed more flour. The eggs I had were extra large so maybe that’s why – too much moisture. I don’t think these will be added to my list of gf cookies to bake.
Nicole Hunn says
You don’t seem to be asking for help, Merry, but if I had to guess your issue it would be either not measuring your flour by weight, or using a flour blend that isn’t indicated.
Holly says
Nicole, I couldn’t reply directly to your comment again but regarding your info on sugar, you’re absolutely right! My studies for years have involved these type of things. The reason we lean towards sweeteners such as coconut sugar, maple sugar/syrup and honey is because they do offer some minerals and a few health benefits rather than just being what I call “dead food” like the white foods. Additionally, my husband is type one insulin-dependent diabetic but he loves sweets so he’ll have one every now and then and the lesser processed sugars affect his blood sugar way less than more processed ones such as agave or refined sugars.
I was so excited to see you start making Paleo recipes a while ago! We love so many of them but I think the chocolate chip scones might be our favorite. So many goodies, so little time. Thanks again for the feedback and these cookies are magnificent straight from the freezer too! I put them in there so I would stop eating them #EpicFail ?
Holly says
I can’t reply to your comment..there must be something going on on my end. Anyway, thanks for getting back to me Nicole. I just made these they are SO GOOD.! They have the perfect amount of chew and a little bit of crunch around the edges and I love how balanced the spices are and the amount of sweetness is spot on! These are definitely my new favorite. I had to bring out my limited supply of granulated sugar for this one but it was worth it. I can’t stop eating them!
Nicole Hunn says
So glad it was worthwhile, Holly, to use the granulated sugar. For what it’s worth, for the most part sugar is sugar to your body. Unrefined sugars might have added nutrients, but I don’t consider them to be truly healthy. Not that cookies have to be healthy, and not that you asked! Oh, and not that I’m a nutritionist… Just my 2¢. :)
Holly says
Hi Nicole, I left a comment on here but it disappeared ? oh well. I’ll try again…have you ever used granulated maple sugar in place of white sugar ? I buy an organic brand and it’s not quite as dry as white sugar but not as wet as brown sugar. I much prefer the mild sweetnesss of it over coconut sugar which is more for subbing brown sugar IMO. Sadly, we can’t really tolerate much white sugar. You always offer great subs for other things but not for sugar and I know white sugar tenderizers recipes as well as sweetens them so I’m not hopeful but I thought I would ask. I’ve made most of your Paleo recipes on here (YUM!) but I want to make these cookies! Thanks in advance.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Holly, I wouldn’t use that in place of anything other than coconut palm sugar. I wish I had better news!
Linda E says
Hi Nicole,
My husband thanks you so much! One of his favorite cookies, I can’t wait to make these for him. Next comes, sugar and chocolate chip for his list! It is going to be a hot and humid week here in NH, so will wait a couple of weeks! Have a great week!
Nicole Hunn says
It seems like it’s a husband favorite, Linda! I hope the weather breaks soon. The dog days of summer can be pretty brutal!
Gaye says
Thank you, my husband loves these!
Nicole Hunn says
You’re very welcome, Gaye. So does mine. :)
Deanna says
These are the cookies I miss! I loved these and all the other recipes I have seen make them crispy. Thanks for these! Next on my baking list!
Nicole Hunn says
You’re so welcome, Deanna! I consider crispy cookies and soft/chewy cookies to be entirely separate entities. I usually try to have recipe for each version!
Rose Sinclair says
I used one flax egg and 2 tbsp Aquafaba and golden Crisco for the butter to make them vegan and they turned out great!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad to know that, Rose! It’s always so helpful when readers post their substitution experiences, since I can only make recommendations but can’t try every possible sub. Thank you for sharing!
Ruth says
YEAh, I just saw this and I was wondering if I could do that with the golden Crisco. Yes, wonderful. I love a ginger molasses cookie and this recipe looks spot on. Will have to give it a whirl. Thank you for posting this.
Rachel says
You’ve done it again Nicole. These are great. Used your “mock” better batter flour blend (can’t buy it in Australia). Mixed dry then wet ingredients in thermomix speed 4. Perfect and delicious!
Nicole Hunn says
I created the “mock” Better Batter blend specifically for people like you in other countries who couldn’t buy Better Batter. I’m thrilled that you’re using it, and that you enjoyed the cookies, Rachel!
Pamela G says
Nicole….you are my hero….Molly the GF dog LOVES these. She started by coming in the house, nose in the air. The cookies were cooling on a rack on the table. She proceeded to go to the table (which is nose high for her) and sniff. She immediately sat down, looked at me, looked at the cookies…looked at me again and grumbled a little like “Mom? Can I has one?” :) Scott had a handful and a huge glass of milk later on and said they’re perfect..thanks!!!
gfshoestring says
Pam, that is the most pampered gluten-free dog in history. If she tells my 2 dogs how well she is treated, they’ll revolt!
xoxo Nicole
Jenn says
I was in a meeting yesterday when I saw the e-mail with these cookies and I actually said “Swet!” outloud…not ver y professional…but oh well :) I made the cookies last night, and although the texture was not right to make into a ball ( I spooned the batter onto the cookie sheet and made the circle shape with the back of the spoon) the cookies cmae out amazing and the perfect texture. I think I only have 3 cookies left!
Thanks again for an amazing recipe.
Keep Smilin
Jenn
gfshoestring says
Sounds professional to me, Jenn! Then again, my profession is cookies. ;)
Since you are the second person to say she has had trouble rolling the dough into balls, I modified the recipe a bit to indicate that it is best to roll the portioned dough with very, very hands, and that if you are unable to roll it, it will only affect the shape of the cookie, but not the quality in any other way. And a small ice cream scoop can help make rounds, too. Glad you enjoyed them!
xoxo Nicole
Dana Schwartz says
Oh, this looks nice and easy! I’m all over it. Thanks for all the fun nostalgia recipes.
In other news, my girl’s been in school just over a week and already 2 in class birthday parties. I made your awesome yellow cupcakes (first cookbook) yesterday thinking I could freeze the rest… There is only one left :) I gave one to her teacher because I wanted her to taste how great homemade GF can be.
-Dana
gfshoestring says
Love it, Dana! Oh, we’ve had a million birthdays already, too. I can’t say I exactly look forward to those in-class birthdays. :/ Well done, spreading the good-not-just-good-for-GF message to her teacher!
xoxo Nicole
Jenn says
I did the same thing with my son and it has been a lifesaver, espically since I tend to not find out about the party until the night before.
Dana Schwartz says
Hi Jenn, last minute notice can be hard! I’m working on getting a class birthday list so I can have more time to prepare. My daughter really wants to have the same looking cupcake as her pals, so in a perfect world I’d have choc and vanilla reserves in my freezer. But my husband often sneaks them for dessert!
-Dana
Michelle says
I am making these as we speak and the mixture is more like a batter versus a dough. There is no way it can be “rolled’ as your recipe calls for. Its also not even close to the same color. I’m just going to use a cookie scoop and see what happens since the mixture is kind of loose.
gfshoestring says
Hi, Michelle, I can see that you are frustrated that the recipe is not turning out as you had hoped. It is a very soft dough, but it is a tested recipe and works when made precisely as written. I would suggest measuring your ingredients by weight instead of by volume for greater precision.
Nicole
Michelle says
The taste is ok but they just ran together. I did weight my ingredients and I’m sorry to say this isn’t the first time I’ve had an inconsistent result with your recipe. Guess its just not for me.
gfshoestring says
Michelle – let’s go over how you prepared the recipe because if you used the ingredients listed in the recipe the dough would be sticky, but would roll, especially with wet hands. It is very frustrating when a recipe doesn’t work, but please know they are not published unless they are tested. Tested means that the recipe can be repeated successfully if the exact same ingredients listed in the recipe are used and the instructions are followed exactly as written. If other ingredients are substituted and recipe instructions are changed then it really is an entirely different recipe altogether and may not work at all. For example, when cookies run together it is often due to the substitution of nondairy butter, which has significantly more moisture than butter. Let me know if I can help at all. Nicole
MaryCatherine says
Maybe you’re using a really tricky flour blend Michelle? I can never get my hands on Better Batter, and I’m allergic to several things common in flour blends (chickpea/garbanzo beans, soy flour), so I’m really limited. I’ve had great luck with Bob’s Red Mill, but everything goes to hell when I try King Arthur GF flour or anything else. Small changes can make a huge difference! I’ve had more consistent results with your recipes Nicole than with ANY other cookbooks, websites, etc. so stick with it Michelle, the results are really worth it!
gfshoestring says
Thank you so much for weighing in, MaryCatherine! I’m so glad you have been able to find what works for you. So much of it is, as you say, about the flour. :)
xoxo Nicole
Michelle says
The taste is ok but they just ran together. I did weight my ingredients and I’m sorry to say this isn’t the first time I’ve had an inconsistent result with your recipe. Guess its just not for me.
Pamela G says
I used a cookie scoop….and then flattened the ‘balls’ with the wet bottom of metal measuring cup – dipped between every cookie -time saver. They weren’t as perfect as Nicole’s..but they are YUMMO….MY dough didn’t seem roll-able at all either. I’ve made them twice, and both batches came out a much thicker cake batter consistancy.
Heather :) :) :) says
These remind me a bit of the oatmeal molasses cookies that my grandmother would make. We’d have them every afternoon with some nice chamomile tea ;) :) Thanks for the recipe. Love and hugs from the ocean shores of CAlifornia, Heather ;)
Rebecca Blackman says
Uh oh…I already spilled the beans. I sometimes go on for days on how much work you put into recipes so the rest of us can munch our way into culinary heaven. Neither my extended family nor my co-workers avoid the goodies I bring to share since they cannot tell the difference. Everyone loves them! And now next week they will be Molasses Cookies!
gfshoestring says
Oh that is so kind, Rebecca, that not only do I not mind but I’m terribly flattered. :) Thank you for your kind support!
xoxo Nicole
kclark says
I won’t spill the beans that you are a romantic but I am in love! You have been on a serious nostalgic roll lately and I am so happy! I am making the Chocolate Pop Tarts this weekend. You know who will be so happy. And these cookies? Come on!!! I couldn’t be happier.
gfshoestring says
I think there’s something about back-to-school, not to mention the start of crisper Fall weather, that sends me back! Oh, I know who alright … ;)
xoxo Nikki
Pamela G says
Nicole…think you nailed this one. My grams recipe didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, but didn’t have the patience to fuss with it. You have…. thank you!!! :)
gfshoestring says
Fussing with it is all I do, Pam. Leave it to me! ;)
xoxo Nicole
Linda Stoddard says
o-boy-o-boy! Love those molasses cookies–I’m guessing hubby is happy with these–if I recall correctly one of your posts (gingerbread?) prompted his first comment ever–or something silly like that. Anyway, with Autumn heading in and cooler temps, this is the perfect time to make these! Thanks, Nicole xoxLinda
gfshoestring says
I think you’re right, Linda! Great memory. :)
I’m all over those cooler temps. Oh how I love baking season!
xoxo N