Gluten Free Molasses Cookies

By Nicole Hunn | Published: November 15, 2024 | Posted In: Cookies, Desserts

5 from 27 votes

Prep Time : 10

Cook Time : 10

These gluten free molasses cookies are super soft, tender, and wonderfully spiced with ginger, allspice, cloves and cinnamon.

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These gluten free molasses cookies are soft, chewy and perfectly spiced. They've always reminded me of the classic cookies from the Archway box, with all the deep flavor of molasses and all the right spices. And you can bake them right away, since there's no need to chill the cookie dough!

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These molasses cookies remind me of Archway brand's. A bit darker on the outside, soft and pale on the inside, they have just the right amount of warm allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves for a little bite and all the warmth of the season.

Typically, soft and chewy cookies get their texture from a lot 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 the molasses that also gives them a lot of their depth of flavor.

They're so soft and chewy that they don't even become solid when you freeze them. So you can easily bite into one right out of the freezer.

Fingers flattening mounds of molasses cookie dough

Recipe ingredients

overhead image of ingredients in gluten free molasses cookies with names of ingredients in black type

Gluten free flour blend: You can use any of my recommended gluten free flour blends in this recipe, but be sure to add 3/8 teaspoon of xanthan gum if you use Nicole's Best, or another blend that doesn't already contain xanthan gum. If you use Better Batter, don't add any more xanthan gum.
Baking soda: If the cookies are baked right away, adds a bit of rise, and helps the cookies brown in the oven.
Salt: Brightens and balances the other flavors.
Ground spices: cloves, ginger, allspice and cinnamon are the spices that you'll find in pumpkin pie spice, plus nutmeg. They're in different proportions, but the flavor profile is very similar, so you can use 1 1/4 teaspoons total of that instead if you prefer. They provide warmth, bite, and a peppery flavor.
Granulated sugar: Adds a simple sweetness and makes the cookies tender.
Butter: Adds moisture, tenderness and flavor. We use unsalted butter so we can control the amount of salt in the recipe and because the moisture content of salted butter is actually different. If your butter is salted, just leave out the added salt.
Molasses: Made from ripened cane sugar without any preservatives, unsulphured molasses has the deep, rich flavor of dark caramel.
Eggs: Bind the other ingredients together, provide rise in the oven, and also give the cookies a tenderness and slightly cakey texture.

How to make gluten free molasses cookies

In a large mixing bowl, place all the dry ingredients (gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, all the warm spices) plus granulated sugar and whisk to combine.
Add the soft butter, molasses, and beaten eggs, then mix to combine.
The raw cookie dough will be pretty sticky and soft.
Since the raw cookie dough is so sticky, wet your hands before you handle it.

large round metal mixing bowl with gluten free flour blend, white sugar, and dark and light brown spices with large wire whisk next to bowl on marble surface

same mixing bowl with whisked white powder

Using two small spoons or a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop that's a bit overfull, scoop portions of about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough.
Shape each into a ball gently with your wet fingers.
Place the dough about 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets, and use wet fingers to press each into a 1/4-inch thick disk.
Bake at 325°F for about 10 minutes or until no longer shiny. They will be a bit crackled-looking.
Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet (about 10 minutes).

moistened fingers of two hands holding and shaping a soft ball of molasses cookie dough above a white paper-lined gold baking sheet

wet fingers pressing down on light brown round of cookie dough into a disk on white paper on gold baking tray

Recipe tips & tricks

Use wet hands to handle this very soft 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.

Wet the cookie scoop, and your hands when you use them to handle it. The moisture will create a barrier between your hands and dough, and keep it from sticking.

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.

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.

You might be tempted to space the cookie dough closer together so you don't have to use multiple baking sheet. But since the 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 cookies time to cool

Let the baked cookies cool right on the baking sheet. They're very delicate when warm and will crumble or squish if you don't let them cool first.

Storage instructions

These are really soft, tender cookies that don't dry out quickly. They'll stay fresh covered in a covered dish on the counter for at least 3 days. If it's warm and humid in your kitchen, the cookies may get a little sticky, since they're so soft.

Freezing them

For longer storage, these cookies freeze really well. Since they're soft and a don't have any especially crispy parts, it's best to freeze them on a baking sheet first in a single layer. After about an hour, they'll be frozen enough to pile them into a freezer-safe ziptop bag.

You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. They don't freeze solid, so you can eat them right from the freezer or let them sit for 30 minutes at room temperature first.

Baked molasses cookies on white paper on tray

Ingredient substitution suggestions

Dairy free

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 Creamery or Melt brand.

I don’t recommend using Earth Balance buttery sticks in place of butter, since they contain too much moisture and salt. The cookies are already soft and spread just the right amount.

Egg free

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) or one “flax egg.”

Vegan

If you'd like to make a vegan molasses cookies, you can try following the substitution notes above for eliminating dairy and eggs, and be sure that your sugars aren't processed with bone char.

Serving suggestions

For a more festive look, try rolling each wet ball of dough in coarse sugar to make crackle top molasses cookies, like we did with our fancy gluten free drop sugar cookies. Then, flatten as directed, and when the cookies bake, the sugar will melt and crack to give you tons of visual appeal and a crispy layer.

Try icing the tops after they cool like we do our soft gluten free pumpkin cookies. You can also drizzle royal icing over the top of the cookies, or dip half of each cookie into white chocolate. While the icing or chocolate is still soft, add a few colorful holiday sprinkles.

FAQs

What's the difference between molasses and gingerbread cookies?

Gingerbread and molasses cookies have similar flavors and ingredients. But gluten free molasses cookies are chewier and are rolled or dropped onto a cookie sheet. Gingerbread cookie dough is usually firmer and rolled out into shapes, like the men in my gluten free gingerbread cookies. There are also gluten free gingersnaps with similar spices and aroma, but they're a bit spicier, and super crispy all the way through. They even “snap” when you break them in half.

What brand of molasses is gluten free?

I use Grandma's brand unsulphured molasses for baking as it's gluten free and deep, rich flavor. It's also easy to find on grocery store shelves.

How do you keep the cookies from falling apart?

Be sure not to handle the cookies at all until they've cooled completely on the baking sheet. Otherwise, they'll fall apart. And if your gluten free flour blend doesn't contain xanthan gum, be sure to add it or the cookies won't hold together.

Do I need to refrigerate the raw cookie dough?

No, this cookie dough should be at room temperature when you bake it. If you'd like to make the raw dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or freezer, that will make it easier to handle. Shape it, and then let it warm to room temperature before you put it in the oven.

Can I use coconut oil in place of butter?

You could try using virgin coconut oil, the kind that is soft solid at room temperature, in place of butter. The cookies will probably spread a bit more, but it should still work relatively well.

If using a gluten free flour that has xantham gum in it do you still add that in?

No, only add more xanthan gum if your blend doesn't contain any. If it contains any xanthan gum, leave the additional amount out of the recipe.

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Gluten Free Molasses Cookies Recipe

These gluten free molasses cookies are super soft, tender, and wonderfully spiced with ginger, allspice, cloves and cinnamon.

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Yield: 18 cookies

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (please click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
⅜ 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, and mix to combine. The dough will come together and be thick but soft.
Scoop the dough using a spoon or small ice cream scoop into portions about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Using wet hands, gently shape each piece of dough into a round, and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. You can expect about 18 portions.
With moistened fingers, flatten the balls of dough into disks about 1/4 inch thick. They’ll spread about 1-inch during baking.
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). When done, they won't glisten in the center like they did when they were raw and wet.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before serving (takes about 10 minutes). They will be fragile when warm, but will become firm once cool. Peel off the paper from the back to remove the cookies from the baking sheet.

Notes