Bake up holiday magic with this perfectly portioned small batch of gluten free gingersnap cookies. Tender oat flour and a spicy ginger kick deliver the irresistible snap and zing of classic gingersnaps. Dive into homemade holiday cheer, one cookie at a time!
Gingersnap Cookies
Every cookie platter for the holidays should have a cookie bursting with ginger and molasses flavor. And now these gingersnaps join my molasses crinkle cookies, traditional gingerbread cookies, and gingerbread cranberry bars with their own spot!
The cookies deliver everything you love about a gingersnap – a spicy kick wrapped in a snappy cookie. These cookies are so tasty that you won’t know their gluten free, so don’t let the label trick you!
And, if you’re looking for more gingerbread goodness this holiday, try my moist gluten free gingerbread loaf, mini vanilla gingerbread cream cake, or the pumpkin apple pie bars with gingersnap cookie base.
Everything To Love About This Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
- They are very easy to make.
- Delicious flavors of molasses, ginger, and fragrant spices.
- Crispy cookies with the trademark snap!
- The small batch leaves room on your cookie tray for a variety of cookie recipes!
- A tasty side for your coffee, tea, or gingerbread latte!
Key Ingredients To Make Gluten Free Gingersnaps
- Oat Flour – Oat flour provides the structure and texture in the crispy cookies.
- Tapioca Flour – Tapioca flour blends with oat flour to give the cookies proper chew.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter since we add our own.
- Molasses – Unsulphured light or dark molasses is best. Do not use blackstrap molasses as the rich, bitter flavor won’t work in the gingersnaps.
- Brown Sugar – Light or brown sugar will work. We only use brown sugar to complement the rich flavor of the cookies.
- Egg Yolk – The egg yolk will add a richness to the cookies.
- Cozy Spices – Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are key spices in any gingersnap cookie.
Helpful Baking Tools
- Stand Mixer with 3-Quart Bowl – Your hand held mixer will work. But, because this is firm cookie dough, let your stand mixer do the work! The smaller 3-quart mixing bowl will work with your standard tilt-head mixer.
- Cookie Scoop – The cookie scoop I use for almost all my cookie recipes is a medium #40 scoop. I find the cookies to be the perfect size – not too big, not too small.
Molasses joins with ginger and fragrant spices to deliver the trademark flavor in gingersnap cookies. Look for unsulphured light or dark molasses to achieve a balance in flavor.
HOw To Make Gluten Free Gingersnaps
- Whisk together your dry ingredients – including the spices.
- Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Then add the egg yolk, molasses, and vanilla.
- Mix the wet ingredients until they are smooth and creamy – at least 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and mix until no dry streaks remain.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the cookies. Roll into balls, then through sugar.
- Preheat the oven and line your baking sheet with parchment.
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack – the cookies will continue to crisp as they cool!
FAQ
I have not tested it, but I think it would work.
Both have similar flavors, but gingersnaps are crispier with stronger spice flavors, while molasses cookies tend to be softer with a stronger molasses flavor.
The recipe yields a crispy cookie. However, you can, but I would only go about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Too long, and the cookies will just be hard.
It is not, but the sugar coating adds flavor and interesting texture to the outside of the cookies.
Yes! These cookies freeze great. Place them in a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Yes! Prepare the recipe as written, including chilling and scooping into dough balls. Place the dough balls in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Frozen cookies can go straight into the oven – increase the bake time by a couple minutes.
Gluten Free Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free oat flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons molasses, unsulphured
- 2 tablepsoons organic cane sugar (or granulated sugar; for rolling)
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices.1 cup gluten free oat flour, ¼ cup tapioca flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- In a medium bowl, add the butter and brown sugar. Using a hand held mixer (or stand mixer fitted with 3-quart mixing bowl and paddle attachment), mix on medium-high speed until light and creamy. Add the egg yolk and mix to combine. Then add the molasses and continue to mix until smooth and creamy – at least 2 minutes.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark, 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 3 tablespoons molasses, unsulphured
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet and mix until no dry streaks remain and a dough forms.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Add the granulated sugar to a small bowl.2 tablepsoons organic cane sugar
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop 14 cookies. Roll each scoop into a ball with your hands, then roll through the granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are set. The cookies will continue to crisp as they cool. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool completely.
- Store the cookies covered at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe. I have not tested a larger batch, but it should work.
- Yield – The recipe as written using a medium #40 cookie scoop will yield 14 cookies.
- Stand Mixer – This is a great recipe to use a 3-quart mixing bowl and your standard stand mixer.
- Baking Sheet – If using small baking sheets, bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time. Opening the oven to rotate pans may cause and uneven bake and release heat from the oven.
- Storing Leftover Cookies – Baked cookies can be stored covered at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. The cookies may start to soften the more days they sit.
- Freezing Baked Cookies – The cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Place in a freezer bag, thaw at room temperature.
- Freezing Cookie Dough – Prepare the recipe as written, including chilling and scooping into dough balls. Place the dough balls in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Frozen cookies can go straight into the oven – increase the bake time by a couple minutes.
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch gluten free and traditional desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you!
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