Gluten-Free Soft Molasses Cookies

Easy gluten-free molasses cookies. Soft and spicy. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Or anytime!)

Years ago, the night after Thanksgiving, I was in the mood for a gingerbread cookie. At the time I was in Lake Placid, New York, so I walked down to the local bakery. It was a magical night. When I walked in and asked if they sold gingerbread cookies, the woman behind the counter said, “We don’t have gingerbread cookies, but we have molasses cookies.”

When I declined, she said, “They’re the same thing.” 

Friend, I must tell you that they’re not the same thing.

While they share some ingredients, they’re not the same cookie. Molasses cookies should be resplendent with molasses flavor. They should be crispy on the edge and chewy in the center. Gingerbread cookies, on the other hand, are spicy with ginger and pleasantly firm, not soft. 

And, the biggest difference is that molasses cookies are drop cookies, like gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, while gingerbread cookies(LINK) are (usually) cut-outs.

Today we’re making molasses cookies and, as you can tell, I have strong feelings about them. 

How to Make Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies: The Basics 

Here’s the lowdown on making gluten-free molasses cookies.

1. Use a gluten-free flour blend. This recipe was developed using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking flour. It’s the blend I recommend for this recipe. If you don’t have it on hand, select a gluten-free flour blend that contains either xanthan or guar gum. Molasses cookies made without xanthan or guar gum can spread unpleasantly.
2. Use baking molasses. The type of molasses you use is important. Use unsulfured baking molasses. Blackstrap and “robust” (dark) molasses are too strong for these cookies and will ruin the flavor.
3. Scrape the bowl. For even cookies, stop the mixer and scrape the bowl at three important points: after creaming the butter and sugar together, after adding the egg and molasses, and after mixing in the flour. Scraping the bowl ensues the cookies bake evenly. 
4.  Chill the dough. This reduces grittiness and thickens the dough. 
5.  Space the dough. Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet about two inches apart. This prevents the cookies from sticking together as they bake. 

 

How to Make Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies: Explained

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients.

   These cookies start with gluten-free all-purpose baking flour. I tested the recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. You can use another gluten-free flour, but the results may vary. It’s important to whisk together the dry ingredients for about a minute or so with a whisk. This evenly distributes the spices and, most importantly, the baking soda throughout the flour. Don’t rush this step. It might seem like a minor thing, but it actually has the ability to affect the quality of the cookies. If the baking soda isn’t evenly distributed, the cookies won’t rise evenly.

2. Make the dough.

   Cream together softened butter and brown sugar.

   Combine softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Beat until it’s light and smooth. Then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. I know this seems putzy, but there’s a good reason for it. You’ll find a sugar-butter paste clinging to the sides and bottom of the bowl. If this paste mixes into the cookie dough, it can cause several of the cookies to spread. (If you’re using a KitchenAid mixer, run your rubber spatula around the knob at the bottom of the bowl. Butter and sugar love to stick to this part of the mixing bowl.)

   Add the egg and molasses.

   The egg keeps these cookies soft and tender. But the star of the show is the molasses. We’re using both dark brown sugar and molasses because these are molasses cookies. The combination gives the cookies the right sweetness, flavor, and texture. If we used only molasses, the cookies wouldn’t be sweet enough and they’d spread all over the pan. And if we only used brown sugar, the molasses flavor wouldn’t be strong enough.

   Ingredient note: Be sure to use unsulfured molasses and not “robust” (dark) molasses. Robust molasses is too bitter for this recipe. And definitely avoid blackstrap molasses; it’ll ruin the cookies. Blackstrap molasses is too bitter and too high in sodium to be used in this recipe. Just as we did when creaming the butter and sugar together, stop the mixer once or twice to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to prevent wonky-shaped cookies.

   Add the whisked dry ingredients.

   There’s no need to add the flour in stages. Just stop the mixer, add the flour, and turn the mixer to low. The low speed prevents the flour from “poofing” all over and making a mess. Once the flour is incorporated, turn the mixer to medium-high and mix until a dough forms. And don’t worry about overmixing — since our dough has no gluten, it won’t get tough. 

   After the dough forms, stop the mixer one last time and run your spatula around the edges and bottom of the bowl. You’ll often find streaks of dry flour. Stir this flour into the dough with your spatula. (It’s the last time you have to scrape the bowl, I promise.)

3. Chill the dough.

   I know it’s a drag, but you need to chill the dough for at least two hours before baking. This does two things: it chills the butter, which can warm up during mixing (warm dough = cookies that spread), and it allows the flour to hydrate. Sometimes gluten-free flour can be gritty. Resting the dough allows the flours and starches to absorb the liquid in the recipe. Basically, that plumps the flours and starches, reducing the gritty texture and thickening the dough. 

4. Scoop and bake.

   Scoop the dough and roll in sugar.

   Molasses cookies are traditionally rolled in sugar prior to baking. This adds not only sweetness, but also a nice texture to the cookies. I like to use coarse sugar because it adds a nice crunch and a pretty sparkle. If you don’t want to buy coarse sugar just for this recipe, no problem. Regular granulated sugar works just fine; it’ll add a bit of sweetness, but no crunch. 

   Ingredient note: For the holiday season if you’d like to use colored sugar, go for it. Just always be sure to read all labels to ensure that the colored sugar is gluten-free.

   Bake.

   Finally: baking! Preheat the oven and place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about an inch or so apart. The cookies spread a little during baking, so you don’t want to put them right on top of each other on the pan. Bake until the cookies are set. Since they’re dark, it can be hard to tell when molasses cookies are done. Look for the cookies to look set, not shiny. 

5. Cool.

   Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about five minutes. This allows them to set up. If you move cookies immediately after they come out of the oven, they can break. After five minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Gluten-Free Molasses Cookie FAQs

Can I use almond flour?

No. Almond flour doesn’t work in this recipe.

Can I use coconut flour?

No. Coconut flour radically changes these cookies and doesn’t work. 

How do I freeze gluten-free molasses cookies?

To freeze these cookies, do the following:

1. Allow the cookies to cool.
2. Place in a freezer container. 
3. Separate layers with parchment paper or waxed paper. 
4. Freeze for up to three months. 
5. Thaw at room temperature.