Golden brown and crinkly, these spiced gluten free gingersnap cookies make any cookie platter look extra sweet and yummy. They’re the perfect holiday cookie, so dunk them into your coffee before Santa takes them all!
Why You’ll Love These Gluten Free Gingersnap Cookies
The smiles from your loved ones as they bite into these gingersnap cookies will beat Santa’s presents any day.
- Healthy. With the holiday season chock-full of sugar, these easy gingersnaps won’t make you feel so guilty after a bite.
- Gluten-free. Made with gluten free ingredients, you can share these cookies with anyone and everyone.
- Easy. This recipe is just like making regular cookie dough. Don’t worry if you’re not a kitchen whiz.
- Great gifts. Place them in cute bags or boxes and give them away to friends and family. Everyone loves homemade cookies.
What Are Gingersnaps?
Gingersnaps are traditional holiday cookies packed with ginger and other warm flavors like cinnamon, molasses, and cloves. They taste like a cross between snickerdoodles and gingerbread. Despite their name, they don’t actually “snap.” While they do have a crispy exterior from the cinnamon-sugar coating, the inside is soft and chewy. This is my gluten-free, slightly crunchier version of the recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
It’s all about warm spices: ginger, cloves, and cinnamon for these gluten free gingersnap cookies. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.
For the Dough
- Coconut shortening – You can use unsalted butter but your cookies will not be as crisp.
- Sugar – White or light brown sugar are great.
- Salt
- Baking soda – Don’t use baking powder. They’re not the same thing.
- Egg
- Molasses
- Gluten Free all purpose flour – Regular all-purpose is okay as well.
- Ground ginger – Don’t use fresh ginger.
- Ground cloves
For the Coating
- Sugar – I love white, light, or dark brown sugar for this.
- Ground cinnamon – Don’t skip it.
How To Make Gluten Free Gingersnap Cookies
Prepare the dough and roll it in cinnamon sugar before baking. That’s it! It doesn’t get any better than a 20-minute holiday cookie. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the most for more detailed instructions.
To Prepare the Dough
- Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.
- Mix the flour and spices. Whisk the flour, ginger, and cloves in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
- Beat the shortening. Use a hand mixer to beat the shortening, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the molasses. Reduce the speed to low. Add in one egg at a time and then add the molasses. Continue beating.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients. Slowly add the spiced flour mixture as the mixer is beating. Do this until the dough comes together.
To Make the Cookies
- Make the coating. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Roll the dough. Use your hands or a small ice cream scoop to form 1″ sized balls with the dough.
- Coat them. Drop the balls into the cinnamon-sugar coating. Roll them in the mixture until they’re completely coated.
- Arrange them. Place the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2″ of space between them.
- Bake. Pop the trays into the oven for 11 minutes or until golden around the edges.
- Serve. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before serving.
Tips for Success
You’re going to want to remember these! You can apply them to most gluten-free cookie recipes.
- Don’t pack the tray. Leave enough room between the balls of cookie dough on the tray because they’ll spread in the oven.
- Chill the dough. Letting the dough chill in the fridge for 1-4 hours will allow the flavors to develop more. Try it!
- Let them cool. Once out of the oven, let the cookies rest in the tray for 15 minutes before removing them to avoid crumbling.
- Swap the molasses. When you’re tired of traditional gingersnaps, swap the molasses for maple syrup.
- Make them regular. If you’re not on a diet of any kind, you can make the regular version of these cookies which uses all purpose flour and butter or vegetable shortening.
- Check the date. Baking soda does expire. Always check the expiration date on the box to make sure your cookies turn out perfect.
Serving Suggestions
These gluten free gingersnap cookies are best the day after they’re made. Dip them into your morning coffee or a cup of milk. If you really want to get into the holiday spirit, try them with hot chocolate!
Proper Storage
Once fully cooled, place any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Keep them away from direct heat, sunlight, and humidity. If possible, store them in a cool, dry place.
Can I Freeze Gluten Free Gingersnaps?
Yes! Here’s how depending if they’re baked or unbaked:
- Baked. Place the cookies on a baking sheet. Pop them into the freezer for up 2 hours or until hardened. Wrap each cookie in plastic wrap. Place them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Remove the cookies from the freezer and let them thaw for up to an hour before eating them.
- Unbaked. Place the balls of raw cookie dough on a lined baking sheet. Freeze them for up to 3 hours. Transfer them to a freezer-friendly bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, pop them straight into the oven.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes
Gluten Free Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie:
- 3/4 cup coconut shortening {you can use unsalted butter softened but your cookies will not be as crisp}
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 2 1/3 cups Gluten Free all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Coating:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl using a fork stir together flour, ginger, and cloves. Set aside
- Using an electric mixer beat together the shortening, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- With electric mixer running on low add in the egg,and then the molasses.
- Add the flour mix slowly while mixer is running and blend until dough comes together.
Coating:
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon.
- Form dough into 1″ balls, you can use a small ice cream scoop to measure. Using your hands roll dough in your palms to smooth out balls and drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar to coat, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 1/2″ between them; they’ll spread as they bake.
- Bake the cookies for 11 minutes, for cookies that are crisp around the edges.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, and cool right on the pan, or on a rack.
- Cool completely and store in a sealed container for up to one week.
What do you mean by coconut “shortening”? Never heard of such a thing. Do you mean coconut oil that’s solid? Or do you mean coconut butter?
Audrey, Nutiva Organic Shortening, Original. Is a combination of red palm oil and coconut oils.
Hi Amy! Great recipe. They are in the oven as I type this.
Would you suggest flattening them before putting them in the oven?
Pet peeve when people comment on recipes they haven’t tried. I don’t want to hear how delicious they look. I want to know what’s worked and didn’t work as well as any substitutions. End rant.
Hoping they will be crispy enough to go into a pumpkin trifle – gluten and dairy free of course.
Merry Christmas
Hi Heather, I just made these for Christmas. They are delicious but crispy on the outside & chewy on the inside. I did use butter & also coconut sugar instead of white sugar. I found it a bit sticky when time to roll into balls. I’m not allowed molasses so I used coconut syrup so maybe that is why they were sticky. Did you find them sticky to roll? I will make these again because I think my family will love them. I too like suggestions from others as to what works!
Pam
Turned out great except next time I will add more ginger. I used 1/3 c. coconut oil and 3/4 c. butter and they came out nice and chewy. Just right!
What can I use instead of coconut shortening-I have coconut oil which has the consistency of a Crisco shortening. I hesitate to use unsalted butter because I like a crispy cookie!!
Coconut oil will not have the same effect. I would use unsalted butter for a crispy cookie.