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Gluten Free Gingersnaps are filled with molasses and spice and everything nice, but it’s that crackled sugar topping that makes them extra special. These cookies are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!
Looking for more classic gluten free cookies? Try Gluten Free Snowball Cookies, Gluten Free Snickerdoodles, and Gluten Free Almond Crescent Cookies!
Crackle-Top Gluten Free Gingersnaps
My husband loves any kind of spiced cookie. Years back I was paging through an old church cookbook and found a recipe for gingersnaps. I made them for Christmas one year, and they became his favorite and part of my annual repertoire.
I loved the crackled sugar topping because they made this classic cookie recipe a little extra special without a lot of fuss. No need to break out piping bags or do chocolate drizzles or even have the mess of cleaning up sprinkles.
When I went gluten free, I had to make sure I could still make them for him. By starting with a 1:1 gluten free baking flour blend and grabbing just a handful of other classic ingredients, this gluten free gingersnap recipe comes together in no time! They are just crispy enough to give you that bit of “snap”, but chewy in the middle. And by rolling them in water and sugar before baking, they get a crackly and crunchy sugary top.
- 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour – there are many of these types of blends available now. I most often use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Blend, but Pillsbury works well and many people recommend the Cup 4 Cup brand.
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Vegetable shortening – I don’t use shortening in many cookies and prefer baing with butter. But for these gingersnap cookies it gives them the perfect crisp but chewy texture and allows the spices to be the star.
- Brown sugar
- Dark molasses
- Egg
- Cold water – for rolling the cookies in to make the crackly top.
- Granulated sugar – this give them their crackle.
How to Make Gluten Free Ginger Snaps
Preparations: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F
Sift the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
Cream the wet ingredients. Then in a mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until it is light and fluffy. Blend in the egg and molasses.
Finish the cookie dough: Now gradually add the flour, mixing until it just comes together as a dough. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.
Shap and roll the cookies: Form the dough into 1-inch balls and dip the tops quickly in cold water and roll in granulated sugar. Place sugar side up on a baking sheet. Tap the balls down slightly just so they don’t roll over.
Bake and cool: Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Tips for Success
Make sure your ingredients are gluten free. It is important to learn how to read labels on a gluten free diet. Baking soda and individual spices are typically gluten free. However, I always recommend checking that the brand of spices you use does not process on shared equipment that may be a cross-contamination risk for wheat. Typically your well-known brands (Bob’s Red Mill and Arm & Hammer for the baking soda or McCormick and Badia for the spices) provide gluten free products.
Want to make your gingersnaps more crispy? Make Spread them apart a little more and press the dough down a bit so they spread more while baking. Bake closer to 12 minutes.
Prefer chewy gluten free gingersnaps? Just barely tap down the dough and take them out of the oven while still a bit soft, closer to 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make the dough ahead?
Yes, you can make the cookie dough several hours or even a day in advance. Just cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake. You may need to let it warm up slightly to be able to scoop the dough balls.
It can even be frozen for up to two months either before or after you roll the balls. Just thaw in the refrigerator and take out of the fridge shortly before baking.
How do you store gingersnap cookies?
Gluten free gingersnaps can be kept at room temperature for up to a week if sealed well in an airtight container. I recommend placing them in a plastic Ziploc bag and squeezing out all of the air before sealing. Then place the bag inside a cookie tin or plastic container to keep out more air and prevent the cookies from breaking.
I do suggest keeping them separate form your other cookies as the strong ginger aromas can end up imparting the flavor or aromas on the other cookies.
Can they be frozen?
Yes, if well sealed you can freeze them for up to two months.
I like to put them in a plastic freezer storage bag and press out all of the air before sealing. Then place the bag in a cookie tin or plastic storage container. This helps keep them from getting crushed and crumbly while you have them in the freezer.
More favorite Christmas treats with holiday flavors
- Peppermint Meringues
- Gluten Free Eggnog Crumb Cake
- Cranberry Bliss White Chocolate Bark
- Chai White Chocolate Muddy Buddies
- Gluten Free Gingerbread Men
Crackly Gluten Free Gingersnaps
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups 1:1 gluten free baking flour (recomended: Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 c dark molasses
- 1 egg
- cold water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (approximately)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium high speed, cream together the shortening and brown sugar.
- Add the molasses and egg, and beat thoroughly.
- Reduce mixer speed to low, and gradually add the flour mixture until a dough forms.
- Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Using about 1 tablespoon of dough, roll into balls. Dip the top of each ball quickly in cold water, then in granulated sugar. Place sugar side up on a cookie sheet and tap slightly so that it doesn’t roll over.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until set, then cool on the sheet for a few minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.
Did you make this?
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These are awesome! I’ve made them twice now. They taste great!
These came out great even though I only had 2 cups of flour, will do 2 1/2 next time but these were great.
Soft dough due to not going to the store for more King Arther flour so did not use water for the sugar to stick. I had a deadline for getting some cookies made so gave it a try. Thank you!
Fantastic! Dough was a dream to work with. Kept dough cold, baked for 10 minutes and even the following day they were soft and chewy! Everybody loved them.