Gluten Free Gingersnaps
Soft and sparkly Gluten Free Ginger Snaps are filled with molasses and spice and everything nice, but it’s that crackled sugar topping that makes them extra special. These classic 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!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: German
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
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.
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.
Why You’ll Love Crackle-Top Gluten Free Ginger Snaps
- Effortless elegance. I loved the crackled sugar topping because it makes 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.
- Wonderfully spiced. Yes, the ginger does shine, but enhancing that warmth with cinnamon and cloves just makes these cookies scream “holidays”.
- Perfect for gifting. While you may want to just curl up on the couch with some ginger snap cookies and a cup of tea, these are great cookies for giving away. Not only do they look pretty, but they hold up when packaging (no frosting to get smushed), and the flavors deepen over time.
Recipe Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this gluten free ginger snap recipe, plus some tips and info that might be helpful to you. Tap the arrow or scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
- 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 for cookies, but Pillsbury works well here, and many people recommend the Cup 4 Cup brand.
- Baking soda.
- Spices. These cookies use ginger, of course, plus cinnamon and cloves for extra warmth and depth of flavor, as well as salt to enhance all the spices and sweetness.
- Vegetable shortening. I don’t use shortening in many cookies and prefer baking with butter. But for these gingersnap cookies, it gives them the perfect crisp but chewy texture and allows the spices to be the star. It also makes them dairy free.
- Brown sugar. I usually use light brown sugar, but dark will work. The cookies will just be darker in color and have a deeper molasses flavor.
- Dark molasses. For that rich flavor and chewy texture.
- Egg.
- Cold water. For rolling the cookies in to make the crackly top.
- Granulated sugar. This gives them their sparkly crackle.
How to Make Gluten Free Ginger Snaps
Start by lining your baking sheets with parchment paper and preheating the oven to 350°F. And let’s get baking!
- Sift the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the sugar. Then, in a mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until it is light and fluffy.
- Finish the cookie dough: Blend in the egg and molasses. Now, gradually add the flour, mixing until it just comes together as a dough. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.
- Shape 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 the cookies: Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, or just until set. They will puff up, then flatten a bit.
- Cool and enjoy: Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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.
- Line the pan. Gluten free cookies can be a bit tender, and with that sugar coating, they can stick easily. Parchment on your baking pans prevents this so your cookies don’t crumble.
- Want to make your ginger snaps more crispy? 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 ginger snaps? Just barely tap down the dough and take them out of the oven while still a bit soft, closer to 10 minutes.
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 them out of the fridge shortly before baking.
Proper Storage
- Countertop. 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 from your other cookies as the strong ginger aromas can end up imparting the flavor or aromas on the other cookies.
- Freezer. 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. Freeze for up to two months for the best flavor and texture.
Gluten Free Ginger Snaps
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups 1:1 gluten free baking flour (recomended: Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dark molasses
- 1 large 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 2 1/4 cups 1:1 gluten free baking flour , 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed, cream together 3/4 cup vegetable shortening and 1 cup brown sugar.
- Add 1/4 cup dark molasses and 1 large 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.
- Fill a small bowl with cold water and another with about 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Using about 1 tablespoon of dough, roll into balls. Dip the top of each ball quickly in cold water, then in granulated sugar. Place it 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.
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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.