Tender gluten-free chewy molasses cookies that are perfect for the holiday cookie tin or with a cup of tea by the fire.
I'll admit to feeling behind this year -- and by that I mean behind on my baking! I just yesterday started thinking about making my annual cookie tin/s and realized I haven't planned it out yet. I do have some great options I could bake, including gluten-free recipes for sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, maple sugar shortbread, as well as the salted lavender shortbread from my cookbook. But thinking about it is not the same as doing and I'll have to find some time this weekend to begin. One thing I do know it that I will be adding a new cookie this year in the form of these delectably chewy gluten-free molasses cookies.
For this recipe I combined sorghum and almond flours and added just a little bit of tapioca flour for binding. I used Sarah Keiffer's "pan banging" method, which creates those lovely crinkly edges and keeps the cookies from puffing up (see the recipe below for how to accomplish this). Molasses, coconut sugar, maple sugar, and maple syrup gives the cookies a gorgeous flavor profile along with ground ginger and cinnamon. They are pretty sweet, but I'm OK with that because this is a holiday cookie (though I might work on these a bit more for next year to see if I can reduce the sugar a bit).
You can make these molasses cookies in a large size, as shown in the photos, or do them a bit smaller so they'll fit nicely nestled in your cookie tin or cookie plate. Make sure to let the dough rest at least a few hours so the flours will fully hydrate; the overall flavor will also deepen the longer you can keep the dough. These are holiday cookie perfection!
Ingredients You'll Need for Gluten-Free Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Sorghum flour: A wonderful, versatile whole grain gluten-free flour
- Almond flour: Use almond flour rather than almond meal
- Tapioca flour: Brings lightness and binding to the gluten-free flours
- Sea salt and baking soda
- Spices such as ground ginger and cinnamon
- Egg: large
- Molasses: unsulphured, not blackstrap molasses
- Maple syrup, pure vanilla extract
Best Tips for Success
- Use the "pan-banging" method for extra crinkles.
- Let batter rest in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- See “Notes” section following the recipe for substitution suggestions.
How To Store Gluten-Free Chewy Molasses Cookies
To store, place cookies an air-tight container and keep for up to 5 days.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Chewy Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups/230 g sorghum flour
- ½ cup/80 g almond flour
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup maple sugar or sugar
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup unsulphured molassses
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sorghum, almond, and tapioca flours and then whisk in the baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter for about 1 minute then add the sugars and cream for another 2 minutes, until lighter in color and fluffy. Beat in the egg, molasses, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until well combined and mix for about 30 seconds until no flour is visible.
- Place the dough in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight. I did both -- for the overnight dough, I placed it in an airtight container.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough into balls -- you may choose the size you prefer here. For the cookies in these photos I did about 2 Tb-worth of dough. But I also made smaller ones. If you wish, roll the dough balls in maple sugar. Then place on the prepared pans with at least 2 inches of space in between.
- Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. To employ the "pan-banging" method, lift up a corner of the cookie sheet and let drop on the rack. Repeat with another corner. Bake for 2-3 more minutes, then repeat the banging. Bake for 2 more minutes, repeat the banging, and remove from the oven. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 7 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies will keep in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Helen Spiridakis says
Your instructions are so thorough. Well researched and tasty. Love the result.