My focus this holiday season has been on creating family traditions. With the recent arrival of my second baby, I’ve fallen in love with the idea of creating family recipes that will hopefully last us generations – like the gluten-free cinnamon rolls I plan on making every Christmas morning and the gluten-free Christmas cookies we’ll bake for family and friends.
These gluten-free molasses cookies are classic and totally timeless – yet easy to make in just one-bowl, NO chilling required! It’s these minor tweaks I made over rounds of recipe testing that I hope one day even my great grandkids will appreciate. I also baked these cookies with my toddler last week, and it passed the kid-friendly test with flying colors! He loved rolling the cookies in sugar, and I loved that I only had one bowl to clean. 🙂 Win, win!
What Makes These the BEST Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies
These gluten-free molasses cookies check every box:
- Soft, chewy, and perfectly spiced like classic bakery-style molasses cookies
- Made in one bowl with easy pantry-staple ingredients
- No chilling required—meaning cookies in under 20 minutes
- Naturally gluten-free, and easily dairy-free/vegan with simple swaps
- Perfect crackly tops thanks to rolling the dough in sugar
- A reliable dough that doesn’t spread too much and bakes evenly every time
If you’ve been looking for a gluten-free molasses cookie that tastes exactly like the real thing, this is the recipe you’ll keep forever!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Molasses: I recommend using unsulphured molasses and avoiding blackstrap molasses – it’s more bitter and a little too thick for this cookie recipe.
- Gluten-Free Flour: A high-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum works best. I love and recommend either the King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour or Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. If your blend does not contain xanthan gum, add ½ teaspoon.
- Butter: To make these cookies dairy-free, swap the butter for vegan butter sticks or softened coconut oil.
- Spices: The spice blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves gives these cookies their classic “gingersnap meets molasses cookie” flavor. Adjust ginger for more or less spice!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store these gluten-free molasses cookies?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. They also freeze beautifully – store baked cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months, thawing on the counter before enjoying.
Can I make them dairy-free?
Yes! Replace the butter with vegan butter or softened coconut oil. The texture remains soft and chewy.
How do I also make these cookies vegan?
Yes – simply use vegan butter and replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 2.5 tbsp water). Bake time remains the same!
Sam’s Baking Tips
- Don’t skimp on the spices! Molasses cookies need a strong spice profile.
- Avoid over-mixing once the flour is added to keep the cookies chewy and tender.
- Roll in sugar for that perfect crackly top and bakery-style finish!
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies that bake uniformly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These gluten-free molasses cookies are soft, chewy, perfectly spiced, made in one bowl, and require no chilling—a holiday win! They taste just like the classic version, and no one will ever guess they’re gluten-free or dairy-free.
One-Bowl Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies (no chilling required!)
Equipment
- 2 large cookie sheets
- 1 large bowl
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter softened (or non-dairy butter)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar for a healthier option
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Optional:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for coating the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl with either a hand or stand mixer, until light and fluffy. Add in molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat again until combined.
- Add in the gluten-free flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix again just until a dough forms – careful not to over-mix the cookie dough!
- Scoop 2 tablespoon-sized balls of dough, roll the dough between the palm of your hands to form a smooth ball, then roll the ball in sugar before placing it on your prepared baking sheet.
- Lightly press down each cookie just a little to flatten it, then bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookie from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
