Almost 8 years ago now I remember a day when my friend Katie and I spent the day at Goddess and the Baker, a bakery and coffee shop here in Chicago. Out of the corner of my eye, I also spotted a paleo chocolate chip cookie. While it looked absolutely delicious, I couldn’t help but imagine my gluten free ginger molasses cookies sitting in the bakery waiting to be dunked in a piping hot cup of coffee and gobbled down with a big smile.
These cookies would knock it out of the park in sales at a bakery. I’m quite confident about it.
How do I know, you ask? Well it’s simple: They happen to be one of my favorite healthy cookies on this site! Could even be in my Top 3 cookies EVER.
Yes, I love them that much. They’re the treat you could eat every single day for the rest of your life; a cookie that you can’t get over once you’ve had them. Cookies you’ll begin to crave.
FREE Ultimate Guide to Cookie Baking
Sign up below and get a FREE printable e-book with my best tips & tricks for baking perfect cookies every time!
Ingredients in the best gluten free ginger molasses cookies
Yes, these healthy ginger molasses cookies are made a bit more nutritious by using grain free flours, but they seriously taste just as decadent as they look. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Coconut oil: these cookies get their moisture from melted and cooled coconut oil, which keeps them dairy free.
- Sweetener: we’re using coconut sugar and a little bit of molasses for that rich molasses flavor, of course. Did you know that 1 tablespoon of molasses has 20% of your daily iron needs? Hell yes.
- Egg: you’ll need 1 egg to help the cookies bake up properly.
- Flour: we’re keeping the cookies grain free and gluten free by using almond flour and coconut flour!
- Spices: gotta have the perfect mix of ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt for that lovely ginger cookie flavor.
- Baking staples: don’t forget the vanilla extract and baking soda.
Fun ways to jazz up these healthy ginger molasses cookies
The cookies are absolutely delicious on their own, but here are some fun ways to jazz them up!
- Roll them in sugar. As you can see, I rolled the dough in a little organic cane sugar to give them a pretty, festive look.
- Add chocolate. Okay, trust me when I say chocolate + ginger = a match made in heaven. Feel free to fold in some chocolate chips or chocolate chunks before baking!
- Glaze them up. You could also add a fun glaze if you’d like! Try the orange glaze from this recipe, or the lemon glaze from this recipe.
Can I use a different flour?
I’ve only tested these healthy ginger molasses cookies using almond flour and coconut flour, so I cannot recommend using a different flour in this recipe. Feel free to try my Soft Brown Butter Ginger Cookies with Lovely Lemon Icing if you want to use all purpose flour!
Can I make them vegan?
I think that this recipe will work by swapping the egg for 1 flax egg — let me know if you try it in the comments! Learn how to make a flax egg here.
Tips for perfect paleo ginger molasses cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients. Use a room temp egg and cooled coconut oil so that your wet ingredients don’t coagulate. You can simply place your egg in warm water for 3-5 minutes and wait for your coconut oil to become room temp after melting it.
- Let your dough rest. After you’ve mixed your wet & dry ingredients together let your dough sit for about 5 minutes to let it thicken up.
- Flatten the cookie dough balls so that they’re about 1/4 inch thick after placing them on your cookie sheet. Because these are grain & gluten free cookies, they won’t spread as much as regular ones.
- Bake until barely golden brown. They’re delicious slightly underbaked and we don’t want dry cookies!
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: place these gluten free ginger molasses cookies in an airtight glass container or reusable silicone bag and keep them at room temp for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: you can actually freeze the cookie dough or the fully baked cookies! Head to this post for all of my tips and tricks for both methods.
See how to make the paleo ginger molasses cookies
More paleo dessert recipes you’ll love
- Soft Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
- The Best Paleo Chocolate Cake with Paleo Chocolate Frosting
- The Cutest Paleo Gingerbread Cookies
- Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars with Almond Flour Sugar Cookie Crust
- Paleo No Bake Cookie Dough Truffles
If you make these paleo ginger molasses cookies, be sure to leave a comment below, or upload a photo and tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram.
Paleo Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Organic sugar for rolling, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix together melted and cooled coconut oil, coconut sugar, molasses, egg and vanilla extract. (Please make sure your coconut oil is cool!)
- Next add in almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, spices and salt; mix well to combine and form a dough. Let the dough rest for just a few minutes.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop dough, then use your hands to roll dough into a ball.
- Roll dough in organic cane sugar then place on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently flatten the dough with your hand or the back of a glass. Bake for 8-11 minutes.
- Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finishing cooling. Makes 10 cookies. Feel free to double the recipe if you want to make more!
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz | Photography by: Sarah Fennel
Could I use this for a pie crust for a Hokkaido and tofu pumpkin pie and if so how would you adapt it?would appreciate hearing back from you soon as I plan to make it soon. Thanks
I haven’t tested it, so I’m not sure! I’m afraid the dough would be too soft for a crust.
I triple the spices,. not the salt, and add ginger & cinnamon to the rolling sugar. Also added chopped crystallized ginger and a walnut half on top of every cookie. I added your lemon glaze/ frosting from another recipe for people who like more sweetness. Now they’re closer to 4g protein and a few higher kcals, roughly180.
Fabulous flavor. Great texture with surprisingly chewy little bits if ginger and i can feel good about the ingredients! Thanks for all the protein recipes!
Perfect! Those additions sound delicious 🙂
Yum! Pillowy, tender, delicious little cookies with crispiness from the sugar crystals and a festive look for the holiday season. I used unsalted butter instead of coconut oil, had just shy of a cup of almond flour so used white spelt flour to make up the difference there, added extra ginger powder for more spiciness, and substituted a cinnamon/clove/nutmeg blend for allspice powder since I did not have that on hand. All of my substitutions worked splendidly. I will make these again and again. Thank you, Monique!
Perfect! Great idea to use butter in these, too 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
I use all almond flour, double the spices, press in 3-4 pieces of chopped up diced crystallized ginger and press a walnut half on top to make the most amazing variation. So good I bring them to parties, give as gifts.
Also have rolled them in almond meal, coconut sugar & ground ginger with a decadent result.
Fabulous!
I’m glad those swaps worked out well! Such a great treat!
Dunno if I reviewed this before, but I make this sll the time…the combination of spices, molasses with coconut notes, the “crusty” sugar coating, and chocolate chips makes it such a “not boring” kinda sweet treat, I love it so much!. The fact that it doesn’t involve starchy flours makes it feel even better to me, nvm gluten free (starchy flours kinda aggravate my stomach most of the times).
Thanks for sharing the recipe!. I never day dream about plain chocolate chip cookies, just make this instead.
So good!! I’m glad you love these!
These are INCREDIBLE. Was looking for a GF healthier cookie I can enjoy that’s foolproof since I’m not great with baking and these I can say are sooo good and guilt free! Also totally pregnancy approved!
One of my favs! So happy you loved it!
Loved the simple, healthy ingredients list in these cookies. I used cane sugar since I did not have coconut sugar. Also had no allspice which I’m sure would have made the flavour more complex ( we are roughing it on the road in our 5th wheel trailer ).
We will definitely make these again, they were delicious!
So glad you were still able to bake them on the road! Such a great treat 🙂
I’m new to paleo sweets. Made the dough last night. Baked one cookie this afternoon, to test it. They’re delicious! (I substituted the oil for brown butter & added more ginger.) Baking the rest for Christmas day. I’ve always been comfortable in the kitchen, but very apprehensive about working with almond & coconut flours. The outcome of this recipe has definitely helped with my lack of confidence with gluten free baking. Than you!
So glad you gave these a try! Perfect intro into gluten free flours 🙂
I’ve made these cookies before and they’re great! A nice alternative to the usual flour based cookie and tastes exactly like a usual ginger molasses cookie!!
I’m wondering (I’ve never made them this way before) if the dough can be made ahead several days and frozen before baking?
Absolutely! Head to this post to learn exactly how to freeze the dough 🙂
I’ve made these cookies several times. I love them and my non paleo family love them too!
Yay!! Happy to hear that!
Just finished letting these cool & tried one. They are phenomenal! This recipe is definitely getting bookmarked. I’ve eaten so many Paleo cookies that the base of them starts to make them all taste the same and I can get a wee bit sick of them. These are so much more like regular, indulgent cookies. I doubt my Christmas guests will even be able to tell. The amount of sweetness is absolutely perfect to not overtake the complex and bold flavors of the molasses and ginger. I added chopped crystalline ginger chunks to mine, but that was the only modification (although I think I could have doubled the amount for more surprise chewy bites). Here at high altitude, I let them go to the full 11 minutes in the oven, and followed the remainder of the cooling directions to a tee. They were perfection. Thank you for a recipe that’s a new staple in my baking!
If we were to add dark chocolate chunks, how much do you suggest? 1/4 cup? Thanks!
Hi! 1/4 – 1/2 should work well 🙂
Perfection. Recipe doesn’t make many cookies so definitely double if you want lots of cookies. So clean and flavorful and perfectly textured.
So glad to hear you are loving this recipe 🙂
These are so amazing!! Made twice this week because I wanted them again after we ran out. Rolled the dough in coconut sugar before baking, and it worked great. Perfect warm out of the oven and warmed in the microwave!
Yum! Sounds delicious. so glad you are loving this recipe ❤️🙂
These would be great for Christmas cookie plates.
These look absolutely amazing! Can’t wait to start baking! Question: Could I use coconut sugar for rolling the dough?
Hi! Can’t wait for you to try them. I haven’t tested that and the texture might be a little different but it should probably work! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Oh my! These cookies are amazing! I made one batch today, and they are already gone. These are definitely going on my favorites list! So good! Not too sweet. Exactly what I wanted. Thank you for a great recipe!
Amazing!! I’m so happy you loved them, Renee 🙂
These are delish! I didn’t have coconut sugar (realized too late), so I used Swerve brown sugar. I also used Swerve granulated white sugar to roll the cookies in. I cooked them about 15 minutes, and I got a crispy-ish edge. The flavors are nice and spicy!
Such an easy recipe to make and all of the ingredients are items we regularly have in the pantry! Definitely going to double this next time!!
Finding cookie recipes that work for both those with allergies and those who do not have allergies has been tough BUT alas this recipe even made my butter, egg, white sugar loving, husband happy. These are delicious! My one swap out was using avocado oil instead of coconut oil. I used the coconut sugar in the dough and rolled in white sugar before baking. They are holding up well in an air tight container. Yum!
YAY! So glad this one worked for everyone and that you enjoyed them 🙂
I love all your paleo cookie recipes, and I can’t wait to try this one!
Question: is the 1 cup almond flour packed? or scooped and leveled?
Hi! Great question. I always pack my almond flour! Hope you love these 🙂
SUPER SURPRISING texture and fabulous taste!! A new favorite as I diversify my baking to GF and Paleo options. I love ginger and molasses treats…these are the bomb for flavor and soft but light crunch of raw sugar coat! Thanks for a winner!
These are so delicious! Molasses cookies are my absolute favorite and I loved finding a grain-free option. I added an extra tablespoon of molasses because I love the flavor so much and they came out amazingly soft and chewy. Monique, your recipes have never let me down!
One of my fav cookies ever. And a huge fan favourite during the Xmas holidays!!
I absolutely love love love these cookies but every time I have made them they would burn in the bottom if I were to leave them in the oven for the full 8 minutes but when I take them out after 6 minutes or even 7 minutes they are not cooked all the way threw
I will suggest lowering the temperature to 325 which I will try next time I make them 😎
Glad you’re loving them, but sorry to hear about the burning! Ovens can be really different, so great idea to lower the temp so that they come out perfectly 🙂
These are great! I’ve made them a few times, adding some minor adjustments to the recipe. I double the ginger and sometimes add a mix of nutmeg and pumpkin spice instead of allspice. I also use a smaller cookie scoop so each batch makes ~16 cookies. I bake them for 10-12 minutes since I found they were a bit under-cooked with less time, even with the smaller size. They still come out super soft and chewy!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Actually the best cookie I have ever had. These are so soft and chewy.
Loved these so much, I made them twice! Very easy to make and I absolutely loved the texture!
Perfect soft, chewy cookies. 10/10
The best! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I doubled the recipe and unfortunately the dough was not firm enough to form into a ball and roll into sugar. I scooped batter into mounds onto the cookie sheet and sprinkled sugar on top of each cookie. After baking for 8 minutes the cookies turned out but are flat but very tasty! I guess I shouldn’t have doubled the recipe.
Sounds like they could have used more coconut flour! Or next time you can try throwing the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes 🙂
This recipe is GOLD! I made them last year for Christmas and NO ONE could tell they were GF…and there are some serious molasses cookie lovers in my family. They stayed soft for days and were perfectly spiced. Plus they are way easier to make than traditional molasses cookies – no mixer! Thank you so much Monique!
Amazing! So glad you love them 🙂