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    Salted Plains » Recipes » Cookies & Bars

    Gluten-Free Ginger Snaps

    Published: Dec 6, 2022 by Tessa · This post may contain affiliate links · 25 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This chewy Gluten-Free Ginger Snaps recipe is dairy-free, sweetened with coconut sugar, and made with simple ingredients. Perfect for holiday sharing.

    Fresh baked chewy ginger snap cookies on a piece of parchment paper.

    These chewy ginger snap cookies are the perfect gluten-free cookies for your holiday dessert tray. With a spicy ginger flavor, this sweet cookie hits all the flavor notes!

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients and substitutions
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Tips
    • FAQs
    • More gluten-free cookie recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • Gingersnaps are a holiday spice cookie everyone loves to see on the cookie tray.
    • Gluten-free and dairy-free, these are perfect for those with allergies.
    • This an easy recipe with simple ingredients and delicious flavor for happy holidays!

    And while you are in the mood for holiday cookies, you might want to check out these keto sugar cookies! Or if chocolate is what you seek, these gluten-free oreo balls are always a hit.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.

    Molasses - You may find it bitter on its own, but blackstrap molasses is the perfect natural syrup that will give gingersnaps a deep color.

    Coconut sugar - This also helps color the cookies, and adds a complex flavor instead of using white sugar.

    Almond flour - This is a great cookie base, making gluten-free cookies that work as well as their wheat counterparts.

    Coconut oil - When used with an egg, this is the glue that helps these cookies keep their shape. Vegan butter can be substituted.

    Cinnamon and ginger - These are the classic spice cookie profiles and will give these cookies the right bite.

    Step-by-step instructions

    Before you start: Preheat the oven and line two baking sheets with parchment.

    Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk to combine coconut sugar, egg, and molasses. Add in coconut oil and vanilla.

    Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine. It will be thick!

    Step 3: Scoop dough with a cookie scoop and roll cookie dough balls in sugar before placing them on the prepared baking sheets.

    Step 4: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set on the outside. Let rest for 5 minutes before cooling on a rack.

    Tips

    • Almond flour cookies are fragile when warm, so it is important to let the baked cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes to set before transferring them to a cooling rack.
    • This is a sticky dough, so having wet hands or spraying them with cooking spray will help you to shape them easily.
    • Want to make gluten-free ginger cookies vegan? Sub 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch (tapioca flour) mixed with 3 tablespoons of water as an egg replacer. 

    FAQs

    How do I store gluten-free ginger snaps?

    These chewy cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Why almond flour and not almond meal?

    Almond meal is made from raw, unpeeled almonds and is generally coarser. It is a great option for breading and other applications. Almond flour is made from peeled (blanched) almonds and is ground finer.

    More gluten-free cookie recipes

    • Peanut Butter Cookies
      Gluten-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
    • cookies on silver wire rack.
      Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • lemon crinkles on parchment paper
      Lemon Crinkle Cookies
    • gingerbread thumbprints on cooling rack
      Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten-Free)

    ​​Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!

    📖 Recipe

    Freshly baked ginger snap cookies

    Chewy Gluten-Free Gingersnaps

    This chewy Gluten-Free Gingersnaps recipe is dairy-free, sweetened with coconut sugar, and made with simple ingredients. Perfect for holiday sharing.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Calories: 106kcal
    Author: Tessa

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup (72 g ) coconut sugar
    • 1 large egg room temperature
    • 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
    • 4 tablespoons coconut oil melted and slightly cooled
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 2 ¼ cups (240 g ) almond flour (not almond meal)
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
    • ¼ cup organic cane sugar for rolling

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl, combine coconut sugar, egg, and molasses. Whisk to combine. Whisk in coconut oil, followed by vanilla.
    • In a large bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add wet ingredients and stir until evenly combined. If needed, use your hands to thoroughly combine ingredients into a cohesive cookie dough.
    • Place organic cane sugar on a plate. The dough will be sticky, so dampen your hand with water (I keep a small bowl of water nearby), use a tablespoon to scoop out dough, then roll in-between your hands into a ball. Place ball on plate with sugar, roll to coat, then place on prepared baking sheet.
      Gently press halfway down on the ball with your palm.
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set on the outside. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
    • Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Cookies are best fresh and will soften over time.

    Notes

    • Make it vegan: Sub 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water as an egg replacer. 
    Adapted from Flourless.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @SaltedPlains or tag #saltedplains!
    « Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Paulina

      December 09, 2022 at 10:50 pm

      Hi! Can I substitute brown sugar for the coconut sugar?

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 17, 2022 at 1:57 pm

        Hi Paulina - I have not tried brown sugar as a swap, but it is usually a good sub for coconut sugar. It will be a bit sweeter than coconut sugar, so you might want to reduce the amount slightly. Brown sugar tends to have more moisture than coconut sugar as well. Not a bad thing, but could change the texture a tiny bit.

        Reply
    2. Connie

      December 10, 2021 at 11:30 am

      I have made these before. Very good. Has anyone tried to make these without eggs...have a vegan son and gluten-free friend. Trying to make one cookie for both.

      Reply
    3. Dawn Leonard

      May 05, 2019 at 6:07 pm

      5 stars
      These taste great! I wanted to leave a 5 star rating since someone left 2 stars. It made me think twice about baking them. I'm glad I did. These were easy and baked up nicely. The kids said they tasted greater and better than the first batch of Paleo ginger cookies that I made from a different site. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        May 19, 2019 at 4:54 pm

        Thank you so much!! I really appreciate that. :) I'm so glad to hear that your kids enjoy them too!

        Reply
    4. Lisa

      December 14, 2016 at 10:33 am

      I meant to comment on these last week-so delicious! My kids and I made them together, and they lasted about three hours before they were gobbled up. They are chewy and perfectly gingery. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 15, 2016 at 9:22 am

        Hahaha, I'm glad to hear they didn't last long! Always a good sign. :) Thanks so much, Lisa! <3

        Reply
    5. Sarah @ Snixy Kitchen

      December 12, 2016 at 7:44 pm

      Oh my - I can't stop looking at these! They're chewy perfection!! I have to make them ASAP!

      Reply
    6. traci | VanillaAndBean

      December 12, 2016 at 8:22 am

      Better late than never! Growing up, my spice exposure was pretty much limited to chili pow, cumin and garlic pow... so I had a world of spices waiting for me! Isn't it fun finding new favorites! These cookies are magic and are perfectly crinkly! Delicious work, Tessa!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 12, 2016 at 3:21 pm

        Hahaha, sounds about right! Usually, chocolate wins out over anything for me, but not anymore! ;) Thank you, Traci! xo

        Reply
    7. Sherrie

      December 10, 2016 at 5:19 pm

      Ginger is MAGIC! I'm glad you're fully embraced in it now because these cookies sound wonderful and right up my alley.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 12, 2016 at 2:29 pm

        Agreed! The fact that they are beating out chocolate cookies for me right now is huge. ;)

        Reply
    8. Aysegul Sanford

      December 10, 2016 at 10:20 am

      I love that you used coconut sugar in this recipe. I just baked a sugar cookie with it and now it is my favorite.
      These cookies are so timely and beautiful. I can only imagine how delicious they must be.
      Happy holidays my friend. <3

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 12, 2016 at 1:53 pm

        Yes! I was so excited to see those coconut sugar cookies you were working on. Coconut sugar gives such a wonderful depth and hint of caramel flavor.
        Thank you, friend! <3

        Reply
    9. Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes

      December 09, 2016 at 1:20 pm

      I absolutely love this idea. Glad you're on team ginger now. I have loved ginger cookies since I was a kid. These look like the perfect texture! Love how easy these are too.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 12, 2016 at 1:33 pm

        Definitely team ginger. I lost so much time! ;) Thanks, Katie!

        Reply
    10. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen

      December 08, 2016 at 6:06 pm

      I have a good friend who eats gluten-free, so I know what I'm making her for the holidays! I'm sure she's going to love them! They look perfect Tessa!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 12, 2016 at 1:32 pm

        Yay! What I love most about these cookies is that you can easily fool the non-suspecting gluten eater. ;) Thanks, Mary Ann!

        Reply
    11. Jess @Nourished by Nutrition

      December 07, 2016 at 4:30 am

      Molasses crinkles have always been my favorite holiday cookie. The cinnamon and ginger combination is so cozy. These gingersnaps are so similar, I'm positive these cookies will be my new favorite. Plus, I love the ingredient list of these cookies. The more wholesome ingredients you can use the better, but a cookie still has to be a "cookie". You seem to have found the perfect balance!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 08, 2016 at 12:24 pm

        I'm with you - the more wholesome the better, but obviously still has to be "cookie" enough! :) I hope you love these, Jess! xoxo

        Reply
    12. Joyce @ Sun Diego Eats

      December 07, 2016 at 12:02 am

      These look amazing, my sister loves gingerbread cookies and I love that they're chewy!! We'll have to make to try to make these for Christmas :)

      Reply
      • Tessa

        December 08, 2016 at 12:19 pm

        Thanks, Joyce!! The molasses makes these chewy in the best ways. I've been making myself wait to make more - I cannot stop eating them. Haha. Hope you're having a great week. xo

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Tessa! I create gluten-free, real food recipes that are approachable and delicious.

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