Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Gluten-Free
If you haven’t tried old-fashioned molasses cookies, you don’t know what you’re missing! This gluten-free version is soft and chewy, spicy and sweet with that distinct molasses flavor that makes them so unique.
One of the things I love most about the Christmas season is it gives me an excuse to make cookies!
Just kidding – but only a little bit.
We used to make molasses cookies often when I was growing up. Probably because we lived in a community where sorghum molasses was the biggest crop.
These cookies were one of our favorite recipes to make with the darkest sorghum – the sorghum that was too dark to sell.
I didn’t realize back then that real old-fashioned molasses cookies were made with blackstrap molasses, but now that I live in Texas, far removed from that little Amish community, I make them with blackstrap too, and I love them.
The even bigger difference now is that I also (usually) make them gluten-free to accommodate my husband’s food allergies, because while not everything is as good gluten-free, as with gluten-free sugar cookies, I think you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference in these cookies.
As you can see in the photos, they’re soft, and chewy, with that great sugar crust that makes molasses cookies so good!
These cookies are a classic that you can share with friends, take to parties and potlucks, and put in your kids school lunches. I haven’t met a person yet who didn’t love old-fashioned molasses cookies!
I obviously love all kinds of cookies, especially classics like no-bakes with a healthy twist, This recipe is really high on my worthwhile treats list, with its tastiness, and how easy they are to make – the high mineral content of the blackstrap in them doesn’t hurt either.
Take ten minutes (plus twenty for baking) out of your day to make a batch of these soft gluten-free molasses cookies!
Try the cookies today!
PrintOld Fashioned Molasses Cookies Gluten-Free
If you love baking, and are craving the perfect old-fashioned cookie, these gluten-free molasses cookies are perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix
- 1 teaspoon guar or xanthan gum (omit if you’re using a flour mix that already contains gum)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º
- Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy
- Beat in egg, blackstrap, and vanilla
- In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (except granulated sugar)
- Pour into butter mixture and stir to combine well
- Roll dough into 1″ balls and dip into granulated sugar to coat
- Place on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet about 2″ apart
- Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes until cookies no longer look jiggly
- Remove from oven to cool on a wire rack
- Enjoy!
Notes
You can easily replace the flour in this recipe with all purpose flour to make these conventional molasses cookies rather than allergy-friendly. Just remember to also omit the xanthan/guar gum!
Get Your Garden Cheat Sheets!
Want to know exactly when, where, and how to plant your vegetables? Sign up to get our FREE companion planting guide, and garden planting cheat sheet printable.
I made molasses cookies as a teen in the ’60’s using a recipe from either Betty Crocker or the Joy of Cooking. I used basic bottled molasses from the grocery store and no gum. They were very good. I can’t comment on which region they were from but I was baking in Seattle, Washington…the Pacific Northwest.
Never made molasses cookies, but I will now. My husband will go out of his mind!!!
They’re so good! You’ll love them!
Love these! I read the story on your newsletter about them and chortled. I think it’s just your husband. I’ve made these since I was a kid. I actually made 94 of these just last week for a cookie swap at church! Almost identical recipe, turns out, and I even happened to make them gluten free this year! I’m from Austin, TX. 😉
Hehe, Yep, I think it is just him. 🙂