Fresh Ginger Cookies (Gluten Free, Paleo)

Ginger cookies fall into 2 different catagories; soft and chewy or crispy and crunchy. The ones with the snappy texture typically have a more pronounced ginger flavor and are often called gingersnaps.

In gluten free baking it’s harder to get a cookie with a good snap. But after a few tries I finally made a grain free crispy crunchy gingersnap I really like. These cookies have a crispy texture with just a little bit of chewiness in the center. They’re so good my family said they taste like ‘real cookies’.

Why I Love This Recipe

• nice and crispy with a little bit of chewiness
• robust gingery taste
• rich molasses flavor
• made with nutritious ingredients
• gluten free, dairy free, grain free
• great holiday cookie with a little sparkle

Ingredients for Gluten Free Fresh Ginger Cookies

This is a healthier ginger cookie using nutritious ingredients and grain free flours but look and taste just like the real thing. The fresh ginger gives them incredible flavor. Here’s what you need:

• Flour: Use a combination of almond flour and tapioca flour to get a nice crispy texture!
• Coconut oil: Melted and cooled coconut oil, gives the cookies moisture and keeps them dairy free.
• Coconut sugar: This healthier sugar provides just the right amount of sweetness.
• Blackstrap Molasses: A little bit of molasses adds sweetness and gives the cookies a rich molasses flavor. It is rich in blood building iron and contains calcium, which helps improve bone density.
• Egg: Just one egg to bind the cookies properly.
• Fresh Ginger: Use lots of fresh grated ginger to let the ginger taste really shine through. You’ll need a piece about 3 inches.
• Cloves: We add a little bit of cloves to enhance the flavor, but the cookies are good without any additional spices. Cloves have strong antimicrobial properties and are high in antioxidants. If you want more spices you can also add cinnamon, and allspice but I prefer the fresh ginger taste.
• Baking staples: Salt and and baking soda to get the right taste and texture.
• Organic granulated sugar: Rolling the dough balls in sugar creates a crisp, crackly texture on the surface by drawing moisture out during baking to give them the signature “snap.” It also adds a pretty holiday sparkle. We use organic granulated sugar for the most sparkle but raw sugar or coconut sugar will also work. If you don’t want sugar you can leave it out.

How To Make Fresh Ginger Cookies

There are only a few simple steps to make the batter but it needs chilling for 30 minutes so plan for that. Here are the basic steps, details in the recipe card below:

Step 1– Mix The Wet Ingredients: Using an electric mixer, beat together the coconut oil, fresh ginger and coconut sugar until light and fluffy. Mix really well to ensure that the cookies spread out thin and get crispy. Beat in the egg and molasses until smooth.

Step 2 – Mix In The Dry Ingredients: Gently mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Mix until the flour is just absorbed into the dough, about 30 seconds. If you over-mix the dough your cookies can become crumbly. 

Step 3 – Chill: Put in the freezer for 30 minutes or 1 hour in the refrigerator to chill. The dough is sticky and needs to be chilled so that you can roll it easily. 

Step 4 – Roll Into Balls: Scoop dough balls, about 1 1/2 Tablespoons each (21 grams). Roll between your palms into a ball and then roll in the granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. I use a cookie scoop.

Step 5 – Bake: Bake in the preheated oven until edges are browning. For cookies that are crispy all the way through, bake until the edges are nice and brown 15-20  minutes. For cookies with a slightly chewy center and crispy edges, bake for 11-12 minutes or until edges are just browning and tops are crinkled. 

Step 6 – Cool and Transfer: Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Don’t remove them too soon or they will fall apart but don’t leave them on the sheets for too long or they will stick.

Storing Cookies To Keep Them Crisp

Storing: These cookies are definitely the crispiest the first day or two after baking. To keep them crisp for longer, store loosely covered with foil or parchment paper instead of in a sealed container, at room temperature.  They’ll stay fresh this way for about 5 days.

Freezing: I haven’t tried freezing the baked cookies. I would freeze the dough then defrost until soft enough to roll into balls. Bake fresh. They will be crispier and more delicious.

More Gluten Free Homemade Cookies

Cookies are good anytime of the year but especially at Christmas for parties, family and friends. Here are a few more wonderful cookie recipes:

• Soft and Chewy Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Almond Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
• Triple Ginger Vegan Ginger Cookies
• Gluten Free Linzer Cookies (Paleo Dairy Free)