Gluten Free Chocolate Ginger Cookies

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Gluten Free Flour: I have tested this recipe for gluten free chocolate ginger cookies with Bob's Red Mill 1-1 and my own gluten-free flour blend. This is a cookie recipe that should work without any issues with any gluten-free flour blend you may have on hand. Please make sure the blend does contain a mix of different gluten-free flours as well as xanthan gum. This recipe for ginger cookies with fresh ginger will not work with almond flour or coconut flour but with regular all-purpose flour.

Cocoa Powder: I highly recommend using dutch processed cocoa in this recipe for Gluten-Free Chocolate Ginger Cookies. Dutch-processed cocoa creates a rich chocolate flavor. My go-to brands are Cacao Barry Extra Brute and Valrhona Pure Cocoa Powder. If you are looking for a better price point cocoa powder I recommend Hershey’s Dutched Cocoa, Special Dark, 100% Cacao. Be aware if you use Natural Cocoa Powder in this recipe, the cookies may be dry and lighter in color and won't stay chewy for a long time.

Molasses: Molasses will give these cookies a soft and tender crumb. Molasses is a thick, dark syrup, high in minerals and lower in sugar than other syrups. It is located in the baking aisle at a grocery store. I recommend using unsulphured light molasses such as Grandma’s Molasses. Please be aware when using Blackstrap Molasses your chocolate ginger cookies will have a slightly bitter flavor.

Fresh Ginger: The best ginger cookies clearly are ginger cookies with fresh ginger. The roots can be very big but it’s totally okay to break off just what you need. You will need 2-3 inches to make this gluten free cookie recipe. Freeze leftover ginger for future use.

Candied Ginger: Candied Ginger or Crystallized Ginger is an optional add-in to this cookie recipe. (Not pictured in ingredient shot)

Dark Chocolate: I use a finely chopped-up bar of dark chocolate (60% or darker) in this recipe. Chocolate Chip will also work.

Tips how to purchase fresh ginger

Fresh ginger root in the produce department of most grocery stores. It is a knobby-looking root with light brown skin. It has a zesty, sweet yet warm, and spicy taste. The freshest and best choice of fresh ginger root should have firm, smooth skin which one can remove easily with a fingernail. If the skin of the root is wrinkled and looks tough, the root should not be purchased.

How to grate fresh Ginger?

The easiest way to grate fresh ginger is using a Microplane grater. With a pairing knife carefully remove the skin of the ginger knob and grate the amount needed across the grain of the fibers.

What is candied ginger?

I love adding candied ginger to this delicious gluten free cookie recipe. Candied ginger or crystalized ginger is fresh ginger that has been sliced and boiled in sugar for extended period of time. Once fully cooked the slices are dried and then tossed in sugar. Think of it as a chewy, sweet, and spicy ginger candy.

Candied ginger makes not only a delicious addition to this recipe but can also be added to my Gluten Free Ginger Cookie Recipe or even to my easy Gluten Free Banana Bread. Some people even love adding it to carrot cake.

Does Ginger pair well with chocolate?

Yes! Chocolate, especially dark chocolate pairs very well with fresh ginger. The earthy and slightly bitter notes of dark chocolate complement the peppery heat from fresh ginger. If you love ginger, you should definitely give these gluten-free chocolate ginger cookie recipe a try.

How to make Gluten Free Chocolate Ginger Cookie Dough

Gluten Free Chocolate Ginger Cookies start with fresh ginger-infused butter. Freshly grated ginger is added to melted butter along with the spices. This gives the ginger cookies an even more intense ginger flavor. I don’t recommend skipping this step since it is an important step to make the best gluten free ginger cookies. Refridgerate at least 2hrs up to 2 days. Chilling the dough is mandatory.

Step 1: In a small saucepan carefully melt the unsalted butter. Once fully melted, add the finely grated ginger and spices. Turn off the heat and transfer the ginger butter to the bowl of the stand mixer. Make sure to get all the bits and pieces of fresh ginger.

Step 2: Set aside until cool, slightly solid, but still creamy, about 25-30 minutes in the refrigerator depending on how cool your fridge is.

Step 3: Once the butter is solid, but still creamy attached the bowl of the stand mixer to the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the brown sugar and cream for 3-4 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl and paddle, until creamy and fully combined.

Step 4: Add the room temperature large egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract, and molasses and mix at medium speed for another minute. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Step 5: In a seperate bowl sift or whisk together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sifting together ensures there are no clumbs of cocoa in the dough for gluten free chocolate ginger cookies.

Step 6:  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix the gluten-free ginger cookie dough until evenly combined. With a flexible spatula fold in the chopped up dark chocolate and diced candied ginger (if using).

Step 7: Either cover the mixing bowl or transfer the dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2hrs up to 2 days. This will ensure the dough for the cookies with fresh ginger are easy to portion and roll in sugar before baking.

How to bake gluten-free chocolate ginger cookies

Once the gluten free chocolate ginger cookie dough has been chilled for at least 2hrs, it’s time to bake the best ginger cookies.

This recipe should make 20-24 cookies if using a medium cookie scoop, around 1.5 tablespoons of dough.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set the prepared baking sheets aside.

Step 2: To make the ginger sugar roll the cookie dough before baking, combine the white sugar with ground ginger and set aside.

Step 3: Using a medium cookie scoop divide the gluten-free chocolate cookie dough into equal-sized portions. With clean hands roll the cookie dough into balls and roll in the ginger sugar mixture to coat. Should the dough be too sticky, pop the dough balls back in the fridge (or freezer) for a few minutes to set up.

Step 4: Arrange 8 cookie dough balls on the sheet tray and bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes until they looked puffed up and cracked. These cookies are supposed to be slightly underbaked to give them a soft, brownie-like texture.

Step 5: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the sheet tray for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the leftover cookie dough or freeze the unbaked dough for future use.

How long do Ginger Cookies last?

Gluten Free Chocolate Ginger cookies are the best the day you bake them. Should you have leftovers, they do store exceptionally well in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Can Gluten Free cookies be frozen?

To freeze gluten-free cookies made with fresh ginger, divide the dough into equal portions and roll it into balls. Freeze the rolled balls on a sheet tray and once fully frozen transfer them to an airtight container. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the freezer. Roll it in ginger sugar and bake at 350for 11-13 minutes. No need to thaw the dough before baking.

why do my gluten-free cookies taste grainy?

There are two factors that can cause gluten free cookies to taste grainy: one is the kind of flour or flour blend used and the other is not allowing the dough to chill an appropriate time to hydrate the flour. As mentioned many times before, I highly recommend a high-quality flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 or my own gluten free flour blend. If you use my flour blend, make sure to use fine ground flour. Certain brown rice flour blends are stone ground and will cause the end products to be gritty. A gluten free cookie will always be as good as the ingredients used. Mediocre ingredients equal mediocre cookies

FAQ about Gluten Free Chocolate Ginger Cookies