Last Updated on August 21, 2026 by Deliciously Organic Editor
These molasses cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies, and my family asks for them every single year. They are gluten free and honestly the most perfect molasses cookies I have ever made!
They are soft and chewy in the middle with a rich molasses flavor and just the right balance of sweetness and spice from cinnamon and ginger. Rolling the dough in sugar gives the outside a little crunch while the inside stays tender.
These molasses cookies make your whole kitchen smell like the holidays. They have become a must bake recipe in our home and I know they will stay on our holiday baking list for years to come.
What Makes These Molasses Cookies Different?
These molasses cookies are different because they are soft, chewy, and made with real food ingredients. Instead of wheat flour, I use finely ground almond flour, coconut flour, and arrowroot flour. This keeps them gluten free while still giving them the perfect cookie texture.
The mix of honey and molasses adds deep flavor without making the cookies too sweet. The spices give them that classic molasses cookie taste that feels warm and cozy.
They are the kind of molasses cookies you bake once and then crave every year after that.
Which Molasses Do I Use?
I use unsulphured molasses for these molasses cookies. It has a smoother flavor and works best for baking.
Blackstrap molasses is much stronger and more bitter, so I do not recommend it for this recipe. Stick with regular unsulphured molasses for the best results and flavor.
How to Make Soft Molasses Cookies
The secret to soft molasses cookies is the balance of wet and dry ingredients and not overbaking them.
This dough is soft and slightly sticky, which is exactly what you want. Letting the dough rest for a few minutes helps the flours absorb the moisture and gives you that soft and chewy texture once baked.
Molasses Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Here is everything you need to make these cookies.
- 2 cups finely ground almond flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 6 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Celtic sea salt
- 1 large egg, gently beaten
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter or 6 tablespoons ghee, melted
- 1/3 cup raw honey
- 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
- Coarse sanding sugar, maple sugar, or coconut sugar for rolling
How to Make Molasses Cookies
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and salt.
Stir in the egg, melted butter or ghee, honey, and molasses until everything is well mixed. Let the dough sit for 5 minutes.
Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop, scoop the dough and drop it into a small bowl of sugar. Roll gently, then shape into a ball and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Chewy Molasses Cookies Tips
Be careful to not over bake the cookies. They will look slightly soft when they come out of the oven and that is what makes them chewy.
Letting them cool on the baking sheet helps them set while staying tender inside.
Rolling the dough in sugar adds a little crunch and makes these cookies extra special.
Are Molasses Cookies Gluten Free?
Yes, these molasses cookies are completely gluten-free. They are made without wheat flour and use almond flour, coconut flour, and arrowroot flour instead.
Even people who do not eat gluten free love these cookies and never guess they are gluten free!
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
If you love these cookies, you might also enjoy:
These are all recipes my family loves and makes again and again!
PrintPerfect Molasses Cookies (Gluten Free)
While I don’t normally use organic cane sugar in my baking or cooking, I had some on hand for my weekly batch of kombucha, so I used it to coat the cookie dough balls. This special touch adds a delicate crunch and sweetness to the outside of the cookies. As with all sweets, remember to enjoy them in moderation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: Makes 18 3-inch cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely ground almond flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 6 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Celtic sea salt
- 1 large egg, gently beaten
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter or 6 tablespoons ghee, melted
- 1/3 cup raw honey
- 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
- Coarse sanding sugar, maple sugar, or coconut sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and adjust rack to middle position.
- Whisk flours, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in egg, melted butter, honey and molasses until combined. Let dough sit for 5 minutes.
- Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop, scoop a dough ball and drop it into a small bowl with your rolling sugar. Roll the cookie around (the dough will be a bit tacky and soft), then gently roll in your hands to form a ball. Set the dough ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue with remaining dough.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve.
Photo Credit: Becky Winkler
Carrie,
So many of your recipes look and sound absolutely delicious! I’ve followed many of your grain recipes from your cookbook. I’d love to incorporate more grain-free cooking and baking, however my husband is allergic to tree nuts. Can you suggest some alternative flours that might mimic the texture and properties of almond flour?
Thank you!
Corey
Thank you for the kind words. 🙂 I’ve heard from many people that sunflower seed flour is a great 1:1 substitute for almond flour. And in my next cookbook (to be released next year) I made a concerted effort to include many recipes that do not contain any tree nuts for those who are allergic. So keep an eye out for the book next year! 🙂
Thank you for the tip. I will certainly give it a try! And I look forward to seeing your new cook book.
Hi Carrie.. it’s recommended NOT to use honey in cooking or baking … can you suggest an alternative or can I omit it.
The Gaps lady Dr Mcbride does not recommend using honey in cooking .. thanks Amita
This isn’t a GAPs recipe and I haven’t tested it with substitutions, so I don’t know what would lend the exact same texture and flavor.
Can’t wait to try these. LOVE your chocolate coconut pecan cookies!!! Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful grain free recipes.
Hi. I want to make these for my sister. Do you think the egg is necessary. I have also tried so many of your recipes and everything I make is AMAZING! Thanks soooooo much!
I haven’t tested these without an egg. You could probably get away with it, but they might be a bit more crumbly. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes! 🙂
I’ve found success substituting ground flax or ground chia seeds in place of eggs. For 1 egg use 1 tbsp of ground seed combined with 3 tbsp water. Let soak for 5 minutes to become gelatinous then mix into the dough. Works well with bread, muffins, etc.
I have a reaction to eggs, but I can do duck eggs. This might be an option for your sister as well.
These sound so good and are so pretty!
Thank you!
You’re killin’ me! I cant keep up with all the amazing recipes you post, and I seem to want to try every one of them! I ordered your cookbook, which is beautiful, but I didn’t realize it had grains in it, which we don’t eat much of. I hope you will come out with a grain-free cookbook soon. I do have the grain-modifications to go with it, but I miss having the pretty pictures next to the recipe ; )
Thank you for the kind words. I have a new grain-free cookbook coming out next year. 😉
Do you have the macros/nutritional info for these? They sound amazing!
Please and thank you!
I don’t, but you’re welcome to insert any recipe into a free app like MyFitnessPal to see the nutrient break down. 🙂
Ironically, I found your website while searching for a bread recipe. Now I think I might accidentally go grain-free from trying so many of your recipes 🙂 Do you think these would freeze well?
These will freeze very well. I would scoop them, roll them in the sugar and then freeze them. You can bake them straight from the freezer – just add 2-3 extra minutes of baking.
You should give grain-free a try! It was one of the best decisions I ever made! 🙂
I love molasses cookies! These saved me from digging out my old wheat laden recipe. 🙂 Made them yesterday and am enjoying a few now.
We have several family members who eat gluten free. These cookies will make a terrific holiday treat for all of us. Have a wonderful holiday season!
Hi Carrie
I made these cookies a few days ago and they lasted just over 24 hours! You have such great recipes. Would you have any ideas on how to make jello using a natural sweetener, fruit juice and beef gelatin powder? My daughter just discovered Jello at school the other day and although we don’t havve any allergies or anything I still don’t like to use the boxes of powder. I would like to have some fruit gelatin and pudding mixes made up so that I can whip them up quick
Have a great day
Teresa
I’m so glad you all enjoyed them! Here’s a homemade jello recipe that looks great! http://wellnessmama.com/3803/how-to-make-healthy-jello/
Thanks so much
I gave these a try this weekend and loved them! I would like to try them with maple syrup instead of honey. Would you use the same measurements?
I haven’t tested it, but I think an equal amount of maple syrup would work well.
Just made these,they are lovely and scrumptious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
P.s., I used maple syrup instead of honey, wonderful!
I just made these and while measuring I had the thought that 1tablespoon of baking soda sure sounds like a huge amount. I left out at least a 1/3 of the salt and still found the cookies way to salty. Is the one tablespoon correct?
Also I forgot to add the egg and the texture was still delightful – so anyone needing to avoid the egg, it’s still good! – I wonder if the egg would have cut the saltiness enough.
Yes, the 1 tablespoon is correct. Did you make any other substitutions? What brand of molasses and salt did you use? Processed salts (such as Morten’s) can taste much more salty than unprocessed salts. I made these again 2x since posting and didn’t notice any issues with saltiness. I’m glad it worked out without the egg!
thank for the reply. I used minimally processed sea salt and actually used a little less than called for due to my thoughts on the baking soda. Next time I will add the egg and see if it changes the saltiness for me. I love molasses cookies and really like the texture of these
Hi!
I really wanted to give this recipe a try but I don’t have any arrowroot flour on hand. Do you think it would still work out if I omitted it? I have this,
http://www.amazon.com/Spicely-Organic-Arrowroot-0-5-Ounce/dp/B004GJS9GI
but there’s only .5 oz. Should I just add all I have and call it a day?
Thanks!!
I haven’t tried it without the arrowroot, or a different amount so I don’t know how it would turn out. I would wait until you have the right amount of arrowroot on hand.
Can you replace arrowroot with tapioca flour?
I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
I did, they were amazing.
I have a grandson that cannot have dairy. Has anyone tried these with coconut oil instead of butter? It may not take as much.
Thanks
I haven’t tested it, but coconut oil should work just fine as a substitute.
My granddaughter is unable to have eggs & dairy. Can you recommend subs for these ingredients?
I haven’t tested this recipe with other ingredients, so I can’t say what would work best. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
I often substitute coconut oil for butter or other oils and fats and you could make a flax egg to replace the egg. I haven’t tried it but it should work. To make a flax egg, mix 1 tbsp of ground flax with 3 tbsp of water and let sit for 5 mins before adding it in the dough. Good luck!
I have made these a few times and each time they do not disappoint. They’re incredible. My next attempt will be to use coconut oil as a substitute. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
You nailed it!! Perfect is exactly what these cookies are! I normally can get my family to try a grain free or gluten free cookie, but they rarely go back for more. Not so with these delicious cookies! My daughter invited her friend home after school and requested the molasses cookies for their snack. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
I appreciate the feedback! I’m so glad you all enjoyed them!
Wow. These were fantastic. I got many compliments, and from some very discerning cooks. I was kind of surprised I had any left to share. I might have eaten about half of them. Maybe. Loved the mouth feel, just like a good molasses cookie should be. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! I appreciate the feedback. I’m so glad you all enjoyed them!
I have very much enjoyed these, I have though added more ginger, in fact 1/4 cup of crystallized ginger, I love the ginger flavor
I’ve been wanting to make these cookies for some time. I finally made them a few nights ago when my daughter had a few friends over. OMG! YUM! These cookies came out perfect. They are close to the taste of a hermit cookie (IMO) for those of you that have had a hermit cookie before. The texture is soft and chewy with a sugary outer layer. I know I’m suppose to eat these in moderation but come on, when you make them this good I can’t stop eating them! My daughter and friends liked them as well. Thanks Carrie for another fantastic recipe. Other recipes I’ve tried out from Carrie that are worth giving a try are her Pecan Pie (without corn syrup), Butternut squash soup, and sweet potato pie. All just as delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I appreciate the feedback! 🙂
Has anyone tried these with almond pulp? I have a bunch in the freezer. 🙂
I have tried and enjoyed many Paleo recipes found online, but I’ve never been driven to comment before.
These are hands down one of the best cookies I have ever tried, Paleo or not. I even had to sub in a cup of cashew flour when I ran out of almond flour and used tapioca starch instead of arrowroot.
These are AMAZING! I rolled them in coconut sugar and they caramelized slightly on the outside and stayed chewy on the inside. Thank you so much for the recipe and your hard work.
Thank you!! I really appreciate the positive feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Well I am no grain free or anything free actually I just like good food. I was looking for a really good molasses cookie but I was like one of your other readers and concerned about the amount of baking soda and was wondering why? Can you cut this way back because I tend to swell when adding much salt. I don’t ever use regular table salt at all. That is not a concern there, the baking soda I am leary about the amount so if you could just let me know what you would suggest as the lowest that would not effect the outcome of the texture. Thank you so much for your consideration.
I carefully test my recipes and use this specific amount of baking soda to give the correct texture. I haven’t tested it with less baking soda, but you could give it a try. The cookies won’t have the same texture as the original recipe, but will still taste great!
Help please! No matter how many times I make these they seem to always spread out thin and burn slightly! 🙁 I’ve tried decreasing time, temperature, and changing the level of the oven rack. Any thoughts? I love the flavor of these but would like them to look as beautiful as they do in your photos! Thank you!
Hmm…I’m not sure why you’re having problems. Did you make any substitutions? What brand of sweetener and flour are you using?
Ah! They turned out great when the dough was frozen and I didn’t put sugar in the raw on the bottom of the cookie! Also realized I needed to decrease time & temp due to my convection oven! Thank you!
I’m having trouble finding arrowroot flour. Would arrowroot powder be a workable substitute or would you suggest another substitute?
Arrowroot powder is the same as arrowroot flour. Also, online is one of the best places to purchase (and usually the best price, too!).
I have everything on-hand except for arrowroot flour. Do you have any suggestions for a substitution? Thanks!
Tapioca flour might be a good substitute.
Theresa, mine also came out flat (but not burnt). I subbed coconut oil for the butter; maybe that was the reason? I’ll try freezing my dough balls first next time, and maybe use butter. Still, a great tasting ginger cookie!
These are soooo delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe. My grandmother was famous for her baking and her molasses cookies were the best. Her recipe called for ground ginger and I knew that was part of what I loved about her cookies. I added 1 tsp. of ground cloves and these cookies are amazing! I need to stay away from sugar so there’s a little disappointment to not have the green and red sugar sprinkles on top around Christmas – but these are delicious anyways. Thank you!!
I forgot to mention I used Earth Balance Soy Free buttery spread in place of the butter and it worked very, very well. They rolled very nicely and the finished cookie looks just like the picture!
great! thanks for posting this!
I just made these this morning and, you’re right, these really are the PERFECT molasses cookie. Easy, delicious… I’m going to have to make another batch! Thank you!
Hi, Carrie! These ARE perfect molasses cookies! I am not a cookie person, and first made them for my husband. Now we’re arm wrestling over the last one of each batch 🙂 (Just kidding. We split them.)
I would like to share this with my short list of readers. I’ve made a couple of minor tweaks, given you credit for the recipe and written in links to your main page and the recipe. But I have kept it password protected and private until I hear back from you. (I accidentally published instead of saving draft, otherwise it wouldn’t be up at all) Please let me know how you like these things handled. (If you have this type of info up, I didn’t find it.)
Thanks!
I made this recipe multiple times. Each time my cookies spread, were paper thin, no matter how far apart I put them. As mentioned, I repeated it several times. They never looked like the picture at all, not even close. Are you sure the amount of butter is correct? Finally gave up and threw the recipe out.
Hmm…I’m not sure why they are spreading. I’ve made them multiple times without any issues. Did you make any substitutions? Even the smallest substitution or change in any of my grain-free recipes can change the texture or flavor.
These are delicious and even better the second day! Wow, so good. The only thing I will do next time is add 1/2 tsp. Ground cloves and a scant teaspoon of fresh grated ginger. We like spice so I think that will make them perfectly to our taste but they are wonderful as they are. The molasses in them is the best! Thank you for a great recipe!
No substitutions were made at all and my cookies spread and were paper thin, over and over regardless of how far apart I put them. I don’t know what’s wrong.
I’m sorry to hear that. I really don’t know what went wrong.
I wonder if you didn’t let the dough ‘rest’ before you made them into balls. It usually makes a difference with almond flour.
These cookies are fantastic! My whole family loves them. Thank you for the amazing recipe, Carrie!
Thank you for posting up a recipe that is one of those rare ones I come across that is 1) I didn’t have to sub anything for lack of ingredients in my pantry 2) So simple a child could bake them 3) Beautiful texture that looks exactly like the photo and is 4) DELICIOUS!
I didn’t have arrowroot on hand in this quantity, so I substituted with tapioca flour instead. This was my second time making them (the first time I used arrowroot powder and they were amazing). I’m not sure if it was the tapioca flour this time, but I found the cookies tasted more savory almost, and the spice/sweet was choked out of the cookie. On the plus side they came out very fluffy. So, if anyone needs to sub tapioca flour in place of the arrowroot flour, they may want to cut it back to keep the taste and make them a little less fluffy. Just a heads up 🙂
this sounds absolutely delicious. Do you think using a sugar free substitute like erythritol or xilytol work ok?
I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
Just found your recipe last night on Pinterest and made them today. They are delicious! I did not have enough almond flour so I replaced 1/2 of the almond flour with brown rice flour. I can’t stop eating them!
I tried these today, I didnt have almond flour but I had pecans from my backyard and grounded them up to make a flour, the cookies didnt stay in a ball but they were so soft and chewy, everybody loved them, really delicious. thanks.
Thank you for sharing !
Thank you for sharing !
I just tried the recipe and forgot to buy coconut flour and used rice flour that I had on hand. Well, the substitution didn’t work out. The cookies ended up flat and had to cook them half the time 🙁 That will teach me to substitute.
what’s a good sub for ghee/butter if dairy free?
I only test the recipes on my site with the listed ingredients and measurements. If you would like to try a substitution, you are welcome to share what you used and how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks!
I’m so late to this recipe post but I made these last night and was so impressed! I’ve basically sworn off any paleo baking bc coconut flour is such a bully and can just take over, use up too many eggs, and make for spongey custard textures. These are like legit cookies! I used maple sugar instead of honey and coconut butter instead of ghee. Would definitely make again!
You are so sweet! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
Hi Carrie! It was such a delight to get to meet you at the WAPF conference a few weeks ago. Since then, I have enjoyed perusing your site and made these cookies three times because they are so amazingly delicious! Thank you for sharing your creativity with so many 🙂
Blessings,
Xandria
Thank you! 🙂
These cookies are simply awesome! I made a double recipe last night for the first time. The only change I made was to reverse the amounts of ginger and cinnamon because I wanted ginger to stand out since we love it in our house. I was a bit skeptical because of so much almond flour that the cookies would be a crumbly mess but also curious with the addition of egg and arrowroot if it would hold them together… the result is a complete WIN! Chewy cookies that are *not* crumbly! These cookies are just so good–just as you said. 😉 And they look like chocolate crinkles (remember those?)… so I’m thinking that next time maybe I’ll also add cocoa powder to the batch. Thank you, Carrie! Happy holidays to you and your family. 🙂
This recipe was a sad waste of good ingredients and time. Followed the recipe exactly and the flavor actually succeeded in being bad even with all the sweetener and the texture wasn’t even in the same right ball as what I was looking for in a molasses cookie.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like them. I make them as gifts during the holidays and they are always a huge hit!
I’ve made these twice now. The first time I tweaked the recipe a little. The flavor was great, but they were really flat, so I made them again exactly as called for and they were perfect! They are crunchy on the edges, chewy in the middle, surprisingly sweet and the flavor is amazing. I can’t imagine anyone making these and not LOVING them! The only problem is I have to limit how often I make them, because I end up eating the whole batch! =)
I’m relatively new to grain-free baking after finding out I’m allergic to wheat (not celiac, an actual allergy to wheat itself) and have a bunch of food intolerances that make gluten free baking really hit and miss in terms of symptoms. Anyway, I consider my favorite Christmas cookies to be the make-or-break for me and these are AMAZING! Even a little burnt they are so good. I’ll figure out the sweet spot on my convection oven soon enough.
I substituted agave syrup for the honey since I get OAS with honey and just reduced the amount a little bit to offset the extra moisture. I also rolled them in a mix of xylitol, stevia, and coconut sugar. My kids weren’t hot on them but that just means more for ME!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! These are my absolute favorite to make during the holidays! 🙂
These and Snowballs (Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cookies) are my favorites, and if I can make them both grain free then I will be a very happy camper!
Hi, I tried these cookies today and they were DELISH!! I did add some ground gloves, and, I agree, I found them a wee bit salty also and my neighbour said the same. Here is my question. It would really be appreciated if the nutritional value were added. It’s the first thing we and my neighbours check out and it’s frustrating when the calories, carbs, fats, and sugars are given.
Have you given this consideration for your recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I don’t include nutritional values of my recipes, but you are more than welcome to insert them into a recipe software to see the values.
Your recipe calls for unsulphered molasses with a link to a site for purchasing blackstrap molasses. I’m just wondering if you meant for us to use blackstrap or a more regular molasses like Grandma’s which is much sweeter?
The unsulphured blackstrap molasses that I used in the recipe is the one I also linked too.
Hi Carrie! I have a question about molasses. I avoid all cane sugar products (and normally I even avoid things like honey and maple syrup, too, due to blood sugar issues and trying to lose weight, but I make an exception for those around the holidays) – I know molasses is made from cane sugar so I’m wondering if it will trigger the addictive reaction that cane sugar products produce in me. I was thinking about subbing date syrup for the molasses, but molasses has such a distinctive flavor that it may not work out. Any thoughts? Thanks for your help!
These molasses cookies are AMAZING! I have just gone grain free this past year after being gluten free for many years. I love making these cookies because ALL of my friends and family members love the taste and texture. I am going to be trying more of your recipes!!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed them!