Chewy & Spicy: The Ultimate Gluten-Free Vegan Molasses Cookies Recipe
Embark on a delightful baking journey with these incredible Gluten-Free Vegan Molasses Cookies! In recent times, my kitchen has been abuzz with gluten-free baking experiments, and while I haven’t shared many recipes yet, the success of these molasses cookies convinced me it’s time to open up the recipe vault. If you’re a fellow enthusiast for gluten-free and vegan treats, please let me know your thoughts – your interest will inspire many more delicious shares! For now, feast your eyes and future taste buds on this recipe for Gluten-Free Vegan Molasses Cookies. Beyond their amazing flavor profile, they are remarkably easy to prepare, making them a perfect choice for bakers of all skill levels. The unique combination of spices and the smooth texture, thanks to a carefully selected gluten-free flour blend, make these cookies an absolute standout.
The Secret to Perfect Texture: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
One of the foundational elements of any successful gluten-free bake is the flour itself. For these chewy molasses cookies, I’ve had fantastic results using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour. This particular blend is a true workhorse in the gluten-free kitchen, offering a robust flavor and a texture that closely mimics traditional wheat flour. Compared to some other gluten-free flours, such as King Arthur’s blend (which I also appreciate for certain applications), Bob’s Red Mill AP flour tends to have a slightly darker hue and a coarser grind. This characteristic contributes to a wonderful depth of flavor in the final baked goods, preventing the “gummy” or bland taste that can sometimes plague gluten-free creations. Its rich, wholesome flavor profile perfectly complements the warm spices and molasses in this cookie recipe.
Finding a reliable gluten-free flour blend is crucial for consistent baking results. Many all-purpose gluten-free flours on the market are a blend of various ingredients like rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, and xanthan gum. Bob’s Red Mill has meticulously balanced these components to create a flour that behaves exceptionally well in recipes designed for wheat flour, with minimal adjustments. This flour is not just for cookies; it’s versatile enough for a wide range of baking needs, from muffins and cakes to pancakes, making it a pantry staple for anyone navigating a gluten-free diet. The slightly coarser texture adds a pleasing chewiness to these molasses cookies, ensuring they don’t become too delicate or crumbly. This attention to ingredient quality is what truly elevates these cookies from good to absolutely outstanding.
Dairy-Free Delight: Baking with Nutiva Shortening
Beyond being gluten-free, these molasses cookies are also entirely dairy-free, catering to vegan diets or those with dairy sensitivities. To achieve the perfect richness and texture without butter, I’ve opted for Nutiva non-hydrogenated shortening. My journey to finding a suitable butter substitute was a long one, as many non-hydrogenated shortenings on the market can have an unpleasant flavor (often due to strong palm oil notes) or simply don’t perform well in baking. Nutiva, however, stands out from the crowd. While it’s not the cheapest option, its superior flavor and performance make it a worthwhile investment for serious vegan bakers.
Nutiva’s shortening has a remarkably pleasant, neutral flavor that doesn’t overpower the other ingredients in your recipe, allowing the molasses and spices to truly shine. More importantly, its performance in baking is exceptional. It creams beautifully with sugar, incorporates well into doughs, and contributes to a wonderfully tender crumb and chewy texture in these cookies. This is crucial for achieving that classic molasses cookie chewiness that everyone loves. Many vegan butter alternatives can be high in water content, leading to flatter, crispier cookies. Nutiva shortening provides the necessary fat for structure and richness without these drawbacks.
One minor quirk I’ve encountered with Nutiva shortening is a discrepancy in their stated tablespoon weight. The carton claims a tablespoon weighs 14 grams, but in my experience weighing it out, it consistently measures closer to 10 or 11 grams. While this might sound like nitpicking, for those of us who bake by weight (which I highly recommend for accuracy, especially in gluten-free baking), these small differences can impact the final product, particularly when converting recipes. Despite this minor annoyance, my overall satisfaction with Nutiva remains very high. It’s a game-changer for dairy-free baking, delivering consistent, delicious results. If you’re looking to elevate your vegan baking, this shortening is a fantastic ingredient to add to your pantry.
Why Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking?
Choosing to bake gluten-free and vegan isn’t just about dietary restrictions; it’s a lifestyle choice for many, offering a host of benefits. For individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, gluten-free baking is a necessity. But even for those without diagnosed conditions, many find that reducing gluten intake can lead to improved digestion, reduced bloating, and increased energy levels. Similarly, vegan baking, which eliminates all animal products including dairy and eggs, appeals to those seeking ethical alternatives, reducing their environmental footprint, or avoiding allergens like dairy. These cookies perfectly bridge these two worlds, proving that dietary restrictions don’t mean sacrificing flavor or enjoyment.
Creating recipes that are both gluten-free and vegan often requires a little more thought and experimentation. Gluten provides structure and elasticity in traditional baking, so finding the right blend of gluten-free flours to replicate that without becoming crumbly or too dense is key. For vegan recipes, replacing butter and eggs means understanding their functional roles – fat for richness and tenderness, and eggs for binding and leavening. This recipe carefully addresses both, with Bob’s Red Mill flour providing excellent structure and Nutiva shortening mimicking butter’s tenderizing effects. The use of applesauce further aids in binding and moisture, ensuring these cookies are perfectly chewy and moist.
Simple Ingredients, Extraordinary Taste
These two specialty ingredients, Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour and Nutiva shortening, are really the only unique items you’ll need for this recipe. While they might be new to some, I wholeheartedly believe you’ll appreciate their quality and performance if you haven’t already incorporated them into your baking. The result is a batch of cookies that are chewy, delightfully spicy with the warmth of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and visually appealing with their crinkled tops and sparkly sugar coating. This recipe yields a modest 12 cookies, which is ideal if you’re trying them out for the first time or simply want a small batch of freshly baked treats. It minimizes ingredient waste, ensuring that if for some reason they’re not to your exact liking (though I highly doubt that will be the case!), you haven’t committed to a large batch. Get ready to experience a truly satisfying and guilt-free indulgence!
- Nutiva Shortening Review
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
- Gluten Free Brownies (or Not)
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars
Recipe
Gluten Free Vegan Molasses Cookies
Cookie Madness
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Bob’s gluten free flour (145 grams – crucial for accurate GF baking)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup very tightly packed brown sugar or Muscovado sugar (99 grams – adds deep caramel notes)
- 6 tablespoons non-hydrogenated Nutiva shortening (for dairy-free richness and chewiness)
- 2 tablespoons molasses (use unsulphured for best flavor)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1- 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce (adjust as needed for dough consistency)
- Sparkly sugar for flair (optional, but highly recommended for a beautiful finish)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) to ensure even baking. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together thoroughly to ensure the spices and leavening are evenly distributed.
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In a separate medium bowl, cream together the very tightly packed brown sugar (or Muscovado sugar), Nutiva shortening, molasses, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step is crucial for achieving a tender cookie.
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Gradually add the flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Now, add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce. If the dough appears too dry or crumbly, add a second tablespoon of applesauce. The goal is a cohesive, workable dough.
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Divide the cookie dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. For consistent size, you can use a cookie scoop or weigh each portion.
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Arrange the rolled cookie balls about 2 ½ inches apart on your parchment-lined baking sheets. Gently press down the tops of each ball slightly with your palm or the back of a spoon to encourage even spreading.
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For an extra touch of sparkle and crunch, sprinkle the tops of the pressed cookie dough balls with sparkly sugar (or coarse sugar). Bake for precisely 10 minutes. The cookies will look slightly puffed and still soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes to set before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Perfecting Your Gluten-Free Vegan Molasses Cookies
Achieving the perfect gluten-free and vegan cookie is an art, but with a few simple tips, you can ensure your molasses cookies turn out flawlessly every time:
- Measure by Weight: As highlighted with the Nutiva shortening, measuring ingredients by weight (grams) rather than volume (cups) is far more accurate, especially in gluten-free baking. This consistency helps prevent dry or overly sticky doughs.
- Room Temperature Shortening: Ensure your Nutiva shortening is at a soft, pliable room temperature. This allows it to cream properly with the sugar, creating an airy base that contributes to the cookies’ chewy texture.
- Don’t Overmix: Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, mix only until no dry streaks of flour remain. Overmixing can develop any latent gluten in the flour blend (even gluten-free flours can contain tiny amounts or become tough with overhandling) and result in tougher cookies.
- Adjust Applesauce as Needed: The amount of applesauce can vary slightly depending on your climate and the exact humidity. Start with one tablespoon, and only add the second if your dough is genuinely dry and crumbly, not just firm.
- Evenly Sized Cookies: Use a cookie scoop or scale to ensure all your cookie balls are the same size. This guarantees even baking and a consistent final product.
- Parchment Paper is Your Friend: Always use parchment paper. It prevents sticking, makes cleanup a breeze, and helps regulate the bottom bake of your cookies.
- Don’t Overbake: These cookies are meant to be soft and chewy. They might seem slightly underbaked when you pull them from the oven, but they will set up beautifully as they cool. Overbaking will lead to a dry, hard cookie.
- Cooling Time: The initial 2 minutes of cooling on the hot baking sheet are crucial for the cookies to firm up enough to be safely transferred to a wire rack without breaking.
Customizing Your Molasses Cookies & More Gluten-Free Vegan Treats
While this recipe for Gluten-Free Vegan Molasses Cookies is perfect as is, don’t hesitate to get creative with variations. You could try adding a touch of black pepper for an extra kick, a pinch of cardamom for an aromatic twist, or even some orange zest to brighten the flavor profile. For a truly indulgent experience, consider incorporating vegan chocolate chunks, as I often do in a different version. The combination of warm spices and rich chocolate is simply divine!
If you’ve enjoyed these cookies, I’m eager to hear from you! Your feedback is invaluable and helps me understand what kind of recipes you’d like to see more of. Drop me an email or leave a comment below sharing your thoughts and any baking successes. Remember, gluten-free and vegan baking doesn’t have to be intimidating; it can be an exciting and rewarding culinary adventure. And if these molasses cookies are a hit, you’ll be thrilled to know that I have a fantastic Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bar recipe that’s equally delicious and satisfying. Happy baking!
