Soft and Chewy Gingerdoodles

Never choose between a gingerbread and snickerdoodle cookie again. These soft and chewy gingerdoodles have it all and are the perfect cookie for the holiday season.

This post contains affiliate links.

I am so excited for the start of the holiday baking season! We are kicking things off with a BANG with these delicious soft and chewy gingerdoodle cookies.

I’m sure you’ve already figured it out, but gingerdoodles are a cross between a gingerbread cookie and a snickerdoodle cookie. Basically, the two most favorite holiday cookies combined into one!

The dough includes all the delicious flavors of gingerbread – molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves – and is rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture like snickerdoodle cookies.

Unlike traditional gingerbread, which is thin and crispy, these cookies are perfectly chewy around the edges, soft in the middle and you get a nice crunch from the cinnamon sugar coating.

The best thing about these cookies is they are gluten free and dairy free, so everyone at the table can enjoy them. But don’t worry, dairy and gluten eaters will never be able to tell!

Ingredients

1-to-1 gluten free flour: to keep these cookies gluten free, use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour or Cup for Cup Gluten Free Flour.
Almond butter: there is no butter or oil in this recipe and is replaced with almond butter, which helps make these cookies soft and chewy. I used and recommend unsalted almond butter.
Eggs: eggs are needed for structure and richness.
Molasses: a very necessary ingredient in gingerbread cookies that contributes to their taste and color. I used black strap molasses in this recipe.
Sugar: sugar is needed, as always, to sweeten these cookies but also to counteract the bitterness from the molasses.
Vanilla: use only the real deal here.
Baking soda: the primary leavener in this recipe that will produce a chewy on the outside and soft on the inside cookie.
Spices: cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves are the spices that give gingerbread cookies their quintessential warming and slightly ‘spicy’ (from the ginger) flavor. Cinnamon is also used in the cinnamon sugar coating.
Salt

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Rubber spatula
Cookie scoop
Baking sheets

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, molasses, eggs, almond butter and vanilla. Mix using a rubber spatula until well combined.

Next, fold in gluten free flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix until just combined.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoon cinnamon in a small bowl.

Scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of chilled dough and roll into a ball. Roll the ball in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place ball on parchment lined baking sheet and press down with your hands.

Bake cookies at 350°F for 11-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool a few minutes before enjoying or transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle cookies with additional cinnamon sugar, if desired, before enjoying.

Tips

• Be sure to use runny almond butter for easier stirring and for the best texture.
• Check to see if your almond butter is salted. If so, you may want to cut back the salt added to the recipe.
• Use the scoop and level method for measuring the flour. This means using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup rather than using the measuring cup itself and leveling off the top with a straight edge.
• Flattening the cookies before baking is more for aesthetic purposes than anything and can be skipped if you prefer a fatter cookie (see photo below for comparison)
• Optional step for flat cookies: bang the cookie sheets on counter a few times immediately after taking them out of the oven to release some of the extra air.

FAQ

What is blackstrap molasses?

Molasses is a by-product of the sugar making process. When sugar juice is boiled down, the remaining liquid is molasses.

If the liquid is boiled down once, the result is light molasses. If it is boiled down a second time, you get dark molasses and a third time you get blackstrap.

Each time the liquid is boiled, the by-product contains less sugar, making it more bitter, and a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals.

Because blackstrap molasses is more bitter than light and dark molasses, the amount of sugar in the recipe must balance out the bitterness of the molasses. I used blackstrap molasses in this recipe and why I recommend you do the same.

Do I need to chill the dough?

I recommend chilling the dough for at least one hour as it makes it much easier to roll the dough and coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

You can also make this dough ahead of time and store in the fridge overnight.

Why no butter? 

In order to keep this recipe dairy free and still maintain a moist, soft and chewy cookie, I used almond butter instead. Almond butter also adds healthy fats and protein to this recipe.

How do I store gingerdoodles?

Gingerdoodles can be stored in an air tight container at room temperature for up to one week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To retain moisture while storing at room temperature, add a slice of soft bread to the container of cookies.

Substitutions

Gluten free flour: if you do not need your cookies to be gluten free, you can substitute an equal amount of all purpose flour.
Almond butter: you can use cashew butter instead of almond butter. I do not recommend peanut butter as it will give the cookies a slight peanut butter flavor.
Sugar: you can use coconut sugar; however, it will alter the taste a bit and the cookies won’t be as sweet.
Nutmeg/cloves: if you don’t have nutmeg and/or cloves, you can sub for equal parts allspice (it is said to taste like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal
• Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites
• PB&J Reindeer Truffles
• Healthy Cookie Dough Bites

If you make these gingerdoodle cookies, be sure to leave a comment below and rate this recipe! If you snap a pic, be sure to tag me on Instagram @thechowdown! I love seeing your creations!