Gluten-free, vegan gingersnap cookies made with quinoa flour! They’re crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and absolutely delicious!
For this recipe I used quinoa flour instead of white or whole wheat flour so the cookies are gluten-free and have an extra boost of nutrition! They’ve also got that crunchy outside, soft and chewy inside consistency thing going on that gingersnap cookies are known for. I think I’m in love.
I ended up making several batches to ensure the recipe was perfect so they’ve been taste-tested by a bunch of people — family members, friends, Isaac’s co-workers, etc. I’m happy to say that it’s not just me, everyone loves them! Someone even asked if I could make her some to buy for the holidays. No one has ever asked to PAY for my baked goods before so that goes to show you how good these cookies are.Â
Quinoa Flour 101
If you’ve never baked with quinoa flour, you’re in for a treat. It’s gluten-free, high in protein and high in fiber. I wouldn’t sub it 1 for 1 with traditional flour, but there are plenty of recipes that use quinoa flour out there! You can find it in most health food stores and even in some conventional grocery stores as well! I love the Ancient Harvest and Bob’s Red Mill quinoa flour.
Don’t Skip the Ginger and Molasses!
One big difference between these gingersnap cookies and others is the crystallized ginger pieces — I definitely think they make the cookies. Well, the ginger pieces and the molasses. I accidentally left out the molasses in one batch and they turned out light brown and weren’t nearly as tasty. So word to the wise, don’t forget the crystallized ginger or the molasses — they’re essential!
Make these gingersnap cookies extra festive with the sugar coating. It looks like they’re sprinkled with glittery snow! If you’re in need of a holiday cookie recipe that’s healthier than most cookie recipes and allergy friendly, I highly recommend making these. I already know you’re going to LOVE them!
If you try this gingersnap cookie recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback on my recipes is so helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers!
These gluten-free gingersnap cookies are made with quinoa flour. They’re crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
2 cups quinoa flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup crystalized ginger, chopped into small pieces
½ cup coconut oil, in a liquid state
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 Tablespoons water
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup cane sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Whisk flaxseed with water in a small bowl to make flaxseed egg. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (quinoa flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and sea salt). Set aside.
Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream brown sugar and coconut oil until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in molasses and flaxseed egg until combined.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. Add in crystalized ginger pieces and give it one last mix.
Using hands, roll dough into 3/4-1 inch balls. Place sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each ball of dough in the sugar to coat.
Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until dark golden brown and puffy, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Remove from oven and use the back of a fork to press gently in the center of each cookie to make more of a flattened cookie shape.
Let them cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
I’m not vegan, and I prefer to cook with real eggs. Has anyone tried this recipe using a real egg instead of a flaxseed egg? If so, would you use 1 egg or 2 for this recipe? I’m thinking of adding these cookies to my Christmas gift baskets this year.
I think that should work just fine, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it will affect the result. Let me know how they turn out if you decide to experiment and try it.
Hi Helen. I don’t currently provide grams for my recipes, but I will certainly make note of the request. In the meantime, there are online converters that you can use. Sorry for any inconvenience.
I am a ginger lover– and especially ginger cookies. I just made these and they’re amazing! Great texture, and I LOVE the crystalized ginger in them. A keeper recipe for sure!
in case some or all of you readers think i’m being unkind, I have cooked for many years. Sharing recipes is a great responsibility since food isn’t cheap. I have lost a lot of money with tacky recipes. Admittedly I haven’t tried this one but the picture doesn’t evoke confidence in trying it.
And so have I cooked for many years and I also cater and never have I seen a gingerbread or molasses cookie that doesn’t crackle on top. It’s what makes it look nice. ????
Hey Caroline. The cookies aren’t broken — gingersnap cookies are known for crackling like this. I should also note that everyone who has tried these cookies LOVES them. 🙂
These are amazing! I had never baked with quinoa flour before, and I’m glad that I tried it. I have been eating gluten free for a few years, and this is one of the first cookie recipes that I’ve tried that I doesn’t make me miss real flour. Thanks for the recipe!
That truly looks and sounds amazing. I started eating glutenfree accidently through a fat loss program. I wanted to drop body fat, and my way to doing that was by cutting calories in general. It worked nicely – I will be publishing my transformation through 6 months on my blog within a couple of days – but in my diet there just wasnt space for gluten since pasta and similar products took up too many calories. So after eating gluten free for a couple of months I gave myself a carb cheat day where I made a nice pot of pasta carbonara. After eating it I felt really bad, and noticed similar symptoms after eating something containing gluten. I have to eat large quantities to really feel bad, but it really shows me that gluten just isnt for us. It should not be ingested.
These are FANTASTIC!!! My whole family loves them and they are in the regular snack baking rotation. I could not find quinoa flour in the store so I subbed white whole wheat flour. Very well put together recipe and one I feel good about feeding my family. Will try the quinoa flour next time I place a specialty flour order.
I love love love quinoa flour! It’s so much fun to work with and great for muffins, cookies and cakes. These cookies look amazing – I can’t wait to make them!
I made them with about 2/3 buckwheat and 1/3 whole rice flour and they are very tasty, if not a little crunchy (probably over baked a minute or so). I’ll be making them again with regular whole wheat flour.
Love that these are gluten free, nut free, and vegan!!! Plus I love ginger everything, good luck with the competition, voting now! (And I also hate rinsing quinoa- I don’t know why I hate it so much but I do.)
These look so delicious, and I love that there aren’t hard-to-find ingredients in them 🙂 I’ve never baked with quinoa flour, but now I’m interested!
You could certainly try it with those flours but I’m not sure how they would turn out because I haven’t tried it. Let me know how they turn out if you do try it. 🙂
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Hello Brittany, i Love all your recipes. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Catherine. 🙂 You are so welcome!
I’m not vegan, and I prefer to cook with real eggs. Has anyone tried this recipe using a real egg instead of a flaxseed egg? If so, would you use 1 egg or 2 for this recipe? I’m thinking of adding these cookies to my Christmas gift baskets this year.
Hey Maurita! You can definitely use 1 real egg instead of the flax egg. 🙂 Let me know how they turn out for you!
Hi Brittany, Love all your recipes lined up with the photos!
★★★★★
Thanks Holly! I’m glad to hear that you’re loving the recipes. 🙂
you’re amazing! thank you so much for developing these recipes!!!
Aww, that makes me so happy to hear. 🙂 I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the recipes, Zoe!
Could I sub melted butter for coconut oil?
I think that should work just fine, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it will affect the result. Let me know how they turn out if you decide to experiment and try it.
Hi – any chance of having the recipe in grams as UK cups are different – thanks
Hi Helen. I don’t currently provide grams for my recipes, but I will certainly make note of the request. In the meantime, there are online converters that you can use. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Just made these.They are very tasty.
I made these yesterday for a cookie swap. They are so delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
I am a ginger lover– and especially ginger cookies. I just made these and they’re amazing! Great texture, and I LOVE the crystalized ginger in them. A keeper recipe for sure!
Will blackstrap molasses work for this?
Indeed! That’s what I use. 🙂
My apologies Brittany, you learn something new every day. Thanks for being such a good sport about it! I will try them!
I made them once and they are absolutely great. As for the pictures I think they look exactly like they are supposed to and very enticing, ha.
in case some or all of you readers think i’m being unkind, I have cooked for many years. Sharing recipes is a great responsibility since food isn’t cheap. I have lost a lot of money with tacky recipes. Admittedly I haven’t tried this one but the picture doesn’t evoke confidence in trying it.
And so have I cooked for many years and I also cater and never have I seen a gingerbread or molasses cookie that doesn’t crackle on top. It’s what makes it look nice. ????
you can’t seriously post a picture of these broken looking cookies as a major triumph
Hey Caroline. The cookies aren’t broken — gingersnap cookies are known for crackling like this. I should also note that everyone who has tried these cookies LOVES them. 🙂
These are amazing! I had never baked with quinoa flour before, and I’m glad that I tried it. I have been eating gluten free for a few years, and this is one of the first cookie recipes that I’ve tried that I doesn’t make me miss real flour. Thanks for the recipe!
That truly looks and sounds amazing. I started eating glutenfree accidently through a fat loss program. I wanted to drop body fat, and my way to doing that was by cutting calories in general. It worked nicely – I will be publishing my transformation through 6 months on my blog within a couple of days – but in my diet there just wasnt space for gluten since pasta and similar products took up too many calories. So after eating gluten free for a couple of months I gave myself a carb cheat day where I made a nice pot of pasta carbonara. After eating it I felt really bad, and noticed similar symptoms after eating something containing gluten. I have to eat large quantities to really feel bad, but it really shows me that gluten just isnt for us. It should not be ingested.
Thank you for this recipe!
These are FANTASTIC!!! My whole family loves them and they are in the regular snack baking rotation. I could not find quinoa flour in the store so I subbed white whole wheat flour. Very well put together recipe and one I feel good about feeding my family. Will try the quinoa flour next time I place a specialty flour order.
These look DELICIOUS. Where would I find crystalized ginger in the grocery store? Or can I make my own?
These look amazing! I love ginger in baked goods, I will definitely have to try them! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Jess. Everyone LOVES these cookies. Let me know if you try them.
I just made these and they turned out AWESOME! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Could coconut sugar replace the brown sugar?
Hi Lori. I haven’t tried it, but I think it should work! Let me know if you try it.
I replaced both the brown sugar and cane sugar for coconut sugar and it worked really well 🙂
great idea using quinoa flour! yum!
I have so much quinoa flour in my pantry that is now begging to be made into these cookies. They look phenomenal! Pinning for now.
These are so creative, Brittany!! Love it 🙂
Brittany, These look ahmazing!! Seriously, they look so chewy and crackly I can’t even deal. 🙂
I love love love quinoa flour! It’s so much fun to work with and great for muffins, cookies and cakes. These cookies look amazing – I can’t wait to make them!
quinoa flour exists?!?! dang, they are always coming out with creative flours these days, haha!! These look gorgeous!
I made them with about 2/3 buckwheat and 1/3 whole rice flour and they are very tasty, if not a little crunchy (probably over baked a minute or so). I’ll be making them again with regular whole wheat flour.
totally making these! question… can’t do coconut (sad i know) can I sub avocado oil?
I’ve never used avocado oil, but you can certainly try it. I also think regular butter would work well if you’re okay using that. 🙂
These look and sound amazing Brittany. I’m always on the hunt for new and different recipes to try. Especially those with Quinoa. Thanks! 🙂
One of the best kinds of cookies this time of year! I was just thinking about how much I wanted a ginger snap cookie. Gotta make these!
Good luck on the cookoff! These look great.
So creative! I love Ancient Harvest, but I’ve never tried their flour! Will have to do that 🙂
These look wonderful! Perfect for the holidays.
Love that these are gluten free, nut free, and vegan!!! Plus I love ginger everything, good luck with the competition, voting now! (And I also hate rinsing quinoa- I don’t know why I hate it so much but I do.)
I will definitely be making these once I pick up some quinoa flour and molasses! Love the idea.
Ohh my husband would love these! Thanks for sharing!
These look so delicious, and I love that there aren’t hard-to-find ingredients in them 🙂 I’ve never baked with quinoa flour, but now I’m interested!
I’d like to make these right now but don’t have any quinoa flour. Can I replace it with teff, brown rice or buckwheat flour.
You could certainly try it with those flours but I’m not sure how they would turn out because I haven’t tried it. Let me know how they turn out if you do try it. 🙂
I found it in the bulk bins at my health food store!