Chewy Paleo Ginger Cookies (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)
Paleo ginger cookies that are super soft and chewy! Just as delicious, if not better, than a gluten-filled ginger cookie. They’re also grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free.
These paleo ginger cookies have the perfect texture! No funky gluten-free weirdness around here. I’ve made them so many times not just because they’re so yummy, but because I keep eating them all before I can take pictures. I used a mixture of almond flour (almond meal would work, too!) and coconut flour. I find that this usually produces a nice chewy texture in cookies.
If you don’t happen to have coconut flour, I really suggest buying some. It’s not the cheapest flour, but you only use a little bit at a time. I have had my $10 container around for months, and I bake with coconut flour a lot. But if you don’t want to buy it or are really desperate for ginger cookies, these whole grain ginger cookies are amazing! But honestly, I prefer this grain-free version.
I love these ginger cookies plain, which is what you see here, but I’ve made them with crystallized ginger. And chocolate chips! And orange zest. One thing I haven’t tried is white chocolate. I think that would be even yummier than with semi-sweet chocolate!
I rolled these paleo ginger cookies in granulated sugar just because I love the crackly crust it forms, but it’s definitely not necessary. They’re sweet enough without. :)
The outer crust of these (with raw sugar) is nice and firm and therefore perfect to give as a Christmas present! Or an everyday present. I doubt anyone would complain about receiving these during the other 11 months of the year. ;)
Sometimes, grain-free cookies can be slightly sticky, but rolling them in sugar solves that issue. Coconut sugar would work fine if you’d like to avoid the white stuff and keep these ginger cookies paleo!
If you prefer low-carb cookies, try out this amazing looking Low Carb Keto Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe!
Chewy Paleo Ginger Cookies (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups (240 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour or almond meal
- 1/2 cup (66 grams) coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder use grain-free / paleo baking powder, if necessary
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (160 grams) honey
- 6 tablespoons (84 grams) coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (110 grams) molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg 50 grams, out of shell
- coconut sugar granulated or raw sugar, for rolling – optional (if you use coconut sugar, your cookies will look darker than mine)
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients (almond flour through nutmeg) in a medium bowl and set aside.2 1/3 cups (240 grams) finely ground blanched almond flour, 1/2 cup (66 grams) coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In a large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients.1/2 cup (160 grams) honey, 6 tablespoons (84 grams) coconut oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (110 grams) molasses
- Add the dry mix to the wet mix and stir, just until combined. It will be like batter at this point. Chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes or until it’s firm like regular cookie dough.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Form the dough into twenty-eight 1 1/2″ balls. Roll in additional granulated or raw sugar, if desired, and place on a cookie sheet (I put mine on a Silpat) about 1 1/2″ apart. There’s no need to flatten them.coconut sugar
- Bake for 14 minutes. They’ll crackle a little (that’s good!) and still be soft. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
These look soooo yummy! Do you have any idea of the calorie count per cookie (I apologize if this is already posted, I looked quickly but didn’t see any nutritional info in the comments). Your recipes are awesome!
Thanks, Leslie! Unfortunately I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for a nutritional breakdown, if you like. I hope you’ll enjoy them! :)
I’ve made these three times now and have doubled the last two batches. Hands down my favorite gluten free cookie. The only modification I’ve made is to add a bit of ground flax for the some of the almond flour. Delish! Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe.
I’m so happy that you liked them. :) And flax seed sounds like a great addition. Thanks so much for the feedback and the rating! :)
I am allergic to almonds (bummer), so I wondered what I could substitute for the almond flour. Any ideas? Thanks so much! Love your recipes. <3
Thanks, Jeanne! :) Any other type of nut flour or nut meal would work. Unfortunately, regular flour won’t work as a sub. I bet hazelnut meal would be good here! And I know Trader Joe’s has cashew meal. Good luck! :)
We made these for my German coworkers and they were impressed, as were we. However, coconut flour is not easy to get here. 13€/kg at our neighborhood Bioladen! Any cheaper near you?
I get MorgenLand Kokosmehl from Alnatura at 12/kg so not really any better, but the thing with coconut flour is that it lasts forever. Normally you only use a small amount at a time so it lasts ages. I'm still using the same 500 gram container I got in March or April and I use it pretty often. And sorry for the slow reply! Just got back from vacation. I'm happy you liked the cookies and thanks for the feedback. :)
Great recipe!:)
Can I sub the coconut oil with a different one? My family doesn’t like coconut as much as I do, and they can taste it.
Thanks
Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! They all sound awesome!
Thanks, Krista! Can you get refined coconut oil? That’s all I have access to and it has absolutely no coconut taste or smell! I’ve tried the unrefined type, which does taste coconut-ty, so I can see how your family wouldn’t like that. If you can’t find refined coconut oil, you could try melted butter but as I haven’t tried it, I can’t promise it’ll work. Good luck! :)
Thank you so much, I’ll take a look. Can’t wait to do my Christmas baking now!
:-)
Love my sweets, but hate the fat and sugar.
Thanks for helping to reduce these and give back the healthy in treats.
Thanks for your kind comment, Krista! I love making goodies just a little healthier. It’s pretty fun! ;) I hope you get your Christmas baking started soon and that you’ll have a chance to try these. Thanks again. :)
Aww, I really hope you find out what's causing your problems. I've heard good things about those light therapy lamps actually. Your cookies are so cute! Yum!
Thank you, Heidi. I hope so too! I'll let you all know if it actually works. :)
I hope cutting out gluten makes you feel better. These cookies look great, I should find some coconut flour so I can try more gluten free baking!
I hope you do! It's really expensive but I've been on the same $7 can for half a year so it's not so bad. You normally just use a few tablespoons at a time. I was shocked by how much I needed here but it's so worth it. :)
Erin,
So excited to have found your blog last night on pinterest! I follow the Paleo Diet so I am constantly looking for grain free recipes. Cookies are my weakness and these look delish! My fiance made a grain free pumpkin "granola" last night. Recipe needs a little tweaking, but I think it will turn out great the next time! Hope you are feeling better soon. I have been struggling with extreme fatigue lately as well, but I am too busy to go to a doctor!
Hi Aimee! I'm happy you found me too. :) You'll find lots more grain-free recipes in the future because I really like them and they're fun to make. And they're SO much better than the gluten-free ones with weird flours in them. At least to me! Are these cookies Paleo? I hope they are so that you can make them! They're really my favorite grain-free goodie so far (I only started in March or so). Your fiance sounds pretty great, making granola and all! I hope you have a chance to go to the doctor soon to find out what's going on with you. Good luck with that. :) Thanks for stopping by to say hi. I love hearing from new readers!
They are Paleo! Its more honey and molasses than is recommended, but you have to indulge sometimes! I plan to get some more honey at the farmers market on Sunday so I can make them ASAP :)
Yay! Let me know how they come out. You could reduce the honey by a few tablespoons, but it might affect the texture, which I'd be afraid of messing with. I love these so much that I'll be making them again and I'll experiment and add a note about the honey.
Now that you mention it actually, my SIL was tired all the time and she got tested (for that and for tons of other problems she was having too) and she found out she had a gluten allergy too. She has been going gluten free for a couple months now and I think it is helping her fatigue, but Im not totally certain. I will ask her about it. Defintiely a good thing to try though. These cookies look delicious and I wouldnt ever think they are so healthy lol. I would love to try them :)
Oh, do ask her! I'd love to hear about her experience. I'm so eager to feel better. I'll try anything at this point even if it means no gluten. So far it hasn't been so bad! I hope your SIL is feeling better. :)
These look so yummy, I wouldn't even have guessed they are grain free. I think it is really commendable you are taking your health into your own hands and trying to get to the root of this. I cannot believe the doctors wouldn't listen to your input and ideas :(
I've had a hard time with the doctors! Extremely frustrating. But what's not frustrating is these cookies! I've made some other grain-free cookies since then and these kick butt. SO good! Thanks again for your nice comment. :)
I have constant fatigue as well. Maybe I should join you in this gluten free month long experiment. If any of the recipes are like these cookies, I am totally in!
Oh, sorry to hear that, Nicole. :( I hope you can find a solution. Have you seen a doctor? Were they helpful at all? After one week of being gluten-free, nothing's changed. I'll keep going, though! Maybe it takes a while.
Hi Erin!! Wow, these look SO good! Incredibly soft and chewy – I can tell from the pictures! Are these the ones you adapted from my site? OR are those yet to come! Regardless, they look AMAZING and I think I need to try them!
What?! Nooo. I would of course credit you! :) Yours are still to come. I'm not wild about the pictures so I'm waiting until I can eat gluten again because Mr. Texanerin hates all Christmas gingery stuff, meaning there's nobody to eat them. I also have grain-free gingerbread men to post. So um, yeah, people. Hope you like ginger cookies because two more versions are coming! And I hope you do try them. So yummy!
Good luck with your gluten free month, I hope you see some improvement!
I love these cookies, I can definitely see these making it onto my christmas baking list!
Thanks! I hope they do. They're awfully yummy. :)
They look so good! I made some no-bake cookies like this years ago, raw, vegan, GF – I need to go look up my own recipe because I forgot about them. Yours look PERFECT with that drizzle on top! Mmm, great flavors!
Thank you, Averie. :) I'll have to go check yours out! They sound delicious.
At least you are trying to be better for Christmas, I've lost hope for myself already! But I must say, these gluten-free chewy ginger cookies look divine! Yummm
Hahaha. Lost hope? You still have time! Come on, girl. ;)
Loving the ingredient list on this. I think you should have posted that 700 cal per serving recipe, indulging is just part of life and once in a while is ok :-)
Let me know how your gluten free diet turns out for you!
Yeah, but for Thanksgiving you get enough calories anyway, so I thought I'd be bad to add to it. I mean, there were 4 ounces of cream cheese per person in there. BAD! Bad bad bad girl. Anyway, I'll let you know how the gluten-free thing goes!
Oh I really hope you're gluten freeness works! Those cookies sound delicious! I love the addition of spices!
Thank you! I really hope so, too. :)
Ive got one can of pumpkin purée I need to use before the end if the month before I start working on Christmas desserts. These cookies look really delicious. I hopefully you'll start feeling better after going gluten free for a week.
Thanks Becca! And what happened to the post-Thanksgiving pumpkin… forsaking? I couldn't think of a better word. :D
These look wonderful! And good luck on the gluten-free month – i really hope it helps you out, friend. =)
Thank you! I hope it does. But I kind of hope it doesn't because I don't want to have a gluten intolerance. I want there to be some simple, non-serious cause / treatment to all my symptoms. But yeah, guessing that won't happen!
Good on you for trying the gluten free option, Erin. I really wouldn't be surprised if you saw some great improvement in the way you feel.
These cookies look amazing! You keep coming up with recipes like that and you won't miss your gluten at all! :)
I ate gluten-free pasta tonight! It was good. :) I don't even eat all that much gluten to begin with (normally only what you find on here + pasta), but I do love homemade dinner rolls. I think that and croissants, both of which are total nutritional disasters, are the only things I'd really, really miss. Thanks for your support as always! :)
Loving the cookies! They look delicious. And you can still post some thanksgiving recips whooo cares, everyone's got leftover pumpkin anyway right? :) I do hah
Hehe. I thought everyone would turn against pumpkin the day after Thanksgiving! I still haven't. :)