Ginger Molasses Crinkle Cookies {Grain-Free, Gluten-Free}

When the weather gets nippy and the leaves are no longer crunchy, I crave cookies. Well honestly I crave cookies all the time, but come late November I get a hankering for rich buttery cookies or deep dark chewy cookies spiced to perfection. I'm embarrassed to admit how long I will spend wandering around downtown looking for a cookie worthy enough to be consumed with a pot of tea or a cappuccino, so instead I'll just pretend that that doesn't happen on the regular and that I simply buy a cookie and be done with it.

Ginger cookies are a pretty big deal in my family. My grandma makes some stellar ginger molasses cookies, which rival her delicious whipped shortbread. They disappear pretty quickly when we receive that tin of treats in the mail. They are however, stuffed with flour, tons of sugar and sulphured molasses. (But I eat all of them anyways!) My version will satisfy any chewy ginger cookie craving, without the white sugar or flour! They still crinkle, have deliciously crisp edges and they're still oh so chewy on the inside. Promise.

I do warn you though, these are not for the faint of heart. The final addition of the powdered ginger / sugar mix makes them fantastically gingery (and oh so pretty), since I like em gingery and deeply spiced. Follow the amounts of spices and don't be afraid to add a little more! The flavours blend well together with the molasses, making them a spicy treat to be enjoyed next to a roaring fireplace with a piping hot cup of tea. Or, in a less fantasized world, just eat em right off the tray!

Ginger Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Makes 13 cookies

1 cup slivered or sliced almonds (toasted if you prefer deeper flavour)
2 tbs salted grass-fed butter, melted
3 tbs coconut palm sugar
1 pastured egg  @ room temp
1/4 cup + 1 tbs non-sulphured molasses (organic preferably)
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
3/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cloves
2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tbs fresh grated organic ginger

For crinkle cookie rolling:
2 tsp ginger
2-4 tbs sugar of choice ( I used a mix of maple sugar and evaporated cane sugar)


In your blender or food processor, blend slivered or sliced almonds until they become butter. Add in melted butter and sugar and blend until combined. Add in molasses and egg and pulse until just blended.

In a separate bowl, blend dry ingredients until well mixed. Add to wet mixture and processes until combined. The mixture should be a dark and thick paste. Taste to ensure deliciousness. If spices are right, transfer dough to a bowl and freeze for 1 hour. (do not miss this step!!!)

Once the dough has been cooled, it will be quite sticky, but you can use a spoon to pick up your dough balls. Preheat your oven to 350 (be mindful my oven is hot so I cook everything at 320-330) Using your spoon, grab about a ping-pong sized amount of dough and roll it into a ball. Drop into the ginger sugar and roll.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat mat. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 8-9 minutes. Watch as they begin to melt into little crinkled delights and be careful not to let them burn! Remove from oven and let cool on tray for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cookies keep at room temperature, in the open, for 3-4 days. They taste even better the next day!  **Note, if kept in an airtight container, they tend to lose their crisp edges**