My Gluten-Free Gingernut Cookies are so easy to make and full of delicious flavour. They are gently sweet, thin and crispy with a generous amount of warmth from the ground ginger. Enjoy the crunch of these Ginger Cookies with a cup of coffee or tea - they are ideal for dunking!
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Why we love this recipe:
Cookies in the style of gingernuts are popular throughout the world. Some are known as ginger biscuits or ginger snap cookies. This old family recipe for Gingernut Cookies comes from a great-aunt of mine. I have adapted it to make it gluten-free.
We did not want a bland cookie so there’s no skimping with the spice. You will love the deep warmth which the ginger gives this crunchy cookie.
You will love that:
- They are quickly and easily made.
- All ingredients are readily available, or you may already have the ingredients on hand.
- These Gluten-Free Gingernut Cookies are the perfect tea-time treat, ideal for dunking in a cup of tea or coffee.
- If you love ginger, this is the recipe for you; these cookies are rich with spice.
- The spiced flavour makes these ideal for the festive season.
- They are deliciously crispy.
- People who are gluten intolerant are also able to enjoy them.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Gluten-free self-raising flour – I use a commercially produced flour blend that contains either xanthan or guar gum to stabilise and provide structure to our recipes. If your flour blend already contains either of these gums, there is no need to add more. Not all gluten-free flour blends are equal. It may take trial and error to find one which you like.
Sugar – I use regular white sugar.
Ground ginger – adds warmth, a spicy note and fragrance to baking.
Baking/bi-carbonate of Soda – is an alkaline leavening agent. It is used in baking when there’s an acidic ingredient, such as golden syrup. It is different to baking powder.
Butter – adds richness and flavour.
Golden Syrup - this sweetener is readily available in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and is now available in the international section of some grocery stores in the USA.
Egg – I use large eggs.
Step by step instructions:
To begin, line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper and pre-heat your oven.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix them together.
- Melt the butter over low heat and set it aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add the golden syrup to the melted butter and stir to combine. Lightly beat the egg, and add to the butter mixture, stirring until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the golden syrup mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Roll into small balls and place onto the prepared baking tray. Leave plenty of space as the cookies will spread. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and after 2 or 3 minutes, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Tips for success and FAQs:
The most important tip with these easily made cookies is that your ground ginger needs to be fresh. If you use ginger which you have had for some time, the flavour may be flat and dull as spices lose their vibrancy over time.
You will need to leave plenty of room between each cookie as they spread a lot, becoming thin and crispy. This means you need to cook them in batches.
These Gluten-Free Gingernut Cookies are soft when you remove them from the oven but become crispy as they cool.
Cookies or biscuits?
In Australia, we more commonly use the British term “biscuit” for the sweet treat we enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. However, in the USA a biscuit is closer to what we call a scone and their sweet treat which may accompany tea, coffee or a glass of milk is a “cookie”.
So, whilst in Australia, we may say that a biscuit is a cookie, in the USA a cookie is not a biscuit. We aim to avoid confusion.
No, they are nut-free. You may wonder why they are called ginger nuts when they do not contain nuts. One theory is that they are crispy, like a nutshell.
We often chill cookie dough before baking to avoid the cookies spreading. However, it is not necessary to chill the dough for my Gluten-Free Gingernut Cookies as they are supposed to be nice and thin, so we want them to spread.
When completely cold, store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Yes, they can. Allow them to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container for up to three months.
Yes, it can. The dough can be frozen for up to three months. Allow to defrost before baking.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
Here are some more of our favourite cookie recipes:
- Gluten-Free Almond Cookies
- Chewy Amaretti Cookies
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Almond Cookies
- Coconut Macaroons
My Gluten-Free Gingernut Cookies are a great addition to your cookie/biscuit baking repertoire. You will find many ways to enjoy them. As I mentioned above, they are the ideal dunking cookie. Add some to lunch boxes, serve with our No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream for textural and flavour contrast, or pack some in cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon as gifts.
Alex xx
Gluten-Free Gingernut Cookies
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 245 g (1 and ½ cups + 6 tsp) gluten-free all purpose/plain flour See Note 1
- ¾ cup (170 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking/bicarb soda See Note 2
- 1 ½ tablespoon ground ginger See Notes 3 and 4
- ½ cup (125 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (60 ml) golden syrup See Note 5
- 1 large egg - lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C (355 F).
- Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Over a low-medium heat or in the microwave, melt the butter and set it aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- To a medium-size bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Add the golden syrup to the butter and stir to combine. Add the lightly beaten egg, and mix well to combine.
- Add the golden syrup mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.Allow the mixture to stand for 10 minutes, for the flour to hydrate.
- Roll into small balls, approximately 2 level teaspoons of mixture, or about 3 cm (1 inch) in diameter.
- Place on the prepared tray leaving a gap of approximately 6 cm (2 ½ inches) as the cookies will spread.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes. The cookies should be a rich golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and after 2 or 3 minutes, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. They will still be soft when you remove them from the oven but will become crisp as they cool.
- Once your baking trays are cool, repeat this process with further batches.Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Our gluten-free flour blends contain either xanthan or guar gum to stabilise and provide structure to our recipes. If your flour blend already contains either of these gums, there is no need to add more. If you do not require the recipe to be gluten-free, you can use regular flour.
We have tested this recipe with four different brands of gluten-free flour, and found hydration levels to be different. We have added an additional 6 teaspoon of flour to the original recipe to help combat this. - Baking Soda is not the same as baking powder.
- In Australia, the tablespoon is 20 ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons. Please adjust your measurement if necessary.
- For the best flavour, ensure that your ground ginger is fresh.
- Golden syrup is readily available in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and is now available in the international section of some grocery stores in the USA.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one cookie. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
This recipe was updated in December 2023 with minor changes made to the recipe to make it more user friendly. If you prefer the original, please contact us and we will send you a copy.
Lynne Peace says
hi Alex, i had the same issue as a previous person's post, my biscuits looked lovely, but they didn't turn out crisp, they taste nice though. i did weigh my ingredients as recommended, i used maple syrup as i didn't have golden syrup and i used a fork to gently press each biscuit down. i will try this recipe again
Alexandra Cook says
Hello Lynne,
Thanks so much for your comment and giving the recipe a try.
A couple of suggestions for when you make them again:
- use the golden syrup. I haven't tried with maple, and this could possibly be altering the texture.
- check that your baking soda is in date.
- check that your oven is reaching the correct temperature with an additional thermometer and possibly try cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- I haven't tried pressing this biscuit dough down with a fork, so I'd also try letting them spread as per the recipe to see if you get a result you prefer.
Also, just wondering what brand of gluten-free flour you used? They do vary in quality and result quite a bit, so I may be able to offer some suggestions 🙂
Let me know how you get on! Alex xo
Sanna says
Simply delicious!
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you, Sanna!
Alex xo
Judy says
Did i make them too thick? Not crunchy. Soft biscuit. Do I cook longer? Dreaming about real hard gingernuts like i used to love before gf! 🙃
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Judy,
Definitely sounds like they needed to be cooked a little longer - they should come out crunchy 🙂
I am assuming that they have cooled, as they will still be a little soft while warm?
How many biscuits did you end up making?
I'd say try baking them for 1-2 mins extra next time - possibly your oven runs a little cooler than mine?
Alex xo
Anna G says
Guten tag! I baked your ginger cookies over the weekend and they were wonderful. Easy recipe and came out well for someone who is not a confident baker.
- Anna G from Austria
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you, Anna, for the lovely comment.
I am so pleased you enjoyed this recipe! Alex xo
Fay says
I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count, and it’s wonderful every time. Sometimes I dip half the biscuit in chocolate and sometimes add a sprinkle of sea salt flakes. They’re delicious with a pot of ginger and turmeric tea.
Alexandra Cook says
Hello Fay,
Oh, I love the sound of dipping half the biscuit in chocolate - what a great idea.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and sharing your feedback! Alex xo
Jen says
Sorry! They turned out very dry, didn’t spread. I followed your recipe to the T.
I’m a long term celiac so have baked for an over a decade. They were very buttery which was nice and gingery. Just didn’t spread and were dry, rather than crisped.
Alexandra Cook says
Hey Jen,
I am sorry you found these dry - they're a recipe we make often so I'd love to try and work out what may have happened.
Did you weigh your ingredients for accuracy?
If they have come out dry, the only thing I could think is perhaps your oven runs a bit hotter than ours, and they needed a few minutes less baking.
Thanks for your feedback! Alex xo
Jemima Smith says
Hi, my gluten-free flour doesn’t contain xanthan gum, how much do I add to the recipe please? Thank you
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Jemima!
In general, it is recommended to use 1/2 tsp per 1 cup of flour for baking. So, for this recipe, you'll need a little over 3/4 tsp.
Thanks! Alex xo
Sophie says
These Gingernut cookies are so delicious. I will be making them again for Christmas.
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Sophie!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe and will be making them again.
Enjoy, Alex xo
Jean says
I've never made cookies with ginger before this. Turned out so goooooodddddd!
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Jean!
I am so happy you enjoyed them - thanks so much for sharing! Alex xo
Paula says
I have just taken my second batch out of the oven, and the kitchen smells incredible - definitely as though Christmas is on the way.
I am a recently diagnosed coeliac, and very new to gluten free baking. I am so happy to have discovered your website and look forward to trying more of your recipes - the gingerbread is next on my list. Thank you.
Alexandra Cook says
Hello Paula,
That smells definitely always makes me think of the festive season too 🙂
I am so pleased that you have come across out site, and hope you'll find many more recipes to try. I'd love to hear what you think of the gingerbread also.
Thanks so much, Alex xo
Jessica says
Disaster! Flat as pancakes, and very gooey. Not unpleasant but not a biscuit.
Added oat flour and got a much better result.
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Jessica,
I am sorry to hear that this recipe didn't work for you. I'd love to help you work out what might have happened.
1. Firstly, these are thin cookies, but definitely not gooey. They should be nice and crisp. As such, it sounds as though they needed to be baked for a little longer or there wasn't enough flour added initially. Did you weigh your ingredients for the best accuracy?
2. Did you make any changes or substitutions to any of the ingredients/recipe at all?
3. Did your gluten-free flour contain xanthan gum? This is an important part of gluten-free baking - See Note 1 in the recipe card.
Please feel free to let me know! Thanks, Alex
Caroline Ong says
Hello! Can I check if there’s any replacement for golden syrup? It’s for my young children, so trying to reduce the amount of sugar. Can I replace it with maple syrup?
Alexandra Cook says
Hello Caroline,
I haven't tried a refined sugar free replacement for this recipe, I am sorry. Using maple syrup would certainly alter the flavour of the cookies, and having not tried them, I couldn't confirm if the consistency would change.
If you give it a try, I would love to know how you get on! Thanks, Alex xo
Olivia says
I've successfully made them with agave syrup, but I've found they go (possibly bc of the syrup?) cakey and crumbly unless I squish them as thin as possible and bake for a bit longer (I think I bake them for 15 minutes, possibly a little longer)
but if you squish them super thin and bake for a bit longer, they're perfect with agave.
Alexandra Cook says
Thanks for sharing, Olivia! I haven't had any experience with agave syrup before - if they do become cakey, that must be the reason, as the original recipe does not 🙂
It is good to know your tips for successfully making them with agave.
Thanks again, Alex xo
Lily says
Since finding out that my brother has coeliac disease, we had to look up many different gluten free recipes but this one has been THE best! We're probably on our 5th batch. Sometimes, we like to change it up a bit: plain flour, plain flour WITH self-raising flour. No matter HOW much we change it, it still tastes aMAZING! The very first time we tried the recipe, we expected our minuscule blobs to turn into yummy small biscuits, but in the oven they turned into MASSIVE giant cookies.
WE LOVE THE BISCUITS NO MATTER THE CHANGE! yum.
by Lily age 11
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Lily!
Thank you for leaving a comment and letting me know you've made and enjoyed this recipe!
So glad you find the cookies yum! Alex xo
Mimi says
Delicious thank you. Did add more ginger and decreased sugar and syrup slightly. Love them!
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Mimi,
Thank you for your feedback on the GF Gingernut Cookies. I am delighted that you enjoy them. 🙂