Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies recipe… Soft and chewy with a crisp edge… the perfect cookie texture. Easy to make and loaded with dark chocolate chips and crystallised ginger for the best chocolate-ginger experience. Optional dairy free.
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Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies – A new flavour on the Alchemist block…
Meet my new Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies… Another flavour in the Gluten Free Alchemist cookie catalogue… Perfectly balanced for texture, chocolate and warming ginger. Like their sister Chocolate Chip Cookies, they have been tried and tested on gluten-eating teenagers who have confirmed that they can’t tell they are gluten free. Tick. ✔️
The gluten free flour used has been carefully adjusted to ensure there is no tell-tale gluten free ‘grittiness’. And they are so easy to make that (if you spend 10 minutes preparing the dough the night before) you can have a batch done and ready to go before the kids set off for school.
Is this the BEST gluten free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies recipe?
Now I’ve eaten a LOT of biscuits and cookies in my many years on earth… And I’ve asked myself whether these could be in the running for the BEST gluten free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies recipe.
When I ‘release’ any of my recipes on the world, I have very strict criteria. As someone who ate gluten for over 40 years before becoming a Coeliac (Celiac) family, the memory of ‘real’ food is well-embedded. And equally, the frustration that we should accept gluten free food that isn’t at least as good as ‘normal’ food remains strong. When told by someone in a Facebook group ‘you’ll get used to it (ie. dry gritty food) love’, I was fuming! I have no intention of ‘getting used to’ it…
So, unlike many you’ll find on the internet, the Gluten Free Alchemist recipes will always have been through the mill until they are as close as possible to the real thing. And that means they will certainly be up there with or even beyond ‘the best’…
How to make perfect gluten free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies
Making perfect Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies is not hard. But there are a few tips that are worth bearing in mind to be sure…
When making the cookie dough…
- Make sure the butter is softened before you start… And beat well into the sugar with an electric whisk (for preference) so that it is as smooth and silky as possible.
- But… Don’t beat the egg into the mix with the whisk. Use a wooden or silicone spoon instead. Too much air in the mixture will result in ‘cake’ rather than ‘cookie’.
- For best results, the gluten free flours in the dough should be given time to hydrate… So, if possible, make the dough the night before you need it and chill. And at minimum, chill for 3 to 4 hours.
- Use ‘bake-stable’ chocolate chips… Chips that melt easily in the heat of the oven will sink to the bottom of the cookies and change the structure of the dough as it bakes.
Baking the cookies
- Bake the cookies on good quality baking parchment so they don’t stick. This will ensure easy removal and whole cookies!
- Leave plenty of room between the cookie dough balls when baking to allow them to spread… At least 5 cm or a couple of inches.
- Keep a close eye on the cookies as they bake… Depending on the softness or crispiness required (see below), a minute over or under will make a big difference.
- Once baked, leave the cookies on the trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. This allows the cookies to start to firm after the heat of the oven.
Getting the right cookie texture…
Although I think these are the perfect cookies, I appreciate that different people look for different things. So, when developing my gluten free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies, I left plenty of room for making them your way. If you prefer a crunchier, flatter, fatter, softer, sweeter or any other variant of cookie… that’s just fine…
- Crunchier cookie – bake for a minute or two longer.
- Softer cookie – bake a minute or two less (Makes the BEST ice cream sandwiches!)
- Fatter cookie – Be certain to chill overnight.
- Flatter cookie – chill for less time.
- A more ‘cakey’ cookie – beat the egg into the creamed butter-sugar using a whisk until very well blended and light. It can also help to add an extra sprinkle of tapioca starch into the flour blend, depending on how ‘cakey’ you want them.
- More chocolate chips or crystallised ginger – Just add extra
- Slightly sweeter – use all white sugar and/or milk or white chocolate.
The choice is yours…
Can I use ground ginger as well or instead of Crystallised Ginger?
The recipe shared here for gluten free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies was originally created using crystallised ginger. Crystallised ginger (also known as candied ginger) can be found in good supermarkets. It usually comes in a jar as small cubes that have been coated in sugar.
Because the cookies are not meant to be like traditional ‘gingerbread’, I find that the crystallised ginger adds enough of a fiery kick, with the characteristic ‘chew’ that comes from candied ginger. They can however be made with some additional ground ginger powder if you prefer a more typically-flavoured ginger cookie base.
Equally, if crystallised ginger doesn’t work for you, them simply leave it out and balance the heat with ground ginger to taste.
Can I make these cookies dairy free as well as gluten free?
Yes. To make Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies gluten and dairy free requires a couple of simple substitutions… First… Use a dairy free alternative to butter. I recommend using a ‘block’ alternative such as Stork or Flora baking blocks, to keep the texture as consistent as possible. Second… Use dairy free chocolate chips.
Time to make my Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies Recipe…
And that’s all you need to know (I think)… If you have any other queries, just shout and I will try to help. If you’re happy, then it’s time to bake!
I hope you love these cookies as much as we do. Interestingly, my test group preferred them to straight chocolate chip! But let me know if you make them and tell me what you think. Leave a comment, rate the recipe (it’s one of the ways Google knows they are worth sharing with other people) and tag me on Social Media, with photos of your delicious cookie stacks! You’ll find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. And while you’re there, why not follow for all the latest goings on at Gluten Free Alchemist.
As always, thank you for visiting and supporting us. Don’t forget to check out our full Recipe Index for loads of photographic inspiration. 😁
Other yummy cookies and biscuits you might want to try…
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies
Key equipment
- airtight container (to mix dry ingredients)
- small sharp knife
- fridge
- Oven
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 180 g plain gluten free flour blend For best results use GFA Blend A – See NOTES
- 20 g tapioca starch
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum If the flour blend used already contains xanthan gum, omit from the recipe
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda baking soda
- pinch fine sea salt
- ½ tsp ground ginger OPTIONAL
Wet ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter softened (or good 'block' dairy free alternative)
- 110 g soft light brown sugar
- 65 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1 large egg UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)
Add-ins
- 45 g bake-stable chocolate chips dark, milk or light (DF if required) – See NOTES
- 40 g crystallised ginger cut into small pieces
Instructions
Dry ingredients
- Weigh and mix the dry ingredients (flours, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ground ginger (if using)) into an airtight container and shake vigorously to mix. Set aside.
Making the base cookie dough
- Make sure the butter is softened before starting.
- Weigh the butter and sugars into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth, light and pale in colour.
- Add the vanilla extract (if using) and beat again.
- Set the whisk aside.
- Add the egg to the mixture and beat thoroughly BY HAND using a wooden/firm silicone spoon until smooth and even. Do NOT beat the egg with an electric whisk.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix again with the spoon until the batter is well-blended and smooth.
- Add the chocolate chips and chopped crystallised ginger to the batter and stir through until even.
- Either leave the dough in the bowl or transfer onto a sheet of baking paper and wrap. Chill the dough thoroughly in the fridge. For best results, chill the dough over night and for at least a minimum of 3 hours.
Rolling and baking the cookies
- Prepare about 4 large baking sheets (or batch bake as necessary) by lining with non-stick baking paper.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- When the dough has been thoroughly chilled, take it from the fridge and roll into balls (or use a small cookie/cake-pop scoop). The dough makes 20 cookies and each dough ball should be a little smaller than a golf ball (but larger than a walnut).
- Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets with plenty of room between them for spreading as they bake (at least 5 cm or a couple of inches). I usually prepare the first half batch and while is bakes, roll the second batch ready. Do NOT flatten the balls.
- Put the dough balls into the oven straight away to bake (if there is likely to be a delay, they need to be returned to the fridge. The warmer the dough, the flatter the cookies will be).
- Bake for between about 10 and 15 minutes. The timings will depend on the oven used and on how soft/crunchy you want the cookies to be… For softer cookies, they are likely to take closer to 11 minutes. For crisper cookies, nearer 14/15 minutes. But either way, the cookies need to be flattened and starting to brown at the edges before they are done. After 10 minutes, watch them closely and judge by sight.
- When done, remove the cookies from the oven and leave them on the baking paper for 10 minutes or so, before transferring to a wire rack (using a spatula) to cool completely. The cookies will firm up as they cool, but are delicious eaten while still warm.
- Store in an airtight container once cold.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies shared with
- Cook Blog Share Week 27 2021 with My Dinner
- What’s For Dinner #321 with The Lazy Gastronome
- Full Plate Thursday #542 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
- Sundays on Silverado #47 with The House on Silverado
- Fiesta Friday #387 with Angie
Yum, looks good! Thanks so much for linking up with me at the Unlimited Link Party 31. Pinned!
Thanks Dee
You’re welcome xx
Love these flavours together!
Thanks Kat x
You’ve got me every which way with these. I adore homemade ginger biscuits and also choc chip cookies. I also have a secret passion for crystallised ginger and raid the jar way too often! So yes please, pass one (or three) over.
Thanks Choclette. I know what you mean… It’s the perfect balance of spiced and sweet xx
These look brilliant. My mother loves ginger cookies and I will try to make them for her next time.
Thanks for sharing the recipe at #cookblogshare
Thank you Marita. Ginger is great in cookies x
This is one of those recipes that makes me ask myself why didn’t I think of that. Chocolate chip and crystallised ginger – yum! They look just perfect I shall make these for my sister when she comes to stay.
Ha ha! yes! I often get that feeling when looking at other blogs…
I hope your sister loves them as much as us. xx
I absolutely love ginger – in anything!! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party!! Have a great week and Happy 4th of July!
Thank you Helen. Me too!
Have a great week xx
Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday, 542. Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
You’re welcome Helen. Thanks for hosting xx
First of all, the photo of the cookies is beautiful and intriguing. I enjoyed reading about the different textures. Though I don’t make cookies often, I do enjoy making them on special occasions for my grandchildren and family. And with the health/nutrition needs of different ones, I’m always experimenting with gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free treats. I’ll save your recipe for my next cookie baking.
Thank you Angie. These were so tasty and the ginger was just balanced to be warming but not over-powering.
I’m glad you found the post interesting, And I hope you enjoy them should you bake them xx