These Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies are packed with sweet molasses, spices, and chocolate. They’re made with cassava flour so they’re gluten and grain free, paleo, and nut free as well. These chocolate chip gingerbread cookies are perfect for healthy holiday baking or whenever you crave a sweet treat.
All the nut free bakers out there – get excited! These sweet and spicy gingerbread cookies made with cassava flour are seriously delicious and ready for holiday gatherings.
Using my original cassava flour chocolate chip cookies as a base I decided to experiment with a gingerbread version. While cassava flour is not the easiest flour to work with (more on that below) I came up with 3 different versions that I was happy with, and picked my very favorite.
The result is a cookie that’s soft and somewhat cakey at room temperature, and firmer and chewier in the refrigerator. With all the flavor you’d expect in a gingerbread cookie, plus chocolate chips as a bonus!
What You Need to Make Paleo + Nut Free Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies
The ingredients for these cookies are simple and many are pantry staples you probably have on hand already. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ghee or grass fed butter
- Molasses
- Maple sugar (my favorite) or coconut sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Egg
- Cassava flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Sea salt
- Dark Chocolate Chips
How to Use Cassava Flour in Paleo Baking
When I first started using cassava flour, I thought you could sub it in for regular white flour in most recipes. Turns out that I was wrong – cassava has its own properties that can make it tricky to bake with.
It’s denser than white flour and blanched almond flour, so you’ll need significantly less of it. It’s also VERY powdery! This quality often leads to cookies that are on the cakey side. Alternatively, breads and muffins made with cassava flour can turn out overly “gummy” sometimes.
I find cassava flour works well in cookies with a mix of a sticky liquid sweetener (honey or molasses) and a granulated sweetener. Butter or palm shortening rather than coconut oil also helps avoid a crumbly texture.
Where can I find paleo friendly chocolate chips?
For a truly paleo option without ant cane sugar, I like using Hu Kitchen dark chocolate bars. Just chop them up for chocolate chunk cookies!
If you don’t mind cane sugar, you can use Enjoy Life brand dark chocolate chips for a dairy and soy free option. I used the Enjoy Life Mini Chips for these photos.
How do I store gingerbread cookies made with cassava flour?
I find that cassava flour cookies are extremely delicate right out of the oven. I recommend cooling on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before carefully transferring to wire racks to fully cool.
For the best texture, I actually like storing these in the refrigerator. At room temperature, they have a cakey texture and from the fridge, they’re firmer and chewier.
I hope you’re ready for a fun, easy, and delicious paleo and nut free cookie recipe! Grab your ingredients and get the oven preheated – it’s time to bake!
Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies {Paleo, Nut Free}
Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies {Paleo, Nut Free}
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup grass fed butter softened
- 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1/2 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 3/4 cup cassava flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350° F and line a large baking sheet (or 2) with parchment paper.
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Using an electric hand mixer, cream together the ghee or butter), sugar, molasses, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth
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Add in the egg and beat on low speed until well combined
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In a separate bowl, combine the cassava flour, baking soda, baking powder**, spices, and salt. Add this mixture to wet ingredients, beating on low speed until smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips, leaving some for the tops of the cookies. Chill the dough for 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
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Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2” apart. Place the remaining chocolate chips on the tops of the cookies, pressing each mound of dough down just a little as you do this. The cookies will still spread a bit in the oven.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes or until cookies are set.
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Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, then very carefully transfer to wire racks to finish cooling. They are VERY delicate due to the cassava flour. These cookies are not at their best right out of the oven - they need time to finish setting while they cool.
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Cookies will be soft cakier at room temp, and become more firm and chewier in the refrigerator. I personally prefer their texture after chilling! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*You can use palm oil shortening for a dairy free option. I don’t recommend coconut oil.
**For Paleo (corn free) baking powder, mix 1 tsp baking soda with 2 tsp cream of tartar. For this recipe you’ll need just 1/2 tsp of this mixture.
Nutrition
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Want More Nut Free Paleo Baking Recipes? Try One of These!
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cassava Flour
Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
Banana Blueberry Breakfast Bread
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Tahini
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WOW! This looks gorgeous AND delicious!
These cookies look very moist inside and I would like a dryer, crisper cookie. Any idea how to achieve this result without ruining your wonderful recipe? Thanks!
Sounds delicious. Can I sub flax eggs ??
I love your recipe! I’ve replaced the butter with solidified coconut milk to give it some extra flavor and they turned out great.
The dry cake looks so delicious and very appealing, I really want to enjoy it.