Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses

Alpine Ella
by Alpine Ella
30 cookies
30 min

These soft and chewy gingerbread cookies are so simple to make, plus you don’t need any molasses! They take just 20 minutes to prepare.

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If you have molasses on hand I definitely recommend my glazed chocolate gingerbread cookies , but I know not everyone loves the taste of molasses or has it on hand! So in come these delicious gingerbread cookies without molasses.


Tell me about this recipe!

  • These cookies are lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger – all the spices for Christmas!
  • Instead of using molasses, I use honey in these cookies. It makes the cookies almost like a spiced sugar cookie. Because of the honey, these cookies will not be as dark as regular gingerbread.
  • The dough will need to chill in the fridge. This means it’ll be easy to roll out plus the cookies will keep their shape when you bake them.


Ingredients Needed

The printable recipe card with the full list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.


  • Spices: Because there is no molasses in this recipe, you need to kick it up a notch with the spices! I use a lot of ginger and cinnamon, as well as a small amount of cloves, nutmeg and allspice.
  • Honey: honey replaces the molasses in these cookies, which will give you a much more subtle taste.
  • Coconut Oil: using coconut oil in these cookies will make your cookies more soft and tender instead of a snappier cookie. You can substitute the coconut oil with shortening or more butter.


How to make this recipe

Step 1: In a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, mix together your butter, coconut oil, brown sugar, spices, salt and baking powder. Beat on medium speed for a couple of minutes.


Step 2: Add in your egg and honey and beat again for another two minutes.

Step 3: Pour in your flour and fold the batter together. Make sure there are no more pockets of flour in the dough. Divide the dough in two and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Then, use your hands to shape the dough into a disc. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour. This will make it much easier to roll out and the cookies won’t spread when baking!


Step 4: Roll out each dough half on a lightly floured surface, then use a floured cookie cutter to cut out your shapes. You can reroll any scraps to get as many cookies are possible. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe Tips:

  • I make sure that all of my ingredients are at room temperature before I start the recipe, so pull out all of the ingredients about an hour or two before you start baking.
  • I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. It makes a huge difference to your baking and is the most accurate way to bake!
  • Use a fresh bottle of ground ginger for these cookies. It makes a huge difference to the taste of the cookies!


Frequently Asked Questions

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? These gingerbread cookies are more on the soft side which is what I prefer! The combination of butter and coconut oil makes these cookies a bit softer.

How do I decorate these? I am not the best cookie decorator! I’ll just say my cookies are a bit more rustic! If you’re in the same boat, I recommend making some royal icing to decorate the cookies. You could also use cover them in buttercream or leave them plain!

How do I store these? Once the cookies have cooled completely, keep them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Try these holiday recipes next!

Red Velvet Mug Cake

Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists

Glazed Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

White Forest Cake

Have you made this recipe? Make sure to tag me on Instagram @alpineella and leave a review below if you have! If you want more baking ideas, you can follow me on Pinterest.


Recipe

Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses
Recipe details
  • 30  cookies
  • Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 10 Minutes Total time: 30 min
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Ingredients

  • ▢ 3 cups all purpose flour
  • ▢ 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • ▢ 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
  • ▢ 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • ▢ 1/4 cup honey
  • ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ▢ 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Instructions

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, coconut oil, brown sugar, spices, baking powder and salt together. Beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until it is completely combined.
Stop the mixer and add your egg and honey. Beat together on medium-low speed.
Stop the mixer once more and pour in your flour. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture until it is just combined.
Divide your dough in half and shape both pieces into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. This will make it easier to roll out your dough and for the cookies to keep their shape in the oven!
Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface until they're a quarter of an inch thick. Use floured cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on your trays, keeping them an inch and a half apart and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Reroll the scraps and cut out the rest of the cookies, then repeat with the other half of the chilled dough.
Let the cookies cool completely before decorating the cookies.
Tips
  • My recipes have been developed and tested in metric grams. I highly recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. I have provided a conversion to US cups but please note that I haven’t tested the recipe with this method. Go to my blog to find the metric measurements.
  • I make sure that all of my ingredients are at room temperature before I start the recipe, so pull out all of the ingredients about 2 hours before you start baking.
  • Butter: I use European style butter, like Kerry Gold, in my recipes. This will make your finished bake much creamier and richer.
  • Storage: keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days.
  • Serving Size: the number of cookies in this recipe is a ballpark figure. It all depends on the size of your cookie cutter!
Alpine Ella
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