Soft Batch Apple Cider Gingersnap Cookies are soft, chewy, and perfectly spiced. They're the most delicious, gluten free fall treat!
Honey, I baked!
Chewy, gooey, apple cider and molasses-spiked, sugar-rolled, all-fall Soft Batch Apple Cider Gingersnap Cookies! Because:
- It’s finally baking season! Although the days haven’t become quite as nippy as I’d like, I’m still in that shuffling around the house in my slippers mode and the only thing I like making in my slippers better than chili, is cookies.
- I needed another recipe to use up the apple cider I bought for a batch of Sparkling Maple Bourbon Ciders (CHEERS).
- Since my Celiac Disease diagnosis I’ve barely baked a thing, and figured it was high time to change that. These cookies are the perfect reason to come out of my baking hibernation!
These Soft Batch Apple Cider Gingersnap Cookies are absolutely wonderful. Think of the softest gingersnap you’ve ever eaten then add a hint of autumnal flavor from adding both apple cider and unsweetened applesauce to the cookie dough. These babies warm the soul.
Bonus: the dough needs to chill in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight (or heck, even a day or two,) so you can make it ahead of time then bake when you’re craving a warm, chewy batch of cookies.
Let’s bake!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by creaming together 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer, or in a large bowl if using a hand held mixer.
Next add 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup apple cider, and 1/4 cup molasses – plus an egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until combined. FYI: the mixture may look curdled but it’s fine!
Finally, whisk together ginger, cinnamon, and cloves with 2-1/3 cups gluten free baking flour blend WITH a binder. I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches, mixing until just combined before adding the next batch. Cover the cookie dough then refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to one or two days.
Baking time! Scoop the cookie dough directly into a bowl of granulated sugar then roll to coat and place onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees then cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Be careful to not over bake these cookies so they land firmly in “soft batch” territory!
Sugar, spice and everything nice: that’s what Soft Batch Apple Cider Gingersnap Cookies are made of. I hope you love these soft and sweet gluten free cookies as much as we do – enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-1/3 cups gluten free baking flour blend WITH binder, see notes
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Cream together butter and 1 cup sugar in a mixing bowl on high speed until light and fluffy. Add applesauce, apple cider, molasses, egg, and vanilla then mix until combined – mixture may look curdled. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients then add to the wet ingredients in three batches, mixing until just combined before adding the next batch. Cover then refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight (dough will be soft.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees then line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop cookie dough by the Tablespoon into a bowl of 1/2 cup sugar then roll to coat and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes then let cool for a few minutes before transferring to cooling racks. Do not overbake.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days. and drained.
- I like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This recipe is a KEEPER! I made these this weekend for a family picnic and my aunt said (under her breath, of course) that they were better than her grandmother’s recipe! They are really good, lots of spice and perfect texture. Thanks so much, happy fall to you & your family!
YES! Cannot wait to make these. Will try substituting shortening for the butter for a dairy-free version!
FYI – These are great with shortening. Not the same as butter, of course, but still very good! I did not have time to chill the dough, but it didn’t seem to hurt, probably because of the shortening. Since the dough was too soft to roll in sugar, I sprinkled the tops with sugar before baking. I’m very pleased! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m curious as to whether you think I could swap out the applesauce with apple butter possibly instead? I have some homemade apple butter that I would love to use in a baking project because it has such a wonderful intense, apple-cinnamon flavor. Plus I have some on hand and don’t have any apple sauce on hand. It is a small amount (1/4 cup) but I know baking demands preciseness. Thoughts?
That could work! You could try making a half batch just in case!
I used the apple butter, and they turned out great! Perfectly tasty and chewy!
These look fantastic!! Thanks for the recipe! :)
I love the idea of apple-cider spiked cookies. Great holiday baking cookie, too.
Those look delish! And your food photography is stellar!
You have such a sweet and caring husband!
I’d love to know what you thought of the Go Sugar Free Course — will you do a post about it or give us an update!!!
These cookies look AMAZING, I cannot wait to try them.
As far as gluten free flour goes, I have been using the Trader Joes brand of gluten free flour and it has worked well for me in all recipes. Not to mention, it is the cheapest I have found!
These cookies! Definitely making very soon! You are such an inspiration. I’m in the planning stages of starting my own travel blog. Do you use mailchimp or aweber, or which do you recommend?
I use MailChimp for my RSS and Weekly Update newsletter!
I adore your blog – thank you! If I were some princess I would definitely hire you for my cook :) Now I just have to try your recipes even though cooking is not my favorite thing to do…
By far, my favorite line it this whole post was “Scoop the cookie dough directly into a bowl of sugar”! Don’t mind if I do! Definitely going to be making these with a batch of hot mulled wine for a fun girls night.
Yum! These look delicious! I’m so glad you baked something for my own selfish reasons…these look so soft and perfect for Fall! It’s not really cool here either but I haven’t let that stop me from Fall baking!