Molasses Spice Cookies (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar-Free)

These cookies are pretty awesome. They taste like old-school gingerbread cookies. They're rich and chewy and "melt in your mouth."Because they only have one tablespoon of agave nectar added to the blackstrap molasses, there's a muted sweetness compared to most molasses cookies.

But this is a good thing.

This is a no-fail recipe since my bff, Cecilia, made them. Apparently, I told her years ago that no matter how strictly she followed a recipe, her food always came out a little bit different. Well, she followed my recipe and these came out perfect.

Yes, I said bff. And yes, I said these cookies are awesome. I meant it. There's only one problem.

When I asked my housemate what I should call them, she suggested "Reindeer Drops." I thought that sounded good...

Until I thought about it.

My other friend was not so kind. He bluntly told me he was surprised by how good they tasted because they looked like turds. His words, not mine. I'm pretty sure these would roll out so you could cut them into shapes. That would solve the appearance problem. I'm also pretty sure I shouldn't have admitted to you that someone called them turds.

Oh well. What's done is done.

Don't let looks fool you. These cookies are really good. I highly recommend you make them.
























Molasses Spice Cookies 
Print-Friendly Option


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup sweet white rice flour (make sure you get sweet white rice flour, not regular white rice flour; aka glutinous rice flour or mochiko)
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup Spectrum Organic Palm Shortening (butter works too)
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
3/4 cup blackstrap molasses
3 Tbsp. coconut milk
2 Tbsp. flax seed meal
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the flax seed meal and coconut milk. Let it sit a couple of minutes. Mix the shortening, banana, molasses, agave nectar, and vanilla in with the flax seed meal/coconut milk until smooth. You can use a beater here, but I used a fork and it worked fine.  Stir the flour mix into the liquid mix completely. Form the dough into balls with your hands, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Some Link Love: 

The theme for Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free this month is "Family Traditions", and the fabulously talented Carol of Simply Gluten-Free is hosting.

The beautiful Ms. Tia of Glugle Gluten Free got glutened over the holidays and is laid up in bed. Stop by her blog and send her some healthy vibes, and while you're there, check out her holiday roundup and Shabtai giveaway. The giveaway is open until the 27th, so get over there quick!

The ever amazing Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays roundup is open at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Lovely Linda, our very own Gluten-Free Homemaker, has her weekly carnival up at Gluten-Free Wednesdays.