Amaranth Flour Cookies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

These crispy amaranth flour cookies are warmly spiced with ginger and cardamom, naturally gluten free, dairy free, and made without xanthan gum - just simple, wholesome ingredients you already have. Mixed in one bowl and ready in 18 minutes, they deliver a satisfying snap and deep spice flavor that makes them impossible to eat just one.

Amaranth flour cookies might be the best-kept secret in gluten-free baking. Made entirely with amaranth flour - an ancient grain rich in protein, fiber, and amino acids - these spiced cookies are crispy on the outside, tender inside, and completely dairy free. Made with olive oil and brown sugar, they are a healthy, protein-rich treat that you'll make again and again. You will also not find any Xanthan gum or any other additives in this recipe.

Unlike many gluten-free cookie recipes that rely on almond flour or coconut flour, this recipe uses 100% amaranth flour, giving the cookies a distinct earthy, nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with warm spices like ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg.

One bowl, 8 minutes in the oven, and zero compromise on taste - these amaranth spice cookies are crispy on the edges, chewy in the center, and packed with cozy flavor. If you've been searching for healthy gluten-free cookies or ancient grain cookie recipes that are genuinely simple to make, you just found your new go-to.

For something more elegant, these gluten-free Amaranth Shortbread Cookies are made with pistachios, cashews, and lemon zest - a traditional Indian Rajgira cookie that melts in your mouth.

What Is Amaranth Flour? (And Why Use It in Cookies?)

Amaranth flour is ground from the seeds of the Amaranthus plant - an ancient grain cultivated for over 8,000 years by the Aztecs and Incas. It's naturally gluten free, high in protein and fiber, and unlike most alternative flours, it actually brings flavor to the table: earthy, nutty, and slightly peppery in a way that makes warm spices like ginger and cardamom sing rather than compete.

Love baking with ancient grains? These Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies use 100% quinoa flour with zero xanthan gum - a completely clean, gluten-free cookie that's just as simple to make.

What to Know Before You Bake with It

Because amaranth contains no gluten, there's no elastic network to support the cookie dough, but here's the thing - it doesn't really matter with Amaranth flour cookies. Why? Because we are looking for the crisp cookie, not doughy type.

Well, amaranth flour cookie dough won't win any gluten free cookie dough beauty contests. It's simply not one of the most attractive things in the baking world. It has unattractive dark brown in color and is slimy in texture.

It also spreads more than wheat-based dough, but the end result is a beautifully crispy not too thin cookie. Paired with olive oil instead of butter, amaranth produces a crisp, snappy cookie with serious depth of flavor.

If you have never tried amaranth this is your chance to fall in love with this super food grain!

Love gluten free flour baking? This Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect companions!

Ingredients and why you'll need them

• Amaranth flour: Cookie dough made with amaranth flour tends to be more fragile, slimy and sticky, but it holds its shape when properly balanced with other ingredients or used with parchment paper on baking sheets to prevent sticking.
• Baking soda: Baking soda facilitates cookie spread and browning and creates a chewier, softer texture by delaying the cookie dough from setting too quickly, allowing butter to melt and sugars to dissolve further before the cookie firms up.
• Spices: Ginger, cardamom, nutmeg.
• Dark brown sugar: Brown sugar impacts cookies differently than white sugar because of its molasses content, which adds moisture, flavor and texture. The molasses in brown sugar attracts water, which helps cookies stay soft and chewy in the center.

Plus egg, butter, salt and vanilla.

How to Make Amaranth Cookies Step by Step

This is a one-bowl recipe with no chilling required - unless your kitchen runs warm. The dough comes together in minutes, and the cookies bake in under 10 minutes. Here's exactly how to do it.

1. Mix the wet ingredients first.
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar, and egg until the mixture is smooth and slightly glossy. Don't rush this step - fully incorporating the oil and sugar here is what gives the cookies their crisp, even texture.

2. Add the spices directly to the wet mixture.
Stir in the ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract before adding the flour. Blooming the spices in fat (even a small amount) intensifies their flavor in the finished cookie.

3. Fold in the amaranth flour and leavening.
Add the amaranth flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until a soft, cohesive dough forms. It will look denser than a typical cookie dough - that's normal.

If the dough feels sticky, refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes before scooping, but it's not necessary.

4. Use a Tablespoon to Scoop the Dough.
Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Parchment paper makes things so much easier. Trust me - I know it because I made a mistake of not using a parchment paper first time I made these cookies and they got stuck to the cookie sheet.

Amaranth dough spreads a lot more than wheat-based dough does, so don't panic if the dough looks too wet. That's the consistency we need.

They will be slimy, oily, and not very attractive - but that's OK.

Keep in mind that while the dough is runny, it should still hold its shape as shown in the picture below. If it doesn't, add 1 tablespoon of additional amaranth flour to the bowl with the Amaranth cookie dough.Don't add more than 2 tablespoons EXTRA total.

Below is the picture of the slimy and not very pretty raw cookies right before the go into the oven.

5. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
Pull the cookies when the edges are just set and the tops look barely dry - they will continue to firm up on the pan. Overbaking amaranth cookies by even two minutes pushes them from crisp to hard, so err on the side of underdone.

Depending on the type of cookie sheet these spice cookies will bake for 8 to 10 minutes. If it's enameled cookie sheet, you will bake them for about 8 minutes. But if it's a metal one - about 9-10 minutes.

6. Cool completely on the pan.
Transfer to a wire rack only after 5 minutes of resting. Amaranth cookies are fragile when hot and firm up significantly as they cool - this is where the final snap develops.

TRULY a transformation of the ugly ducklings into the pretty swans!

Tips for the Best Results

• Don't skip flattening the dough balls - amaranth flour has no gluten lift and will bake up as rounds if you don't press them
• Use fine-ground amaranth flour, not whole amaranth seeds or coarse meal, for the best texture
• Taste your spices - if your ground ginger or cardamom has been in the pantry over a year, they may be too flat to carry this recipe; fresh spices make a noticeable difference

Can I make these amaranth cookies spicier?

You can and you should! Double up on the spices and use more! I recommend ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon cardamom and 2 teaspoon ginger powder to create the most aromatic amaranth cookies! By the way, you can also use cardamom, cinnamon or coriander to spice them up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute amaranth flour with another gluten-free flour?
You can, but the flavor and texture will change noticeably. Teff flour is the closest swap - same earthy depth, similar density. Oat flour works in a pinch but produces a softer, more cake-like cookie. Almond flour will spread too aggressively and won't replicate the crisp snap that makes these cookies distinctive.

Can I make these cookies vegan?
Yes. Replace the egg with a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water, rested for 5 minutes). The cookies will be slightly less crisp and a touch more fragile, but the flavor holds up well.

Can I replace olive oil? Use coconut oil for another variation of this dairy-free cookie recipe.

Why did my amaranth cookies turn out hard?
Almost always overbaking. Amaranth flour has very little moisture buffer, so two extra minutes in the oven is the difference between crisp and rock hard. Pull them the moment the edges are set and the tops look just dry - they firm up significantly on the pan as they cool.

Can I reduce the sugar in this recipe?
Yes you can. I've used ¼ cup and even ⅛ cup of brown sugar to make these amaranth flour cookies. You can also substitute dark brown sugar with coconut sugar or maple syrup.

How do I store amaranth cookies?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Unlike butter-based cookies, these actually improve slightly on day two as the spices settle into the crumb. Avoid refrigerating them - the cold firms them up past the point of pleasant.

Can I freeze amaranth cookies?
Yes - both the baked cookies and the raw dough freeze well. For baked cookies, freeze in a single layer then transfer to a zip-lock bag for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. For raw dough, portion and flatten the balls first, freeze on a sheet tray, then bake directly from frozen at 350°F adding 2-3 extra minutes.

Are amaranth cookies healthy?
Compared to conventional cookies, yes - meaningfully so. Amaranth flour delivers more protein, fiber, iron, and magnesium per serving than all-purpose or even almond flour, with no gluten and no dairy in this recipe. That said, they still contain sugar and should be treated as what they are: a better-for-you cookie, not a health food.

Storage and Make-Ahead

• Store Amaranth spice cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• Freeze them for up to 2 months, or freeze unbaked dough balls and bake when ready.
• Dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking.

More alternative flour cookie recipes

• Quinoa Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Almond Flour Cookies with Cranberries
• Buckwheat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies