These cinnamon mesquite cookies are a soft and chewy gluten-free treat. The recipe combines mesquite flour (aka mesquite powder) with gluten-free flour and cinnamon to enhance the warm spicy flavor of mesquite.
For a more traditional soft cookie, try my recipe for chewy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, or my grain-free lemon almond flour cookies. Here is my full list of gluten-free cookie recipes.
Is Mesquite Flour Gluten-Free?
Yes! Gluten is only found in grains and mesquite is not a grain. Mesquite flour, or powder, comes from the the pods that grow on mesquite trees (common in the southwest US and Mexico). It has hints of cinnamon and caramel and is wonderful in baked goods. I enhance the flavor by adding cinnamon to this recipe. Zint Mesquite Flour is an excellent gluten-free option.
Chewy Cookies vs. Crispy Cookies
I really don’t have a preference when it comes to the texture of cookies. I love them all, whether they’re soft, chewy, crispy or cakey.
Normally the key to getting chewy cookies, is to form the cookies and then refrigerate for at least an hour before baking. However, if using a one-to-one gluten-free flour like King Arthur Measure for Measure or Cup4Cup these cookies will bake up chewy without chilling.
Gluten-Free Flours
I have used several different flour blends for these cinnamon mesquite cookies. My preferred gluten-free flour for baking is King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. Pamela’s All Purpose Artisan Blend and Cup4Cup (contains milk powder) are similar and will work too. All three of these flours are certified gluten-free and contain binders, so there’s no need to add xanthan gum.
My custom DIY blend of sorghum, millet and brown rice flours is my favorite. See the notes in the recipe for a super simple DIY gluten-free flour blend or my blog post on gluten-free flours.
This is the recipe for my special flour blend that I love for this recipe and many more of my gluten-free recipes:
- 1 c sweet white sorghum flour
- 3/4 c millet flour
- ¼ c brown rice flour
- 2/3 c potato starch
- 1/3 c tapioca starch
Cookie Sweeteners
Many cookie recipes, including this one, use a combination of brown sugar and granulated white sugar. I am a fan of both in cookies but I also love coconut palm sugar (doesn’t taste like coconut). It has a similar flavor to brown sugar but is more heavy on the caramel flavor and less on the molasses. I highly recommend giving it a try. This recipe can be made with brown or coconut palm sugar.
Cookie Toppings
In my opinion these cookies are in need of a little decoration and I love a drizzle of icing to add some visual appeal. So, I recommend a super simple icing of powdered sugar and water (or milk) that mixes up in 1 minute. Immediately after icing, before it sets, you can also add some rainbow sprinkles or colorful sanding sugar to add a pop of color.
Cinnamon Mesquite Flour Cookies (Gluten-Free)
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Ingredients
- ¾ c gluten-free flour blend
- ¾ c mesquite flour/powder
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp xanthan gum (omit if your flour contains it)
- ½ c sugar
- ½ c coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 stick (4 oz) soft unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp milk or milk sub like almond or coconut milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder
Icing (optional)
- ½ c powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk milk substitute or water
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour blend, mesquite flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, & xanthan gum (if using).
- In a medium sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the sugar & coconut palm (or brown) sugar with the softened butter. Mix for 1½-2 minutes.
- Stir in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until they are completely incorporated.
- Drop about 2 Tbsp per cookie onto the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 mins.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Icing (optional)
- Sift the powdered sugar into a small mixing bowl. Stir in the milk/water with a whisk. If it's too thick, add a teaspoon of water and stir. A little water goes a LONG way.
- Use a squeeze bottle, piping bag or a spoon to drizzle the icing onto the cookies. Allow 10-20 minutes for the icing to set.
- Store the cookies in a sealed container to maintain the soft and chewy texture.
Notes
- 2 c brown rice flour
- 2/3 c potato starch
- 1/3 c tapioca starch
Delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as is and had yummy mesquite cookies that were chewy on the inside and crispy around the edges. Thank you Janet!
Yay! So glad that you enjoy them as much as I do!
The recipe says 2/3 and 1/3 on the GF and Mesquite flours respectively…but with no measurements. Is that cups? Seems like a very small batch.
Hi Virginia, thanks so much for pointing that out. Yes it should be cups. The omission has been corrected. There is an additional 1/3 cup of either teff flour or gluten-free flour. The recipe makes two dozen cookies, but if you prefer, double it for more.