Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking pans with silicone liners or parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar, with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the molasses, beating until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through to incorporate all the wet ingredients.
With a wooden spoon, stir in ½ the flour mixture until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir until all the flour is incorporated.
Place the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls and place on the prepared pans. Roll each dough ball in the sugar before returning to the pan.
Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes at 375 degrees until the cookies are browned, but the centers are still soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour mix for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain it, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flourwhich contains xanthan gum.
Make sure your butter is at room temperature. I take the butter out of the fridge the night before and let it soften on the kitchen counter.
Use a 1.5-tablespoon scoop to drop the dough on the prepared pans. The scoop allows you to use the same amount of dough for each cookie.
Leave the baked cookies on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling. The cookies are delicate when they come out of the oven and they need the 5 minutes to cool and set up.