If I had to choose just one kind of Christmas cookie to make during December it would be these chewy gluten free ginger cookies. Chewy ginger molasses cookies are one of my all-time favorites!

Jump Start Your Labor Cookies

This recipe is a mash up of the super chewy delicious molasses cookies my mom made when I was a kid and a recipe for "Jump Start Your Labor" cookies I came across several years ago -- but made gluten free. They're soft and chewy and everything I love in a ginger molasses cookie!

In case you're wondering... these cookies did not, in fact, jump start my labor. I tried to give kid #3 a little nudge and ate a dozen of those cookies. The result was a massive amount of heart burn and zero baby. 

The good thing about that experience is that I realized how much I LOVE bold, spicy ginger molasses cookies! Adding lots of fresh ginger and a touch of cayenne to these cookies is a fun surprise and gives them a nice, mellow burn.

If the cayenne freaks you out, just omit it. They've got enough kick with the fresh ginger and all of those spices as it is!

How to grate fresh ginger

My favorite way to grate fresh ginger is to store it in the freezer and use a microplane grater! It's much easier to grate frozen ginger and there will be less waste since your fresh ginger will be preserved in the freezer. It's one of my favorite kitchen hacks.

More recently I've been buying frozen crushed ginger cubes because they're so convenient! I just pop them out of the molds and microwave them for 15-20 seconds until theyre thawed before adding them to the cookie dough.

If you use a Microplane grater to grate fresh ginger, you might not need as much flour in your cookie dough. I added an extra ¼ of flour because the frozen ginger is more moist. The recipe will guide you through this to make sure the ginger cookie dough is the right consistency.

Ingredients for gluten free ginger molasses cookies:

All of these ingredients are easy to find at your grocery store. If you do a lot of gluten-free baking, you might already have most of these on hand:

• Palm oil shortening (I use this instead of vegetable shortening for health reasons, but you can use vegetable shortening if that's what you prefer)
• Butter
• Coconut sugar or brown sugar
• Molasses
• Egg
• Fresh ginger
• Cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Gluten-free flour blend
• Turbinado sugar or raw sugar for rolling (optional)
• Chocolate chips or melts for drizzling/dipping (optional)

How to make these gluten free Christmas cookies

It's pretty straightforward like a typical cookie recipe -- cream the fat and sugar REALLY well, then add the rest of the wet ingredients. 

I just toss the dry ingredients in at once and blend slowly instead of using a separate bowl to whisk them together.

Chilling the dough is a super important step, too! It allows the gluten free flour blend to absorb the moisture in the dough and create a great, chewy texture and not spread too much in the oven.

Rolling the dough balls in raw or turbinado sugar and dipping the finished cookies in white or dark chocolate is optional.

FAQs

Best kind of gluten free flour for gluten free ginger cookies?

My favorite blend to use for gluten free cookies is Namaste gluten free flour blend. I buy it at our Costco, but you can also find Namaste flour on Amazon.

If you already have a gluten free flour blend that contains xantham gum that works well for you in cookies, it would probably work well here.

Can I use all butter instead of shortening?

Yep. The cookies might spread a little more in the oven (be sure to chill the dough well so they don't spread TOO much). They also won't be quite as chewy, but they'll still be soft and delicious.

Do I have to roll the cookie dough balls in sugar?

Nope. This is also optional. I like to do it because it gives them more texture and a little sparkle. 

Can I use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar?

Sure! Feel free to use an equal amoun of brown sugar.

I used coconut sugar because it's a natural sweetener and has a lower glycemic index. It has a similar caramel-like taste as brown sugar and swaps out well in recipes like this.

It also creates a chewy texture, somtimes moreso than brown sugar, like in this recipe: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

Can I use blackstrap molasses in these cookies?

I wouldn't. I tested these with unsulphured molasses and can't guarantee the outcome if you use blackstrap molasses.

Cayenne? WHY?

The fresh ginger adds a bolder ginger flavor and a slight touch of heat to these cookies, but if you'd like a little more, add some cayenne.

Cayenne was included in the original "Jump Start Your Labor Cookies" and I fell in love. These aren't slightly spiced molasses cookie recipe, it's a bold one.

Do I have to chill the cookie dough?

YES. Don't skip this step. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.

This helps the gluten free flour fully integrate into the dough and the texture of the cookies will turn out better. It'll also help the dough not spread so much in the oven -- especially if you use all butter instead of combination of butter and shortening.

Ginger Molasses Cookies vs Gingersnaps

Gingersnaps are usually crispy cookies whereas ginger cookies or molasses cookies are usually denser and chewy. 

I like to buy gingernaps at the store to grind up for pie crusts, but prefer chewy molasses cookies if I want to simply eat one.

More Gluten-Free Christmas Cookie Recipes

Here are a few more of my favorite gluten free cookies and bars to make for the holidays! Some are simply gluten free, others are grain-free and paleo-friendly.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Gingerbread Latte Cookies

Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Gluten Free Apple Cookies with Maple Glaze

Paleo Cranberry Orange Bars

Paleo Chocolate Chip Fudge Bars

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Chewy Gluten Free Ginger Cookies

Yield: 1 dozen large cookies or 20-24 small

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

These delicious chewy ginger molasses cookies are gluten free AND sweetened with coconut sugar! They're bold in flavor, too, having both ground AND fresh ginger. Want them extra spicy? Add a touch of cayenne! The coarse sugar coating and chocolate drizzle are optional, but makes them extra festive.

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Ingredients

• ½ cup palm shortening
• 4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cup coconut sugar
• ⅓ cup molasses
• 3 Tablespoons fresh grated or microplaned ginger
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend (see note)

Optional:

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• ½ cup raw turbinado sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. Beat the palm shortening and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Add the coconut sugar and beat well until the mixture lightens in color, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the fresh ginger, molasses, and egg and beat until just combined. Add spices, baking soda, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Mix on low until combined. If the dough looks especially wet and sticky, add the extra ¼ cup of flour. It should be sticky, but not wet or goopy.
3. Transfer dough to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 min and up to 24 hours.
4. When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. If you're rolling the dough in raw sugar, put the sugar in a bowl. Form balls about the same size as a golf ball or two scoops from a small cookie scoop. Roll each dough ball in the raw sugar and place on the parchment.
6. Space out the dough balls 3 inches apart because they'll spread and create large cookies. I wouldn't put more than 5 on a cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 9 minutes until the edges are slightly golden and the middles are a little on the soft side. I like to hit the pan hard on the counter after taking them out of the oven so they fall quickly and create ripples on the edges.
8. Let them cool for several minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Taste and texture is best when they've completely cooled off or even the next day. They'll soften after they've been stored in an airtight container for a few hours.

Optional Chocolate Dipping Instructions:

• Melt 1 ½ cups of dark or white chocolate chips or melts in a small bowl in 20-second increments in the microwave, stirring after each one.
• Use a fork to drizzle some chocolate over the cookies or dip them halfway into the chocolate.
• Lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet to set (chilling helps this go more quickly). Add some holiday sprinkles while the chocolate is stil wet if you prefer.
• If you use white chocolate, I recomment using chocolate melts, almond bark, ghirardelli, or guittard white chocolate chips. I've used Lily's white chocolate chips successfully, too, if you're looking to reduce the amount of sugar even further.

Notes

1. I use Namaste gluten free flour for cookies with great results. If you have a different blend you prefer, use that. Just make sure your blend contains xantham gum so the cookies don't fall apart.
2. If you'd rather use all butter instead of palm shortening, go ahead. The cookies might spread more in the oven and might not be as chewy as when you use shortening, but they'll still be tasty.
3. You can use all brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar if you prefer. I like using coconut sugar because it has a lower glycemic index than white or brown sugar and it makes the cookies more chewy.
4. I like to add the cayenne for an extra touch of heat, but omit it if you don't want that.
5. I prefer making 12 large cookies, but you can make 20-24 smaller ones if you like.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Namaste Foods Gluten Free Organic Perfect Flour Blend, 48 Oz
• 
  Dark Chocolate Chips by Lily's | Stevia Sweetened
• 
  White Chocolate Style Baking Chips By Lily's Sweets | Stevia Sweetened
• 
  Microplane 45000 Gourmet Series Coarse Cheese Grater, 18/8, Silver

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1 large cookie
Amount Per Serving Calories 346Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 26mgSodium 190mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 1gSugar 35gProtein 3g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Chewy Gluten Free Ginger Cookies appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Yeah, I know. The fifth chai recipe in just a few weeks. What can I say? I’m obsessed! When I made these paleo gingerbread waffles using my Homemade Chai Spice Blend, I was surprised how close it came to traditional gingerbread spices! You still get that familiar taste of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon with a little bit of something extra — that you can’t put your finger on, but you love it.

My 5-year-old was home from school that day so I put her to work. I can’t believe how lanky she’s getting. Those arms, man. And it still surprises me how fair she is since I’m rather dark and my husband is a quarter Mexican with jet black hair and olive skin — the only blonde-haired, blue-eyed member of our family. Our little ball of recessive genes.

OK, don’t hate me for this, but splitting the eggs and whipping the egg whites separately is really the best option for waffles. If you REALLY don’t want to do it, you can just put them in whole, but I feel like the waffles are floppier that way and don’t have as much fluff.

Also, I can usually get an extra waffle or two out of the batch because whipped egg whites creates more volume in the batter.

I swear, I’ve been making waffles for most of my life and almost every batch will have at least one waffle that spills out the sides. *facepalm*

I don’t know why I keep overestimating my waffle iron’s capacity. We were gifted a Belgian waffle iron when we got married that lasted about a decade. When it died I replaced it with a traditional waffle iron. (this Cuisinart waffle iron which is inexpensive and gets the job done. I would love to spring for this double Belgian waffle iron, but…. storage space.)

It took me a while to get used to putting half as much batter in my new iron. Overfills ALL. THE. TIME. And a few years later I’m still doing it. Can anyone relate or am I just destined to have a crusty waffle iron my whole life?

Want to know a secret? Don't stack your waffles. It'll make them soggy faster.

Put them on a wire rack on a cookie sheet, and try not to overlap them too much. Then put them in your oven on the warming setting. It'll keep some of that fresh-from-the-iron crispness.

No, this isn't leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving. (Our leftovers went the way of Paleo Orange Cranberry Bars. Twice.)

I actually bought more cranberries (At Costco. *Facepalm* Triple batch it is!) to make some paleo Wassailed Cranberry Sauce so I could put it on these waffles. It was a round about way of getting what I wanted, but it was worth it!

And now I have over a quart of extra cranberry sauce for something else. But if we're being honest here, it'll probably end up on a couple more batches of these paleo gingerbread waffles.

I mixed the cranberry sauce with some whipped coconut cream to make a creamy sweet-tart topping for my waffles. If you can handle some dairy, I highly recommend using real whipped cream.

A sprinkle of pomegranate arils was the perfect touch!

These waffles are on the sweet side because I was anticipating a more tart topping. If you decide to serve them with something sweeter you can hold back on the sweetener in the waffle batter.

Or not. #Christmastime

Chai Paleo Gingerbread Waffles with Pomegranate & Cranberry Cream

Yield: Makes 6 round waffles

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

These aren't ordinary paleo gingerbread waffles -- chai spice gives them a familiar flavor with a hint of something interesting. And cranberry cream? *Swoon*

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Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 cup tapioca flour
• ½ cup blanched almond flour
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 Tablespoon Homemade Chai Spice Blend
• 6 Tablespoons coconut sugar or preferred dry sweetener
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ⅓ cup molasses
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 cup prepared cranberry sauce
• 1 cup coconut cream, whipped (see note)
• Arils from 1 large pomegranate

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, chai spice, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt.
2. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into the bowl with the dry mixture and the whites in a separate, smaller bowl. (Don't mix in the yolks quite yet.)
3. To that bowl, add 3 eggs, applesauce, molasses, almond flour, and coconut oil. Mix it together only after you have added all of the wet ingredients.
4. Whip the egg whites using an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form.
5. Add the whites to the batter and GENTLY fold them in using a rubber spatula, scraping from the bottom and folding the batter over. The batter will be fluffy and aerated when you're done.
6. Cook the waffles in a heated waffle iron sprayed with non-stick spray (I like coconut oil spray) according to the manufacturer's directions.
7. Clean off your beaters and then use your hand mixer again to whip the coconut cream, if it's hard. Beat until it's smooth and soft. Stir in the cranberry sauce and set it aside until ready to use.
8. Serve the waffles with a dollop of cranberry cream and a sprinkle of pomegranate arils.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. You can find canned coconut cream in some grocery stores or online. If you have trouble finding it, you can use the separated cream from 2-3 cans of chilled coconut milk.

2. If you put the cranberry cream in the fridge for a while before eating it will harden again. I recommend just letting it sit out if you plan on eating soon. Or prepping it immediately before eating.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Purchases made by using these links doesn’t cost you any extra and helps to keep my content free.

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You guys, this book.

Just to clarity, it IS a cookbook, but it's so much more than that. I have never in my life read a cookbook cover to cover like a novel. Nor has one ever brought me to tears.  When I finished the book I was alone in my bedroom, almost afraid that my kids would come in and see the tears streaming down my face. I could imagine their confused little faces when I told them I was reading a cookbook, along with my two-year-old's big, fake laugh and her little voice saying, "You're silly!"

Granted, I'm in a state of delicate emotions right now, but I believe it would have made me cry sans pregnancy. But, my little fireball is right. Pregnancy can be silly sometimes.

I hadn't even tried out a single recipe, but judging from the to-do list I jotted down as I was reading, I knew it was going to be one of my absolute favorites cookbooks.

The beautiful book is called Date Night In by Ashley Rodriguez. Ashley is also the talented chef and blogger behind the blog Not Without Salt.

I think the reason I connected with this book so well is that Ashley and I are in very similar stages of life right now. We both have a passion for food and feeding others. We've both been married about 11ish years and each have three children (Her daughter and one of mine share a name, even.). And we have both found ourselves knee-deep in child-rearing and feeling like we need to reconnect with our spouses (who both happen to have dark hair and olive skin). I think I'd get along really well with Ashley.

In Date Night In, Ashely shares sweet courtship stories and weaves you in and out of the past as she tells how she and her husband reconnected through weekly date nights at home. She recreates food memories they shared early in their marriage and even opens up and shares some rough patches they struggled through. Ashley put her whole heart into this book, and I admire the couple's determination to intentionally carve out time for each other. I loved her writing and felt like she included me in her experiences -- as if we were sitting down in a little cafe together as friends.

I'm excited to give one of these books away to you! I wish I could give one to every married couple knee-deep in child rearing. Or every married couple in general. Or ever person who has ever thought about getting married. 

Let's look inside...

Ashely organized her book by season (which I LOVE). Within every season she groups recipes into entire meals, and every meal begins with a personal story. This is what I meant about reading it like a novel. Oh, the stories. They're sometimes super sweet and sometimes a little heart-wrenching, but always beautifully written and meaningful.

Let me add here that these meals aren't something you whip up when it's 4:30 and you have no idea what to make.

The intention behind her book is to share the meals she made for her and her husband, Gabe, during their weekly date nights at home. Some are more work than others, but she helps you out by breaking the meal down into a timeline and giving you a shopping list. I love doing things ahead to make a special dinner less stressful!

The meal I chose from the book was her Caribbean-Style BBQ Chicken Legs, Mango Miso Slaw, and Thyme and Parmesan Roasted Sweet Potatoes. (There was also a drink, but because we don't drink alcohol, I just skipped it.)

No, this isn't a paleo-oriented cookbook, but everything is made from scratch. I also found many recipes that were at least grain-free (or could easily be adapted). This meal sounded amazing to me. and I happened to have most of the ingredients already. Plus, this one was nearly grain-free as is!

And if you're wondering... no, this wasn't a date night with Steve. Our kids were there, too. In order for us to eat alone I'd have to make something else for the kids and do our dinner prep after they went to bed. I don't have that kind of stamina lately, but I would like to try it once baby gets here and decides that sleeping is a good thing.

That BBQ sauce completely won me over so I decided to share the chicken recipe with you (see below!). There are a lot of ingredients, but none of them are obscure or hard to find. I love the Caribbean flavors she threw in there -- ginger, molasses, lime, allspice. It gives the sauce a different little kick. And the sauce isn't overly sweet, which I prefer.

The slaw was so beautiful! I loved all the colors. It was the perfect punch of freshness for this meal. I swapped out the miso for some almond butter and it was delish.

Those potatoes -- dusted in cornstartch (I used arrowroot powder) and tossed in a Parmesan-Thyme mixture before getting a little crispy in the oven. I love this method and debated on sharing the recipe as well. While I LOVED them, for some reason my kids weren't too excited about them. (?!) I think I'm going to tweak them a bit and make them paleo. And THEN share them with you. Hopefully soon.

Like I said, my 7-month pregnant body doesn't have the cooking stamina of my pre-pregnant self, so the Caramelized Pineapple Sundaes with Candied Coconut got postponed until the next day.

I'm so glad I didn't postpone it forever, though. I didn't change anything about this dessert to make it more paleo-friendly. I made it as is.

Let me just tell you... this may have been one of the best ice cream sundaes I've had in my life. Honestly. I had some homemade caramel sauce leftover from Christmas, so I just added the spices from her caramel recipe to it, threw a little into a skillet with fresh pineapple for a few minutes then spooned it over vanilla ice cream and topped it with some crunchy candied coconut flakes. And more caramel.

*swoon* No words, people.

Even if the only thing you made for date night was this sundae and looked your spouse in the eyes as you chatted for 15-20 minutes, uninterrupted, I think you would accomplish your goal. Ashley's plan for reconnecting might not be for everyone, and she admits that not all date nights are an elaborate spread, and depending on their schedules, sometimes they get pushed back a week or two. But they happen. Because they intentionally carve out time for each other. I loved the final paragraph from her last story:

"The main message remains the same: for as long as I'm alive, I will wake up every morning and say yes to you. Sometimes I will do it with a great joy pounding in my heart, and other times I will do it because of the promise we made so long ago. Regardless, I will continue to choose you over and over again."

Happy Valentine's Day, friends.

You can find the chicken recipe and the giveaway details below!

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Caribbean-Style BBQ Chicken Legs

Yield: 2-3 servings with extra sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

These chicken legs are sweet, sticky, a little spicy, and completely delicious. You could pair them with a fresh slaw or some roasted potatoes for a whole meal.

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Ingredients

For the chicken:

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• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6-10  chicken legs/drumsticks

For the sauce:

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• ½ large yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 T heat-safe neutral oil, like avocado or light olive
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1 red jalapeno pepper, finely diced (seeded, to reduce heat level, if desired)
• ¼ cup rum
• 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ soy sauce, tamari, or aminos
• ¼ cup molasses
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• ⅛ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 2 Tablespoons heat-safe neutral oil, like avocado or light olive, for frying

Instructions

1. A day or two ahead, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the chicken, then cover and refrigerate. (I used a gallon-sized zip-top bag.)
2. To make the BBQ sauce, saute the onions and garlic in a medium saucepan with the oil and a pinch of salt over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the onions are just starting to caramelize. Add the jalapeno and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the rum and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until reduced to a glaze, 1-2 minutes.
3. Whisk in the tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, molasses, honey, ginger, cumin, coriander, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and water, and then simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and liquid smoke, if using. You should have between 1 ½ - 2 cups of sauce. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to use. Can be made up to a week ahead of time. (Big time saver!!)
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large oven-safe skillet (preferably cast iron or stainless) on high. Sear the chicken legs for 2 minutes per side or until the skin begins to crip and turn brown. You don't need to cook them all the way through.
7. Add ½ cup of BBQ sauce to a large bowl and toss the hot chicken legs in the sauce to evenly coat. Put them back into the skillet and spoon remaining sauce from the bowl onto the chicken.
8. Place the skillet into the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
9. Turn the broiler on high and broil the chicken legs for 3-5 minutes, or until nearly blackened on top. (I skipped this step because I didn't want blackened BBQ sauce.)
10. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. If you don't cook with alcohol, just use water instead of rum when you deglaze the pan.
2. I didn't add the jalapeno because I didn't want it to be too spicy for my kids. On a regular date night, yes. I would definitely add it.

This post may contain affiliate links. Any purchases made by using these links won't cost you any extra and helps keep my content free. These links may be Amazon links as I am part of the Amazon Associate Program.

The post Caribbean-Style BBQ Chicken Legs appeared first on Perry's Plate.

Seasoned chicken breasts get slathered with a sticky-sweet-smoky sauce, then layered with thin slices of ham, melty Swiss cheese, and grilled pineapple rings for drama and indulgence. Naturally gluten-free and pairs with SO many things, this will be your go-to dish for warm weather entertaining!

Why You'll Love This Chicken Malibu Recipe

• It’s a fun twist on a classic.
• The savory, buttery glaze that gets brushed all over everything? swoon
• Grilled pineapple is always a good idea
• You get to pull out your grill and hang out on your deck while you make dinner.
• It makes a really good meal for entertaining and can be scaled up really easily.

What is Malibu Chicken?

Malibu Chicken is a classic dish typically made with breaded and fried chicken breasts topped with ham and Swiss cheese, then baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly. However, if you know me, you know I like to mix things up a bit. That's why this recipe takes a twist by using the grill! Enjoy the delicious combination of chicken, savory ham, and gooey melted cheese without the need for frying!

Chicken Malibu Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken breasts
• BBQ seasoning (I used Montreal Steak Seasoning)
• Deli ham (thin)
• Canned pineapple
• Swiss cheese
• Pineapple juice (from the can)
• Butter or ghee
• Plain yellow mustard
• Honey
• Molasses
• Coconut aminos
• Chili powder

How to Make Grilled Pineapple Chicken Recipe

1. Slice through the thicker part of the chicken breasts horizontally to make them more uniform in thickness. They cook faster this way, the meat goes farther, and it's more flavorful when you're using sauces or marinades. Season both sides of each breast with the BBQ seasoning, cover and refrigerate at least an hour.
2. Combine the butter, pineapple juice, mustard, honey, molasses, coconut aminos, and chili powder a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth, then set aside.
3. Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking (direct and indirect) at medium-high heat (about 400ºF/200ºC). Or if that last sentence makes you panic, turn on your grill-pan to medium-high heat.
4. Quickly grill one side of each breast and each pineapple ring over direct heat until they are seared and have nice grill marks, about two minutes. Flip each breast and ring, brush with the sauce, and cook another two minutes.
5. Move the chicken to the indirect part of the grill (or a not-so-hot part of your pan) and brush the top of each with the sauce. Top each breast with two slices of ham and drizzle the ham with the sauce. Put a slice of cheese then a pineapple ring on each breast and drizzle yet again with the sauce. Continue cooking with the grill lid down (or in my case, a piece of aluminum foil. . . grill masters are rolling their eyes, I'm sure) until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF (70ºC), about 10 minutes.
6. Drizzle some more sauce ontop and serve!

Pineapple Grilled Chicken tips

Try not to move your chicken and pineapple too much while they’re on the grill - We want those beautiful grill marks and for the pineapple to caramelize in those places.

What to Serve with Grilled Chicken and Pineapple

I love to serve my Malibu chicken with these refreshing sides:

Roasted Broccoli
Cucumber Tomato Salad with Feta
Cucumber Jicama Slaw
Sauteed Green Beans
Coleslaw
Marinated Grilled Zucchini

How to Store Chicken Malibu

I highly recommend eating them all if you can since they’re best fresh off the grill. If you have leftovers you’d like to store, just put them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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Malibu Chicken Recipe FAQs

More Grilled Pineapple Recipes

Grilled Pineapple and Jalapeno Salsa

Southwest Sausage and Pineapple Skewers

If you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see! Post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Grilled Malibu Chicken Recipe

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Grilled Malibu Chicken takes malibu chicken to another level! I love the sweet & spicy buttery glaze that get brushed on during cooking.

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Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tablespoons BBQ seasoning (I used Montreal Steak Seasoning)
• 12 slices deli ham (thin)
• 6 slices canned pineapple
• 6 slices Swiss cheese
• ½ cup pineapple juice (from the can)
• 4 Tablespoons grassfed butter or ghee
• 1 Tablespoon plain yellow mustard
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon molasses
• 2 teaspoons coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

1. The original recipe suggested pounding the thicker parts of the breasts to make them more uniform in thickness, but I simply sliced through them horizontally to form two thin breasts out of each one. They cook faster this way, the meat goes farther, and it's more flavorful when you're using sauces or marinades. Season both sides of each breast with the BBQ seasoning, cover and refrigerate at least an hour.
2. Combine the butter, pineapple juice, mustard, honey, molasses, coconut aminos, and chili powder a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth, then set aside.
3. Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking (direct and indirect) at medium-high heat (about 400º). Or if that last sentence makes you panic, turn on your grill-pan to medium-high heat.
4. Quickly grill one side of each breast and each pineapple ring over direct heat until they are seared and have nice grill marks, about two minutes. Flip each breast and ring, brush with the sauce, and cook another two minutes.
5. Move the chicken to the indirect part of the grill (or a not-so-hot part of your pan) and brush the top of each with the sauce. Top each breast with two slices of ham and drizzle the ham with the sauce. Put a slice of cheese then a pineapple ring on each breast and drizzle yet again with the sauce. Continue cooking with the grill lid down (or in my case, a piece of aluminum foil. . . grill masters are rolling their eyes, I'm sure) until the internal temperature reaches 160º, about 10 minutes.
6. Serve with . . . another drizzle of sauce.

Side Dish Suggestions: We ate this with a green salad, roasted broccoli, and garlic bread. D-LISH. 

Notes

Nat's Notes:

1. The first time I made this I used fresh pineapple. Instead of buying pineapple juice separately, I just pureed enough pineapple to make ½ cup for the sauce. It made it thicker, but still tasted great.

2. If you can't find coconut aminos you can use Worcestershire sauce.

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