These chewy ginger molasses cookies are soft, have a deep molasses flavor, and get an extra kick of ginger from diced pieces of candied ginger.
These cookies are crowd pleasers of all ages and are ready in 30 minutes.
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Cookies are popular any time of year, but Christmas is when I really love to bake cookies. But I want to make festive cookies that don't require an art degree.
Therefore, I make snickerdoodles with dried figs every year, classic butter cookies rolled in festive sugar, persimmon cookies, and these ginger cookies.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Super-easy to make and ready in 30 minutes.
- Little pieces of sugared ginger give this cookie a little extra kick of ginger flavor.
- Popular cookie with kids and adults alike.
- Portable for a cookie exchange party during the holiday season.
🧅 Ingredients Tips
For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions for these soft molasses cookies, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Dark molasses - Either light or dark molasses works great in this recipe. Light molasses is sweeter than dark molasses, but the dark version has a deeper, more robust flavor.
- Sugared ginger pieces - Get the larger chunks of ginger coated in sugar and cut them into small pieces using a sharp knife.
- Warm spices - The classic spice combination is ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Turbinado sugar - This is a coarse raw sugar that works well as a finishing sugar on baked goods and for rolling cookie dough.
🎯 Why This Recipe Works
- Making a cookie batter with white sugar combined with dark molasses lightens the overall molasses flavor of the baked cookies, allowing the ginger flavors to come through.
- The butter and sugar are beaten together until fluffy and a slightly lighter color. This means a fair amount of air is added to the dough which contributes to a soft cookie.
- Reducing the speed when the flour mixture is added prevents overworking the flour. Or fold the flour in by hand using a silicone spatula.
- Weighing the flour ensures you don't use too much flour and promotes a consistent cookie.
- Weighing the cookie dough balls guarantees they're all the same size and will therefore bake evenly.
👩🍳 Cookie Sheet vs. Baking Sheet (Sheet Pan)
- Cookie sheets don't have rims and often have a double thickness for insulation. This provides an even temperature for the cookies as they bake and helps to protect the bottoms from burning.
- Baking sheets (sheet pans) are designed for roasting and are rimmed on all four sides.
🏔️ Making This Recipe at High Altitude
- When baking these at high altitude (I bake them at 7100 ft.), add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to the recommended ¾ cup of butter for additional moisture.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges begin to firm up.
🙋♀️ FAQ
Yes, if you make the dough ahead of time and want to freeze it, here are the steps to follow:
1. Roll the dough into individual balls as instructed and arrange on a sheet that fits in your freezer.
2. Freeze until solid, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 1 month.
3. When you're ready to bake the cookies, transfer the frozen dough balls to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to thaw. Roll them in the sugar, as directed, and bake.
Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 4 - 5 days or freeze in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months.
Yes, this creates a softer and chewier cookie with a deeper flavor. You can substitute brown sugar for the white sugar on a 1:1 ratio.
I don't recommend blackstrap molasses in these cookies as it's the most bitter form of molasses.
Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 ¼ cups (10.125 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup sugared ginger chunks cut into small pieces
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup Turbinado coarse sugar or granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer, and cream them using the paddle attachment until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.Beat in egg. When completely incorporated, add the molasses.
- In a separate medium bowl whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.Set the mixer to the lowest speed and add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on a low speed only until the flour is completely incorporated.
- Pour some of the Turbinado sugar onto a small plate or into a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1 ½" balls that weigh 1 ounce. Roll the balls of dough in the Turbinado sugar and arrange them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Pro-tip: To prevent the cookies from spreading as much, chill the balls of dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap while they chill.
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until the edges begin to firm up and the cookies are puffy. I bake these in two batches, 16 cookies per batch. Cool on cooling racks.
Becca from It's Yummi!
Ginger molasses? Oh... I'm swooning!
Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
They must have smelled heavenly while baking~ Happy Holidays~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Debbi
These are my husbands favorite! They sound sooooooo good! Great pictures!
Erin @ Making Memories
Your cookies sound delicious! We love molasses cookies!
Nicole
Yum! I made ginger molasses cookies too, but I love your addition of crystallized ginger chunks.
danielle
Love the chunks of ginger in here - these sound fantastic!
Our Eating Habits
Great choice. Soft, Ginger, Molasses, words to my ears. What you have there is my very favorite cookie.
Heather @ Join Us, Pull up a Chair
Oh another cookie that's perfect for the holidays! I bet my kids would love these! Happy Holidays.
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
So glad you picked these!! They are my all time favorite cookie and one that I make EVERY year!! Nothing says holidays like some molasses and spice!! 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'll be making these every year too, Jess! We've been eating them every day and just love them. I'm making your oatmeal cookie next 🙂 Happy Holidays to you and Nick!
Rebekah @ Making Miracles
These look FABULOUS!! Perfect for December - soft, sweet, and spicy. Yumm!
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
Gingersnaps are best served soft, in my opinion. Your cookies are beautiful.
Tara
Beautiful photo! Perfect pick for the holidays.
SallyBR
Yeah, baby! We picked very similar cookies, and that of course means GREAT MINDS PICK COOKIES ALIKE!
🙂
what a fun event this month!
Happy Holidays for you!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
That's exACTly what it means. If it were the first day of school, we'd be wearing the same colors 🙂 Very fun event this month. How do you find the time with your very full time job!? Really impressive - you must be very organized!!
Leigh
Hi Susan - these cookies look like they've been cooked to perfection. Just beautiful!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm
Great choice for a holiday cookie. Merry Christmas.
cheri
Hi Susan, I need to get on the ball and start baking some cookies, these look delicious!
Laura Dembowski
I just love cookies like this around Christmas! So festive and flavorful!
Choc Chip Uru
One of my favourite holiday cookies, this looks delicious 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Sarah
Yum. Spice cookies always smell so good...perfect for Christmas!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I love ginger and molasses cookies.. these definitely will be perfect for Christmas time, a recipe I must make.
THE HUNGRY MUM
these look great - my mum loves ginger anything so I may just have to make her some of these cookies.