These Ginger Molasses Cookies are a classic holiday cookie. Super soft and chewy, full of flavor from molasses and the perfect blend of warm spices. Instructions included for making ahead or freezing.
Christmas cookies are the best! I’ve had these Ginger Molasses Cookies on my “to blog” list since last year. You are going to love this recipe! These Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are so pretty with a crackly sugar-coated top! It’s neat to see after the cookies bake how they each crackle giving each cookie its own unique look.
Don’t get these cookies confused with hard and crunchy gingersnap cookies. This recipe for Ginger Molasses Cookies is super soft and chewy! My kids have enjoyed eating these this week. It’s a classic cookie that everyone loves! It’s coated in granulated sugar making it so pretty and making the edges of the cookies slightly crisp. It’s basically the perfect cookie!
Another thing I love about this recipe is it’s quick and simple to make. It’s an easy one-bowl recipe.
How to Make Soft Molasses Cookies:
Cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
Add 1 egg, molasses, and vanilla extract and mix well.
Next, add baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix until well combined.
Slowly stir in the flour.
Chill for 30 minutes.
Scoop the cookie dough into balls.
Roll in sugar.
Bake for 10-11 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy!
Easy peasy! I’ve made this recipe a few times this week and I still can’t get over how fast it comes together. You know how much I love baking and these are such a fun recipe to make! Ginger Molasses Cookies have a pretty dark molasses color. The warm spices in it: ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, will fill your house will a happy Christmasey smell.
Tips for making the best Soft & Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies:
Use mild molasses. Do not use blackstrap molasses, that flavor is quite intense for these cookies.
You can slightly adjust the amount of spices you would like. If you want more ginger or cinnamon I would add up to 1/2 teaspoon more. And if you’d like more nutmeg or cloves, you can add 1/4 teaspoon more. We prefer the spices how I have it listed in the recipe, it’s not overwhelming for my kids, just perfect!
Make sure you chill the dough for 30 minutes. This will make it easier to work with the dough when scooping and helps the cookies to be a little thicker. I tested chilling the dough for 30 minutes and 1 hour and both results were the same.
Don’t over bake the cookies. These cookies puff up as they bake then fall which creates a beautiful crackly look. If needed, you can bang the cookie sheet when the cookies are done baking to get an even more crackly look.
This recipe calls for scooping the dough into 1 1/2 inches, which is basically 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough. I love using this scoop.
If you prefer smaller cookies, you can make them 1 tablespoon, or 1 inch. Just reduce the baking time to 8-9 minutes. The benefit of making them smaller is it yields more cookies.
To take these cookies up a notch, you can dip half of the cookie in white chocolate and top it with Christmas sprinkles.
Tips for Making Ahead:
Keep the cookie dough in the fridge, tightly covered in an air-tight container, for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for a little bit before scooping the dough into balls because the dough will be hard. Or, after chilling the dough for 30 minutes (this makes it easier to scoop) scoop the dough into balls, roll in the sugar, and then store in the fridge, tightly covered in an air-tight container, for up to 3 days.
Tips for Freezing:
To freeze the cookie dough balls: Once the cookie dough balls are scooped and rolled in sugar, place them all on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Place in freezer for about 30 minutes and then transfer to a freezer bag or container and freeze up to 3 months. When ready to bake, pull out of the freezer, place on a baking sheet, wait about 30 minutes then bake as directed in the recipe. If you bake it directly from frozen the cookies will need about 2 more minutes to bake.
To freeze the baked cookies: Let cool completely and freeze in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature until no longer frozen.
Dip in White Chocolate:
These cookies look pretty dipped in white chocolate! Just melt your favorite white chocolate and dip in the cookies halfway. Then place on either wax or parchment paper. Top with sprinkles if you’d like! Wait until it’s set and enjoy!
How pretty is this?!
Enjoy!
More Christmas Cookies You will Love!
Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Cookies
Dark Chocolate M&M Christmas Cookies
Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup mild molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated or coarse sugar for rolling
Instructions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream butter and brown and granulated sugar together on medium speed, beating until light and fluffy about 2 minutes. Add in egg, molasses, and vanilla and mix until incorporated on low speed. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for 1 minute.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add the baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix for 30 seconds, making sure it's fully incorporated. Slowly mix in the flour. Mix until combined.
3. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
5. Pour the 1/4 cup sugar into a bowl. Scoop or roll dough into balls that are about 1-1/2” in size. (1 1/2 tablespoons of dough.) Roll the dough balls in the sugar until coated and place them on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 10-11 minutes. The cookies will start to crack during the last minute or so of baking. Make sure not to over bake, the cookies will set up as they cool.
7. Remove from oven, let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container and cookies will stay fresh for up to 1 week.)
Notes
If you make the cookie dough balls 1 inch, same as 1 tablespoon of dough. It will only need to bake for 8 minutes.
Optional: Dip half of the cookie with white chocolate, place on wax or parchment paper, top with sprinkles if you want, and wait until set.
These are SO good!! My 3 year old gave a thumbs up! Haha
I love that! My kids love it too. Thanks for letting me know, it made me smile! 🙂
These are SO good!! My 3 year old gave a thumbs up! Haha