Ginger molasses cookies are the perfect holiday cookie recipe. These cookies are made with the perfect balance of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon to give you the kick you need. They are soft and chewy and perfect to leave under the chimney for Santa!
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Let me tell you about my first time having ginger molasses cookies. In my head, I had told myself that I wasn’t gonna like them because the molasses tastes like licorice.
I do like licorice but the molasses was just intense. The second you would open the jar, you get that whiff of strong licorice smell. Add the spices to it and the smell would throw me off completely.
Law and behold, I had them and couldn’t believe my tastebuds!! Ginger molasses cookies are now on the to of my favorite cookies list!!! Can you freaking believe this?!
My life has changed. I am now a believer in the ginger molasses cookies (if they have the right balance f spices, and texture, and flavor of course) Which these totally do.
This is a life changing molasses ginger cookie recipe! (you have to try it)
Seriously, I’m no exaggerating… I made them a few times to get the perfect spice level and consistency down for you and each time they got better and better.
So now, I can finally share this Christmas cookie recipe for you and hope everyone tries it at least once this year because it is seriously that good!
What makes these ginger molasses cookies so good?
Here are a few reasons why you gotta give these cookies a try ASAP!
- They are soft and melt in your mouth
- With each bite you will feel the balance of spices
- These ginger molasses freeze well. Perfect make ahead cookie to give as a gift of Christmas day.
- Grab a cup of tea and a molasses ginger cookie because they pair extremely well.
- They are fun to make, so make a holiday activity out of making these easy and delicious cookies.
- These molasses cookie require no chilling! #winning.
What’s a ginger molasses cookie?
A ginger molasses cookies is a soft and chewy cookies that is made with molasses and spiced with lots of ginger. It resembles a snickerdoodle cookie in texture and is rolling in granulated sugar before baking as well.
Ginger snap vs molasses cookie?
This is a great answer with a pretty simple response. Ginger snap cookies have more of a crispy texture compared to the ginger molasses cookies that are a whole lot chewier. Ginger snap cookies also have a little bit more ginger in them as opposed to the molasses cookies.
Ingredients for chewy molasses ginger cookies
Here are the ingredients you will need to make these cookies:
- Butter– This recipe starts with a generous amount of butter to get that fat content up and make it extra rich and chewy.
- Brown sugar & granulated sugar– We will be using both brown and granulated sugar for these cookies to get that crispy edge and super chewy center.
- Molasses– Molasses AKA our star ingredient for these cookies. Use unsuphured molasses for this recipe.
- Egg– This recipe requires one room temperature egg.
- Flour– All purpose flour will work great for this recipe.
- Baking soda– You might think that this recipe uses too much baking soda but don’t worry, it needs it to rise then collapse and give you those perfect crinkles.
- Ginger, cinnamon, and clove– These are all the spices that we will be using in this recipe. They all balance out perfectly to give you your next favorite holiday cookie recipe.
Which molasses to use for molasses ginger cookies?
I usually use the darker colored molasses for these cookies. I like to use the Grandma’s brand molasses because that’s the one that’s sold at the grocery store that I shop at.
Grandma’s molasses is a high quality, unsulphured molasses. So look for unsulphured molasses for these cookies next time you want to make them.
How to make molasses ginger cookies?
This is a pretty simple cookie recipe. For the full detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe box.
- Preheat the oven.
- Cream the butter and sugars.
- Mix in the egg and the molasses.
- Fold in the flour, baking soda and spices.
- Scoop out molasses cookie dough balls and roll them in sugar.
- Bake for 10 minutes then let them cool completely!
Molasses cookie variations
I love getting creative when I’m in the kitchen so here are a few thing you can add to make these cookies your own:
- Roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar (just like we did in this recipe)
- Dip half the cookie in white chocolate
- Frost the cookies with cream cheese frosting
- Drizzle white chocolate over the cookies
- Add chopped crystalized ginger to the cookie batter for an extra gingery kick.
Can I freeze ginger molasses cookie dough?
Absolutely!
To freeze ginger molasses cookie dough, scoop out equally sized cookie balls using your small cookie scooper and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to bake them, let them thaw on a parchment lined baking sheet in the fridge overnight then bake them as directed.
How to store ginger molasses cookies?
To store these ginger cookies, place them in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 4 days.
You can also store the baked cookies and cooled cookies in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips for the best molasses cookies
Here are a few tips that will make your batch of cookies as good as ours:
- Once you add in your flour, don’t over mix the cookies. Gently fold just until the flour disappears for the chewiest and softest cookies.
- Make sure to leave enough room between each cookie because they will spread!
- Let the cookies cool completely before transferring them to a cooling wrack or enjoying them.
The best ginger molasses cookies ever!
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Soft and chewy molasses ginger cookies (No Chill)
Equipment
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 & ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 & ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 & ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling.
Instructions
- First, start by preheating the oven to 350F, then line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and the salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and cream. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses and mix again until well incorporated. Add in the flour mixture and gently fold until the flour disappears completely.
- Using a small cookie scooper, scoop out ginger molasses cookie balls and roll them in the ¼ cup granulated sugar. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet making sure to leave at least 1-inch of space between each cookie (they will spread!) and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Pull the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will be a little bit on the softer side right out of the oven but will continue baking as they cool.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you so much for making it all the way down
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Maggie Davis
The flavor was spot-on, just the consistency was a little of what I want in a molasses cookie. It was definitely super soft (they’ll burn on the bottom and the top remains soft) which is good, but it wasn’t very chewy. I was pretty precise about the ingredients that mattered, the only difference made was that I subbed butter for margarine. The dough was pretty soft to roll, but I baked them that way anyway. Basically, it’s good other than that it’s kind of cakey and not as chewy as I wanted. Does anyone know of what makes a cookie chewy?
Chahinez
The margarine will cause the texture issue in your molasses cookies. Margarine has a higher water content than butter, which can affect the texture and consistency of baked goods. Using butter as called for in the recipe could help achieve a chewier texture.
Courtney
They turned out great. I will be adding them to the yearly Christmas cookie bake list.
Chahinez
That’s awesome!
Alice Bennett
These are the best molasses cookies. Made today and they are the best. I will be making these all the time done. No changes.
Chahinez
Thanks Alice!
Mallory
This recipe was OUTSTANDING! My kiddo (who’s never had them before), has been begging for gingerbread cookies and these being no chill and soft? PERFECT. He loved helping me make them and was sooo excited to eat them, not to mention he loved them! I even made them with King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour so I could eat them and they came out wonderfully. Will def be making them again!
Chahinez
This is the best comment ever! Thank you!!
Erin Hughes
Yum! These cookies were so good and my kids loved them! I think I did something wrong because mine didn’t spread but I know that’s operator error ha ha! I will make these again soon!
Lauren
I am in charge of baking gingerbread cookies for family holidays. I love that I don’t have to chill the dough. Cookies were soft and yummy!
Chahinez
So happy to hear you loved them!
Chahinez
Katie
My new favorite cookies! Thank you so much!
Chahinez
You are so welcome Katie!!
Katie
Amazing incredible cookies! Can’t wait to make again!
Michelle Garbett
Super soft yet chewy. Beautiful and tasty. I took them to work and every one raved about how good they were!
Chahinez
I am so happy to hear you loved them!
chahinez
Shaina
These cookies are amazing!!! I baked them for 10 minutes to make them softer and they are so delicious! Highly recommend making this recipe!!!
Chahinez
These are definitely winners! So happy you liked them!
chahinez
han
so tasty and easy to make!
Chahinez
I am so happy to hear you liked them!
chahinez
Tanya
I definitely prefer soft ginger molasses cookies to ginger snaps. When I was pregnant with DD1. I had one cookie every day. I can’t wait to try your recipe.
Manel
Can we talk about how nice these look! they came out so soft even after leaving them out for a couple of hours. Definitely a holiday favorite!
Lifestyle of a Foodie
This is my absolute favorite cookie recipe around this time of the year!