Soft ginger molasses cookies that are chewy on the inside and crisp around the edges. Full of irresistible ginger flavor these warm spiced cookies are a holiday favorite.
Table of Contents
Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas cookies for your next cookie exchange or holiday party, these soft molasses cookies are it! They come together in just 30 minutes and taste incredible. They’re everything you want in a holiday dessert!
As much as I love gingerbread man cookies and gingerbread bars, these cookies are a little more mild and less spicy. Their sweet and comforting taste pairs perfectly with a cup of hot chocolate.
This ginger molasses cookie recipe might remind you of a snickerdoodle with it’s soft and chewy inside and crisp edges. They are perfect to include on your next Christmas dessert board!
Recipe Ingredients
Chewy ginger molasses cookies recipe ingredients are made with mostly all pantry staple ingredients you may already have on hand!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: Soften your unsalted butter by leaving it on your counter top until it reaches room temperature.
- Brown sugar: Pack the light brown sugar into the measuring cup to get all the sweetness and softness added into your cookies.
- Egg: Large eggs are best but if you have small or medium you can use two. This will increase the softness of your cookies.
- Molasses: This is well worth the purchase! There are a few other molasses cookie recipes but you can even store molasses for a few years before it goes bad.
- Flour: All-purpose flour worked best for these cookies and helps with the texture when baking.
- Baking soda: Adds the fluff on the cookies and helps hold the shape while baking.
- Seasoning: Ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves are always a holiday season you know is going to taste amazing in dishes. Plan to have these seasonings on hand throughout this time of year.
- Sugar: Only need a little bit since this is for the end when you roll the cookie dough before placing on the cookie sheet.
Variations + Decorations for Molasses Cookies
There are lots of fun ways to decorate these ginger molasses cookies. I personally love the chocolate-dipped version and my kids loved the dipped version with sprinkles.
- Molasses cookies rolled in sugar: Before baking, you can roll the dough balls in granulated sugar. They taste like a mix between a snickerdoodle and gingerbread. Seriously the best combination!
- Chocolate-drizzled: Drizzling the gingerdoodles with white chocolate over the top really takes these cookies up a notch! The melted white chocolate chips adds the perfect touch of sweetness and looks amazing.
- Chocolate-dipped: I also love to dip them in white chocolate (and maybe drizzle on even more chocolate). It makes them look a little fancier! It would also be fun to use red or green chocolate candy melts to drizzle over the white dipped portion.
- Chocolate-dipped with holly berries: I absolutely love adding holly berries to the white chocolate. They make the gingerdoodles SO fun and festive…don’t they look like they came from a local bakery?! Your guests will go crazy over these!
- Chocolate-dipped with sprinkles: And of course, how could you forget sprinkles! Feel free to top the chocolate dipped portion with confetti sprinkles. This variation is a big hit with my kids and is so cute!
How to Make Ginger Molasses Cookies
These soft molasses cookies are always a family favorite during the Christmas season.
- Dry ingredients. Combine all the dry ingredients into a glass bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Dough. In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine the butter and sugar, then cream for one minute. Add in egg and beat until smooth. Then add in molasses and mix just until combined. Place remaining dry ingredients into a sifter (or whisk in a bowl), then add to wet mixture. Mix until combined.
- Roll. Using a medium cookie scoop, roll cookie dough into balls. Add granulated sugar to a shallow bowl then roll the balls into the sugar until coated. Place cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake. Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on the pan 5 minutes before moving to cooling wire racks.
Expert Tips
- If making these plain (without rolling them in sugar), you can put the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking to make them bake a little fluffier.
- Avoid cookies spreading too much by only using softened butter, not melted.
- For more ginger taste add some chopped crystallized ginger. It also adds a nice crunch!
5 star review
“These are delicious! I made these for neighbors gifts this holiday season and got rave reviews. Seriously one of my favorite holiday cookies!”
– Lindsay
Recipe FAQs
More than anything molasses adds in flavor. It has a mild sweetness that blends well with the sugars as well as helps adds a beautiful brown coloring to the cookies.
Molasses cookies (also called as gingerdoodles, gingersnaps or ginger cookies) are known to be soft and chewy whereas gingerbread cookies are more hard and crispy. Both are great types of cookies just different texture.
Sulphur dioxide means it slightly alters the molasses taste. If you are wanting something richer in flavor without the preservatives you will want to purchase unsulphured molasses.
You will want to use blackstrap molasses with caution! This type of molasses can and will alter the taste and flavor of the cookies if not used properly. If you can avoid using blackstrap molasses in your baking, I would highly recommend it.
Wrap these ginger molasses cookies up in a clear bag with ribbon and pass out to friends and coworkers. To gift, bake as directed and cool completely. Dip in white chocolate, let harden then stack cookies in a clear plastic bag. Add a festive Christmas gift tag and gift to neighbors, friends and family.
Freezing Classic Molasses Cookies
These freeze wonderfully! You can either freeze the cookie dough balls or the baked cookies. Just follow these simple instructions:
- Freezing the dough: Prepare dough as directed, then scoop into balls (and roll in sugar if preferred). Place on a baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes, or until they have hardened. Then transfer to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let thaw on baking sheet while warming up the oven. Then bake as directed.
- Freezing baked cookies: I would recommend leaving off the chocolate (or dipping in chocolate the day you plate). Let them cool completely, then place in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for a few hours until no longer frozen.
Are you looking for more cookies with molasses in them?! Try these cute snowman cookies, homemade gingerbread houses, or these fun gingerbread whoopie pies.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Video
Equipment
- Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter , softened (I use unsalted)
- 1 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling the cookies)
Optional: white chocolate melting wafers (for dipping), sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Cream for one minute, or until fluffy. Add in the egg and beat until smooth. Next add in the molasses and mix until combined.
- Place the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt into a sifter (if you don’t have a sifter, whisk in a bowl), and then add to the butter mixture. Mix with a spoon, just until combined. Be careful not to over mix. Refrigerate dough 10-15 minutes.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (or about 1.5 Tablespoons), roll the cookie dough into a ball. Place the granulated sugar into a shallow bowl and then roll the dough into the sugar. Place on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten the tops with the palm of your hand.
- Bake 8-10 minutes and let cool on the pan 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Tip: If your cookies aren't cracking as much as you'd like, bang the pan on the stove right after they come out of the oven to crack the cookies. They will settle as they cool.
- Once the cookies have cooled, dip half the cookies in melted white chocolate half way if desired and place on wax paper or parchment paper if desired. Allow to harden.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
They are seriously the best ginger cookies I’ve ever had. If there is one cookie you make this week, make these! Happy baking!
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, White Chocolate Cookies
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
Added some orange zest and these are the best cookies ever.
Sounds perfect!
These turned out perfectly! My husband loved them, I think he ate about half a dozen in a day. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this cookie for a cookie exchange with my siblings and cousins and oh my goodness, they were sooooooo good! The cookies stayed soft for dayssss after I baked them, this recipe is definitely a keeper! My brother in law also said they were better than his mom’s recipe (but he won’t tell her that) lol. Thank you!
Ah, love to hear that! So glad you enjoyed the ginger molasses cookies!
My kids ask for these every Christmas! So delicious!!!
My husband and kids insist on these every year. I’ve even made them for hub’s bday. The person who commented they don’t need the white chocolate if made right is nuts! The cookies are delicious on their own, but the white chocolate takes them over the top! Plus gives you opportunity to decorate. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Incredible yummiest cookies I will make every year to give to neighbors around Christmas time!
These are the best!!! I can’t wait to make them again this year, and they look so pretty on a cookie platter!❤️
So glad they were a hit! Thanks for your review :)
It’s a 5 star
I make these cookies every year as favors for our church Christmas dinner, and everyone RAVES about them! They’re the absolute BEST – and so beautiful! ❤️
Love to hear that! Thanks for your review :)
I made these yesterday and they are so good! I’m going to make another batch . I made the dough ahead 2 days and froze raw dough. Worked out great . I used small dough scoop and got 30 cookies out of the batch and they are plenty big.
So glad you enjoyed the molasses cookies! Thanks for your review :)