Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are nice & crispy on the outside and soft & chewy on the inside! These cookies are easy to make and perfect for the holidays!
Chewy Ginger Cookies
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you after testing out 4 different batches to get that perfect crispy & crackly top, while still having a soft chewy center. And let me tell you, this recipe is THE ONE <3
These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are packed with ginger flavour and are perfect to enjoy for the holidays. You can even make a batch of the dough ahead of time to keep in your fridge or freezer and bake these cookies as you need!
What’s difference between gingerbread cookies and molasses cookies?
Traditional gingerbread cookies, also called gingersnap cookies are often thinner and have a crispier texture. (If you’re looking for this type of ginger cookie make sure to check out my Healthier Easy Gingerbread Cookies.) Molasses cookies have a chewier texture.
Why you’ll love these cookies
- Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. In my opinion, the exact way a cookie should be.
- Less fuss than making iced gingerbread cookies. While they are pretty and fun to make, if you need a quick and easy gingerbread cookie then these will be your go-to!
- Festive cheer in every bite! These cookies are seriously what the holidays are all about!
Ginger Molasses Cookies ingredients
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Egg
- Molasses
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
*The full recipe ingredients and instructions are below in the recipe card.
How to make a perfect Ginger Molasses Cookie
Step 1
Cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar
Step 2
Next, add egg and molasses and cream together until light and fluffy.
Step 3
Add the flour, baking soda, salt and spices to the wet ingredients and slowly mix just until combined. Then place the cookie dough in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
Step 4
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and then roll into a plate of granulated sugar. Then bake at 350 degrees F for 10-13 minutes.
Step 5
Let the cookies cool on the countertop then ejoy!
The secret to getting that nice crackle on top is actually to use enough sugar in the recipe. I tested out these cookies with less sugar, but wasn’t able to achieve the same spread and crackled look on top. So if you’re looking for a low-sugar version of a Ginger Molasses Cookie, this isn’t it. (But hey, indulge a little!)
How to store
Store: store cookies in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 10 days. You can store unbaked cookie dough in the fridge for up to 5 days before baking.
Freezing ginger molasses cookie dough
One thing I love about these Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies is that you can freeze the cookie dough in the freezer for up to 2 months and bake fresh cookies whenever you like!
To freeze the cookie dough, use your hands to form the dough into a circle or square shape, cover tightly with plastic wrap then place in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer.
When you’re ready to bake cookies remove the dough from the freezer and let thaw on the counter until defrosted, but still a little firm. (You don’t want the dough to be completely defrosted where it’s hard to roll the dough into balls.)
Why didn’t my molasses cookies crack on top?
There are a few reasons why you may end up with cookies that didn’t crack on top. Let’s review a few reasons why you’re cooked may not have crackled on top:
- You put the cookies in the oven before preheating. A hot preheated oven is important for getting a crackle top on your cookies.
- You didn’t whip the butter and sugar long enough. Whipping these ingredients together will incoporate more air into the butter, which will help the cookies crack when bakin in the oven.
- Your baking soda is stale. Baking soda is important in this recipe to help the cookies rise and spread. If your baking soda is old, it may be the culprit.
- You didn’t coat with sugar. The additional sugar coating on the outside of the cookies will help them crackle.
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies can be made gluten-free by using a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend like this one. This type of flour blend can be used in equal ratio as a replacement to regular flour.
- Chill the dough. It’s important to chill the cookie dough for this recipe so they don’t spread too much while baking.
- This cookie dough stores really well in the freezer. You can double up the recipe and store extra cookie dough in your freezer to bake up a batch of cookies on the fly!
Make these cookies next
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
- Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate Chunk Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
If you tried these Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Enjoy friends and happy weekend! xo
Print
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookeis
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minute
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Get the best of both worlds with these ginger molasses cookies that are crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 cups flour (can sub 1-1 gluten-free flour)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- extra sugar for coating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper
- Cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar together in a stand mixer until creamy.
- Then add the egg and molasses and mix until well combined.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl then slowly pour the dry ingredients into the stand mixer while mixing on low speed.
- Mix until everything is well combined.
- Place the cookie dough mixture in the fridge for 30-60 minutes until the dough is easy to handle.
- Roll the dough into small 1-inch balls, then roll each ball to coat in sugar.
- Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes, until the cookies begin to crack on top.
- Remove and let cool before eating.
Notes
Store leftovers in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 10 days.
If you like your cookies on the chewier side, cook them only about 10 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 11g
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
Sis wanted to try molasses cookies and this recipe popped up. Granted, I did skip the chilling part and ended up with flat, wafer-like discs that were still chewy. Funny thing was that she preferred them this way. Also, since I don’t have the individual spices, I used the pumpkin spice mix, and added extra ginger to give it more kick. I would have used fresh ginger juice but was afraid it would add too much liquid. Think I’ll chill them next time and see if they’ll puff up…
Happy you enjoyed the recipe! The dough definitely needs to be chilled so the cookies don’t spread 🙂
These are so tasty and they came out with the perfect crinkle. A definite winner – thank you for this recipe!!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Kailee!
Should I flatten the dough balls to bake or keep them completely rounded?
Hi Jen, you don’t flatten the balls. Just place them onto the baking sheet rounded 🙂
I had to make a second batch because the original got eaten before Christmas. These cookies are the best! I used cold ground ginger powder for extra ginger goodness, and the recipe works great with vegan butter and flax egg (I used finely ground flax seeds, NOT the whole ones). It works okay with ground chia seeds “eggs” too but the flax is better. I also used bob’s red mill gluten free 1 for 1 flour. Amazing!!! Thank you so much! <3
So happy you enjoyed the recipe Laura 🙂
There’s a reason this recipe has 5 stars. These cookies are simply delicious! They’re crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and not overly sweet. The only problem is that they got eaten up too quickly.
My cookies taste delicious but they spread out and are flat. I preheated my oven to 350 and measured everything to the tee. But I only let them chill for 30 minutes. Could that be the culprit?
Hi Kathryn, did you leave the cookies as balls on the baking sheet or flatten them out at all? You can try chilling the dough for 60 minutes next time, Perhaps your fridge isn’t cold enough to firm up the cookies in 30 minutes
This recipe is a keeper! First time that I made it and I love it! I made a simple buttercream and made t sandwich cookies. Love this one either way!
So happy you loved them Barb! 🙂
The best ginger molasses cookie recipe I have ever made! Followed the recipe exactly as written and turned out perfectly. This will be a new staple in our house!
Thanks so much Emma, I’m so happy you loved the recipe!
These cookies are delicious. If you eat them straight out of the oven they taste VERY spicy. However, they are perfect the next day! I ran out of molasses, so I used 1/4 cup honey along with 1/4 cup molasses. Definitely chill them in the refrigerator prior to placing in the oven. These are very fancy for little trouble. I will make them again.
So happy you enjoyed them Kathy:) I’m curious what type of ginger you used, I haven’t found these to be spicy at all but I’m sure some brands of ginger powder can be have a little more kick to them!
I almost gave up on making Ginger Molasses cookies this year. I tried a recipe before this and they were not chewy at all. This was a great recipe!! The cookies are perfect! I shared it with my mom and friend. Thanks’
So happy you loved the recipe Laura! 🙂
I haven’t tried them yet, but looking forward to it. Do you suggest using unsalted butter?
Yes unsalted or if you use salted butter leave out the salt from the recipe!
Why my cookies spread so much?. They taste fantastic but just don’t look perfectly round
Thank you
Hi Janna, did you make sure your oven was preheated? If you put the cookies in the oven before it’s not enough this could cause them to spread.
I find that I need to chill the dough so the butter rehardens (not frozen but almost).
Excellent cookies–everyone I gave them to raved about them–thank you!
So happy you enjoyed them!!
I made these before but failed to save the recipe, so had to search by Google. When I read the first sentence of this recipe—crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside—I knew I found the right recipe. These cookies are a marvel!
So happy you enjoyed them! 🙂
Do you recommend light brown or dark brown sugar?
Either will work but regular brown sugar is best. (Dark i believe in some places)
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Yes if you prefer!
Excellent recipe! They turned out perfect!
Happy you loved them! 🙂
Love the taste so does whole family 👪
Happy you all enjoyed! 🙂
Wow these cookies are fabulous, best I have ever had, cooked to perfection at 13 min! Thank you!
So happy yu enjoyed them! 🙂
Love this recipe, make for friends and myself several times 👍
Happy you enjoyed it!
Delicious! I used cup-for-cup gluten free flour with no issues at all. Added white chocolate chunks too. I chilled the dough for about 30 minutes and they ended up being a perfect size and consistency. My friends loved them!
So happy you loved them! Sounds amazing with white chocolate too!
Best Ginger molasses recipe I’ve used to date. Chewy and perfectly crinkled. This is replacing my previous recipe, soooooo good! Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed them!
I’ve made a few various recipes of ginger molasses cookies in the past. These were by far the best! I don’t like sweet so I cut the white sugar by only a tablespoon or two because you have the sugar on the outside-they were perfect for me. Love the spice mixture and the crunchy exterior with the soft interior. Thank you! Going to make these gluten free (almond flour) and dairy free (vegan butter) for my friend with allergies!
So glad you loved them! 🙂
I get so tired of chocolate during the holidays, these cookies are a wonderful alternative. Mine turned out great. I used demera sugar to roll them in for a bit more crunch. Also, I rolled out all the cookies in the batch, froze half on a cookie sheet and then put the balls in a freezer container. Now I can bake just a few at a time when I have a craving.
So happy you loved them! Great idea to freeze half to have on hand!
Wonderful recipe, these turned out perfect and so pretty! The only odd thing was that I made a single batch and ended up with 33 cookies, not 16! I’m happy about that, but surprised. I followed the recipe exactly, and rolled the balls to even slightly larger than 1″. Not complaining though!
Happy you enjoyed! These should make 16 large cookies, but if you make them small you can definitely end up with some more! 🙂
What if you do not have a stand mixer?
You can use a hand mixer if you have that, but a mixer works best for these cookies to get a crackle on top!
Is there any fat that would work instead of the butter?
Butter would be best for these! You can try a vegan butter if you prefer.
I made this with Miyokos unsalted vegan butter. Excellent. With a butter alternative I think the higher the % of fat the better.
Absolutely the best chewy molasses cookie I have ever had or made. I omitted ground ginger and added about 4 tablespoons crystallized ginger finally chopped. Was the perfect amount of spice and taste. Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s a definite keeper for me!.
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Sounds amazing with crystallized ginger added!
Just pulled these from the oven for my sister’s fall theme wedding…I used demerara sugar to roll them in and used sea salt in the recipe…they came out the perfect crisp crunch with a hint of salt as the warm spices and chewy texture set in ..plus they sparkle ✨
So happy you love them Darci!
Can I substitute fresh ginger instead of ground?
Hi Posy, yes you can if you prefer!
Just made these with 1:1 gluten free flour and although I didn’t get the crack on top (which I think was more user error than the recipes fault) they are delicious. I baked for 10 minutes and got slightly crispy edges and a soft center. Flavors were spot on!
Happy you enjoyed the recipe Sharon! It’s possibly the gluten-free flour that caused them to not crack on top as they’ll rise slightly differently. Important thing is they tasted great still 🙂
These look delicious! How do you think the cookies would turn out using whole eggs?
Thanks!
I love these spicy cookies, Jess! And so easy, thanks for sharing! Dee xx
Thanks so much Dee!
Can you substitute the white sugar for more brown?
I’d stick with the original recipe for the right consistency!
Can I replace the egg white with flax egg to make it vegan?
Hi Elita, I haven’t tested this recipe out using a flax egg so I can’t say the texture will come out *exactly* the same if you do but I’m sure otherwise the cookies will still work!
Your cookies look amazing, Jess! Love the additional of ginger and molasses. 🙂
Thanks so much Ela! I love anything with Molasses:)
These cookies look so delicious, Jess!?
The perfect addition if you’re drinking a cup of tea or coffee.
Lots of love,
Bianca ❤️
Thank you so much Bianca! And yes! They’re also delicious dunked in coffee too 😉 xo
(I’m going to make these, but)
I wonder which type of molasses you’re using?
I suppose ‘fancy’ is the standard, but blackstrap is also around!
Hi brad, I use “fancy molases” but any type will work that you prefer!