These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are soft, spiced, and sweet. They taste delicious and will make you think of autumn like no other dessert!
If you’re looking for more tasty cookie recipes, you should try our snickerdoodle cookies and shortbread cookies.
The Best Ginger Molasses Cookies
These Ginger Molasses Cookies are some of the most flavorful you’ll ever taste. Between the layers of flavor from the ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the rich taste of the molasses, these cookies are amazing. Their chewy soft texture is so addictive, you won’t be able to stop at one. These are perfect year-round, but especially during the fall and winter months. You have got to give them a try!
What does Molasses do?
Molasses is slightly sweet and offers additional brown sugar flavor. It’s also thick and gooey, pulling together the moisture from the other ingredients to make these cookies super moist and chewy.
What you’ll use for this recipe
These Ginger Molasses Cookies use a handful of ingredients for the cookie dough base, as well as certain spices to get that perfect flavor. You’ll start with wet ingredients, like Unsalted butter, Granulated sugar, Golden Brown sugar, an Egg, Vanilla extract, and Molasses. The dry ingredients include All-purpose flour, Baking soda, Salt, and the spices: Ground Ginger, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Nutmeg, and Ground Cloves.
How to Make Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
This is a quick recipe rundown. Full the full recipe with exact measurements, scroll down to the printable recipe card.
1. Beat the butter with the sugars. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer on high for about a minute.
2. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the molasses. Mix in the molasses until everything is well incorporated.
4. Sift in the dry ingredients. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the mixing bowl and add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, sifting them into the wet mixture. Mix on low to combine.
5. Chill the dough. Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.
6. Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Scoop out and roll the dough balls. Scoop out the dough (about 1 tablespoon each) and roll it into balls. Then toss them in the additional granulated sugar.
8. Bake. Place the dough about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. Allow them to cool slightly before serving warm.
Tips to make the best Molasses Cookies
- Make sure the dough is chilled- It’s important to let the dough chill for a couple of hours so the butter and other ingredients are solidified enough to stop spreading during baking. Otherwise, you’ll land up with very flat cookies!
- Let the cookies cool on the baking pan- They are still cooking as they sit on the pan and this allows them to complete the process and also avoid falling apart because they are very delicate when they are hot.
- Sift the dry ingredients- These Ginger Molasses cookies will taste much better if the spices and other dry ingredients are sifted together so they are distributed evenly throughout the dough. This also avoids clumping and dry spots in these moist and chewy treats.
How to Store them
To store any leftovers, place these cookies in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. They should be completely cooled and layered with parchment paper to avoid sticking to each other.
Can you make them ahead of time?
Yes, these Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies can be made ahead. If you need them farther than 2 weeks out, then just allow them to cool completely before laying them in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag with parchment paper separating the layers. They will stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer. Defrost them in the fridge overnight when you are ready to serve.
More Tasty Cookie Recipes to Try!
- Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Chewy M&M Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (VIDEO)
- White Chocolate Florentine Cookies ( lace cookies)
- Linzer Cookies with Raspberry Jam
Full Recipe Instructions
Incredibly Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar + extra for coating
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tsp teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
Mix the cookie dough into a large bowl
- In a large bowl, add 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to beat that together on high speed for about 1 minute.
- Then add 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat that again for about 30 seconds
- Then add 1/4 cup molasses and mix again until it’s well incorporated.
- Now place a fine-mesh sieve over the mixer bowl and add 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tsp teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
- Sift the flour and spices into the butter and sugar mixture and mix on low speed using your electric hand mixer.
Chill the dough for 2 hours
- Then cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Scoop, roll in sugar and bake
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop out small scoops of the cookie dough (about 1 tablespoon each) and roll them into a ball and toss them in granulated sugar.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Serve warm. This recipe makes about 38 small cookies.
Notes
Nutrition
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Libby says
Yes! I’ve tried a few recipes hoping to recreate the amazing ginger cookies someone I used to know made – and this hits it on the nail! Thank you!
To cut down on dough chilling time, I roll the dough balls in sugar, then freeze them on the tray, they are solid in 10-15 minutes and melt into the perfect cookie shape and thickness by the end of their baking time!
Dina says
Wow Libby, that is amazing! I love hearing reviews like this. You totally made my day! 🙂
Diana Taylor says
Thank you for the recipe these are amazing .. so good so tasty
simplyhomecooked says
You are very welcome Diana! So happy that you loved these ginger molasses cookies 🙂 Thank you so much for your feedback, I really appreciate it!