These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are soft, spiced, and sweet. They taste like autumn and you’ll love their chewiness and rich molasses flavor.
If you’re looking for more tasty cookie recipes, you should try our Snickerdoodle Cookies and Shortbread Cookies.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
These Ginger Molasses Cookies are some of the most delicious you’ll ever taste. With their spiced flavor, they bring to mind cool autumn days and are a family favorite at this time of year.
- TASTE: Between the layers of flavor from the ginger and cinnamon to the rich taste of the molasses, these cookies are amazing.
- TEXTURE: These cookies are incredibly moist. And their chewy soft texture is so addictive, you won’t be able to stop at one.
- TIME: It will take 2 hours and 30 minutes to make these.
- EASE: This recipe is really easy and made with simple ingredients that pack in a lot of flavor. Just follow my instructions to get the softest, chewiest cookies.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Molasses- This ingredient keeps the cookies extra moist and chewy while also adding some rich sweetness.
- Light-tasting olive oil– gives these cookies added moisture and softness.
- Spices- Cinnamon, and ginger give these cookies a warm and spicy flavor.
- Butter- Use unsalted as we are adding salt to this recipe and don’t want to overdo it.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add extra ginger- Chopped crystalized ginger can be added to the cookies for an extra oomph of flavor.
- Substitute the flour- You can also make these Ginger Molasses Cookies with whole wheat flour, or for a gluten-free version, sub gluten-free flour 1:1.
- Add frosting- Ice the cookies with cream cheese frosting or icing for more sweetness and a lovely presentation.
- Substitute the spices- Add or decrease spices as you like, tweaking them for the flavor you want. You can also use allspice in these cookies.
How to Make Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Beat the butter and oil with the sugar. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, olive oil, and brown sugar with a large whisk.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and molasses until everything is well incorporated.
- Sift in the dry ingredients. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the mixing bowl and add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon, sifting them into the wet mixture. Mix on low to combine.
- Chill the dough. Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 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.
- Bake. Place the dough about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for about 9-10 minutes. Allow them to cool slightly before serving.
Pro Tip: Leave the hot cookies on the pan to partially cool before taking them off or they might fall apart. They can then cool further on a cooling rack before serving.
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- 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!
- Lay the dough out in balls- Make the cookies into balls of dough so that as they heat and spread, they won’t become too flat.
- 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.
FAQs
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.
Softened butter will melt quickly so this means that your dough will spread and flatten as it bakes. Chilling your dough and baking the cookies as balls will minimize the flattening as they spread more slowly.
Serving Suggestions
These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are wonderful when served with other desserts and coffees. You can also pair them with other cookies for a cookie tray.
- Cookies: Pair these cookies with some Cookies And Cream Cookies, Coffee Cookies, Chewy Nutella Cookies, or Chewy M&M Cookies.
- Sweet treats: Serve these Ginger Molasses Cookies with Pumpkin Creme Brulee, Candied Pecans, Chocolate Covered Dates, or Coffee Chocolate Mousse.
- Cakes: Serve them with a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake (VIDEO), Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Chocolate Mousse Cake, or Easy Carrot Cake.
- Beverages: Enjoy these cookies with a Hot Chocolate, Iced Matcha Latte, Brown Sugar Boba, or Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make the cookie dough ahead of time and store it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to form the cookies and bake them.
Storing: 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.
Freeze: 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 Scrumptious Cookies!
Full Recipe Instructions
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup light-tasting olive oil
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Then add the eggs, vanilla extract, and molasses. Mix that again until everything is well mixed.
- Now place a fine-mesh sieve over the mixing bowl and add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon.
- Sift the flour and spices into the butter and sugar mixture and mix with a spatula until you no longer see dry patches of flour.
- Then cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.
- 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 9-10 minutes. Leave them on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes, then immediately transfer to a cooling rack. This recipe makes about 60 small cookies. If that's too many for you, just freeze the dough balls and keep them in a gallon-sized ziplock bag for later.
Notes
- 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 end up with very flat cookies!
- Lay the dough out in balls- Make the cookies into balls of dough so that as they heat and spread, they won’t become too flat.
- 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.
- Make them ahead of time! 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.
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!