These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are an all-time favorite in this household. With tons of flavor from brown sugar and seasonal spices, they never last long!
I know food bloggers say things are their favorite all the time, but I need you know I understand the gravity of the phrase. So believe me when I say these ginger molasses cookies really, truly are my favorite cookies ever.
I’ve made many a cookie in my lifetime, and none of them have quite compared. Even the other cookies on this blog. They’re very good, but these are the best ones. Make one batch and see for yourself—and if you have your own best interest in mind, double it. You won’t regret it.
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Ingredients
- Molasses. I think this is the most important ingredient, so choose your molasses wisely. You’ll want to avoid blackstrap molasses, which is very dark and bitter. Opt instead for a dark or unsulphured molasses—I prefer Grandma’s brand.
- Brown sugar. You can use either dark or light brown sugar for this recipe, but I like using dark brown for the extra hit of molasses-y flavor.
- Granulated sugar. We’ll use just a bit of granulated sugar, too, to balance the crispy-chewy ratio in these cookies.
- Butter. I’m a firm believer that the salted vs. unsalted butter debate is highly overblown in the baking community—I’ve had the same level of success using both kinds of butter in this recipe and many others. Use whatever kind of butter you have on hand; just make sure it’s real butter!
- Spices. Ginger is the dominant spice in these cookies (hence the name), but we’ll create a balanced spice blend with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, too.
- Coarse sugar, also known as turbinado sugar. I prefer using this crunchy, crystal-like sugar to create a crisp coating on my cookies, but if you can’t find it, you can roll them in granulated sugar instead.
- Baking basics: Flour, baking soda, egg, vanilla extract, and salt.
Instructions
These cookies require just a few simple steps. You’ll mix up the dough in only one bowl, then chill it for a short time before scooping and baking. All in all, there’s only about an hour and a half standing between you and the best batch of cookies you’ll ever make. (I’m so serious.) Be sure to scroll to the bottom for full instructions with cooking times.
Here’s how to make these ginger molasses cookies:
- Mix together the wet ingredients in a stand mixer or a large bowl using a handheld mixer. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour. (The worst part! But necessary to prevent the cookies from turning into a giant puddle in the oven.)
- Scoop the dough into 2-Tablespoon portions and roll in coarse sugar to create a crisp, sparkly exterior.
- Bake until golden-brown and crackled on the top, then bang the pan on the counter a couple times and let cool completely before enjoying.
Substitutions and Variations
Flour: Feel free to make these cookies gluten free by using your favorite gluten free all-purpose flour blend.
Turbinado sugar: If you can’t find coarse sugar or just don’t feel like buying it, you can roll these cookies in regular granulated sugar, too.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
These cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, though I’ve never had them last more than a few days.
If you’d like to make the dough ahead of time, you can chill it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just let it sit at room temperature for around 30 minutes before scooping and baking, as it will be much more solid and your cookies may not spread as well.
FAQs
Opt for a dark or unsulphured molasses, like Grandma’s brand. Luckily, this is usually the easiest kind to find at most grocery stores! Just avoid blackstrap molasses, which is too bitter for this recipe.
While fresh ginger has an undeniably good flavor, I don’t recommend using it for this recipe. In order to keep these cookies perfectly chewy, we’ll need the perfect ratio of wet to dry ingredients, and fresh grated ginger would add too much moisture. This could lead to a cakey, not chewy, cookie.
Turbinado is a coarse, crystal-like sugar that I love to use to create a crisp, sparkly exterior on my cookies. You can find it in the baking aisle at most well-stocked grocery stores. Sugar In the Raw is a very good, fairly accessible brand.
More holiday baking recipes:
White Chocolate Eggnog Cookie Bars
Peppermint Mocha Brownies
Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies
Did you make this recipe? If you loved it, please leave a ⭐5-star rating⭐ and/or leave a comment below the recipe card! And don’t forget to share a photo and tag me on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok — I love seeing you recreate my recipes.
PrintChewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
These Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are an all-time favorite in this household. With tons of flavor from brown sugar and seasonal spices, they never last long! This recipe is modified from the Seriously Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies by Sally’s Baking Recipes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour chilling time
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 15–18 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup coarse turbinado sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Combine the wet ingredients: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined with no dry flour patches remaining.
- Chill: Cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
- Scoop and bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the chilled cookie dough into 2-Tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Roll each ball in coarse sugar before placing them 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. (These will spread quite a bit, so make sure there’s plenty of space around each cookie!)
- Bake in preheated oven for 11-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the cookies are golden-brown on the bottom. When you remove the pans from the oven, bang them on the counter a couple times—this knocks out any extra air and makes the cookies extra dense and chewy.
- Cool and eat: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (if you can wait that long).
Jess / @jessmoutdoors says
These were sooo dank and easy to make! The hardest part was having to wait for them to chill before cooking them lol. The dough smelled sooo good!