These Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are quintessential from Fall through the holidays! They are rich, thick, and filled with molasses and warm spices. I make them every Christmas and they are always a hit at cookie exchanges!
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My molasses spice cookies are also incredibly easy to make! From start to finish, you can whip these up in under 20 minutes. It makes a smaller batch of cookies, but can easily be doubled for more! You can also turn these cookies into chocolate covered Christmas Cookie Truffles!
If you're ready to get in the holiday spirit, give this recipe a try. They're like gingerbread muffins in cookie form! And if you love the combination of gingerbread and chocolate, try my Gingerbread Brownies recipe!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You're only 4 simple steps away from eating the best ginger molasses cookies ever!
- Their texture is so soft and chewy.
- The warm spices will put you in the Holiday spirit.
- These gingerbread drop cookies are perfect from September through December. Or really anytime of year if you love molasses and ginger!
- Even picky eaters who don't love molasses (like me) will enjoy these cookies!
Ingredients
- This soft ginger cookie recipe gets its amazing texture from brown sugar and molasses. They both help keep the cookies moist and chewy for days after baking.
- You'll notice you only use the egg yolk in these soft molasses cookies. The yolk brings richness and also helps with the chewy texture of the cookies.
- Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves bring that iconic Christmas flavor. I highly recommend using Watkins spices for the most fresh flavors!
- Salt is so important in these cookies! Because they have brown sugar and molasses which are both incredibly sweet, the salt helps balance out the flavor.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can make different variations of these cookies by swapping out the spices. Try using pumpkin pie or chai spice!
- Try rolling the dough balls in granulated sugar for a little extra sweetness and sparkle.
- Drizzle or dunk the cookies in melted white chocolate or cream cheese icing and decorate with sprinkles for a festive Holiday treat!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Ginger Molasses Cookies
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle or using a hand mixer, cream the room temperature butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the molasses and egg yolk and beat to combine.
Step 2: Mix the all purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients until fully combined.
Step 3: Scoop 2-3 tablespoon dough balls onto a cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Step 4: Bake at 350°F for 8-11 minutes, until the edges are set and centers are slightly cracked. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Expert Tips
- Use a cookie scoop for easy transfer to your baking sheet.
- Make sure you prepare your baking sheets before scooping your dough. You can use parchment paper or a silicon mat so your cookies won't stick to the pan.
- Weigh your dry ingredients with a food scale (see metric tab in recipe card below). This will provide a much more accurate measurement than using measuring cups so you don't end up with dry, puffy cookies.
Recipe FAQs
This is likely because they were too close together. Try to leave 2 inches between each cookie so they have room to spread a little but won't meld together into one big soft ginger cookie.
Yes! You can make the cookie dough and cover it in the refrigerator for 24 hours, or you can freeze the dough balls on a cookie sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag until you are ready to bake them. Bake the gingerbread cookies from frozen and will only require a few extra minutes to fully cook.
My favorite spices to use are by Watkins! They're super fresh, fluffy, and flavorful! You can find them in many grocery stores or online at www.watkins1868.com.
Storage
Room Temperature
Store cooled ginger molasses cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them extra soft!
Freezing Instructions
Store fully cooled cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Thank you!
-Kayla
📖 Recipe
Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment recommended
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (66 g) brown sugar dark or light, packed
- ⅓ cup (75.67 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (84.25 g) molasses
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1⅓ cup (166.67 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes on medium speed). Mix in the molasses and egg yolk really well.
- Stir the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into the wet ingredients just until the dry streaks disappear.
- Scoop 2-3 tablespoon dough balls onto a baking sheet (about 2 inches apart).
- Bake until the edges set and centers start to crack (8-11 minutes).
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