This Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies recipe is easy to make, with no need to chill the dough. The cookies are perfectly soft and chewy, with just the right amount of spices and molasses – the ultimate fall and holiday cookie!
I don’t recall ever really liking ginger cookies when I was growing up. And I believe the biggest reason why is that whenever I was offered one, it was always a very hard cookie. A dunking sort of cookie. It’s why they call those cookies gingersnaps, because they “snap” when you break them in half.
And hard cookies just aren’t my thing. Unless we’re talking about buttery shortbread cookies. In that case, I can definitely make an exception.
But in general, I like my cookies soft and chewy.
So when I was introduced to a super soft and chewy ginger cookie during my 30’s, my world was turned upside down. I questioned why it had taken so long for me to know this was actually a thing.
It’s taken me a number of years to get this recipe the way I want it. But I’m happy to say that this is now my favorite recipe for Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies. Our whole family is quite smitten with these, and I’m confident you’ll like them too!
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
There’s no hiding it. I’m pretty excited to finally put closure on my ginger cookies recipe pursuit. For many years, come fall and the holiday season, I’ve played around with this recipe.
Now…to get a chocolate chip cookie recipe perfected in the same way. An easy-to-make recipe that passes all of our family’s criteria for soft, chewy, buttery, and chocolatey. We’ll get there, I promise!
How to make ginger molasses cookies
One of the reasons I’m so thrilled about this recipe is that there’s no need to chill the dough.
Can I get an Amen?!
I get why certain recipes call for this step. I really do. But my goal for this recipe was for it to be easy and fairly quick. So I knew I wanted to eliminate any need for refrigerator chilling time.
Besides molasses and a few warm spices, all that’s required to make these soft ginger cookies are the typical cookie making ingredients.
Also: If you don’t own at least a couple different sizes of scoops, I highly recommend these handy kitchen tools. I use them all the time. Not only are they great for portioning cookie dough, but I also like to use them to fill muffin and cupcake papers, and to size meatballs. I used this scoop for these cookies, which holds about 1-1/2 tablespoons of dough.
I am 100% confident that if you have been looking for soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies, you’ll be 100% happy with this recipe!
Soft, chewy molasses cookies with the beautiful zing of ginger. Aren’t they so pretty, with those fun cracks zig-zagging across their tops?
EVERYONE deserves to know the happiness created from a batch of these cookies!
When it comes to the holidays and sweet treats, our family has quite a number of favorite recipes. Be sure to also check out these:
- Peppermint Bark, our girls LOVE this stuff!
- Chocolate Caramels, my Grandma Klein’s recipe, these are an annual tradition.
- Caramel Heavenlies, an easy recipe that’s both crispy-crunchy and ooey-gooey!
- Chocolate Mint Brownies, one of my mom’s favorite recipes EVER.
Like this ginger cookies recipe? Pin it!
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup mild molasses
- Granulated sugar, for rolling dough balls
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds, and then scrape down the bowl. Beat on medium-high for 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until mixture is somewhat light and fluffy.
- Add egg and molasses, and beat on medium-low until incorporated.
- Add combined dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until incorporated.
- With your hands, quickly roll dough into balls that are 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" in size. I like to use a medium scoop to evenly portion the dough. Take care to roll the dough as minimally as possible, to ensure the butter stays as cool as possible. Then roll dough balls in a small bowl of sugar. Place sugared dough balls on baking sheet about 2" apart. Bake for 8 minutes. Cracks should start forming on the tops of the cookies during the final minute or so of baking, and will continue to form as the cookies cool outside the oven. For the softest, chewiest cookies, take care to not over bake. Remove pan from oven and let cookies sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was previously published in 2010. Since then, the recipe has been improved and revised. The recipe, photographs, and text were updated in 2018.
These were by far the best and easiest cookies I’ve made. I love the bite of ginger in cookies so I doubled the amount of spice. Other than that, I made them exactly and they came out perfect!
This recipe is simple and delicious! I made it for a cookie swap this year and my co-workers loved them! I’ll keep making these every Christmas!
These are my go to recipe for ginger cookies!
They are a family favourite and a must with Thanksgiving
So happy to hear this, Wendy! BEAUTIFUL with Thanksgiving, the perfect sweetly spiced bites!
I love this recipe!!!!
Ginger cookies are my favourite and these were so yummy! I’m not a baker and was worried they may not turn out. The first batch I did take out too early and they were a little raw inside, but I was able to put them back in and save them. I will definitely be making these again.
So glad you liked the cookies, Andrea – thanks for coming back to let me know!
These are the best cookies ..
I make several batches every Christmas
I love to hear this, Lily!!
My family LOVES this cookie. It’s always soft and delicious. Can’t lose my recipe or my family will be disappointed.
I love this. Don’t worry – the recipe will always be here. :)
Thank you for this fantastic recipe. They turn out perfectly every time.
Delicious! I love how I don’t have to refrigerate the dough. Just be sure not to overbake.
Can I make cookie bars with this recipe?
I have never been a fan of ginger or molasses but these cookies are absolutely amazing.
I was making them for my granddaughter but will definitely be making them for myself as well.
I followed the recipe as written and they came out fantastic!!
Thanks for a great recipe!!
Hello! A friend shared this recipe MONTHS ago and yesterday I FINALLY made them and they are AMAZING!! Thank you so much for such a great recipe!!
I love these cookies, so easy to make and taste delicious. They have three of my favourite ingredients ginger, cinnamon and molasses. Will making these again. Thanks for the recipe.
I love these cookies! Currently making them for our postponed family Christmas dinner. Currently out of butter, do you think margarine would work?
I didnt find these to be particularly appetizing. They weren’t very sweet nor did they have a ginger punch I was hoping for as a ginger cookie. Mine didnt crinkle very much and was pretty moist, not really a ginger snap in regards to texture. Didn’t look like the picture. I did let them cool and did over or under bake so not sure why. Not going to use this recipe in the future probably. Its a pass for me.
Do these freeze well?
Yes!! :)
This is my second year baking these cookies! I loved them last year, but I think I did something wrong this time around. I did use a medium (1.5 tbs) cookie scooper, but it only gave me 16 cookies, when the recipe calls for around 30. That’s fine, especially if you like a bigger cookie, but then I should have cooked it a bit longer than the 8 minutes. My recommendation would be check how many cookies your dough is giving you, and then adjust cooking time accordingly. I got nervous when I saw cracks forming on the sides of my cookies and took them out, but next time I would wait to see some cracks on top!
Made em but ended up with only 12 cookies (so you can imagine how huge they ended up LOL) and I’m currently tossing them in for another 4 mins as they’re so thick they didn’t quite cook through at 8 mins. but tasted one and they’re almost there, and the flavour is great. thanks a lot
Hi! I am excited to make these, a friend of mine did and is RAVING about them! Just one question: Do you use or recommend (or NOT recommend, as the case may be!) parchment paper or anything like that, or just straight onto the baking sheet? Also, do you recommend a flat cookie sheet, or will this work in a half-sheet pan with low rims?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa! I do not use any liners, put the dough directly on the baking sheet. I’ve always used cookie sheets, so I can’t speak to that. Rimmed sheet pans also have widely varying thicknesses and quality.
I made these cookies last night and I loved them! Buttery and soft. I didn’t have ground cloves on hand, so I sprinkled in a little nutmeg instead and it came out fine. Would definitely make again.
Yay! Love to hear this, Ashley!
I made these today and they are absolutely delicious!! I think the spice and salt ratio are perfect. I didn’t get the pretty cracks, but it may be because I refrigerated the dough before baking. It was too sticky and warm to work with after mixing. But, no matter because they taste great; crispy on the edges and soft in the center.