Ginger Molasses Cookies

These easy ginger molasses cookies are easy to make and make a classic delicious addition to your cookie platter for the holidays. And these ginger cookies are a sneak peak recipe to my new cookbook that is coming out!

 

So when I was younger there was always one cookie growing up that was in my grandmother’s cupboard. A bag of crispy gingersnap cookies. When my sweet tooth couldn’t be ignored, I knew I could rely on snapping into one of those zippy crispy cookies. 

Those cookies were the inspiration to this recipe from my upcoming cookbook, Beginner’s Baking Bible. Except this version is a softer, chewier cousin to that yellow bag of cookies I grew up with. And frankly, I love them even more.

And as fun as making Gingerbread Cookies and getting out the rolling pin and cookie cutters is fun, sometimes I just want a gingerbread drop cookie like this one that’s much easier and quicker to make!

Ingredients Needed

These cookies use all the classic ingredients you probably have in your pantry already.

• Dry ingredients: For these cookies you just need all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Spices: For the perfect combination of spice, I added ground ginger and cinnamon for a bit of warmth.
• Wet ingredients: You will need softened unsalted butter, both granulated sugar and light brown sugar, one egg, and molasses

How to make these ginger molasses cookies

Step One: Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Set aside.

Pro Tip: Be sure to measure your flour correctly! Kitchen scale is best, or use my spoon and level method. 

Step two: Cream butter and sugars. With an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Pro Tip: Here are 3 ways to soften your butter quickly if you are in a hurry!

Step three: Add egg and molasses. Add the egg, mixing well until combined. Add molasses and mix just until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Step four: Add dry ingredients. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour, until firm.

Listen. I know. Chilling your dough isn’t a lot of fun if you want a cookie like NOW. But chilling the dough will help to firm up the dough so they don’t spread in the oven.

Step five: Preheat and prepare cookie sheets. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat). 

Step six: Scoop the cookies.  Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or a tablespoon scoop the cookies into 1 ½ inch balls onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. 

Step seven: Bake and cool cookies. Bake cookie sheet on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will still look soft.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Recipe Tips

• Measure your flour correctly. I use the spoon and level method. Meaning I spoon my flour into my cup then level off with a spatula or the back of a knife. By measuring your incorrectly means you could end up with more flour then you want. Added flour in your cookie recipe means your cookie may end up cakier or tougher than you would like. 
• You need to use room temperature butter so your dough is properly creamed and aerated. To soften your butter quickly, here are 3 quick ways. 
• Make sure to use room temperature eggs so they are easily incorporated into the cookie dough. I place mine into a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them.
• Molasses can be sticky! So give your measuring cup a quick spray with non -stick cooking spray and the molasses will slide right out. 

Ginger Molasses Cookie FAQ’s

Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Yes!  The great thing about these cookies (and all scoop and bake cookies) is that they freeze so well! I freeze my cookie dough first uncovered for about 30 minutes. Then place them in a zip-loc bag. You can have cookies whenever you need them. Because seriously some days just need a cookie, don’t they? 

When you’re ready to bake them, just bake them frozen and add on a few additional minutes of bake time.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

Yes, I think it’s highly important. Chilling your dough will help with the cookies not spreading as much.

Why did my cookies spread so much?

Cookie spreading is a bummer. There 8 reasons that I can think of why your cookies may have spread. If your cookies do spread in the oven, you can try this little trick I picked up from Sally’s Baking Addiction, which is to take them out of the oven and take a spoon and press the edges of the cookie inward.

Can I freeze these cookies?

Yes and you should. You can freeze them baked or unbaked. 

To freeze unbaked: Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, and freeze solid. Then place into a sealable plastic bag. You can bake frozen, without thawing, but add on a few extra minutes of baking time.

To freeze baked: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Then when ready to eat, allow to thaw. I like to pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds to bring them back to ooey gooey life. 

For more help, read here on how to freeze cookie dough.

Why do my gingers cookies get crispy and hard?

This could be because you overbaked the cookies. If the dough is too warm (remember that chilling time!) then it could cause them too spread too much resulting in a cookie that gets too thin and gets too crispy and hard. Your oven temperature may also be too high. I recommend using an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is running at the correct temperature.

If you’re still having trouble, be sure to sign up for my Bake Your Best Cookies Ever -Free Email Series

More Cookie Recipes

• Lemon Cookie Recipe
• Russian Tea Cake Cookies
• White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
• Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

My grandmother always had one cookie stocked at all times in her cupboard. A box of crispy gingersnaps. I decided to create a softer chewier version of those cookies that are simply irresistible. You’re going to want to keep these stocked at all times in your kitchen too.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories: 126kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon table salt
• ▢ ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ ½ cup (99 g) granulated white sugar
• ▢ ½ cup (107 g) light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg room temperature
• ▢ ⅓ cup (113 g) unsulphured molasses – I used Grandma’s

Instructions

• Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugars. With an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add egg and molasses. Add the egg, mixing well until combined. Add molasses and mix just until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
• Add dry ingredients. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour, until firm.
• Preheat and prepare cookie sheets. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat).
• Scoop the cookies. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or a tablespoon scoop the cookies into 1 ½ inch balls onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
• Bake and cool cookies. Bake cookie sheet on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will still look soft. Remove from the oven and let cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Tools: Cookies Sheets | Oven Thermometer |Kitchen-Aid Mixer |Cookie Scoop | silicon baking mat | spatula | cooling rack | cookie spatula

• Ingredient Tip: Molasses is one sticky ingredient to work with! So here is my little tip to working with it – spray your measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray before measuring your molasses. The molasses will slide right out into your mixing bowl.
• To freeze unbaked: Scoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet, and freeze solid. Then place into a sealable plastic bag. You can bake frozen, without thawing, but add on a few extra minutes of baking time.
• To freeze baked: Allow the cookies to cool completely. Then when ready to eat, allow to thaw. I like to pop them into the microwave for about 20 seconds to bring them back to ooey gooey life. 

Nutrition

Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 91mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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