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These soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies are guaranteed going to be the softest cookies you’ll make this holiday season!
The Perfect Holiday Cookie Doesn’t Exist: Ginger Molasses Cookies
The most perfect cookies to ever exist during the holidays are definitely these pillowy soft ginger molasses cookies. I am one to always gravitate towards ginger molasses cookies over any other holiday cookie purely because I just love the complex flavors of this cookie. It’s full of spice and warmth and it really exudes the scents you think of during the holiday season. It’s the perfect balance of molasses and spice, along with the crackly sugar top and the bite and chew of these cookies.
Of course there is no denying that I still love the classic frosted holiday sugar cookie and a peanut butter blossom! Adding these ginger molasses cookies to the table is not only a great way to add variety but allows friends and family to enjoy a holiday classic! You’ll be lucky if they last more than a few hours.
Unsulphured vs. Blackstrap Molasses
Molasses has varying intensities (flavor) and it can be confusing when you’re staring at the shelf in the store. Typically, for baking cookies, you want to use unsulphured or dark molasses. Avoid blackstrap molasses as it’s very strong in flavor and it will be too overpowering for this cookie.
Dessert Table Ideas
Ginger molasses cookies are the perfect cookie to include in a cookie swap or holiday cookie box! In addition to cookies, display these cookies with a large bowl of chex mix and maple cinnamon spiced nuts. A plate of saltine toffees would give the sweets a great balance for that salty edge.
Storage Instructions
Store molasses ginger cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To warm it up a bit (if desired), pop it into a toaster oven for 30 seconds or the microwave for 10 seconds.
Soft and Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (341 g) butter, softened
- 2 cups (400 g) sugar, plus more for rolling
- ½ cup (169 g) molasses
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until combined.1 1/2 cups (341 g) butter, 2 cups (400 g) sugar, 1/2 cup (169 g) molasses, 2 eggs
- Add in the molasses and eggs and mix until incorporated.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt.4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Slowly add in the flour mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix until all is combined.
- Fill a small bowl with about 3/4 cup granulated sugar.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (or 1 1/2 tbsp.), form dough into balls then gently roll them in the granulated sugar. Place onto baking sheets, about 2-inches apart. Repeat until all the cookie dough has been used up.
- Bake for 10 minutes (they will still look soft and undercooked but they cook while they cool and you want them to stay soft and chewy so remove them!) then let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
I just made a sample batch of these and they turned out beautifully! So delicious.
I have a lot of extra dough left over, can I freeze it to make more in a Few Days?
Yup, you can definitely freeze the dough!
My husband and I have been dying for some good Molasses Cookies and these totally hit the spot! Im wondering if anyone has tried freezing balls of this dough and then cooking? It makes a large batch that I love but for just my husband and I, it’s a lot ;) Would you recommend rolling them in sugar before freezing or right before cooking? Thank you!
Yes, I believe freezing them would work out very well! I would just bake them a bit longer if you’re going from freezer to oven though :)
Do you have to use a stand up mixer or will a hand held mixer work just as fine? Can’t wait to try them!
You could probably use a hand-held mixer but it the dough might get to be too much for the hand held mixer so maybe towards the end you’ll have to use your spatula and combine it yourself :)
I made this and then dipped them halfway in white chocolate and they are simply divine! :) Thanks for the recipe!!!
Really good, but WAY too much baking soda. I refused to put 4 tsp in so I only put 2 in.. even that was too much. 1 tsp is enough!
These are my favorite type of cookie! I made them today and they turned out amazingly. I added a little more of the spices and 1/2 tsp of black pepper. This was the first recipe I ever tried that yielded more than what it said – I got about 5 dozen 3 inch cookies out of it! Such a great recipe!!
These are my favorites too! I’m glad you got so many cookies!
Made these today for my coworkers/roommates they absolutely loved them fantastic recipe, I did substitute 1 cup of brown sugar for 1 of the cups of regular sugar. Thanks for your recipe :)
Great to hear!!
My daughter made these for a contest and came in first place! Thank you for the recipe. These cookies are delicious.
I just made these delicious cookies! I used a little flour & rolled dough out so that I could use cookie cutter. The shape was nice & neat!
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Glad you enjoyed this, Gail!
you don’t specify salted or unsalted butter. Which is it?
I always bake with unsalted butter.