Ginger Molasses Cookies
These ginger molasses cookies are a little twist on our famous old-fashioned molasses cookies recipe. These are definitely worth trying. You can never have too many molasses cookies, right?
Indulge in the warm, spiced goodness of our Ginger Molasses Cookies. These delectable treats combine the robust flavors of ginger and molasses to create a cookie that is rich, aromatic, and utterly irresistible. Each cookie boasts a soft, chewy texture with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness, making them a comforting favorite during the holiday season and beyond.
Ideal for cozy evenings, festive gatherings, or simply as a delightful snack, our Ginger Molasses Cookies capture the essence of homemade goodness. The deep molasses flavor pairs beautifully with the warmth of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, filling your home with a nostalgic, inviting aroma.
Enjoy these cookies with a hot cup of tea, coffee, or a glass of cold milk for a truly satisfying treat. They also make wonderful gifts, spreading warmth and cheer to friends and family. Experience the timeless charm of our Ginger Molasses Cookies – a classic treat that brings comfort and joy to every bite.
Why is this the best cookie recipe?
- Rich, Aromatic Flavor: The combination of deep molasses and warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves creates a robust and inviting flavor profile that captures the essence of the holiday season.
- Perfect Texture: These cookies have a soft, chewy texture that provides a satisfying bite, while the slight crispness on the edges adds a delightful contrast.
- Nostalgic and Inviting Aroma: Baking these cookies fills your home with a comforting, nostalgic aroma that enhances the holiday atmosphere and makes them irresistible.
- Versatile Enjoyment: Ideal for cozy evenings, festive gatherings, or as thoughtful homemade gifts, these cookies are perfect for any occasion and loved by both kids and adults.
Ingredients and substitutions
- All-purpose flour – The amount of flour in the recipe will determine how dense the cookies will be. So, make sure to measure the ingredients correctly.
- Sugar – I like to use white sugar for that wonderful crisp outside and molasses for that soft and chewy inside. But you can also use a combination of white and brown sugar.
- Egg – We have just one egg, so make it a large egg.
- Molasses – Use unsulphured molasses. I like to use dark molasses; light molasses just does not give it enough molasses flavor.
- Spices – Today, I am using one teaspoon of ground ginger, just a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg. You can also use a teaspoon of ground cloves.
Step-by-step: How to make ginger molasses cookies
- Dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, spices, and ground ginger – and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Next, add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Followed by the flour mixture. Combine well over low speed, but do not overmix.
Pro tip – We do not want to activate the gluten in our dough, so do not overmix. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too much. - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Pro tip – The cookie dough can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to a month.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4 and line a sheet pan or two baking sheets with silicone or parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop or two tablespoons of cookie dough, make golf-sized balls. Then, coat the cookie dough balls in the white granulated sugar.
Pro tip – You can also make the cookie dough balls and freeze them for up to a month in a freezer bag.
- Place on the baking tray, making sure to leave space for them to spread. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 9 minutes until the top is cracked.
Pro tip – Larger cookies will take about 10 minutes and vice versa. - Cool on a cookie tray for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before you transfer to a cookie jar.
Variations to the molasses cookies?
- Roll in brown sugar – Light brown sugar enhances the flavor of the molasses in the cookies.
- Chocolate – You can add 2 tbsp of cocoa powder to these to make a version of chocolate molasses cookies. You could also drizzle some chocolate on the baked cookies. Or, you could also dip half the cookie into melted white chocolate. Then, sprinkle some festive sprinkles!
- With nuts – Add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts.
Tips for success
- Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar can cream until light and fluffy.
- Rest the dough before rolling the cookies. Resting helps the butter firm up again, which makes it easier to work and prevents spreading.
- And if the cookie dough is too soft, put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Chilling the cookie dough will prevent spreading.
- Preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes, making sure the oven is at the right temperature. A cold oven will spread the cookies.
- It is a good practice to place cookies in the fridge while the oven is preheating to prevent them from spreading.
- When baked, leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from sweating on the bottom.
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Frequently asked questions
How long will these cookies keep?
These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.
Can you freeze these ginger molasses cookies?
You can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls in freezer bags for up to 3 months. The baked cookies will keep in the freezer for up to a month.
Do these cookies spread too much?
The cookie needs the right temperature for baking. So the cookie spreads just enough and the outside bakes to a crisp, preventing any more spreading (hope that makes sense). Hence, finding the right oven temperature is essential. Therefore, please follow the directions that come with the recipe.
What is the substitute for molasses in cookies?
You can substitute 1 cup of molasses with equal parts of honey, dark corn syrup, or maple syrup. You can also use 3/4 cup dark brown sugar for every 1 cup of molasses. Having said that, molasses has a distinct taste and flavor that you will not get from honey, corn syrup, or maple syrup. These will give you a similar texture but not the same taste.
How do molasses cookies taste?
Molasses gives the cookies a sweet, warm, and smoky flavor. It is a very distinct flavor and aroma.
Ginger Molasses Cookies
These ginger molasses cookies are a little twist on our famous old fashion molasses cookies recipe. These are definitely worth trying. You can never have too many molasses cookies, right?
Video
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- ¾ cup (170 g) Butter
- ¾ cup (65 g) White sugar
- 1 Egg
- ½ cup (120 ml) Molasses
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
For coating
- ½ cup (100 g) Granulated sugar for coating
Method
- Dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, spices, and ground ginger – and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Followed by the flour mixture. Combine well over low speed but do not overmix. Pro tip – We do not want to activate the gluten in our dough. So do not overmix. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too much.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Pro tip – The cookie dough can be refrigerated for a week or frozen for up to a month.
- Preheat oven at 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4 and line a sheet pan or two baking sheets with silicone or parchment paper.
- Using a cookie scoop, or two tablespoons amount of cookie dough, make golf size balls. Then, coat the cookie dough balls in the white granulated sugar. Pro tip – You can also make the cookie dough balls and freeze them for up to a month in a freezer bag.
- Place on the baking tray, making sure to leave space for them to spread. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 9 minutes until the top is cracked. Pro tip – Larger cookies will take about 10 minutes and vise versa.
- Cool on a cookie tray for 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before you transfer to a cookie jar.
Notes
- Always have all the ingredients at room temperature so the butter and sugar can cream until light and fluffy.
- Rest the dough before rolling the cookies. Resting helps the butter firm up again which makes it easier to work and prevents spreading
- If the cookie dough is too soft, put it back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Chilling the cookie dough will prevent spreading
- Preheat the oven for a good 15 minutes making sure the oven is at the right temperature. A cold oven will spread the cookies.
- It is a good practice to place cookies in the fridge while the oven is preheating to prevent them from spreading.
- When baked leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will prevent them from sweating on the bottom.
Bake Ahead and Freezing Instructions
- Dough – You can freeze the dough for 3 months wrapped well in a ziplock bag. Then, thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
- Unbaked cookies – And, you can also freeze the baked cookies dough balls in freezer bags. They will stay for up to a month.
- Baked cookies – Alternatively, freeze the baked cookies between parchment papers for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Mention @veenaazmanov_kitchen or tag #veenaazmanovkitchen!Creative ways to serve ginger molasses cookies
- Cookie Sandwiches: Pair two ginger molasses cookies with a filling of lemon cream or spiced buttercream to make delightful sandwich cookies.
- Ginger Molasses Cookie and Ice Cream Pair: Serve the cookies warm with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream for a comforting dessert.
- Ginger Molasses Cookie Jar Gifts: Package the cookies in decorative jars tied with ribbons as a festive and heartfelt gift.
- Ginger Molasses Cookie S’mores: To make s’mores with a spicy twist, replace the traditional graham crackers with ginger molasses cookies.
- Ginger Molasses Cookie Trifle: Create a dessert trifle with layers of crumbled cookies, spiced whipped cream, and pumpkin custard for a festive dessert.
- Ginger Molasses Rum Balls: Create rum balls using crumbled cookies mixed with nuts and rum for a spirited holiday treat.
- Individual Dessert Shooters: Serve dessert shooters by layering crumbled cookies with layers of pudding or mousse in small glasses or shot glasses for a mini dessert option.
- Spiced Hot Chocolate Pairing: Serve the cookies alongside spiced hot chocolate, complementing the rich and spicy flavors of the cookies for a cozy treat.
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