Soft and chewy ginger molasses cookie recipe! This old-fashioned gingerbread cookie recipe doesn’t need to be chilled before baking, so you can make homemade molasses cookies in about half an hour!
Gingerbread is my favorite Christmas-time seasonal flavor, and my kids have inherited a taste for it, too. We love gingerbread pancakes, cake, muffins, donuts, and more!
So these soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies are a big hit at my house. This old-fashioned gingerbread cookie recipe doesn’t need to be chilled before baking, so you can make homemade molasses cookies in about half an hour!
Not only are the cookies super easy to make and taste fantastic, they also make your house smell amazing while they bake!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. You can use unsalted if you prefer. Also, cool room temperature butter will dent when pressed, but the butter around the dent won’t lose shape. If the butter is too warm, the cookies will spread too much as they bake.
- Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar, but you can use dark brown sugar if you prefer.
- Molasses: I prefer to use a regular or robust unsulphured molasses (like Grandma’s or Brer Rabbit). I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses in this recipe.
- Flour: To properly measure the flour, I recommend weighing it. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, sift or stir the flour to break it up. Lightly spoon into the measuring cup to avoid packing in the flour and level. Too much flour will give you a heavy or doughy cookie that doesn’t spread.
How to make chewy ginger molasses cookies
Step 1: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Step 2: Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses. Mix until well-combined, about 1-2 minutes on medium.
Step 3: Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir in just until combined. Don’t overmix.
Step 4: Scoop 1.5 tablespoon scoops (medium cookie scoop) of dough. Dip the tops in the sparkling sugar.
Step 5: Place the scoops of dough with the sugar side up on the prepared baking mats.
Step 6: Bake until the edges are set but the cookies look slightly underbaked in the cracks.
Step 7: Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Recipe Tips!
- Chilling: There’s no need to chill the dough. However, if you find that your cookies are starting to bake out (spread too much), chill the dough between batches.
- Baking: Slightly underbaking the cookies will help to keep them soft and chewy. The cookies will look set at the edges and on top but should look slightly underdone in the cracks.
Storage
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
More Christmas cookie recipes!
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Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Equipment
- Mixer
- Cookie sheets
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter at cool room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- White sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses.
- Mix until well-combined, about 1-2 minutes on medium.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.
- Stir in just until combined. Don’t overmix.
- Scoop 1.5 tablespoon scoops (medium cookie scoop) of dough.
- Dip the tops in the sparkling sugar.
- Place the scoops of dough with the sugar side up on the prepared baking mats.
- Bake for 8-14 minutes. The edges should be set but the cookies should look slightly underbaked in the cracks.
- Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
Notes
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. You can use unsalted if you prefer. Also, cool room temperature butter will dent when pressed, but the butter around the dent won’t lose shape. If the butter is too warm, the cookies will spread too much as they bake.
- Brown sugar: I use light brown sugar, but you can use dark brown sugar if you prefer.
- Molasses: I prefer to use a regular or robust unsulphured molasses (like Grandma’s or Brer Rabbit). I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses in this recipe.
- Flour: To properly measure the flour, I recommend weighing it. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, sift or stir the flour to break it up. Lightly spoon into the measuring cup to avoid packing in the flour and level. Too much flour will give you a heavy or doughy cookie that doesn’t spread.
- Baking: Slightly underbaking the cookies will help to keep them soft and chewy. The cookies will look set at the edges and on top but should look slightly underdone in the cracks.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Lisa says
Secret is take them out early, don’t let them linger. Chewey, moist and delightful 😊.
Kate says
Absolutely! Thanks!
Marcinda Tischer says
Just made these! Will print and add to my rotation of my favorite cookies! Thank you! They were very easy to make and even easier to eat and enjoy!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that!
Mary L says
great recipe. I added extra ginger and cinnamon since we love those flavors. Dough seemed sticky at first, but spooned and rolled in sugar just fine. This will definitely be a ‘keeper’!
Kate says
Thank you!
KS says
I followed your recipe exactly and the cookies came out great! Good call about initially weighing the flour. Because when I only scooped 3 cups of flour, it weighed more than 28 oz. (28 fluid oz=3.5 cups). The only thing I might tweak next time is a little less sugar (since the dip is sugar anyways) and a pinch or more salt. Thanks for sharing!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that the weights were helpful.
Cindy says
How many does this recipe make and can the dough be made a few days ahead and refrigerated without consequence?
Kate says
Hi! It makes 42 cookies. You can find the servings for my recipes next to the “print, pin, rate” buttons. I don’t recommend making the dough more than 48 hours in advance. I’ve found that cookie dough tends to lose quality after more than 2 days in the fridge. Otherwise, though, you can make the dough ahead of time, and it should be fine.
Bee says
I look forward to making these! Thanks for the note about the Balckstrap because that’s all I have right now and I would’ve made them with that!
Do you think you could melt butter but then let them set up in the fridge for an hour? Would that avoid the spreading?
Kate says
I’m glad the note helped! If you like the taste of blackstrap, then go ahead and use it. It has a stronger, more bitter flavor, and many people find it to be too much in cookies.
The melted butter will resolidify, and it may not incorporate well with the other ingredients at that point. If you want to quickly chill the dough, you can pop scoops of the dough in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes instead of chilling for longer. I hope that helps!
Laurie says
Fantastic! This is a keeper!! Incredibly delicious
Kate says
Thank you!
Alex says
So delicious! I made some for a potluck with friends and definitely didn’t need to make a double batch but they’ll be eaten anyways!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that the cookies were a hit!
Jen says
My holiday baking has started. This cookie is perfect for my cookie exchange, smells like Christmas.
Kate says
So glad that you liked them!
Kathy Menold says
Made the chewy molasses cookies today as my first Christmas cookie. You are right,my house smelled wonderful and the cookies got my husbands seal of approval. Thankyou
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad to hear that!
Carla says
These cookies put us in the mood for Christmas. Lots of ginger flavor which we love.
Sarah says
Love, love, love this recipe! Best ginger cookies ever!!!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked them! =)