With a delightfully chewy texture and a generous sprinkling of crunchy sugar on top, these Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies are the perfect holiday treat.
Table of Contents
What is it about ginger cookies and gingerbread that’s so perfect in the winter months and especially Christmas time? This baking spice gives all the warm and cozy vibes. It’s one of my favorite flavors, whether in No-Bake Gingerbread Cookie Balls, Gingerbread Cookie Cups with Cream Cheese Frosting or Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake.
This recipe for soft ginger cookies is made with molasses and plenty of ground ginger, cloves and cinnamon. The result: Jumbo-sized cookies that deliver big on the flavor front and don’t disappoint when it comes to texture. Put simply: They’re gingersnaps, minus the snap.
These cookies have a soft and chewy texture similar to molasses cookies, but they have a more intense ginger flavor. They’re an old-fashioned treat that will be just as great on your holiday dessert table as it will be in the summer packed in a picnic lunch!
Why You’ll Love Them
- Irresistibly chewy texture.
- Jumbo-sized. Sure, you can make these cookies smaller but in my opinion, ginger cookies should be nice and big, which helps keep the centers soft.
- No chilling required! Dough is ready to bake right away.
- Perfect for gifting. Package one or two cookies in a cellophane treat bag tied with a ribbon.
Kelly’s Note: My all-time favorite way to enjoy these cookies is by sandwiching two of them together with vanilla ice cream.
Here’s a closer look at the ingredients that go into these soft ginger molasses cookies.
- All-purpose flour: I know this seems like a lot of flour, but this recipe makes 2 dozen jumbo-sized cookies! Use the spoon-and-level technique to fill the measuring cups for the most accurate measurement.
- Ground ginger: This is the star ingredient. If your jar of ginger has been around for a while, give it the sniff test. If the fragrance is weak, it might be time to replace it with a fresh jar.
- Baking soda: This acts as a leavening agent to give the finished product structure.
- Ground cinnamon: A generous portion of ground cinnamon complements the ginger and enhances the spicy flavor of this recipe.
- Ground cloves: Cloves are pretty potent so a little goes a long way. This earthy spice rounds out the flavor profile of the cookies.
- Salt: A little salt helps bring out the sweetness in this recipe. I always use kosher salt in my baked goods as it distributes easily in dough and batter. Table salt works fine too, though — just use a little less than called for.
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds richness and flavor and contributes to the moist, soft texture of baked goods. I prefer unsalted butter so I can better control the salt content. Soften the butter before adding it to the recipe so it mixes smoothly with the other ingredients.
- Sugar: Two cups of granulated sugar adds neutral sweetness and contributes to the chewy texture.
- Eggs: Eggs help bind the dry ingredients together and provide structure.
- Molasses: This liquid sweetener, a byproduct from processing sugar cane or beets for granulated sugar, gives the molasses cookies a complex sweetness and adds to the chewy texture. Don’t use blackstrap molasses, which is very bitter.
- Sanding sugar: The large crystals of this decorative sugar make a sparkly, crunchy coating. Look for it in the baking aisle or at a kitchenware store.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Kelly’s Tip: If you have leftover sanding sugar, use it as a decorative touch on candy cane cookies or to top pumpkin banana bread.
Don’t let the long ingredient list scare you off. It only takes a few steps to make bakery-worthy soft ginger molasses cookies. Here’s how.
- Preheat the oven. With the oven rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the sanding sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
- Cream the wet ingredients. Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and cream the butter until softened and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the molasses and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. With the mixer off, add the flour mixer and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed, blending until just combined.
- Shape the dough and roll it in sanding sugar. Scoop about ¼ cup dough and roll into a ball with clean hands. Roll the dough balls in the sanding sugar to coat and put them on an ungreased baking sheet, about 3 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly browned and crackly on top. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Use a cookie scoop. For uniformly sized cookies, use a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to portion out the dough. If you don’t have one big enough, you can also use a kitchen scale to ensure you’re making all of the dough balls the same size.
- To make smaller cookies, use 2- or 3-tablespoon portions, and check for doneness a few minutes early since smaller cookies will take less time to bake. You may need more sanding sugar since you’ll be making more cookies.
- Don’t overbake! It’s important not to overbake the cookies for them to be soft and chewy. When in doubt, remove them from the oven right before they’re fully baked. They will firm up slightly as they cool.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cool completely before storing.
These ginger molasses cookies also freeze beautifully. Pack them in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gingerbread cookies are similar in flavor to ginger cookies but the dough has a slightly different consistency, similar to sugar cookie dough, so it can be rolled out and cut into shapes for decorating … including, of course, those classic gingerbread men! Molasses cookies, meanwhile, have similar ingredients but less ginger so the caramelly flavor of the molasses is more dominant.
Molasses is a liquid sweetener that’s a byproduct of cane or beet sugar production. It has a pronounced flavor that some describe as similar to burnt caramel. It not only adds rich flavor but also contributes to the soft and chewy texture.
If you can’t find sanding sugar, with its larger crystals, you can use regular granulated sugar in its place.
For cookies, especially ginger molasses cookies, I recommend using either light or dark molasses. Avoid using blackstrap molasses, as it’s very bitter. It’s worth noting that molasses can vary in flavor and intensity between brands, so you may want to experiment to find the one that suits your taste preferences best.
- No-Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies
- Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Easy Pecan Meltaways
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Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 3/4 cup sanding sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until softened, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the molasses, mixing until combined.
- Stop the mixer, add the flour mixture, and blend on “low” just until combined.
- Shape the dough into balls by scooping ¼ cup of dough into your hands and rolling until round. Roll the cookie dough balls in the sanding sugar until thoroughly coated and place them 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until they’re light brown and cracked on top. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Kelly’s Notes
- For uniformly sized cookies, use a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to portion out the dough. If you don’t have one big enough, use a kitchen scale to ensure you’re making all of the cookie balls the same size.
- To make smaller cookies, use 2- or 3-tablespoon portions, and check for doneness a few minutes early since smaller cookies will take less time to bake. You may need more sanding sugar since you’ll be making more cookies.
- It’s important not to overbake the cookies for them to be soft and chewy. When in doubt, remove the cookies from the oven right before they’re fully baked. They will firm up slightly as they cool.
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Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens.
Hi Kelly
Going to try these tomorrow! I live in Paris and they don’t use shortening here. Can butter be a substitute? Many thanks !
Dominique
Hi Dominique! That should work, however it may slightly alter the texture of the cookies. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Fabulous cookies! They are soft and chewy, and will make a great addition to my holiday cookie platter. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jacki!
Two cups of sugar sounds like a lot.. and my family isn’t that big of a fan of super-sweet desserts, but I’m afraid that lowering the amount of sugar will change the consistency. I’m planning on making these Monday (I LOVE soft ginger/molasses cookies). Can I just use one cup of brown sugar?