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Home » COOKIES

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

Published: Nov 15, 2019 · Modified: Jul 10, 2020 by Meymi. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Stacked ginger molasses cookies with text overlay.
Stacked ginger molasses cookies with text overlay.
Stacked ginger molasses cookies with text overlay.
Overhead view of ginger molasses cookie and a hand holding half of the cookie to show inside.
Stacked ginger molasses cookies.
Collage of ginger molasses cookie on a parchment paper and a hand holding half of the cookie.
Ginger molasses cookies on a white surface.

These soft ginger molasses cookies are delicious and easy to make.  No mixer needed! They are moist and slightly chewy.

Stacked ginger molasses cookies, glass of milk in the background.

If you love my soft cinnamon cookies and soft pumpkin spice cookies, I am sure you’ll enjoy this soft molasses cookie recipe too. These cookies are as easy as to make my popular chocolate cookies with cocoa powder.

This recipe is great for holiday baking.   The spices I use in these cookies are perfect for Fall and Winter season. Your house will smell so nice with these warm spices; ginger, cinnamon and cloves. 

The Ingredients for  Molasses Cookies

  • All-purpose Flour
  • Butter-I use melted butter to give moisture
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Egg-creates structure
  • Ginger, ground cinnamon, cloves– you can use allspice if you don’t have cloves
  • Molasses-I use unsulphured full flavor molasses
  • Baking powder, baking soda-leaveners

You don’t need to chill the dough before baking as long as you are not working in a very hot environment.   If your kitchen is extremely hot, the cookie dough may spread when you make the balls, and then the cookies will spread as well after baked. 

If your cookie dough balls spread, you should chill the dough for some time around 10 to 30 minutes depending on the environment you are working.  Our aim is to make thick cookies in this recipe which will give us moist and slightly chewy cookies.

How to Store These Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

You can store these cooled cookies in an airtight container up to a week, and freeze up to 3 months.

If you want to make these cookies ahead, you can keep the well-wrapped cookie dough in the fridge up to 3 days. If you want to freeze these cookies, it is better if you roll them into balls before placing them into the freezer.  When you want to bake, you can let them come to room temperature and bake as the recipe states.

Overhead view of soft molasses cookies.

Which Molasses Do I Use to Make Ginger Molasses Cookies?

I use unsulphured full flavor molasses.  “Full flavor” or also known as “dark” is the second stage of the boiling process of sugarcane juice where more sugar is extracted from the juice. 

In the first stage, less sugar is extracted whereas in the last stage too much sugar is extracted from the juice which makes it less sweet.  I prefer the second stage.

If you want to read more about molasses, you can read my How to Make Brown Sugar at Home & Different Types of Molasses post.

Now let’s see how I make these easy molasses cookies with step by step pictures.  

How To Make Ginger Molasses Cookies

First, I melt the butter halfway over medium heat.  Then I take the butter from the heat and stir.  This way the butter cools quickly. I pour the melted butter in a large bowl and set aside.

Halfway melted butter in a medium pan.

Later, I mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl.  I set aside the bowl.

Flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and baking powder mixed in a bowl with a spoon. 

Then, I mix sugar with melted butter. After that I mix in the egg and then I add the molasses and mix.

 Mixing melted butter and sugar with a whisk. Mixing in the egg and molasses.

Finally, I mix in the flour in 2-3 batches.  I start to mix with my whisk and then I use a spoon or spatula to mix it easily.  The dough is not too sticky, easy to work with.  I don’t chill the dough and start to make balls out of the dough. If you work in a very hot environment you may need to chill the dough.

Mixing in the flour to the mixture.

I roll the dough into 40 grams(2 tablespoons) balls.  It makes 17 cookies.  If you want, you can make a little bit smaller balls, 35 grams and make 20 cookies.

I place the balls onto the baking sheet, leaving enough space-almost 2 inches (5cm)-between the balls. (If you work in a very hot place, when you put the balls on to the baking sheet, the balls may spread, this means you need to chill the dough for some time.)

Then I bake for 8-9 minutes until the cookies are slightly set.  These cookies look puffy when I remove them from the oven.  I wait for almost 1-2 minutes to let the puffiness go away a little bit.  Then I use the back of my spoon and gently press to the sides that stay puffy.  I keep the cookies on the baking sheet for almost 15 minutes until they are firm enough.

Rolling the dough into balls.  Baked cookies. Pressing the cookies with the back of a spoon.

That’s all! Enjoy your deliciously spiced cookies!

Ginger molasses cookie with stacked cookies and a glass of milk in the background.

Holding the half of the molasses cookie to show how moist it is inside.

More Recipes with Fall Spices

  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
  • Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
  • Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
  • Caramel Apple Bars
  • Apple Pie Bars Recipe
Stacked ginger molasses cookies, glass of milk in the background.

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

These soft ginger molasses cookies are delicious and easy to make. No mixer needed! No chilling required! These cookies are soft in the middle and crispy at the edges!
5 from 22 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 19 minutes
Servings: 17 cookies
Calories: 172kcal
Author: Meymi

Ingredients

  • 280 g  (2 cups) all-purpose flour (dip and sweep)*
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves**
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 150 g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter
  • 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 60 g (¼ cup) unsulphured molasses
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Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F(165C°). Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
  • Melt the butter halfway over medium heat. Take the butter from the heat and stir. This way the butter cools quickly.  Pour the melted butter in a large bowl and set aside to cool.
  • Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside the bowl.
  • Pour the sugar over melted butter and stir with a whisk until combined. 
  • Add the egg and whisk until combined. Add the molasses and mix until combined. 
  • Mix in the flour in 2-3 batches. The dough will not be too sticky, it will be easy to work with.  Roll the dough into 40 grams(2 tablespoons) balls.  It makes 17 cookies. If you are not working in a very hot environment there is no need to chill the dough.*** If you want, you can make a little bit smaller balls, 35 grams and make 20 cookies. Place the balls onto the baking sheet, leave enough space-almost 2 inches (5cm)-between the balls.
  • Bake for 8-9 minutes or until the cookies are just slightly set. The cookies will be too soft to handle. Remove the cookies from the oven.  Wait for almost 1-2 minutes to let the puffiness go away a little bit. Using a spoon, press the cookies to give their shape. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes or until the cookies are firm enough.  Keep in an airtight container to keep their softness.

Notes

*You can click here for dip and sweep method if you use cup measurements.
** These cookies are so yummy with allspice too.  If you don't have cloves, you can use the same amount of allspice. 
**You don’t need to chill the dough before baking as long as you are not working in a very hot environment.   If your kitchen is extremely hot, the cookie dough may spread when you make the balls and then the cookies will spread as well when baked.  So if your cookie dough balls spread, this means you should chill the dough for some time around 10 to 30 minutes depending on the environment you are working.
How to Store These Soft Cookies: You can store these cooled cookies in an airtight container up to a week, and freeze up to 3 months. 
If you want to make these cookies ahead, you can keep the well-wrapped cookie dough in the fridge up to 3 days. If you want to freeze these cookies, it is better if you roll them into balls before placing them into the freezer.  When you want to bake, you can let the balls come to room temperature and bake as the recipe states.
The calorie information above is an estimate that is provided by an online nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @PastryandBeyond or tag #PastryandBeyond!
Soft ginger molasses cookies with text overlay.

Update Notes:  I originally shared this recipe on Oct 31, 2018.  Today I republish it with extra information and one extra new picture.   I keep the recipe same.

 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth Neels

    November 30, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    5 stars
    I love the flavor combination of molasses with cloves, ginger and cinnamon! Such a classic, but yet unbeatable! I can’t wait to make these!

    Reply
    • Meymi

      November 30, 2018 at 4:55 pm

      Hi Beth! I hope you enjoy these cookies 🙂

      Reply
  2. Amanda

    December 01, 2018 at 4:11 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies look so pillowy and divine! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Meymi

      December 01, 2018 at 6:26 pm

      Thank you, Amanda!

      Reply
  3. Lesli Schwartz

    December 03, 2018 at 2:53 pm

    5 stars
    Wow, these cookies look amazing! Will definitely be making these!

    Reply
    • Meymi

      December 03, 2018 at 3:27 pm

      Thank you, Lesli! I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jeannette

    December 04, 2018 at 3:00 am

    5 stars
    I loved your soft cinnamon cookies! So, I can’t wait to try these soft ginger cookies too. I was also contemplating making ginger cookies for my pregnant cousin! Ginger cookies were my saving grace during my pregnancy and I was hoping they could help her nausea as well. I am sure she will love this recipe, so here goes!

    Reply
    • Meymi

      December 04, 2018 at 8:15 am

      Hi, Jeannette! Thank you for your comment. I am so happy you loved my soft cinnamon cookies. I heard some spices may not be safe during pregnancy so please be careful with ginger, cinnamon and other spices. I wish your cousin a joyful pregnancy 🙂

      Reply
    • Amori

      December 08, 2022 at 6:02 pm

      Hi there, do you roll the dough in balls and bake it like that and after its baked you flatten it?

      Reply
      • Meymi

        December 08, 2022 at 7:35 pm

        Hi Amori, Yes, you should bake them as balls. After you remove the cookies from the oven, you should let them stay for 1 to 2 minutes before gently pressing them.

        Reply
  5. Claudia Canu

    December 05, 2018 at 12:55 pm

    5 stars
    I so so love soft cookies! I’ll need to try this recipe ASAP! Thank you for sharing it!

    Reply
    • Meymi

      December 05, 2018 at 3:17 pm

      Thank you, Claudia! If you like soft cookies, I think you’ll love this recipe 🙂

      Reply

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