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Home · Recipes · Christmas · Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

Published: Nov 4, 2018 by Kelly Anthony · 22 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

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The best recipe for soft ginger molasses cookies featuring molasses along with warm and cozy spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves! A homemade cookie perfect for the holidays and heartfelt gifts.

An overhead shot of ginger molasses cookies sitting on top of a wire cooling rack. Underneath the rack is a red tablecloth.

Gingersnap cookies were a childhood favorite of mine, and my grandma always had them ready and waiting when we would come to visit. They were out of the ordinary and a far cry from the chocolate chip cookies we were accustomed to at home. Crunchy and spicy, warm and cozy -- the gingersnap cookie was indeed a nostalgic favorite of my childhood, and they were the inspiration for these bestselling Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies.

GINGER SNAPS VS. CHEWY GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES

Gingersnap cookies and ginger molasses cookies are not the same. Gingersnaps, living up to their name, snap when you bite into them...or at least give off a decent crunch. Ginger molasses cookies, on the other hand, are soft and chewy cookies. Though the texture is different, the flavor profile is very similar, and they both have a pronounced ginger spice to them, as well as undertones of molasses, cloves, and cinnamon.

A close up shot of ginger molasses cookies clustered together. In the background are Christmas greenery.

You can count on this Molasses Cookie Recipe to result in the "warm and cozies." The kind of cookie that fills the heart and reminds you of family. Reminiscent of the nostalgic gingersnap, only there is no snap to be heard. Instead, an incredibly soft and chewy cookie with great big molasses flavor.

HOW TO MAKE CHEWY GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies are easy to make, with a drop cookie dough, and no chilling or rolling required. Just a simple mix of ingredients and a trip to the oven is all you need for perfectly chewy Ginger Molasses cookies.

The spices used in Soft Molasses Cookies, in combination with the deeply flavored, sweet molasses is what makes them so very perfect for the holidays. The sticky molasses and brown sugar within the cookie is partially what makes them so chewy in texture, and the canola oil keeps them incredibly soft and moist.

MOLASSES COOKIE RECIPE QUICKVIEW

  1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and spices.
  2. Mix brown sugar, molasses, oil, and egg.
  3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
  4. Scoop and bake.

For another holiday favorite, be sure to try our pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

Ginger molasses cookies on wire cooling rack. Behind the rack of cookies a small santa and a cake stand with cookies on it.

FREEZING GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES

You can store your baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, and they will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days. To preserve them longer, you can also freeze the cookies after baking. Actually, both ginger molasses cookies and ginger molasses cookie dough can be frozen.

Once your cookies have baked and cooled, simply place them in a freezer-safe zip top bag, taking care to press out any excess air. You can store them baked in the freezer for up to 2 months. You could also freeze them in a freezer-safe, airtight storage container, just be sure the container fits the cookies snugly, and there is not a ton of room for air to circulate around them.

HOW TO FREEZE THE DOUGH

You can freeze Soft Ginger Molasses Cookie dough balls, and pull off a batch of freshly baked ginger cookies any day of the week, completely on a whim!

To freeze the cookie dough, transfer the dough balls to a snug, airtight, freezer-safe container, separate each layer of cookie dough with double-folded sheets of wax paper or parchment paper, and seal. Ginger molasses cookie dough is slightly sticky so the paper between each layer is necessary. Bake within 2 months for best results.

5 MORE HOLIDAY COOKIE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE

  • Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with a fudgy, melty interior and loaded with chocolate chips are the perfect holiday cookie for any and all chocolate lovers!
  • Snickerdoodle Cookies are the perfect cookie for sinking your teeth into come the holidays! Featuring a thick, super soft Snickerdoodle cookie with big cinnamon flavor.
  • Mexican Wedding Cookies are a buttery, melt in your mouth cookie rolled in powdered sugar and full of finely chopped pecans!
  • Thumbprint Hershey Kiss Cookies are bite-sized peanut butter blossoms made for gifting (and snacking) come the holidays! They're soft and chewy, and loads of fun for baking with kids!
  • Christmas Sugar Cookies with Sugar Cookie Icing feature a homemade sugar cookie dough and an easy buttercream frosting. A truly beautiful holiday recipe that can be adapted for any celebration!
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Print Recipe
4.29 from 67 votes

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

A soft ginger molasses cookie featuring molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. A homemade cookie perfect for the holidays and heartfelt gifts.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time14 minutes mins
Total Time34 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Ginger Molasses Cookies
Servings: 30
Calories: 140kcal
Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • ⅓ cup dark molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup coarse sugar crystals if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325° and have ready a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves. Set aside until ready to use.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, oil, molasses and egg. Mix on medium speed until well-combined. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer.
  • With the mixer on low, begin adding in the dry ingredients a little at a time until all has been incorporated. Take a moment to scoop up any dough from the bottom of the bowl, and bring it up and over the top. Resume mixing on low speed for about 30 seconds to a minute more. This step ensures all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • Have sugar crystals ready in a small bowl. Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and form into a ball. Roll the top half in the sugar and place at least 1 inch apart on parchment paper.
  • Bake 14 minutes, remove from the oven and set atop a cooling rack. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, serve and enjoy.

Video

Notes

Makes about 30 cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 79mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.8mg

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Ginger Molasses Cookies
The Best Ginger Molasses Cookies
The Best Ginger Molasses Cookies
The Best Ginger Molasses Cookies
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Comments

  1. Shashi at SavorySpin says

    October 02, 2018 at 1:33 pm

    I could do some serious damage to a batch of these! So sinfully scrumptious!

    Reply
  2. Caitlyn Erhardt says

    October 02, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    These look so delicious! I will be adding these to my Christmas cookie make list!

    Reply
  3. Danielle says

    October 02, 2018 at 2:28 pm

    oh those cookies look perfect! Great for some Christmas baking.

    Reply
  4. Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says

    October 02, 2018 at 3:05 pm

    I always make the same cookies during the holidays, but I've already decided I'm going to add a few new ones. These will be a huge hit with my family!

    Reply
  5. Sonia says

    October 03, 2018 at 1:57 pm

    What a gorgeous bake!! They are simply looking outstanding... loved the recipe it's so easy .. can't wait to try it!

    Reply
  6. Liz Durham says

    November 12, 2018 at 11:30 pm

    I made these today and they are tastey, fragrant and full of flavor. Great Christmas cookies .

    Reply
    • Kelly Anthony says

      November 13, 2018 at 8:02 pm

      Liz! That just makes my day 🙂 Thank you so much for telling me!!! XOXOX

      Reply
  7. Jan says

    December 25, 2018 at 3:24 am

    I can't use the canola oil. Would I be able to substitute corn oil, or shortening?

    Reply
    • Kelly Anthony says

      December 26, 2018 at 7:48 pm

      Hi Jan! You could use vegetable oil! Really, any flavorless oil should be ok 😉

      Reply
  8. Erin Porter says

    December 22, 2019 at 10:37 pm

    Just made these for the third or fourth year now and they are, hands down, my favorite cookie! And impossible to mess up, because I’m not a baker and they’re perfect every time. The recipe also doubles easily in a stand mixer, which is pure gold during Christmas.

    Reply
    • Kelly Anthony says

      December 23, 2019 at 4:30 pm

      Thank you so much, Erin! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Barbara says

    December 11, 2020 at 2:22 pm

    These are a Pinterest-win!! Made them the other day. Took them out after 14 minutes, but were still underdone, so I put them back in for another 15 minutes and they were perfect!! Also, just thought I’d let you and others know that they turn out differently on a Silpat vs. parchment paper. Thanks again for this great recipe!!

    Reply
    • Kelly Anthony says

      December 15, 2020 at 12:37 pm

      Thank you, Barbara!

      Reply
  10. Leann Teckenbrock says

    December 13, 2020 at 4:51 pm

    I just baked these cookies, I used olive oil instead of the canola oil. I added the 1/2 cup sugar in the dough.
    I rolled the 1 tsp or so off dough in colored sugar crystals. This cookie is amazing! Thank you for the recipe.

    Leann

    Reply
    • Kelly Anthony says

      December 15, 2020 at 12:35 pm

      hank you, Leann!

      Reply
  11. Alicia J Hoffman says

    December 20, 2021 at 2:05 am

    I made these scrumptious cookies tonight, and I wish I could give more than a 5 star rating! These are so deliciously spiced and came out of the oven at 14 minutes looking perfectly plump and cracked. They do lose their plumpness after cooling, but retain the beautiful cracks and are very soft! My husband HATES hard cookies, and he gave these a rave review! Thanks for a great recipe I plan to make every christmas from now on!

    Reply
    • Kamie Moore says

      August 04, 2022 at 4:06 am

      I am glad yall loved them! Thank you, Alicia! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Joel says

    January 01, 2022 at 3:13 pm

    I love baking. For the first times I love seeing the video as I lie to follow to the letter and want to follow your specific technique.
    The cookies come out perfect and delicious.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Kamie Moore says

      August 04, 2022 at 4:00 am

      Thank you, Joel!

      Reply
  13. Mundeli says

    June 17, 2024 at 8:34 pm

    I'm an infrequent sweets baker, so I made the recipe exactly as described.

    My one suggestion to make this recipe even better:
    DOUBLE ALL INGREDIENTS!
    These are so good they didn't last long at all.

    Dead simple, fast, eating fresh, delicious cookies in under 45minutes?
    I say, "Yeah, bring--it--on!"

    Reply
  14. Pauline says

    October 30, 2024 at 2:17 pm

    The whole family loved this cookie! I made this recipe twice so far. Second time, my husband wanted me to add chocolate chips. Either way, they're so good! I loved them even more the next day. Very easy to make, too. Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply
  15. C Mario says

    December 18, 2024 at 6:32 pm

    This IS the best Molasses cookie recipe I have found yet! Thank you so much for sharing it. This was easily the favorite of my Christmas cookie exchange this year. Made a few modifications. Used vegetable oil as that was all I had on hand (will use a healthier oil substitute next time). Added in chopped dried cranberries and rolled each ball in confectionary sugar before baking. I took them out on the early side to be sure they would be chewy, and cross hatched them with a fork to flatten out each ball. They looked and tasted great!

    Reply
4.29 from 67 votes (57 ratings without comment)

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I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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