Ginger Molasses Cookies

Ginger molasses cookies rolled in chunky sugar are thin and crisp, and make for a full-flavored holiday favorite!

Make sure to add these to your Christmas cookie plate along with some Homemade Peppermint Bark and Peanut Brittle.

An overhead view of a wire rack with freshly baked sparkling ginger molasses cookies on it.

So Chewy, Flavorful + Delicious

I have a weakness for ginger cookies. My mom made them for the holidays and they were always one of my favorites. I played around with her original recipe a bit to make this crispy, dark and robust version.

I swapped some of the granulated sugar for dark brown sugar, used butter instead of shortening, added a touch more flour, and upped the ginger. Instead of rolling the balls of dough in granulated sugar I opted for raw turbinado sugar. It’s a slightly chunkier version of brown sugar. Its subtle hint of molasses perfectly compliments the robust flavors in these cookies.

If you’re a fan of ginger and molasses, like we are, then you need to try these delicious, chewy cookies!

A scoop of dough for ginger molasses cookie recipe

How to Make Ginger Molasses Cookies

DOUGH. To start, you’ll want to make the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. It should be relatively soft and sticky (remember, there’s dark brown sugar, soft butter AND molasses in there).

SCOOP + ROLL. Use a cookie scoop to form dough balls. Roll the dough in turbinado sugar. Make sure it’s covering the entire outer surface, no gaps.

BAKE. Place onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes. This may seem like a long time, but in order to get thin, crispy cookies, they need a bit longer to dry out.

COOL. Let the cookies rest on the sheets for about 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This will help the cookies set and become slightly less fragile. 

Once the cookies are completely cool, you can stack them up and store them or use them for holiday cookie trays. They should be fairly sturdy.

Molasses cookie dough being rolled in coarse sugar

Make Ahead

You do not need to chill the dough for these cookies, however, you can if you prefer to prep it ahead of time and store either in the fridge or freezer.

You can keep this dough in the fridge for 2-3 days before you need to bake the cookies. Make sure you let the dough reach room temperature before you bake it so it doesn’t mess with the baking process. 

If you want to make them even further in advance (up to 3 weeks), use the freezer method:

  1. Scoop balls of dough and roll in sugar.
  2. Place on a parchment lined plate or quarter sheet pan and freeze for 30 minutes.
  3. Write the name of the recipe, oven temperature, bake time on a gallon ziploc bag.
  4. Place chilled portions into the bag, squeeze all excess air out. 
  5. Freeze for up to 1 month.
  6. Remove from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.

An overhead view of a tray with dough ready to be baked into ginger molasses cookies.

Storing Molasses Cookies

Keep these cookies STORED at room temperature for about a week. If you want the cookies to get crispier and harder, I recommend not storing them in an airtight container.

Baked cookies will last in the FREEZER for about 3 months if they are in an airtight container or ziploc bag layered between sheets of parchment paper.

A stack of sparkling ginger molasses cookies.

These sparkling ginger molasses cookies will be the star of your holiday celebrations. They’re eye-catching, addictive, and loved by all!

LOOKING FOR MORE GINGER RECIPES? TRY THESE:

Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!

Sparkling ginger molasses cookies.

Ginger Molasses Cookie Recipe

Ginger molasses cookies rolled in chunky sugar are thin and chewy, and make for a full-flavored holiday favorite!
4.67 from 9 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 131kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 3/4 c. 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 c. dark brown sugar - packed
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 c. molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher sea salt
  • 2 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 c. raw turbinado sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat cream the butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugars and molasses, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add egg and mix on low until combined.
  • In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. With mixing speed on low, gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing until no streaks remain.
  • Using a standard size cookie scoop, form into balls. Roll each ball in sugar, then place onto the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes or until crisp. Cookies will look cracked, this is normal. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Want more inspiration?

More Recipes You'll Love

About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

Join the Conversation

Rate and Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please click on the Stars below to share your Rating of this Recipe




Comments:

  1. 5 stars
    I followed the recipe exactly and it was so yummy! Everyone loved this. We will definitely be making this again soon!