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These Ginger Molasses Cookies are everything a classic holiday cookie should be—soft and chewy in the center, coated in sparkling sugar, and filled with warm ginger and molasses flavor. They’re the kind of old-fashioned Christmas cookie that looks right at home on a holiday cookie tray but tastes just as good with an afternoon cup of coffee in the middle of January.
What makes these cookies so irresistible is the combination of rich molasses and cozy spices. Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves create a deep, warming flavor, while the sugar coating bakes into those beautiful crackly tops everyone loves. Best of all, the dough comes together with simple pantry ingredients and requires no chilling before baking.
If you love classic holiday cookies, be sure to try my Soft Gingerbread Cookies, Gingersnap Cookies, and Italian Christmas Cookies next. For even more holiday baking inspiration, browse my full Christmas Cookie Recipes collection.
✨ Before You Begin
✨ Use regular molasses. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which is much more bitter and can overpower the flavor of the cookies.
✨ Measure flour carefully. Too much flour can make these cookies dry and prevent them from spreading properly. Use the scoop-and-level method for the most accurate measurement.
✨ Don’t overbake. The cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when they come out of the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool and stay wonderfully soft and chewy.
✨ Roll generously in sugar. The sugar coating helps create the signature crackled tops and adds a delicate crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft centers.
✨ Let them cool on the baking sheet. A few minutes of cooling time helps the cookies finish setting up before transferring them to a wire rack.
Ingredients + Key Notes
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for these cookies while still keeping them tender and chewy.
Ground Ginger: The star ingredient that gives these ginger molasses cookies their signature warm, spicy flavor.
Ground Cinnamon + Cloves: These classic baking spices add depth and create that cozy holiday-cookie flavor everyone loves.
Baking Soda: Helps the cookies spread properly and contributes to their soft texture and crackly tops.
Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and helps create a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. Let it soften before mixing for the best results.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough and creates the sparkling sugar coating that gives the cookies their beautiful finish.
Egg: Binds the ingredients together and helps create a tender texture.
Molasses: The key ingredient that gives these cookies their rich flavor, dark color, and chewy texture. Use regular unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap molasses for the best results.
Water: A small amount helps loosen the dough and blend the molasses evenly throughout the mixture.
🥣 How To Make Ginger Molasses Cookies
Prepare the oven and dry ingredients. Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt until evenly combined.
Cream the butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, water, and molasses until smooth.
Finish the dough. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain.
Shape and coat. Place the remaining sugar in a small bowl. Scoop the dough into balls, then roll each one in the sugar until completely coated.
Arrange and flatten. Place the dough balls on ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each cookie slightly with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar or a spatula.
Bake until crackly. Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to brown and the tops are beautifully crackled.
Cool and enjoy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
⭐ Pro Tips
✨ Use room-temperature butter. Softened butter creams more easily with the sugar and creates a lighter cookie texture.
✨ Choose the right molasses. Regular unsulphured molasses delivers the classic flavor these cookies are known for. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which can taste bitter.
✨ Don’t overmix the dough. Once the flour is added, mix only until combined to keep the cookies soft and tender.
✨ Bake one test batch first. Oven temperatures vary, so baking a few cookies first can help you find the perfect bake time for soft, chewy centers.
✨ Pull them from the oven early. The centers should still look slightly soft when you remove them. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
✨ Store with a slice of bread. If you’re keeping them for several days, placing a slice of bread in the container helps maintain their soft texture.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
Storing: Ginger Molasses Cookies stay soft for several days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For the best texture and flavor, enjoy them within 4–5 days.
Freezing Baked Cookies: These cookies freeze beautifully. Once completely cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Roll the dough into balls and coat them in sugar. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the baking time.
Make-Ahead Tips: The dough can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, roll the dough in sugar, flatten slightly, and bake as directed.
Make Ahead Tips
You can make molasses cookies with shortening but I prefer the deep rich flavor of butter. It adds that extra layer of complexity to the cookies. These little gems are so good I always make a couple of batches so one can go in the freezer and one can go into the oven immediately! I just love making these little gems during the holiday season.
How Long Can You Keep This?
When stored properly, the baked cooled cookies will stay good for up to 2-3 weeks in the fridge and room temperature, but frozen cookies will last up to 6-12 months.
FAQs About Ginger Molasses Cookies
◆ What’s the difference between ginger molasses cookies and gingersnaps?
Ginger molasses cookies are soft and chewy with tender centers, while gingersnaps are baked longer to create a crisp, crunchy texture with more snap.
◆ What kind of molasses should I use?
Regular unsulphured molasses works best for this recipe. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which has a much stronger, more bitter flavor that can overwhelm the cookies.
◆ Why did my ginger molasses cookies spread too much?
This usually happens when the butter is too warm or the flour wasn’t measured accurately. If your kitchen is warm, chilling the dough for 20–30 minutes before baking can help.
◆ Are ginger molasses cookies supposed to be soft?
Yes! These cookies are known for their soft, chewy centers and crackly sugar-coated tops. They will continue to soften slightly as they cool.
◆ Can I freeze ginger molasses cookies?
Absolutely. Both the baked cookies and the unbaked dough freeze well for up to 3 months, making them perfect for holiday baking and cookie exchanges.
Still have questions? Leave them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to help! 😊
More Holiday Cookie Favorites
Spritz Cookies – Buttery, festive cookies that are a Christmas tradition on holiday cookie trays.
Peanut Butter Blossoms – Soft peanut butter cookies topped with a chocolate kiss for a classic holiday favorite.
Almond Crescent Cookies – Delicate, buttery cookies with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a snowy powdered sugar coating.
Ricotta Cookies – Soft, tender Italian cookies topped with sweet glaze and colorful sprinkles.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – Rich chocolate cookies with dramatic crackled tops that add variety to any holiday cookie assortment.
Tried This Recipe?
Did you make these Ginger Molasses Cookies? I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a rating and comment below to help other bakers and let me know if they earned a spot on your holiday cookie tray.
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Thanks so much for stopping by—I hope these soft, chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies become a favorite in your kitchen for years to come. ❤️🍪
Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup molasses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC).
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour (2 1/4 cups), ginger (2 teaspoons), baking soda (2 teaspoons), cinnamon (3/4 teaspoon), cloves (1/2 teaspoon), and salt until combined; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using a handheld electric mixer, cream together butter (3/4 cup) and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg (1). Mix in water (1 tablespoon) and molasses (1/4 cup). Gradually mix in the flour mixture.
- Add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar to a small bowl.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough then roll into a ball. Roll dough balls in the sugar. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten the cookies with a glass dipped in sugar or a rubber spatula.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Notes
- Use room-temperature butter. Softened butter creams more easily with the sugar and creates a lighter cookie texture.
- Choose the right molasses. Regular unsulphured molasses delivers the classic flavor these cookies are known for. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which can taste bitter.
- Don't overmix the dough. Once the flour is added, mix only until combined to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Bake one test batch first. Oven temperatures vary, so baking a few cookies first can help you find the perfect bake time for soft, chewy centers.
- Pull them from the oven early. The centers should still look slightly soft when you remove them. They'll continue to set as they cool.
- Store with a slice of bread. If you're keeping them for several days, placing a slice of bread in the container helps maintain their soft texture.
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