Description
These Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Rolled in sugar for a sweet, crisp exterior, they’re perfect for holiday treats or anytime you crave a flavorful, homemade cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (or powdered ginger)
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
For Rolling
- 1/3 cup white sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Cream Butter: Add the room temperature butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream it on medium-high speed until soft, creamy, and pale in color. This step aerates the butter for tender cookies.
- Add Sugar: Beat in the white sugar on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure an even mixture.
- Incorporate Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium-high speed and scraping down the bowl after each addition to fully combine.
- Add Molasses: Beat in the molasses until the mixture is uniform, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt until thoroughly combined.
- Combine Mixtures: Add the dry ingredients to the butter-molasses mixture and mix on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure complete incorporation without overmixing.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking.
- Shape Cookies: Form the dough into approximately 36 balls using your hands or a cookie scoop. Roll each ball in the white sugar and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them adequately to prevent spreading into each other.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes at 350°F until they are set but still soft in the middle.
- Cool: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheet until nearly completely cooled. This resting allows the cookies to finish baking inside and develop a soft, chewy texture.
Notes
- Room temperature butter is essential for proper creaming and cookie texture.
- Use fresh grated ginger for a more vibrant flavor, or substitute with powdered ginger if unavailable.
- Be careful not to overbake to maintain a chewy center; cookies will firm up as they cool.
- You may need to bake cookies in multiple batches depending on oven rack space.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze for longer storage.
