Chewy Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies ~ these spiced molasses cookies have been upgraded with a bit of dark chocolate for a ‘best of all worlds’ holiday cookie.
If you’re a dedicated chocolate chip cookie lover then you probably don’t get too excited about holiday cookies. I get it, there’s a lot of powdered sugar, nuts, and spices going on in baking right now,, but not so much chocolate. I’m a bit of a chocoholic myself, so don’t worry, I’ve got your back. Today I’ve combined my favorite Chewy Ginger Cookies with my Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies and the result is the perfect holiday cookie with a little something for all of us.
Spice lovers will love the chewy molasses cookie with that thin crisp crust, and chocolate lovers are gonna be all over the dark chocolate chunks (I popped extra into the surface of every cookie before it bakes!)
These cookies will add a bit of oomph to a classic holiday collection. The molasses keeps them moist and chewy for days, and they can be frozen if you’re a make-ahead type.
I’ve been making this base dough for years, it’s easy to mix up and easy to work with. I like to use my 1 1/4 inch cookie scoop to portion out the balls of dough, that way they all bake up in a uniform size.
The key to the voluptuous look of these cookies is simple ~ don’t let any cookie go into the oven without a few extra chips pushed into the top. You won’t regret this extra little step 😉
As the cookie spreads out in the oven the chips that you popped in will stay front and center and give the cookies an irresistible look. I recommend doing a test cookie or two before committing the whole batch to the oven. This helps you see how your oven performs. You may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
tvfgi recommends: a sturdy set of scoops
These scoops are some of the most used tools in my kitchen, they’re in constant use for cookies, meatballs, truffles, and ice cream, etc. I use them to portion out batter for muffins and cupcakes too. A set of 3 or 4 scoops will cover you for all needs.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks, 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses, regular molasses, don't buy blackstrap
- 2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, plus extra for adding just before baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. I do this in a stand mixer but you can use hand held beaters as well.
- Beat in the egg and molasses.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, and spices together and add slowly to the bowl. Mix gently until the dough comes together. You can finish bringing it together with a large spoon. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Form or scoop small balls, I like to use my 1 1/2 in cookie scoop, but you can also use a tablespoon. I like to push in a few extra chocolate chips to the top of the dough ball.
- Roll in a small bowl of granulated sugar to coat. Chill the balls in the freezer for about 5-8 minutes.
- Bake on an un-greased baking sheet, 2 inches apart, for 9-10 minutes. I always do a test cookie or two to see how my oven performs. The cookies will look puffed and slightly underdone, but they will firm up (and develop those gorgeous wrinkles) as they cool.
- Let them cool slightly on the pan before transferring to a rack.
Nutrition
A spice cookie with chocolate chips in them- has to be good ! And perfect for the holidays! Thanks Sue!
A spice cookie with chocolate, now that is my kind of cookie.
My son is non-dairy. Is there a substitute for butter in this recipe?
You might try them with shortening.
I only have blackstrap molasses in my pantry….can i use it? if not – why not?
It’s very strong, but if you like the flavor you can definitely use it.
What brand of dark chocolate chip do you use?
I love Nestle, but if you have a favorite, go with that. I like the Nestle Dark Chips because they’re big, and creamy, not chalky like some chips.
I’m very curious about these Sue. I make ginger cookies quite often, as my hubby loves them and I’ve seen recipes that call for chocolate chips in them. How does the combination of spices work with the chocolate? I usually add a few raisins….I may have to give them a try! Thanks!
It’s a complex flavor combo for sure, Colleen, but I think it works. There isn’t really anything I can think of to relate it to for comparison, except maybe chocolate chip pumpkin bread, which is another one of my faves. I think you’ll just have to bake up a batch and see what you think!
Sue, you always delight with a new twist to your recipes. Molasses cookies are a must in our house in the fall. Cannot wait to try these and add them to the Thanksgiving Cookies list.
This recipe was created to please myself, Nancy…I’m one of those who hunts and pecks through the holiday cookies for a bit of chocolate 🙂
Looks great, can I use almond flour? Will the cookies spread?
Have a great day.
I haven’t made these with almond flour, Joan, so I don’t know how they’d do. I think they would definitely spread more, for sure.
Oh man, I think I just died and went to heaven.
I need to go buy me some molasses and allspice. Will have to leave out the cloves, as I’m allergic, but these sound amazing!
Enjoy Beth!
They just came out of the oven 20 minutes ago. So. Good.
Thanks for sharing!
They look wonderful! I am a huge fan of ginger cookies and I love the add of chocolate chips here…unusual yet divine!