Chewy Ginger Cookies are our family’s official holiday cookie. They’re crisp on the outside, nice and chewy inside, and full of warm spices and molasses. We’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love them.
Fall definitely brings out my urge to bake, and that urge stays strong right through the holidays. I always start with chewy ginger cookies. It’s a family tradition, but also a smart choice because I’ve always got the ingredients in my kitchen. These molasses drop cookies are a cinch to make, and the whole house smells festive when they’re in the oven.
Everybody gravitates toward these cookies, and I think it’s the combination of the flavor and that famously chewy texture. We really only make them during this time of year and so they’ve become associated with the changing of the seasons and the warmth and excitement of the holidays. For such a simple little cookie, there’s a lot going on!
Chewy ginger cookies make memories…
This recipe comes from our good friend Liz. When my girls were very young she opened up her sunny Los Angeles kitchen to them every December for an afternoon of holiday cookie baking. They made huge messes and baked lots of different cookies, but chewy ginger cookies were the memory makers. They’re absolutely irresistible when eaten warm from the oven, and the combination of warm spices and molasses is the best.
They say the area of our brain responsible for our sense of smell is the same one that processes emotions and memories ~ and the aroma of ginger cookies baking still transports us back to those early baking sessions. Thanks Liz—not only for giving us a favorite family recipe but for introducing my girls to the joys of baking.
(*update: Liz has since passed away from breast cancer, but we think of her every time we make these cookies.)
chewy ginger cookie dough is simple ~ just scoop and bake.
No chilling the dough, and no rolling it out: that’s my kind of cookie 🙂 The soft dough scoops so easily and it’s fun to roll the little balls in sugar. This is an ideal recipe to bake with kids, even young kids can get involved. Mine used to love to watch through the oven window as they transform from sparkly little balls of dough into flat, crinkly cookies. It only takes 10 minutes!
What you’ll need
- butter
- unsalted, at room temperature
- sugar
- egg
- molasses
- the star ingredient, molasses should be a pantry staple in any baker’s kitchen.
- flour
- baking soda
- cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice
The secret to chewy ginger cookies is molasses
Molasses is a sweet thick syrup that’s a byproduct of the sugar refining process. The name molasses comes from the ancient Greek and Latin root mel, meaning honey. It’s what gives brown sugar its color and flavor, and it’s one of my favorite ingredients to bake with. Without molasses there would be no gingerbread, and no chewy ginger cookies.
Molasses allows my cookies to spread flat while baking but keep that perfect bendy chewy texture after they come out of the oven. And thanks to the unique moisture retention properties of molasses, they’ll stay chewy for days. Molasses is the under-appreciated ingredient of the season if you ask me. I always keep a bottle (and a spare) in my cupboard, it’s absolutely essential for holiday baking.
What type of molasses to use?
Like maple syrup, molasses comes in various forms. Brer Rabbit and Grandma’s are two common brands that I love, and both offer a variety of types of molasses, so read your labels.
- Light Molasses: Also known as mild molasses, this is the sweetest variety, produced from the first boiling of sugar cane juice. It’s often used in lighter baked goods like gingerbread and cookies.
- Dark Molasses: Created from the second boiling, dark molasses has a stronger, richer flavor and a slightly thicker consistency. It’s commonly used in heartier recipes like gingerbread and baked beans.
- Blackstrap Molasses: The thickest and most robust variety, blackstrap molasses is produced from the third boiling. It has a slightly bitter, very bold flavor and is often used in savory dishes or for its health benefits due to its high mineral content.
Chewy ginger cookies are a perfect choice for giving, shipping, and freezing
These cookies keep really well, and they’re sturdy, too. They make a great choice for giving as a part of a cookie assortment, and for shipping. They also freeze well, so I guess you could say they’re the perfect cookie 😉
Also try my Soft Molasses Cookies for a thicker bakery style texture. And soft cookie lovers check out my Soft Molasses Sandwich Cookies!
If you love chocolate I’ve got Chewy Chocolate Ginger Cookies ~ they have the same great flavor and texture, with a hint of chocolate. And if that’s not enough chocolate for you, try my Chewy Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies. The combination of dark chocolate and gingery spices is one of my favorites.
holiday cookies from the archives
Chewy Ginger Cookies
Equipment
- 1 1/4 inch cookie scoop (optional)
Ingredients
wet ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ cup molasses (not blackstrap)
dry ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp powdered ginger
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. I like to do this in a stand mixer, but electric beaters or a wooden spoon will work.
- Add the egg and molasses and blend well.
- Sift or whisk the dry ingredients together and add to the wet. Mix until completely blended.
- Form or scoop balls the size of a small walnut. I like to use a 1 1/4 inch cookie scoop for uniform cookies. Roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat.
- Place on an un-greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet 2" apart. Don't crowd your pans, these cookies will spread.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, and let cool slightly on the pan before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
- Chewy ginger cookies will keep for up to a week at room temperature, and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
- There’s no need to chill this dough before baking, but you can certainly make it ahead if you like.
- To freeze the dough I suggest scooping it out onto a baking sheet and freezing until the dough balls are solid. Then put the dough into a zip lock freezer bag. Thaw the dough balls before rolling and baking.
- You can also freeze the baked cookies. Separate layers with waxed paper.
- This recipe makes flat cookies, if you prefer them puffier, use 2 and 1/4 cups flour.
Nutrition
More reasons to keep a jar of molasses in your pantry!
I’ve tried sooo many chewy gingersnap cookies and each time the cookies were too puffy for my liking. They all said to refrigerate the dough for a couple hours to overnight, which I’d assume is part of the reason it didn’t spread much. I followed this recipe with a few alterations, instead of 1 cup of sugar I used 2/3 cup and 2 tbsp to roll the dough in. I don’t like my cookies too sweet and this was just right. I also doubled the ginger and cinnamon. Lastly I did take out the cookies at 6-7 minutes and banged the pan before putting it back in the oven to finish baking. It was nice, flat, soft, chewy cookie. I even got the right amount of cracks. Definitely recommend!
These cookies were a huge hit this weekend and my family usually doesn’t like ginger cookies! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Thanks so much for the feedback John, and happy holidays!
Made these just this morning for an Open House at the antique store where I work. They came out just like the picture! I was so pleased………..this recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you Sue!
Hi Sue. Quick question for you. I have only ever used Unsulphered molasses. I like the taste and use it for everything.. Do you think that Unsulphered molasses is a good choice?
Yes, definitely use unsulfered Jackie, that’s perfect.
Hi Sue, I read through all the comments and didn’t see any info on high altitude adjustments. Any tips before I give this recipe a try? Thanks!
I don’t do a lot of high altitude baking so I refer you to this guide from King Arthur Flour, Tonya: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
I made these to take to work to share. They were a hit. I weigh my ingredients and I had planned on 2 cups flour but weighed out about 2-1/4 and just left it. They came out perfect as far as I was concerned. The next day they were chewy in the center and crisp around the edges. They weren’t puffy, more on the flat side. The flavor was great, even good with coffee the next morning. Cookies for breakfast, yes we did! Thank you for sharing.
I took a chance with a new recipe and made these for a Christmas cookie party. They were fantastic. I’ve made these twice more since. Not only did my cookie party friends like them but my family loves them too. I make two batches, roll them in the sugar, store them in the fridge, and make fresh cookies whenever we want. I even gave some refrigerated dough to a friend and she baked fresh cookies for her family too. Fantastic flavor and texture. Thank you! My new favorite cookie.
Yay Lorie, I’m thrilled!
I couldn’t find my normal recipe. Was a little worried about the texture of my cookie dough. Baked them and they came out totally superb! Thank you
Hi, I’m super exited to try this recipe. It reminds me of mother, who has passed. Question, what kind of flour do you use? I’m new to baking.
Hey Nese ~ I use regular, all-purpose flour, I hope you have fun with these, and feel free to come back with any questions 🙂
Question: Do you have alternative so that I can make these gluten free? The recipe looks so amazing and the ginger chewy cookie is one of my favorites. Thank you for any help!
I am hoping to put out a gluten free version this season Jacki, so stay tuned 🙂