Soft Molasses Ginger Cookies (Printable version)

Chewy, warmly spiced molasses and ginger cookies with a tender crumb, ideal for cozy moments.

# Ingredient list:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons ground ginger
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 2 teaspoons baking soda
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
12 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ For Rolling

13 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and packed brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Beat in the egg, then add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, then coat evenly with granulated sugar.
07 - Place dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets.
08 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The edges set while the centers stay tender and cake-like, which honestly feels like a small miracle every single time.
  • One bowl of spices means this tastes genuinely special without pretending to be fancy.
  • Twenty-five minutes total, and you've got cookies that feel like they took hours of love.
02 -
  • Don't pull these cookies out when they look completely done—they'll be hard by the time they cool; they need to look slightly underbaked, almost uncertain, and that's when they're perfect.
  • Molasses can be thick and sticky; warm the jar slightly under hot water if you're struggling to measure it, and always use a light hand so you don't compress the dough while mixing.
03 -
  • Scooping dough with an ice cream scoop or cookie dough scoop gives you uniform cookies that bake at exactly the same rate—no more edges-done-but-centers-raw situations.
  • The sugar coating isn't decoration; it melts slightly during baking and creates that crackled, tender crust that makes these cookies unforgettable.

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