Description
Soft, chewy molasses ginger cookies with warm spices and a tender, almost cake-like texture. Perfect for cozy autumn days and family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (120ml) unsulfured blackstrap molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
- Combine wet and dry: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
- Shape and bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto sheets spaced 2 inches apart. Optionally sprinkle coarse sugar on top.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until edges are set but centers look slightly soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container.
Notes
Chill the dough to prevent spreading and enhance flavor. Do not overbake; remove cookies when edges are set but centers are still soft. Use fresh spices for best flavor. Butter should be softened but not melted. Use a medium cookie scoop for uniform size. Store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft longer. Dough can be frozen and baked from frozen with an additional 1-2 minutes baking time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 13
- Sodium: 120
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 3.5
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Fiber: 0.5
- Protein: 1.5
Keywords: molasses cookies, ginger cookies, chewy cookies, soft cookies, autumn cookies, holiday cookies, spiced cookies