With a delightfully chewy center and a generous sprinkling of crunchy sugar on top, these Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies are a classic holiday favorite. They combine bold ground ginger with cinnamon, cloves and molasses for a deep, cozy flavor—perfect for cookie platters, gift boxes or an indulgent treat with coffee or tea.
This version uses molasses and plenty of ground ginger along with cinnamon and cloves. The dough is rolled in sanding sugar before baking, resulting in a sparkly, crackled top and soft interior. These are essentially gingersnaps without the snap—big, tender and full of warmth.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Chewy centers. The texture stays soft while the exterior sets with a pleasant bite.
- Jumbo size. Larger cookies hold a soft center better than very small ones, giving a bakery-style result.
- No chilling required. This dough is ready to scoop and bake right away, so you can enjoy fresh cookies faster.
- Great for gifting. Package individually or in small stacks for a thoughtful homemade present.
Ingredients
Below are the main ingredients that give these cookies their flavor and texture. Refer to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- All-purpose flour: Use the spoon-and-level method when measuring for accuracy—this recipe makes a large batch.
- Ground ginger: The primary flavor; use fresh spice for the best aroma and intensity.
- Baking soda: Provides lift and structure.
- Ground cinnamon and ground cloves: Add warm, complementary spice notes; use cloves sparingly as they are strong.
- Salt: Enhances flavor—kosher salt distributes well, but table salt will work if reduced slightly.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness; soften before creaming for a smooth dough.
- Granulated sugar: Contributes sweetness and chewiness.
- Eggs: Bind ingredients and help texture.
- Molasses: Gives deep, caramel-like sweetness and chew; use light or dark molasses rather than bitter blackstrap.
- Sanding sugar: Optional decorative coating that creates a sparkly, crunchy crust.
How to Make Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies
These cookies come together in a few straightforward steps. The method is forgiving and excellent for home bakers.
- Preheat: Set the oven to 350°F and position the rack in the center. Put sanding sugar in a shallow bowl if using.
- Combine dry ingredients: Whisk flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a bowl; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a mixer or with a hand mixer, cream softened butter until smooth. Add granulated sugar and beat until combined.
- Add eggs and molasses: Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in molasses until incorporated.
- Fold in flour: Add the dry mixture on low speed and mix just until combined; avoid overmixing.
- Shape and sugar-coat: Scoop about 1/4 cup of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Roll each ball in sanding sugar and place on an ungreased baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
- Bake: Bake 12–14 minutes until the tops are light brown and crackled. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Kelly’s Recipe Tips
- Use a large scoop: A big cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop yields uniform jumbo cookies and consistent bake time. A kitchen scale works well if you want exact uniformity.
- To make smaller cookies: Use 2–3 tablespoon portions and reduce bake time by a few minutes, checking early to avoid overbaking.
- Avoid overbaking: For soft, chewy centers, remove cookies when they’re just set and still slightly tender—the edges will firm up as they cool.
Storage Tips
Room temperature: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
Freezing: Cookies freeze well. Arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze up to three months; thaw at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gingerbread dough is typically roll-and-cut and firmer for shaping and decorating; ginger cookies and molasses cookies share similar spices, but molasses cookies often emphasize the molasses flavor more, while ginger cookies highlight the ginger spice.
Molasses adds a rich, caramel-like depth and helps create the soft, chewy texture that makes these cookies so satisfying.
Yes—if sanding sugar isn’t available, regular granulated sugar will still give a pleasantly sweet crust, though it won’t sparkle as much.
Light or dark molasses are best here. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which is quite bitter for cookies.
Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies — Recipe Card
Prep Time: 15 mins • Cook Time: 14 mins • Total Time: 29 mins
Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 3/4 cup sanding sugar (optional, for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange an oven rack in the center position.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixer fitted with the paddle or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until softened. Add the sugar and beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each, then mix in the molasses.
- Stop the mixer and add the dry ingredient mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined; do not overmix.
- Scoop about 1/4 cup of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Roll each ball in sanding sugar to coat, then place on an ungreased baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
- Bake 12–14 minutes, until the tops are light brown and crackled. Let cool on the baking sheet 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For even sizes use a large cookie scoop or a kitchen scale.
- Smaller cookies bake faster—check several minutes earlier if you reduce size.
- Remove cookies slightly underbaked for the best soft, chewy result; they firm up as they cool.
Nutrition (per cookie)
Calories: 290 kcal • Carbohydrates: 40 g • Protein: 2 g • Fat: 13 g • Saturated Fat: 3 g • Cholesterol: 13 mg • Sodium: 124 mg • Sugar: 21 g