Molasses Chewy Gingerbread Cookies (Printable format)

Soft molasses treats with ginger and warm spices, perfect for cozy gatherings and festive moments.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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 dark brown sugar
10 - 1/4 cup molasses
11 - 1 large egg
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 the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
04 - Mix the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar until evenly combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and shape each into a ball. Roll each ball thoroughly in granulated sugar.
07 - Place dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until edges are firm but centers remain soft.
08 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're chewy in the center but crispy at the edges, which means every bite feels intentional and satisfying.
  • The spices do the heavy lifting, so your kitchen smells like a winter market for hours after baking.
  • Impossible to mess up even if you're not a confident baker, which somehow makes them taste even better.
02 -
  • Slightly underbaking is not a mistake—it's the difference between chewy and cakey, and underbaked wins every single time.
  • Your brown sugar needs to be packed down when measuring, not just piled in, or your cookies will spread too thin and bake too fast.
  • Molasses has a strong flavor that can be polarizing, so taste a tiny bit of the dough first if you're unsure—it should make you excited, not nervous.
03 -
  • Room temperature butter beats cold butter every time—take it out of the fridge while you're gathering other ingredients.
  • Don't skip the cooling period on the sheet; those five minutes make the difference between cookies that hold together and ones that fall apart.
Go back