Ginger cookies are the ultimate cozy comfort cookie!
Spicy and aromatic, soft and chewy, ginger molasses cookies are a welcome treat that inspires fond memories!
Make these sweet treats today and create new ones!
Crazy for Ginger Cookies!
- If childhood nostalgia had a flavor, it would be these ginger cookies! Fragrant notes of warm ginger paired with rich molasses bake into a cookie that smells as good as it tastes!
- Rainy days and chilly days call for a quick batch of ginger cookies for comfy warmth! Just add a cup of cold milk, hot chocolate, lemonade, or eggnog to seal the deal!
- Make this ginger cookies recipe ahead of time and bake when ready or freeze the dough for future cookies!
Ingredients and Variations
Dough: Use a 1:1 white to whole wheat blend for a denser cookie or use your favorite gluten-free blend and follow the conversion table on the package.
Ginger: Convert 1 teaspoon of ground ginger for 1 tablespoon of freshly peeled, grated ginger, depending on how strong the fresh ginger is. Use a microplane for best results, otherwise finely mince the ginger with a knife, or finely grate.
Variations: Bump up the flavor and add a teaspoon of homemade gingerbread spice. For a festive, holiday cookie, roll the cookie balls in red and green colored sugar. Coarse sugar (AKA sanding or “sugar in the raw”) is a larger grain of sugar that reflects light and will make ginger snap cookies sparkle, so it’s worth getting to add that extra touch to all your baked goods like pies and muffins! Once cookies are cool enough to be handled, they can be dipped in melted white or dark chocolate, if you like. Ginger cookies make excellent ice cream sandwiches! Simply press two cookies around a scoop of semi-soft ice cream and freeze!
How to Make Ginger Cookies
- Cream butter until fluffy then add in sugar, as described in the recipe below.
- Mix in eggs and molasses.
- Whisk dry ingredients together in another bowl and then add to the molasses mixture and mix well.
- Roll dough into balls and then into sugar, if using.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes until lightly browned.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Or enjoy them warm from the oven!
Pro Tips for Perfect Cookies
- To make crispy ginger snaps, leave them in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Let butter or margarine and eggs come to room temperature for faster, smoother mixing.
- Whisking the dry ingredients aerates the mixture for even blending when it’s mixed with the wet ingredients and produces fluffier results.
- Chill the dough for about 30 minutes before baking to harden up the butter which will keep the cookies from spreading too much.
- Using half butter and half shortening will help the cookies retain their shape better, but won’t taste as buttery.
- This dough is versatile enough to be rolled into ¼” thickness and cut with cookie cutters if desired. Let the cookies cool completely if you want them hard.
Keeping Ginger Cookies Fresh
- Keep ginger cookies in a covered container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Freeze the cooled cookies on a baking sheet and then transfer them to a zippered bag for up to 6 months.
More Cookies to Crave
Have you tried this Ginger Cookies recipe? Leave a comment and rating below!
Ginger Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups butter or margarine
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup molasses
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons ground ginger
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- sugar for rolling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking trays with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream butter until soft, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs and molasses and mix well.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture and mix until well combined.
- Measure dough using 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop and roll into a ball. Roll in sugar if using. Place on baking tray about 1 inch apart (6 per tray) and bake 7-8 minutes.
Notes
- These cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 week.
- Cookies can also be frozen and will keep for 6 months in the freezer.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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