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Ginger Molasses Cookies

Chewy cookies spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves get their deep color from molasses. A roll in sugar before baking gives a crackled top.

Prep
15 min
Cook
12 min
Total
27 min
Servings
24
Difficulty
Easy
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Stack of crackled ginger molasses cookies on a cooling rack

Photo: elsie.hui (CC BY). Source

Why you’ll love it

  • One bowl mixing keeps prep simple
  • Molasses and spices create a classic bakery flavor
  • Dough freezes well for fresh-baked cookies later
  • Chewy centers hold for several days in a tin

Ingredients

Servings24

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.

  2. 2

    Whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

  3. 3

    Beat softened butter and brown sugar until fluffy, then mix in egg and molasses.

  4. 4

    Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.

  5. 5

    Scoop tablespoon-sized balls, roll in granulated sugar, and place 2 inches apart.

  6. 6

    Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are set and tops are crackled; centers should look slightly soft.

  7. 7

    Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

Pro tips

  • Do not overbake; pull them when centers still look a bit underdone for chew.
  • Chill dough 20 minutes if it feels too soft to roll cleanly.
  • Use dark molasses for a stronger flavor; blackstrap can taste bitter.

Easy substitutions

brown sugar
coconut sugar
unsalted butter
vegan butter sticks
all-purpose flour
a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend

Storage and reheating

Storage

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Reheating

Microwave one cookie 8 to 10 seconds for a fresh-baked feel, or warm briefly in a 300°F oven.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
130
Protein
2 g
Carbs
20 g
Fat
5 g
Fiber
0 g

Budget friendly · Oven · Vegetarian

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Ingredients