These chewy ginger molasses cookies are a combination of a snickerdoodle and a gingersnap for a new classic holiday treat! Also called "gingerdoodle cookies", these soft and chewy molasses cookies are perfect for your Christmas cookie exchange!
Are you still searching for the perfect holiday cookie exchange recipe? Look no further, friends! I've already made these chewy ginger molasses cookies three times this season and, yes, I plan to bake them up again at least one more time. They are a cross between gingersnaps and snickerdoodles. I like to call them Gingerdoodle Cookies!
The Perfect Chewy Molasses Cookies
I'm not the biggest fan of gingersnaps, but I love snickerdoodles and molasses cookies. These molasses cookies are chewy and soft instead of crispy like a gingersnap and have the delicious sugary crystal flavor of a snickerdoodle.
These perfect ginger molasses cookies are always eaten right up, which is why when I make them for home I immediately take half of them and throw them in the freezer for later. If I didn't do that, Ben and I would consume all three dozen within two days!
(Three dozen cookies consumed in two days by just two adults and their two young tots isn't such a good idea.) 😉
What is a Ginger Molasses Cookie?
What are ginger molasses cookies? I played with my favorite snickerdoodles recipe and added the usual suspects of gingersnaps and my gingerbread boys. So you have warm cinnamon sugar cookies spiced with ginger, nutmeg, cloves and molasses. I couldn't help but name them Gingerdoodles! Nope, it's not a dog breed combo of a poodle and ginger pup.
The dough balls for these ginger molasses cookies are rolled into a bowl of cinnamon sugar like a standard snickerdoodle recipe. They are soft and chewy unlike a crispy gingersnap.
What does molasses do for cookies?
The addition of molasses to cookies creates a chewy texture with a deep brown-sugary sweet taste, and is a little healthier than actual sugar! The molasses help keep the cookies soft and chewy for longer. You can store molasses cookies on the counter in a sealed container for 3-5 days or store in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Kids love rolling the dough balls in the cinnamon sugar coating. I was surprised at how good of a job Judah did with that! Now he just has to work on spacing the cookies on the cookie sheet instead of placing them right against each other. He doesn't yet understand the concept of 4 columns and three rows.
If you like this Gingerdoodles recipe, you may also love these:
Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches
Gingerbread Boys
Gingerbread Biscotti
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Recipe Card
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
For rolling:
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liner.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and cream of tartar; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the ¾ cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar with the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the molasses until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until a dough forms. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons sugar with the 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Use a medium cookie scoop to spoon out dough balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture, one or two at a time. Roll the ball in the sugar mix until lightly coated, then place on the lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Nutrition
This recipe for Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies was originally published on December 11, 2014 as "Gingerdoodles". Updated on October 17, 2019 with new recipe title and additional tips.
