Recipe

Ginger Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies

Community Pick!

Ginger Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies

Photo 1 of 3
by Sarah Shatz

Ginger Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies

Photo 2 of 3
by TasteFood

Ginger Spiced Molasses Sugar Cookies

Photo 3 of 3
by ericlovelin

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Chewy Sugar Cookie
  • Chef

    TasteFood's Notes: These cookies are spicy, sweet and rich with molasses. Take care not to overbake the cookie and you will have a chewy center that will melt in your mouth. For added spice and bite, add diced...

    Expand

Serves 24

  1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, salt and cloves in a bowl and mix well.

    Ask the hotline about this step!
  2. Beat butter and sugar together in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 minutes.

    Ask the hotline about this step!
  3. Add egg and molasses. Mix to combine well. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in candied ginger if using. Refrigerate batter 1 hour.

    Ask the hotline about this step!
  4. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar. Arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and gently flatten. Bake in oven until set and crinkled on top, about 12 minutes. Remove and cool.

    Ask the hotline about this step!
Img_3190 Reply

This exact recipe was used by my grandmother, who frequently made cookies for our family. My children enjoyed them also. Where does it come from?

Green_apple_card Reply

It's inspired by a Betty Crocker cookie I grew up eating, too.

Profile_pic_toy_camera_effected Reply

Brought an allergy-friendly version of these to a dessert potluck party and everyone loved them! I substituted the flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour + 1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum, a "flax egg" (1T ground flax seed + 3 T hot water), and commercial vegan butter. I'll be baking these for holiday seasons to come!

Reply

So easy and yummy! Twist on gingerbread.

Reply

So easy and yummy! Twist on gingerbread.

Img_7818 Reply

These cookies are so, so good. I love the gentle spice -- so many gingerbread cookies are too assertively spiced for my taste -- and the texture is great. Love this recipe!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

A&M, how did you get yours so dark? Mine were much lighter in color (more like the photo posted by TasteFood). I followed the recipe exactly. I did bake a few that were darker, but they ended up crispy all the way through, because they were baked too long. Is it just the lighting in the FOOD52 photo?.

Mrs Reply

AJ, fyi I've made these many times myself, and they're never as dark as A&M's photo. Always much closer in color to TF's.

Img_7818 Reply

Yep, mine were also much lighter in color.

Img_7818 Reply

One thought...I didn't use unsulphured blackstrap molasses but I'll bet it would result in a darker cookie.

Reply

Yes, blackstrap molasses resulted in cookies the color shown in the photo above.

Reply

These cookies were delicious--I was too impatient (must. have. cookies. NOW.) and skipped the refrigeration step. They ended up flatter than the photo, but as dark, rich, spicy and delicious. They're definitely going on the Christmas 2011 cookie tray!

Reply

These cookies make a WONDERFUL ice cream sandwich! I made sandwiches with a dollop of Half Pint vanilla ice cream from my local farmers' market (http://halfpinticecream.com/) between two cookies, and they were a huge hit! Once the ice cream softens a bit, it can be spread it like frosting to create a clean edge on the sandwich. I froze the sandwiches overnight for the best consistency. I want to try it again with lemon ice cream. Mmmm.....

Bananacakewithtangyvanilla Reply

thanks!

Bananacakewithtangyvanilla Reply

ROUND OR FLAT QUESTION -- do you flatten out each ball on the sheet before baking, or just pop in the tray as is? and btw, this recipe looks fantastic and i can't wait to try 'em

Green_apple_card Reply

Gently flattening them before baking is best!

Bananacakewithtangyvanilla Reply

oh dear. just made a batch and i've already eaten 5. FIVE! within 10 minutes.

they are AWESOME. and can i just say that i'm totally embarrassed about asking the flat v. round question b/c now i see that you already address that in your recipe. oy.

gotta go. cookie number 6 is callin' my name...

Summer_2010_1048 Reply

Made these during the holidays and they were a huge hit. A keeper for sure.

Green_apple_card Reply

So glad you liked them!

Reply

Definitely a great cookies. This will be my go-to recipe for ginger snaps!

Green_apple_card Reply

Great!

Dscn0826 Reply

I have my nieces coming over to make Christmas cookies. This one is on the list. Can't wait to make it.

Green_apple_card Reply

Let me know how you like them!

Dscn0826 Reply

Definitely my kind of cookie. I added the candied Ginger and I used muscovado sugar, which all combined, gave the cookie a really deep flavor that I like. It will go into the cookie rotation for sure. All the girls liked them too, even the we ones.

Mrs Reply

making these. again. slightly addicted.

Green_apple_card Reply

I am happy for your addiction!

Mlt_yogateau_1 Reply

Just made these. They rock!

Green_apple_card Reply

Great, thanks!

Mrs Reply

this is my new favorite cookie. you should make a double batch.

Wedding_pictures_162 Reply

yum

Monkeys Reply

These are one of my favorites. I will not bake them anytime soon for fear I will eat them all.

036 Reply

Yum - molasses ginger cookies rock - the candied ginger should be mandatory :-) I want one right now ... please?

Wg_header-1 Reply

I didn't use the candied ginger. Now I'm going to have to make them all over again. Thanks a LOT. Ha ha. :-)

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

I was hoping someone would do a molasses ginger cookie (my favorite cookie in the world)!! I don't really have one that I created - the one I use is a very slight modification of a recipe in one of Alice Medrich's cookbooks which calls for the finely diced candied ginger in it. It's personal preference for sure, but I love the inclusion of them!

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

Oops I meant to add that since I don't have my own recipe, I'm looking forward to trying yours.

Meet our Hotliners:

Peter

Sunshine-small

Peter works for food52 and thinks up ways to make the website better.

Peter answered Making beef stew but no wine at home! What to substitute in a pinch? More stock? 11 days ago