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Home » Recipes » Cookies

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

Modified: Sep 6, 2026 · by Sarah Jenkins. This post may contain affiliate links.

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These Big Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies are full of delicious spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, and have a deliciously chewy texture that makes them irresistible.

Ginger cookies on cooling rack, with one cookie with a bite taken out on plate.

It's holiday baking season, and if there's one cookie recipe that is always on my must-make list, it's these soft ginger cookies. This recipe turns out a ginger cookie that is not quite as crisp as a gingersnap but has a super soft and chewy texture and spiciness that makes it the perfect holiday cookie.

Don't be fooled by their meager appearance - these soft ginger cookies look unassuming, but one bite in and you're hit with an abundance of spicy fall and wintery flavors and an irresistibly chewy quality that will have you coming back for another. They're hugely delicious, and I dare you to try to eat just one in a sitting. (Try also these Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies or these Mexican Wedding Cookies for more delicious holiday treats!)

ginger cookies on cooling rack.

Ingredients

This recipe calls for all the usual spiced cookie ingredients - flour, sugar, soda, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, etc. But the addition of a splash of orange juice really helps intensify the ginger flavor. And, using brown sugar instead of white gives the cookie a bit more depth than other ginger cookies I've had (IMHO).

How To Make Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

These ginger molasses cookies are a snap to make.

  1. Mix the dry ingredients, then the wet, then add them together. 
  2. Once you have your dough mixed, you could make the cookies right away (it isn't that difficult to handle). But, I like to chill the dough in the fridge for about an hour (or 15 minutes in the freezer if you're short on time). This generally makes most cookie dough easier to manage, but also prevents the cookie from spreading too much in the oven (which is really the point of chilling the dough for this recipe). 
  3. Once you're ready to make the cookies, just roll the dough into small balls. Then, roll the balls in some granulated sugar until they are fully coated, and place them on your baking pan. This will give them a beautiful, sparkling, textured exterior. You can bake them just like this, which will result in a mound-shaped cookie. Or, you can flatten them just a bit, which is what I like to do, to make them come out a bit larger and more uniform in shape.
  4. Bake for around 7-10 minutes. Check your cookies at 7 or 8 minutes for doneness. The timing makes a big difference here since the cookies will become crispier and not as chewy the longer you bake them. When you pull them out of the oven, the cookie should be slightly cracked on the top.
  5. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
stacked ginger molasses cookies on plate.

Can I Freeze These Ginger Cookies?

Yep - you sure can! These ginger molasses cookies will freeze well in a ziplock bag (or another sealed container) for 3-6 months. The ginger cookie dough can also be frozen for about 3 months, which is awesome if you need to prep these ahead of time. (Or when you just want to have some cookie dough on hand for those occasions you really get a craving and need a freshly baked cookie NOW!)  

ginger molasses cookies on cooling rack.

If you make these Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies, tell me what you think in the comments below. And please tag me on Instagram with your pics - I love to see your creations!

Hungry For More? Try These Other Great Cookie Recipes!

  • Soft Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Date Cookies
  • Chocolate Dipped Orange And Almond Shortbread Cookies
  • Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
  • The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
  • Traditional Mexican Cookies

Recipe

big soft ginger cookies on cooling rack.

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

Author: Sarah Jenkins
These big soft ginger and molasses cookies are full of delicious spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom and have a deliciously chewy texture that makes them irresistible.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
chill time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Course Christmas Cookie, Cookie, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 151 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoon white sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
    2 ½ cups flour, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp baking soda, ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp salt
  • In a separate bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together using a mixer on medium speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy - 2-3 minutes.
    ¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup brown sugar
  • Add the egg, orange juice, and molasses to the butter mixture and combine well.
    1 egg, beaten, 1 tbsp orange juice, ¼ cup molasses
  • Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour, or in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will make the dough easier to handle when forming your cookies.
  • Once the dough has chilled, roll into small balls (I use a cookie scoop to make this easier and to make the cookies uniform in size).
  • Place the white sugar in a small bowl and roll the cookie dough balls in the sugar to coat.
    2 tbsp white sugar
  • Place the cookie dough balls onto a pan lined with parchment paper and press slightly to flatten.
  • Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a cookie rack to cool completely.
  • Enjoy cookies immediately, or store them in an airtight container for up to a week. Cookies may also be frozen for up to 3 months.

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Nutrition

Calories: 151kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 77mgPotassium: 86mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 189IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
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A woman with straight, shoulder-length blonde hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a dark blue button-up shirt and a delicate necklace, posed against a light, plain background.

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Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cardamom
  • ¼ tsp salt
1
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
2
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together using a mixer on medium speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy – 2-3 minutes.
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • ¼ cup molasses
3
Add the egg, orange juice, and molasses to the butter mixture and combine well.
4
Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined.
5
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6
Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour, or in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will make the dough easier to handle when forming your cookies.
7
Once the dough has chilled, roll into small balls (I use a cookie scoop to make this easier and to make the cookies uniform in size).
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
8
Place the white sugar in a small bowl and roll the cookie dough balls in the sugar to coat.
9
Place the cookie dough balls onto a pan lined with parchment paper and press slightly to flatten.
10
Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a cookie rack to cool completely.
11
Enjoy cookies immediately, or store them in an airtight container for up to a week. Cookies may also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Hope you enjoyed cooking this recipe!

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