Ginger-Molasses Cookies

By Alison Roman

Updated November 14, 2024

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Liza Jernow.
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Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(1,966)
Comments
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Think of these cookies as a cross between a gingerbread man and a chewy molasses cookie. Adding molasses gives them a softer texture with a decidedly adult, almost caramel flavor. Instead of rolling or slicing these cookies, this rich, soft dough is perfect for rolling into balls and coating in coarse sugar before baking. The dough can even be made up to 5 days ahead and refrigerated, or baked 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 dozen cookies

  • 3 cups/435 grams all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice

  • 1 ½ cups/341 grams (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • ¾ cup/177 milliliters molasses

  • ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • About ¾ cup/165 grams pearl, Demerara or coarse sugar, for rolling

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

33 grams carbs; 46 milligrams cholesterol; 249 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 106 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 19 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and allspice.

  2. Step 2

    In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter, molasses and sugar on medium-high until the mixture is superlight, fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, and beat until everything is well combined, again stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary.

  3. Step 3

    Add dry ingredients all at once, and mix on low speed until just incorporated.

  4. Step 4

    Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes, until firm enough to roll.

  5. Step 5

    Heat oven to 325 degrees.

  6. Step 6

    Using your hands, roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls, then roll them in coarse sugar. (Sanding sugar is festive, but turbinado or coarse sugar will do the trick as well.) If dough becomes too soft to roll, put back in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking tray 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are puffed, golden brown around the edges and baked through and the tops spring back slightly when touched, 12 to 15 minutes.

Tip

  • Do ahead: Cookie dough can be made 5 days ahead, refrigerated. Bring dough to room temperature before rolling. Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead, wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,966 user ratings
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Comments

Becky

I have a similar recipe and it freezes fine in balls.
By the time the oven is hot, the balls are thawed enough to roll in sugar and bake.
I also press the dough into a 9 x 9 pan lined with plastic wrap and chill, then cut into 1" pieces and roll into balls, they are even and it is easier than scooping.

Chris M.

I made these slightly smaller than golf balls and wound up with 47 cookies. They stayed soft for a week. Flavors became more robust as the week went on. I will definitely make these again. People raved about them.

Shef

When you make and eat cookies, they should be delicious and rewarding. These cookies are just OK, the flavor is weighted too heavy on the molasses side, leaving the ginger to beg for attention. They are light enough (even with all that butter), but that's where the unrewarding part comes in, its a bland, dissolve in your mouth texture. I also found the rolling in sugar makes them too sweet.
I won't make these again. A Cara Cara orange for dessert is way better than these.

Jennifer

The first tray of these came out of the oven very spread out, not domed like in the picture. I refrigerated the dough and cooked them between 12-15 min. The shape was disappointing. (The shapes didn’t improve as the dough balls continued to sit out before cooking. These cookies are definitely chewy in the center. I used cardamom instead of allspice since we have a ton of it.

Victoria MC

I saw the comments about doubling the ginger and allspice spice so I tried it along with doubling the vanilla and these turned out great! I made the dough a few days ahead so i stuck it in the freezer in the shape of two logs which made ball forming and sugar rolling easier later. This recipe makes a ton of cookies so if you're baking for a smaller crowd, I'd consider halving the recipe.

Milo

Loved these. Tasty with well balanced flavors. What I really loved is that they have crispy edges and a soft middle. I prefer a soft cookie so these suited my taste.

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