A favorite Christmas cookie recipe! These easy ginger cookies are soft, chewy, full of flavor, and always first on my holiday baking list.
Classic soft and chewy ginger cookies
I’m sure you’re all well on your way through Christmas baking, with the big day just two days away (!), but I thought I’d pop in with one last holiday cookie recipe: these soft and chewy ginger cookies, one of my all time seasonal favorites.
This recipe is an offshoot of one I shared last year, my Great Aunt Marie’s molasses cookies, a wonderful recipe in itself. As I’m often wont to do, I tinkered with the original a bit, most notably adding extra ginger and a hint of cocoa to intensify the deep character of the molasses. Both cookies are moist, chewy, highly addictive, and perfect for (last-minute) edible gifting.
I’d also like to thank each and every one of you for being readers and sharing this space with me. Sincerely. This past year was an amazing culinary adventure, and next year promises to be even greater. So here’s wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays or simply, a joyous, peaceful season. I do hope you’re able to share some wonderful meals with family and loved ones. See you next year! xo, Laura
If you make these ginger cookies, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked them! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura
Print
Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A favorite Christmas cookie recipe! These easy ginger cookies are soft, chewy, full of flavor, and always first on my holiday baking list.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 cups (1–1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated (white) sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses (I use Brer Rabbit)
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the melted and cooled butter, sugar, fresh ginger, and vanilla on medium-speed until well-combined.
- Add the egg and the molasses, and continue mixing until fully-combined.
- Turn the mixer down to low and add the dry ingredients, a half-cup or so at a time, and mix just until the dough comes together and the ingredients are fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough will be quite thick.
- Cover the mixing bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and gently form the dough into 1-inch balls. Gently roll the balls of dough in sugar then place them on your prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2-inches apart, and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- When the ginger cookies come out the oven, they should have noticeable cracks throughout and look slightly raw in the center. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room-temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
I find that using a 1-inch cookie-scoop to portion out the dough (prior to rolling it into balls) creates much more even-sized cookies than I ever manage to make without it.
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: ginger cookies, soft and chewy, molasses, christmas, holiday cookie, classic
Made these and love the flavor. I added ginger chips as well (triple ginger), but no matter what I did, they flattened out so much during baking. I refrigerated the dough between batches in the oven, and tried undercooking them more. they didn’t crack like yours and were very thin. Not sure if you have any tips for making them thicker cookies.
★★★★
Hi Ashley! I just made these again today to test them, and these are some things you can try: double check that your oven is actually running at the right temperature (I use a little oven thermometer). If it’s running to hot or cold, that can affect spread. Be sure to roll the dough into small 1-inch balls (about 32-36 grams each). I found that larger amounts of dough spread more and cracked less. You can also try adding a bit more flour (maybe 1/4 cup). You might also try chilling the dough for longer than 30 minutes (sometimes my fridge takes longer to get things really cold) and/or chilling the balls again after rolling them out, before they go in the oven. Hope that helps, and happy to answer any more questions!
Oh, I also tried adding some chocolate chips to some of the batter (I didn’t have ginger chips but love that idea for extra ginger flavor), and those cookies did still crack but seemed to spread a bit more and crack unevenly, so that may have contributed too?
I made this last Christmas and brought them to work. They were a hit! So good and spicey and chewy! I plan to make even more this Christmas to give as gifts. Thank you for this delicious recipe! Definitely one of holiday favorites.
★★★★★
I made these cookies last week and they delicious. I’m about to make another batch, this time I’ll try adding the cocoa powder and fresh ginger, and maybe chill the dough for a bit longer if I can be patient. Your photos are spectacular!
Thanks so much, Jana! So glad to hear you love these as much as we do! I always end up making at least half a dozen batches of these over the holidays 🙂
Can I leave the dough in the fridge overnight?
Hi Emily! Yes, you can definitely make these the day/night before. The dough might harden up a bit from chilling that long, so I would just let it sit for a few minutes before rolling into balls. Hope you love these! Merry Christmas!
I’ve made these 3 times already and each time they were a huge hit. They are indeed chewy, with a lovely wintry spiciness – and just plain gorgeous. Thank you for sharing!
★★★
Thanks, Katherine! They disappear quickly in our house too!
do you use the full flavor brer rabbit, or the mild flavor?
Hi Mellisa! I prefer the full flavor but you can use either. Hope you enjoy!
Mmmm, I just made a batch of these. I have definitly replaced my old gingerbread recipe. Sooo addictive. Thank you for sharing such a perfect recipe.
PS. I just used dried, ground ginger and they are still yummy 🙂
★★★★★
Looks really good
Wow! These cookies are amazing!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
I’m just marveling at how absolutely perfect these look! It makes me wish it was Christmas season again so I could make them. Lovely.
These look perfect! Thanks for the recipe.
Just made these! I followed the recipe exactly but my cookies didn’t come out with big cracks, and they seem to be a lighter brown. They still taste delicious though and are quite addictive!
Hi Camille! The color may be lighter or darker depending on the particular brand of molasses and/or cocoa you use… But I’m really surprised you didn’t have any cracks on top!
Either way, I’m so glad you liked them! 🙂
Gosh those look delicious! They look like a hybrid snickerdoodle 🙂 I’m going to have to try these soon!
I hope you do! Let me know how you like them… Merry Christmas!!
These cookies look delightful! Love that you used fresh ginger in them!
Thank you, Laura! I love the combination of using both fresh ginger and dried, ground ginger… Merry Christmas!!
Soft and chewy is the only way to go with ginger cookies…well any cookies in my books. Merry Christmas!
I completely agree! Merry Christmas to you too!
Gosh your photography is UNREAL!! So beautiful, and these cookies look amazing. Have a Merry Christmas Laura!
★★★★★
Chelsea, you are so sweet! Thank you and have a merry merry Christmas too! 🙂
one of my favorite holiday cookies!
Me too! Merry Christmas!
Big chewy ginger cookies are my favourite! These are perfect, Laura.
Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Thanks, Angie! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!
Those cookies look absolutely fantastic! I want an entire batch right this moment!
Thank you, Jocelyn! They are quite addictive 🙂 Merry Christmas!