Ginger Molasses Christmas Cookies

Ginger molasses cookies are soft in the middle with a little crunch on the outside, and they taste like gingerbread in cookie form. Dip them in white chocolate and add holiday sprinkles, and you have a Christmas cookie that looks like it came from a bakery. The dough chills for just 15 minutes, and the cookies bake in 7 to 8 minutes.

A Ginger Molasses Cookie Like My Mother Made

I love ginger molasses cookies. I love molasses cookies too, and I love ginger, so I wanted a Christmas cookie with all of those flavors.

I also wanted something a little special on top, so I dipped them in white chocolate.

My mother always made a ginger cookie that was soft on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. This recipe is very close to hers. That soft middle with a crisp edge is exactly what I was after.

If you love a ginger snap, you will love this recipe. Bite into one topped with white chocolate and sprinkles and it is Christmas day in every bite.

Why You’ll Love These Ginger Molasses Cookies

• Soft in the middle with a little crunch on the outside
• Gingerbread flavor from molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves
• The dough only chills for 15 minutes
• Baked in 7 to 8 minutes
• Dipped in white chocolate with sprinkles, so they look special on a Christmas cookie tray

What Are Ginger Molasses Cookies?

Ginger molasses cookies are soft cookies flavored with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. They get rolled in sugar before baking, which gives the tops that crackled look.

Think of them as a cross between a ginger snap and a soft gingerbread cookie.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 1 and 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature (3/4 cup)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar, for rolling the cookies

For decorating:

• 1 package (16 ounces) white melting wafers
• Holiday sprinkles 

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Butter: One and a half sticks is 3/4 cup. Let it sit on the counter until it is soft.
• Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses. Dark molasses, which is sometimes sold as robust molasses, works too. Skip blackstrap, which is much stronger and a little bitter.
• White sugar: Rolling the dough balls in sugar gives these cookies their crackled tops and crisp edges.
• White chocolate: Melting wafers melt smoothly in a shallow dish. Milk or dark chocolate works too.
• Sprinkles: Pop Sprinkles have large balls, sugar poinsettia flowers, and thin sugar trees, which is what you see on my cookies.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission which helps keep my blog up and running but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Click here to read my full disclosure policy.  

Equipment Needed

• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Medium mixing bowl and a whisk
• Wooden spoon or large spatula
• 2 cookie sheets
• Baking mat or parchment paper
• Small cookie scoop or 2 teaspoons
• Cooling rack
• Shallow dish for melting the white chocolate

How to Make Ginger Molasses Cookies

1. Preheat the Oven: Heat the oven to 375°.
2. Line the Pans: Line 2 cookie sheets with a baking mat or parchment paper.
   Pro tip: I use two pans so one can cool while the other bakes.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on medium speed, mix the brown sugar and butter for about a minute, until light and fluffy.
4. Add the Egg and Molasses: Add the egg and molasses one at a time and mix well.
5. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.
   Pro tip: Whisking mixes the dry ingredients well and works in place of a sifter.
6. Make the Dough: Take the bowl off the mixer. Stir in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or large spatula until just combined.
   Pro tip: Do not overmix.
7. Chill the Dough: Put the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
8. Scoop the Dough: Use a small cookie scoop or two teaspoons to scoop the dough into small balls.
9. Roll in Sugar: Roll each ball in the white sugar and place it on the cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
   Pro tip: They spread, so give them room.
10. Bake the Cookies: Bake at 375° for 7 to 8 minutes. Let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.
    Pro tip: Do not overbake.
11. Press the Cookies if You Like: While they cool, press the bottom of a glass down lightly on each cookie for a more crackled look.
12. Dip and Decorate: When the cookies are completely cool, dip them in white chocolate and add sprinkles.

How to Dip and Decorate Ginger Molasses Cookies

Ginger molasses cookies are good plain with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. Add the decorations and you have an easy cookie that makes a statement.

• Pick your sprinkles: If you are making these for Christmas, the sprinkles show up best on white chocolate.
• Melt the chocolate: Use a shallow dish so you have plenty of room for dipping.
• Dip the cookies: Dip half of the cookie on the top, and only a little on the back. That keeps the back flat for serving.
• Scrape off extra: If there is too much chocolate (is that even possible?) use a knife to scrape some off.
• Set up a landing spot: Cover the counter with plastic wrap or wax paper, then set your cooling rack on top.
• Add the sprinkles: Lay the dipped cookies on the rack, then add the sprinkles while the chocolate is wet.
• Place the big pieces by hand: Pop Sprinkles have large balls, sugar poinsettia flowers, and thin sugar trees, which is what I used. I like to place the larger decorations so they look their best.
• Let them set: Let the cookies dry before serving so the sprinkles stay put.

Susan’s Tips and Tricks

• Use two cookie sheets so one pan can cool while the other bakes.
• Pull the cookies at 7 to 8 minutes. Overbaked ginger molasses cookies lose that soft middle.
• Stop mixing as soon as you do not see dry flour.
• Do not skip the 15 minute chill. It makes the dough easier to scoop.
• Let the dipped cookies set completely before you stack them.

Susan’s Picks: What to Serve with Ginger Molasses Cookies

• Easy Christmas Spritz Cookies
• Best Easy Christmas Cut Out Cookie Recipe
• Soft Gingerbread Cutout Cookies (Gingerbread Men)
• Easy Snowball Cookies with Pecans
• Quick Sugar Cookies Dipped in Chocolate with Sprinkles
• Christmas Cookie Baking Schedule Printable

Troubleshooting Ginger Molasses Cookies

• Cookies spread too much: Space them 2 inches apart and do not skip the 15-minute chill.
• Cookies came out hard: They were most likely overbaked. Take them out at 7 to 8 minutes and let them finish on the hot pan for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkles rolled off: Add them while the chocolate is still wet, then let the cookies dry completely before serving.
• Too much chocolate on the cookie: Scrape the extra off with a knife before the chocolate sets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Print