Ginger Molasses Cookies
Thick, chewy, and rich with warm holiday spices, these Ginger Molasses Cookies get a bright, zingy boost from crystallized ginger and orange zest. Turbinado sugar adds that sweet, sparkly crackle that makes them just as beautiful as they are delicious!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Whisk
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Citrus Zester
- Cutting board and knife for chopping crystalized ginger
- cookie scoop 1 1/2 tablespoons
- baking sheets
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature,113g
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed 115g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
- 1 tablespoon orange zest from about half an orange
- 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger finely chopped
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup molasses 84g
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 315g
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars. In a separate bowl, add the softened butter and both sugars. Add the zest of half an orange and the chopped crystallized ginger. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg and molasses. Add the egg and molasses and mix on low speed until smooth and fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, or by hand, until incorporated.
- Scoop, roll in sugar, and bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a small (1 ½-tablespoon) cookie scoop, portion the dough and roll each cookie in turbinado sugar to coat completely. Arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet about ½ inch apart. This recipe makes about 22 small cookies, so bake in batches or use multiple baking sheets. Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden and beginning to crack around the edges. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Notes
If the turbinado sugar isn’t sticking to the dough when rolling, lightly dampen your hands with water and roll each dough ball before coating in the sugar.
For bigger cookies, use a 2–3 tablespoon cookie scoop. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time and keep an eye on them. The cookies should look crackled and set around the edges, with soft centers.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For make-ahead, portion the dough, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 1–2 days, or freeze the portioned dough for up to 1 month. Let frozen dough soften slightly, then roll in sugar before baking. You may need to add a couple of extra minutes to the bake time if the dough is still slightly frozen.