Soft and Chewy Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies
These soft and chewy chocolate ginger molasses cookies are amazing! A twist on a beloved classic, the fresh ginger takes them over the top.
Get ready for one more holiday cookie recipe. They’re exceptional and totally worth adding to your Christmas cookie lineup.
If you have long loved classic crinkly ginger molasses cookies, just wait until you get a taste of this chocolate version!
A Few Reasons They Are Amazing:
These cookies are phenomenal for a few reasons.
First, melted butter.
Second, no mixer needed (you can stir the cookie dough together by hand).
Third, the ginger flavor is spot on without being overpowering.
All of this makes it easier to not be annoyed at chilling the dough. I hate chilling cookie dough (HATE IT), but these cookies need it, and I promise, they’re worth it.
The Case for Fresh Ginger
If you’re thinking that fresh ginger in a cookie recipe is crazy talk, stick with me for a second.
Before you discount it, please try it! The fresh ginger lends the brightest, freshest ginger flavor to this deliciously unique cookie without screaming: I AM STIR FRY HIDDEN IN A COOKIE.
In fact, the ginger flavor is beautifully subtle and blends so well with the molasses and chocolate flavors.
HOW TO USE FRESH GINGER IN THESE COOKIES: you’ll need about a 1/2-inch knob of fresh ginger. It works best to freeze it (unpeeled) and then grate it (again, unpeeled), frozen, on the small holes of a box grater or on a rasp grater.
*Read the notes in the recipe if you want to experiment subbing in ground ginger for the fresh.
Chilled…Then Rolled in Sugar
The cookie dough needs to chill for a couple hours (or up to 24 hours). This is kind of a drag, I know, but it also ensures you won’t have cookies spreading into one ginormous mess on the baking sheet causing you to say bad words. Consider the chilling time a very wise investment into maintaining your sanity.
Just like their classic counterpart, these cookies are rolled in sugar before baking.
As they bake, they develop that gorgeous crinkly crackly sparkly top that is both cute and irresistible.
They key to these cookies is to not over bake. In fact, I under bake them just slightly. Better to be soft than sorry!
I can’t say enough about how amazing these soft and chewy chocolate ginger cookies really are. Yes, they are unique. But mostly, they are incredibly delicious.
I also think they would be terrific half-dipped in white or dark chocolate. I’ve done that with the regular chewy molasses cookies and not only does it take the presentation next level, but holy wow. YUM.
Happy holiday baking!
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Soft and Chewy Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (71 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (100 g) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap molasses)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (see note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) natural, unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Additional granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses until well-combined.
- Add the egg, fresh ginger and vanilla, and stir until well-combined.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Stir just until no dry streaks remain. Add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly combined (don't over mix).
- Chill the dough for 1-2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper; set aside.
- Scoop the dough and roll into balls (about 2 tablespoons per cookie – I use a #40 cookie scoop). If the dough has been chilled for a long period of time, let it sit out of the fridge for 15-20 minutes until it is scoopable.
- Roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets a couple inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until cracks form on the top and the edges are set but the cookies are still soft in the center.
- Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: sent to me by a reader, Ann B. (thank you, Ann!) by way of the Costco connection magazine by way of Anna Olsen (I adapted the recipe slightly with fresh and ground ginger amounts and a few other changes as well as including more details about mixing, how to use fresh ginger, etc)
Wonder if you measured or weighed the cocoa powder? I measured and got a very dark chocolate cookie – much darker than your picture. Reason is that 1/2 cup of cocoa weighs 64 g, not 43g as stated in the recipe. 1/3 cup of cocoa weighs 43g. Next time I’ll probably try with 1/3 cup of cocoa and the ginger will probably come forward a little better. I found that chilling for 2 hours worked well and I preferred those made with the #50 scoop. Also, if you have a warm kitchen put the dough back in the fridge between trays.
I tested the recipe both weighing and measuring – I get about 43 grams of cocoa powder for 1/2 cup (lightly measuring and not packing it into the cup).
I followed the recipe exactly and am so pleased with these. When I first made them they were good, but not a wow. After sitting overnight, the spices really melded together and now they are fantastic! Thanks for a great recipe.
These were excellent. Just the right amount of ginger. I made one adjustment: I did not melt the butter, just softened it. Chilled the dough, rolled them into 50 gm balls, chilled again briefly then rolled in Christmas colored sanding sugar. Baked 12 min for perfect cracked top and soft interior. Super delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Mel these cookies are off the charts amazing!! The best part is the soft chewy texture.
I am looking for this texture in a sugar cookie-no icing. Can you point me in a direction please?
I’m glad you like these ginger cookies! This sugar cookie recipe would be a good starting place: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/soft-and-chewy-drop-sugar-cookies/
Cookies baking as I type. I had fresh ginger but no ground ginger. I subbed garam masala for the ground ginger and chopped chunks of dark baking chocolate instead of chips. Can’t wait, they smell divine.
This past week was “Cookie Week” at our house, where we bake different cookies every day. I was gone all day yesterday and it was the last day of “Cookie Week”, so I put my 13 yo daughter in charge of the baking. I came home to these and promptly ate at least 7 because no one was around to watch my lack of control. When I saw them, I thought they would just be chocolate, but there were so many more flavors involved and I loved them. The texture and look was not the same as the ones pictured on this post and she forgot to add chocolate chips. They were still delicious. I want to make them again.
I chilled the dough for 20 hours. Baked for 10 minutes and the pan came out in one big sheet of flat goo.! So disappointed and deflated!!
Hi Donna, sorry that happened! How did you measure the flour for this recipe? Also, do you live at high elevation? Sounds like you might need a bit more flour and the cookies will hold their shape.
Love these! If I were to dip half in chocolate, what do you use for the white chocolate? Do you use those white melting wafers or a white chocolate bar, or white chocolate chips?
White chocolate chips don’t melt very well (usually); I like to use the Ghirardelli white chocolate bars in the baking aisle.
I knew i would love this cookie and when I tasted the dough I applauded myself for finding this gem. BUT when I cooked my dough, flat as a pancake!!! I chilled my dough first for 4 hours, then made a batch. No cute crinkles, totes flat. So I refrigerated for a few more hours, same thing. I double checked the recipe and everything was on point. HELP!
( typically I noticed when I melt the butter cookies are more flat than fluffy, ) your expertise would be much appreciated!
Hi Erika! What elevation do you live at? It’s possible you might need a bit more flour in the dough and/or make sure the butter is not overly hot or warm when mixing with the other ingredients.
Hands down my all time favourite cookie. They are amazing everytime I bake them. Don’t skip the chilling part, it’s definitely worth it, as is using both fresh and dried ginger. I give them away at xmas, and my neighbours love them too. Fantastic recipe!
These are amazing – I absolutely love them. They are time-consuming, yes, but totally worth it. I baked a test cookie first and it came out perfectly at just under 12 minutes. Your instructions are excellent – thanks! My kitchen smells like heaven right now.
Hi Mel,
Could I use the ginger that comes in a tube from the grocery store?
That’s a good question. I haven’t tried that (although I do like to use the ginger in a tube for other recipes). It’s probably worth a try!
I made these today with the ginger from the tube, worked amazing!!
Hello! I desperately wanted these to work and followed the directions to a T minus the fresh ginger but they never flattened during baking. I even let the dough soften enough to where I could scoop it so I don’t know that temperature was an issue. The insides were hard and crumbly. Any ideas what may have happened?
Hi Ashley, it sounds like maybe too much flour in the dough, especially if they didn’t flatten while baking. How do you measure your flour?
My husband is not much of a dessert person. He just went in for another cookie, and said, as he came back into the living room, “I think these are the best cookies I’ve ever had!”
And I like them too 🙂
One more thing: I didn’t bother with the rolling in sugar bit and didn’t miss it at all. They’re terrific plain.
Thanks for letting me know, Margaret! I think your husband has good taste. 🙂
So so yummy! We loved them.
Happy to hear that!
Mel, you make me laugh. Your “stir fry in a cookie comment” – LOL. Put these on my holiday cookie list!
🙂
Just made my first batch tonight to test. What a tasty surprise! Wasn’t sure how the ginger and chocolate would combine, but I was very pleased. Would these cookies freeze okay for a few days? I’m currently prepping for a large cookie exchange!
Yes, they freeze great!
I’m a little confused… The ingredient list says fresh ginger and ground ginger!?!? If I’m using the fresh I also add ground?
Hi Aimee – there is fresh ginger and ground ginger in the cookies. So yes, if you use fresh, you also use some ground ginger, too.
Would it work to roll them into balls/coat in sugar before chilling the dough? Could they then go straight into the oven from the fridge?
I tried that in one of my test batches and the dough is pretty soft to roll right away (I ended up with really messy hands and fingers) but you could try it and see how it goes!
Subbed the ginger for ground. These are excellent and unique! Came out exactly as pictured.
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make… o need to soften butter or take out the. mixer……Will add this to my favorites!!!!!
Thanks for letting me know, Tina!
I am totally going to make these! I’m confused by the fresh ginger…if you leave it unpeeled while graiting, won’t you end up with bits of the tough skin in your cookies?
If you grate it frozen and grate it really finely, the skin isn’t noticeable (at least it isn’t to me) but you could definitely peel beforehand if you’d like!
No Mel I did not make this recipe…Yet…but I will no doubt try it. I do however make your other classic counterpart gingersnap cookies and have honestly made them close to a 100 times now. I get rave reviews from everyone from everyone on that recipe especially from children. So thank you so very much for sharing that recipe and for sharing all your fabulous recipes. You are my go to most trusted and favourite recipe site and I thank you so very much for all your delicious tried and true recipes. Merry, Merry Christmas to you and your Family! xo Maureen
Thank you so much, Maureen – that means so much to me. Merry Christmas to you, too!
Made these again last night for neighbor gifts. They are so delicious, and it makes plenty for a few small gift tins.
Thanks, Lynn!
Haha! “Better to be soft than sorry” made me laugh out loud. And it is all too true! Adding these cookies to my lineup!
These look amazing!! I LOVE gingersnaps. My family and I love your soft and chewy gingersnaps recipe – I just made some last night!
We recently found a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that calls for corn flakes and rice krispies in the dough and it sounds weird but is totally delightful! It gives the best extra crunch to the cookies. I added a few cornflakes and rice krispies to the gingersnap dough last night and they really put the snap (crackle, pop) in gingersnap if ya know what I mean 🙂 haha I’m excited to try these! Thanks for sharing such amazing recipes!
Oh, what a great idea! I don’t think I ever would have thought to put rice krispies and cornflakes in a ginger cookie, but I’d love the crunch!
If I leave out the chocolate powder and chips, will I end up with a soft & chewy ginger-molasses cookie?
I’m not sure. I’d suggest using a recipe that’s been tested specifically that way, like this one: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/soft-and-chewy-ginger-molasses-cookies/
I made these from the Costco connection magazine because I was intrigued but I felt like Paul Hollywood when I tasted them saying “it doesn’t know what it is.” I love chocolate covered ginger and I love molasses ginger cookies, but I don’t think I’d make these again. Texture was great but flavor was a little funky for us. That said, I haven’t made your version, so I can’t speak for it!
Haha, fair enough! I definitely think you have to prepare yourself that it’s a chocolate ginger cookie so you aren’t thinking it’s the classic ginger molasses cookie.
Making these today! Yum.
Update: made them, intentionally underbaked, and the whole family gave a big thumbs up. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay, Sarah! Thanks for letting me know! Also, intentional under bakers unite!
One more comment! I rolled a few of the cookie balls in sugar and froze them (unbaked). Pulled them out of the freezer to soften while I preheated the oven, and baked. They were just as good as the first time around.
Just wanted to add that note while I am about to make another batch!