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Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies (better than Starbucks!)

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These Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies are EXACTLY what their name suggests: they’re crispy on the outside, oh so chewy on the inside and bursting with sweetness and a sharp ginger flavour. They’re one of my most popular recipes ever and they’re pretty easy to make too! Try these Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies like hundreds of thousands of my readers have, and see for yourself!!  Watch the video below to see how I make them and check out the FULL RECIPE at the end of this post!

 

Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies
Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies Pinterest
These Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies definitely live up to their name!! Recipe from www.thebusybaker.ca

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Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies with sugar

*I first shared this recipe in October 2015. I’m re-sharing it today with brand new photos and a brand new video tutorial! Enjoy!

It dawned on me recently that I’ve been making cookies for almost 25 years. Now, I realize that doing something for a long time doesn’t necessarily make you an expert, but I would like to think that I’ve learned a thing or two about baking cookies over the years and that I have at least a few cookie recipes that I’ve perfected…and these Ginger Molasses Cookies definitely fall into the perfection category!

Looking for more delicious sweets? Check out all my favourite sweet recipes HERE!

 Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies in stack

I remember my mom making these cookies when I was very young and calling them Gingersnaps, even though my dad affectionately referred to them as “Ginger-bends” because they’re so moist and soft and chewy and don’t have that traditional biscuit “snap” quality. They’re not dry like some ginger-flavoured cookies tend to be and they’ve got the perfect balance of sweet molasses, spicy ginger, and warm cinnamon.  They’re so soft that they almost melt in your mouth. If you’re still buying the Starbucks’ Ginger Molasses cookies with your morning coffee then you obviously haven’t tried this recipe!

Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies in stack

I’m telling you, once you try these cookies you won’t find yourself in the Starbucks drive thru line up anymore (unless it’s to get a latte to dunk these bad boys in)!

Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies on white plate

And a little pro tip for you: Be sure to let these cookies cool on their baking pans!! If you attempt to remove them from the pans too soon they’ll be raw in the middle and they’ll probably fall apart since they actually finish baking completely AFTER they’ve been removed from the oven (the heat of the pan continues to bake the cookies even out of the oven). If you can muster up the patience to let them cool before moving them, you’ll be absolutely amazed at the result…

Looking for more delicious sweets? Check out all my favourite sweet recipes HERE!

Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies dunk in milk

…a crispy, sugary exterior with a soft, chewy interior. Yum!

I hope you enjoy this Best Ever Ginger Molasses recipe below! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite cookie? I’d love to know!

 

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4.3 from 20 votes
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Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies (Better than Starbucks!)

These Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and perfectly flavoured with ginger!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Baking
Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 3 dozen
Author Chrissie Baker (thebusybaker.ca)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger or powdered ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/3 cup white sugar for rolling

Instructions

  1. Add the butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium high speed until it is soft and creamy and the colour begins to turn pale (use a hand mixer if you wish).
  2. Add the sugar and beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times.
  3. Beat in the eggs on medium high speed one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
  4. Beat in the molasses and scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk these ingredients together to they're combined and dump the mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer with the butter mixture.
  6. Combine the butter mixture and the dry ingredients on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. You'll have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
  7. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for one hour.
  8. After one hour has passed, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  9. Remove the dough from the fridge and shape it into about 36 balls with your hands, rolling each ball of dough in the white sugar and placing it on a baking sheet prepared with some parchment paper. Remember to space the cookies out appropriately...this recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies so you'll likely need to bake 3 or more sheets of cookies.
  10. Bake each sheet of cookies for 10-11 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  11. When you remove the baking sheet from the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet until they've cooled almost completely. This will help them achieve that soft and chewy texture as they continue to bake on the inside even after they've been removed from the oven.

 

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Comments

    • One of the worst cookie recipes I've found. The "dough" was way too soft. The cooking time made them hard and they were gummy like toffee when cooked any less. Super disappointed. Made these for my sons teachers and had to start from scratch at 10:00 at night. As a newish Baker, I followed the recipe to the T and they did NOT turn out like the ones in the picture. Ugh.

      Reply

      • I just made these and they turned out great, however one of my sheets came out very flat and slightly tacky. I baked them for the same amount of time because I use a timer religiously with my baking and the oven was properly preheated; so that leaves the only other variable which could have potentially affected my cookies; my baking sheets. One is a fancy expensive wilton brand and the other is a cheap aluminum sheet. And I’ve noticed this slightly with other cookie batches, but it really made a difference with these cookies. Believe it or not I prefer how my cookies turn out when I bake them on the cheap aluminum pan from Was-Mart better than my fancy Wilton sheet. I know it’s a stretch to say it was your baking sheets that caused it, but there could be random variables that could have caused it potentially. And you did mention you were fairly new to baking so it’s very possible you could have made a newbie baker mistake. Anything from not de-clumping your flour before measuring to not properly leveling off your flour and other dry ingredients while measuring to not sufficiently chilling your dough can affect the outcome.

        Reply

        • Yes, that’s exactly right. There are so many variables. Lining baking sheets with parchment paper can help prevent issues like this too, but even then baking sheets can definitely affect the outcome. 🙂

          Reply

      • Mine always turn out great and are my kids favorite cookies! One thing I do that I think makes almost any cookie better is once done mixing the cookies I scoop them on to a parchment lined baking sheet. I then put the baking sheet in my freezer for a few hours and bag the dough balls up once frozen. I then bake them off as needed. This process makes a more tender cookie (in my opinion) and prevents over spreading. I hope this helps 🙂

        Reply

        • Thanks so much for the feedback! I often freeze this dough too and it works great this way. So glad you like the cookies!

          Reply

      • Another variable is the flour. This is a Canadian recipe, and if Anonymous is from somewhere else the flour is probably different. E.g., if I make an American recipe and I’m using Canadian flour I reduce the amount a little bit because our all-purpose flour is different from American all-purpose flour (especially different from that used in the South).

        Reply

    • I'm so sorry they didn't turn out for you! It sounds to me like one of a few possible problems: first, perhaps the butter you used was too warm, making the dough softer than it should have been, or perhaps the butter you used had a higher water content than normal. Second, did you chill the dough like the recipe suggests? This is a critical step to ensure the dough is hard enough to roll into balls. Third, the fact that they turned out hard suggests that perhaps your oven is actually hotter than it should be. A simple oven thermometer will help with this. Again, I'm sorry you didn't have success with this recipe! Everyone in my family has made it for years and years, so I hope you try it again and have some success!

      Reply

    • These are hands down the best molasses cookies!! I brought them to a Christmas Party and everybody went nuts. I almost felt embarrassed how many times people came up to me!!!

      Reply

      • It would add too much moisture I think, so I wouldn’t recommend it. It would likely work, however the texture of the cookies would change.

        Reply

  3. I love ginger and these cookies look like an amazing use of freshly grated ginger. (I have a pinterest board called "Ginger Every Which Way – to which I pinned this, of course:) I might add a bit of candied ginger, just because I can never resist.

    Reply

    • I'm not sure, Sara. I've never tried making them with gluten free flour, but I'm sure that if you have a reliable gluten-free flour blend that is comparable to all purpose flour then they might work. You'll have to give them a try and let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  9. I made them but ended up with 60 good sized cookies! Also had to increase the baking time by five minutes- go figure! They're delicious!

    Reply

  10. THESE ARE AMAZING! Total hit with picky eaters. Made some saturday, they are almost gone. Chewy and crunchy. I added shredded fresh ginger and candied ginger too.

    Reply

  11. Also, I made these at high altitude (9100 ft). I did not change the recipe, But increased the time at 375 to almost 15 minutes.

    Reply

  13. Haven't made the cookies yet… because I got SO frustrated with the share bar blocking out the furthest edge of the recipe!! Just something to maybe look into changing on the website back end…

    Reply

    • So sorry to hear that was your experience Rose. If it's possible to expand the window you're viewing it in that should fix the problem (I've programmed my site to have the largest margin that's possible). Hope that helps!

      Reply

    • Rose – if there is anything past the .html in the URL, delete that. You may just have the mobile website link… that's what happened to me when I found this page on Pinterest!

      Reply

  14. I'm not sure if I should thank you for this recipe…..I'm on my second batch as the first were looked at warily…..then inhaled with "MORE PLEASE" from my husband and "please don't make these anymore because I can't stop eating them" from my daughter??? they are seriously delicious! (Thank you ?)

    Reply

    • Great question! I have cut the sugar by about 1/4 cup or so, and it didn't make too much difference. My philosophy with recipes like this is to enjoy them with the full amount of sugar but only once in awhile. 🙂

      Reply

  18. Seriously dangerous cookies. I'm a gingerholic and always in search of a good ginger recipe. I also love Starbuck's ginger cookies and have tried a few copycat recipes but nothing comes close to this one. I even changed it into a vegan recipe using vegan "butter" and "eggs" and it's still outstanding! Well done!

    Reply

  19. I stumbled across your recipe on Pinterest and the description sounded inviting! I have been on a lifestyle change so when I make anything worth eating, especially sweets, I am in for the real food! I love fresh baked cookies. So I made your recipe using the fresh ginger (my first use of fresh ginger :))Instead of rolling in granulated sugar, i used a 1" cookie scoop, dropped the dollop in raw sugar, coating the outside. After doing this, making 51 cookies, I froze them on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, I placed in a freezer bag. When my treat time comes around, I remove 1-2 cookies and bake in my toaster oven for about 13-15 minutes. Once they cool off, they are DELICIOUS!
    Thank you for sharing this recipe with us. It really is a keeper.

    Reply

  25. Ok so I literally just took the first tray out and my mother in law and I are in heaven! My boyfriend might just propose to me once he gets home lol. Thank you for this delicious recipe!!

    Reply

  27. My came out of the oven a little fluffier than in the picture. They don't look flat like they should….does this mean I didn't cook them long enough?

    Reply

    • Hmm It sounds like maybe you cooked them a little too long actually. Another possibility is that your oven is hotter than it should be…sometimes that happens. I baked these at someone else's house once and the oven was about 25 degrees hotter than 350. It made a BIG difference!

      Reply

  28. I'm making a plate of cookies for about half a dozen neighbors and this was the first one I made! I only tasted the batter before wrapping it up and refrigerating it and it was super delicious! Except I'm going to try rolling half of them out and using gingerbread men cutouts, even though it's not really the right consistency. I liked the level of spiciness(not too "gingery")and sweetness.

    Reply

  32. made these and they were a giant hit … one comment all the link buttons on the left of the page make it very hard to read the recipe i had to copy and past to note pad to read it clearly

    Reply

  33. Just taking these out of the oven now. They look perfect. I didn’t have baking soda so I used an 8th tsp. of baking powder. 😳 I know I know! Didn’t seem to hurt.

    Reply

  34. Hi ,

    Just made these … they smell great . But they don’t look anything like your photos .

    I made 24 cookies and still have a good amount of dough left in the fridge . More than 46 cookies total at 1-2 table spoon balls

    I also wasn’t sure if I should shape the cookies, 1 thumb press , or leave it in a ball before baking .

    I also got crosbys molasses this morning . I wasn’t sure if I shoulda gotten fancy molasses or regular molasses . Your blog didn’t note fancy so I got regular molasses by Crosby .

    My cookies didn’t turn out with the nice cracks that yours have up top

    I tried again with the remaining dough , shaped at 1 tablespoon balls .

    I also don’t see which oven rack to set it at …

    I feel like this recipe could have been great if it were more specific

    Reply

    • It sounds like the temperature of your butter could be the issue, or perhaps the size of your eggs. If you use very large eggs it can create a more cakey consistency and less crackle on the top. Another issue could be your oven temperature. It sounds like your oven might have been set at a lower temperature than the recipe calls for. Always use the middle rack for baking cookies and try using an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is baking at the correct temperature. Any kind of molasses will work for this recipe. And you don’t have to shape the cookies or press them before baking, just roll into balls and dip in sugar exactly as the recipes says. I hope these tips help you troubleshoot!

      Reply

  35. I’ve made this recipe about 4 times now and every single time they turn out beautifully and are so delicious! have you ever added chunks of sugars ginger? I kind of want to try it as a variation, but at the same time, don’t want to risk what is already a fantastic cookie!

    thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply

  36. I hate to say it, but I’m disappointed by these cookies. The flavor is truly amazing, and I love that they call for fresh ginger. but they turned into completely flat dark brown messes in the oven. I used room temperature butter, chilled the dough, and baked them in the center rack! No idea where I went wrong.

    Reply

    • I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you. It sounds like it could have been a few different errors…first, perhaps you mis-measured the flour and included less than the recipe called for. Second, perhaps your butter has a higher water content. Be sure to use high-quality butter with a fat content of more than 80%. Another possibility is that your oven temperature isn’t correct. This is a common problem (ovens run too hot or not hot enough), but it’s easily fixable with a simple, inexpensive oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven. Again, I’m so sorry you had troubles with the recipe! It’s one I’ve made hundreds of times in many different ovens and even on different continents and it’s always worked beautifully. Hopefully the problem is solved with one of my suggestions 🙂

      Reply

  37. I’ve been making these for the past couple of years. It’s gotten to the point now that it’s not uncommon for my sons’ and brother’s friends as well as my own friends to ask when I’m making the next batch and at Christmas they come right out and ask for me to make them. Excellent recipe and YES; better than Starbucks!!!

    Reply

    • Thanks so much for your comment! Aren’t these cookies just the BEST!? So glad everyone in your life loves them as much as everyone in my life does! 🙂

      Reply

  38. Just made these cookies and they are fabulous! I don’t use all purpose flour so I substituted spelt flour. I also used coconut palm sugar instead of white sugar. These were the only substitutions I made and they turned out perfect! Thanks for an awesome recipe that I will make again and again!

    Reply

    • I’ve never substituted the sugar with Splenda so I can’t say whether or not it would work, however any sugar substitute that claims it’s good for baking would probably work. Feel free to give it a try!

      Reply

  40. This is the perfect cookie. I am NO cook, I ruin everything I cook – especially Pinterest cookies! But these looked and sounded too good not to try. I halved the recipe so I wouldn’t waste too many ingredients if it flopped and now I am totally regretting that decision. My husband who is adamantly opposed to any sort of ginger cookie is on his fourth one! I could cry I’m so happy LOL! Thank you!!

    Reply

  41. Omg, literally just finished eating five of these bad boys! They turned out fantastic, thanks for such a great recipe.
    Only thing differently I would do next time is used powdered ginger, not fresh. It was sticky and hard to blend in with the flour.

    Reply

    • Thanks so much for the feedback! I find a great tip for incorporating fresh ginger is to freeze it before grating it into the recipe. That way it’s almost like a dusty powder and not sticky. Glad you loved the cookies!!

      Reply

    • No, I’m sorry it’s not that kind of cookie dough. This dough is much too soft for that and suited for a drop-cookie style like these are.

      Reply

  44. I made these today for Xmas and they turned out okay but not as good as I hoped. The texture is good but I found them a bit bland. Even as I was measuring the spices I thought “shouldn’t this have more than 1 tsp ginger for 4 cups of flour for a ginger molasses cookie?” But I did follow your recipe to a T. My stepmother had a great recipe for these I grew up on which I have lost and she has passed away now unfortunately so looking for one to replace it. I am used to her sweeter, somewhat spicier flavoured cookie which tasted a lot like the ones Tim Horton’s normally has in fall/winter (but not this year). I haven’t had Starbucks’ cookies so can’t compare. Also my cookies did not spread much or crack …not sure why. They puffed up but I had same problem with chocolate chip cookies recently so may be my oven, not sure. Mine came out a bit too dark on bottom. Two sheets baked side by side: one has black bottoms, the other has dark brown. Could be difference in sheets or one side of my oven may be hotter than the other. Not sure. In any case thank you for sharing your recipes! Merry Christmas!

    Reply

    • Thanks for your feedback! It sounds like the issue is your oven…oven temperatures can often be off (it’s a good idea to use an oven thermometer, just to check!), and ovens that heat unevenly can cause over-browning on the bottom. Feel free to add more ginger to the recipe if you’d like! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply

  45. I’ve made these twice and everyone loves them. The flavour is really good. I liked how everything can just be done with a stand mixer or hand mixer as well. I added chopped candied ginger the second time and halved the powdered ginger. I find that mine need a lot longer in the oven… closer to 18-20 mins to still be soft but have a crunchy edge. At 10 minutes they’re still unflattened balls and need longer to spread. I have an oven thermometer so I don’t think it’s a temperature issue. But so tasty!!

    Reply

    • Thanks for your feedback on the recipe. The way they baked up for you sounds a little strange…I’ve made these hundreds of times and they’ve never taken longer than 10 minutes to bake. I would have suggested that your oven temperature is off…maybe you should try a different thermometer! Glad you liked them though! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply

  46. Thankyou for sharing this delicious recipe. I made them yesterday and as I am baking them today, the house smells amazing! I doubled the recipe and I’m so glad I did as the first ones that came out of the oven are already eaten and we are waiting for the second sheets to cool. Thankyou again!

    Reply

  47. I love this recipe. Best cookies ever. I find chilling dough overnight works best. I have a question. Can I substitute gluten free flour and get the same results?

    Reply

    • I’m so glad you like the cookies so much!! They truly are the best! I’ve never made them gluten-free, so I can’t comment, but if you have a gluten-free flour that performs like all purpose flour then I’d give it a go!

      Reply

  48. Thank you! Made these cookies successfully many times and now have a “reputation” for making the best ginger cookies. I slightly increase the amount of spices when making them for people who prefer a bit more kick. I tend to add some powdered ginger to the white sugar used to roll the cookies in. I have also added pecan pieces and/or chopped crystalized ginger when I have some on hand, which has made them even more special when bringing them to others as gifts.

    Reply

    • I absolutely LOVE your idea of rolling the cookies in ginger and sugar!! Genius!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment! Have a great day!

      Reply

  49. I was searching today for the Starbuck’s Molasses Cookie recipe because it’s that time of year! I found your recipe and it caught my eye that you say these are “better than Starbucks.” So I’m game! I noticed the comments about the baking sheets and that you stated the sheets can make a difference in the outcome. Of course, we tend to think that the fancy ones/heavy duty will probably yield better-tasting cookies. So what do you recommend in baking sheets. I tend to shop the varieties at Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods. Appreciate your recommendation.

    Reply

    • My favourite are the Wilton brand, the light grey non-stick ones that you can get almost anywhere (even places like WalMart). Not very expensive at all, and I always line with parchment paper (which makes a HUGE difference). Dark cookie sheets tend to darken the bottom of your cookies a lot more than light coloured sheets do. Good luck!

      Reply

  51. I just made these and they turned out wonderful! They are an awesome blend of spice and sweet. Will definately make them again!

    Reply

    • Yes, they can be made by hand with a little hard work. Just cream the butter and sugar with a good old wooden spoon! 🙂

      Reply

  53. Just made these and they turned out just as described. They are delicious! Thank you for a wonderful recipe I know will become a tradition at our home.

    Reply

  54. This recipe calls for way too much baking soda which actually leaves a lingering bitterness/soapiness taste on the palette of your tongue. Other than that, this recipe is great, should reduce the baking soda down to two tsp. Generally 1 tsp of baking soda is sufficient for two cups of flour as a leavener.

    Reply

    • Hmm, I’ve never heard that comment before. Thanks for the feedback. The amount of baking soda is what helps create that crispy-on-the-outside and soft-on-the-inside texture. 4 tsp of baking soda and 4 cups of flour isn’t a bad ratio 😉

      Reply

  55. This is my third year making these cookies! For those who complain & state that they did not turn out had to have done something wrong. This recipe has never failed me. My whole family loves them, I always double or triple the recipe because they fly off the pan before they are even fully done cooling.
    Today I made 10 dozen batches of these for a Christmas cookie exchange party tonight and I’m so excited for everyone to try them! Thank you 😁

    Reply

  56. I just made these cookies. I found them a lack in cinnamon and ginger flavour. The cloves is a little overbearing too. Definitely not better than Starbucks!
    I made bigger balls ( golf ball size) and baked for 11 mins, texture was good.

    Reply

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