Soft Ginger Cookies

These Chewy and Soft Ginger Cookies include molasses, cinnamon, and cloves. They melt in your mouth, with a crackle-look and are sugar sprinkled.

I used to turn my nose up at big soft ginger cookies, especially gingerbread. Pass me all the Christmas cookies, like Eggnog Cookies, White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge, or Star Jam-Filled cookies. Yet gingerbread? Ewww.

Then I made Soft Ginger Cookies, because I’m an adult and how can I tell the kids to try new foods if I don’t do the same.

Here’s a hint though, before you dive in – also check out these Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies too!

In the last couple of years they were crinkling noses at the mention of ginger-anything, and maybe because I had that tendency. Sigh. Sometimes we parents just got to take one for the team.

YOU GUYS! I totally realized that ‘I don’t like Ginger Cookies’ was actually ONLY the hard, thin desserts like gingerbread. You know, the knock-you-off-the-chair massive ginger taste?

Turns out, if they are soft and chewy ginger cookies, and I’m all over them. They are AMAZING! Kid-self, you’re so silly.

These Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies include molasses, cinnamon, and cloves. It’s got a super soft melt in your mouth inside with a crackle-look and sugar sprinkled.

Really, it’s the perfect Christmas cookie, and I know we all love the best cookies around the holiday season.

I had made Soft Ginger Cookies with the intention of having a sweet treat with the girls after dinner, around christmas time.

I had decided to freeze most of them to stock away for our annual cookie exchange.

This is the part where I high-five myself for being 10 steps ahead of the game.

The first time I made these chewy cookies, I placed some on a plate and the rest in one of my Christmas tins, and set it aside.

I ate  2 3 of them, basking in the newfound yummy taste. I then offered the girls a couple cookies each.

A couple of hours later, “You’re going to have to make more of these“, my daughter said with a mouthful of these perfect soft ginger cookies. “I know, right?” I said, realizing that we needed some to enjoy during the holiday season, along with the ones already made for the baking exchange.

“No, I mean, you need to make more. As in now“, she replied. “…because we ate them all“. Sure enough I opened the tin and there was 1 in there. 1.

So there you have it, our ginger story. For lovers of this unique taste, and for those that think it might not be for them – give these holiday cookies a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The Best Soft Ginger Cookies

Making soft ginger cookies is so incredibly easy, and they are the perfect Christmas cookie sweet treat. Most ginger cookie recipe would call for ginger spice, yet I used REAL GINGER. Confession: I only did so because I had it on hand and realized I forgot to buy more ground ginger from the store last winter.

Check out the video which provides information on how to make ginger cookies. Don’t forget to use Fancy Molasses and not Cooking Molasses (light molasses), as it’s more sweet, less dark and thinner.

Ingredients Required

The full recipe is below, with a full printable recipe card. Yet to be prepared, here are the ingredients needed to make soft ginger cookies:

• all purpose flour
• fresh ginger, grated
• baking soda
• cinnamon
• ground cloves
• salt
• unsalted butter, softened
• granulated white sugar
• dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• large egg
• fancy molasses

How to Make Chewy Soft Ginger Cookies

Pre heat oven to 350, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or use an ungreased cookie sheet. Whisk flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt into a medium bowl, to make the flour mixture.

In another separate bowl (large bowl) beat butter, egg, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, molasses, and brown sugar until fluffy.

You can use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or an electric mixer on medium speed.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until combined. At the end you might need to use your hands to mix a little bit to combine.

Make 1-inch balls with the cookie dough, and place balls on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each of the cookie dough balls using the bottom of a cup and sprinkle reserved sugar on top of each.

Bake until it has crunchy edges that are lightly browned, and when the tops start to crinkle. It’ll be about a bake time of 10 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for another 5 minutes. Enjoy!

You might think this is an extra unneeded step, yet my oldest said after taking her first bite, “there’s real ginger in this, isn’t there?“.

Using real graded ginger isn’t really extra work, but probably an extra purchase. It’s totally worth using real though, as it give these cookies the right amount of spice.

Storage

Place in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and store for up to 5 days. They are soft cookies, and you don’t want them to harden if left open to air for too long.

To Freeze

You can also freeze these easy ginger cookies well sealed, just make sure to completely defrost at room temperature before enjoying.

I’ll definitely be making more of these classic holiday cookies in the next couple of months. Considering how well-loved they are, maybe a few times.

My goal is to include these in our annual cookie exchange. I might have to for-go the Christmas tins and hide these and Christmas Sugar Cookies in a fish sticks box. Shhh.