These Ginger Cookies With Molasses are easy to make, soft and chewy, heartwarming, and delicious. The secret? Use plenty of spices, orange zest, and molasses.
Cookies are slowly becoming my favorite baking this season. This time of the year, ginger cookies are the first recipe I turn to, and for a good reason. These cookies are heavenly flavored, moist, chewy, and ready with minimal effort.
My love for cookies with the original molasses developed once we moved to Northern Ireland. I really don’t remember having anything molasses in my childhood, so this was one of my big revelations when moving North.
With a moist, chewy texture and a sweet, but slightly burnt flavor these cookies are our favorites. And our friends’ favorite! They never last more than two days, nor are any leftovers after my daughters’ playdates!
I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe as much as we do and if you’re looking to make them your own you can decorate them with almonds, cranberries, or a delicious cream cheese frosting. Enjoy, my lovelies!
GINGER COOKIES WITH MOLASSES | 1-MINUTE VIDEO
GINGER COOKIES INGREDIENTS:
To make this banana bread with chocolate chips recipe, you will need:
- Butter: Softened unsalted butter to easily mix with the sugar.
- Flour: I typically use all-purpose flour for this classic recipe, but white whole wheat flour can work too.
- Sugar: To enhance the flavors, we’ll be using brown sugar.
- Molasses: I prefer the original unsulphured molasses.
- Egg: A lightly beaten egg to naturally hold everything together.
- Spices: We will use ground ginger and ground cinnamon. Feel free to adjust the spice proportions to your taste.
- Grated Orange Zest: The essential oils that are in the zest will release an instant aroma around the surroundings.
- Bicarbonate of Soda: To create cookies with a fluffy texture.
- Pinch of Salt: To bring out all of the delicious flavors. If you’re using salted butter, don’t add more salt to the mixture.
HOW TO MAKE GINGER COOKIES WITH MOLASSES:
To make this banana bread with chocolate chips, simply:
- Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl mix together all dry ingredients, without the sugar.
- Cream together the butter and sugar. Using a separate mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 2 minutes. You can use a hand or a stand mixer.
- Add the egg, molasses, and orange rind. Mix in the egg, molasses, and orange rind and beat on medium-low speed until each is combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Gradually add in the dry ingredient mixture and beat until it is evenly incorporated.
- Chill the dough. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3
- Shape the biscuits. Using your hands, carefully shape the dough into about 20 even-size balls.
- Sprinkle sugar. For a crunchy bite and sparkling appearance, sprinkle each biscuit with brown or demerara sugar before baking.
- Bake. Place the balls well apart on the prepared baking trays, then flatten them slightly with your fingers. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the cookies begin to slightly crack on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve and enjoy. Store in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
COOKIES VARIATIONS:
- Sprinkle with demerara sugar. For a crunchy bite and sparkling appearance, sprinkle the biscuits with brown or demerara sugar before baking.
- More spices. You can enhance the flavor by adding more mixed spices or chopped crystallized ginger.
- Frosting the cookies. If you’re in for frosting your cookies, do so with a light glaze or a delicious cream cheese frosting.
- Decorate. Instead of icing your cookies, you could decorate them with almonds, or cranberries.
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Looking for more heartwarming sweet treats? Feel free to check out my full collection of dessert recipes, or any of these other favorite classic recipes:
- Homemade Pretzels Recipe
- Fresh Creamy Strawberry Mousse
- Biscuits With Butter And Cream Cheese Filling
Did you try this recipe? Let me know in the comments below and come say hello on Instagram, I’ll say hi right back!
Ginger Cookies With Molasses
Ingredients
- 125 g unsalted butter softened
- 350 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g brown sugar
- 118 g unsulphured molasses
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp grated orange rind
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Sieve the flour, ginger, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Using a separate mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy and a pale yellow color, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg, molasses, and orange rind and beat on medium-low speed until each is combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredient mixture and beat until it is evenly incorporated.
- Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3
- Using your hands, carefully shape the dough into about 20 even-size balls.
- Place the balls well apart on the prepared baking trays, then flatten them slightly with your fingers.
- For a crunchy bite, sprinkle each biscuit with brown or demerara sugar.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the cookies begin to slightly crack on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve and enjoy. Store in a sealed container for up to 4 days.