These are one of Andrew’s favorite cookies I make. They remind him of his late mom’s molasses cookies from the holidays, which is reason enough to keep them in the rotation every year.
This recipe starts with my brown butter chocolate chunk cookie base. The molasses adds liquid, so this version uses more flour than the base recipe. The base uses 1 cup of flour, while this one uses 1 1/2 cups. That extra flour keeps the dough from spreading too much, and keeps the texture where I want it. The bake time is shorter too, because I wanted these slightly chewy. The result is a cookie with crisp, sugary edges and a soft center.
Step-by-Step
First you gotta brown your butter by melting it over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. You’ll know it’s ready when it turns golden and you start smelling a toasted aroma (it usually takes me about 5 minutes). This step builds a deep, nutty base that elevates the flavor of these cookies. Then, chill it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Once done chilling, whisk it so it becomes just a bit creamy or homogenous. Add both brown and white sugars and whisk thoroughly. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
In a separate bowl, gather the dry ingredients: flour, kosher salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and nutmeg. Gently incorporate these into the wet ingredients mix. You may need to switch to a silicone spatula or an electric whisk at this point. Just don’t forget any good batter bits from the whisk!
Scoop out portions of cookie dough into your hand and roll them. I use a 1-inch / 0.5 oz ice cream scoop to keep things consistent. Toss each ball into the 1/4 cup of white sugar in a small bowl to coat it all over, then place each one onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill the dough in the fridge anywhere from 3 hours to overnight. I know, it’s torture to have to wait for it, but it’s worth it. before baking, make sure to space out the portions out with enough room. You may have to use two pans. These cookies spread while baking, so plan accordingly.
Before you bake the cookies, make sure to preheat the oven to 350 degrees and keep it at at temp for at least 30 minutes. Once ready, bake them for 15 minutes. The edges should be golden brown, and the center should be a bit chewy. The bake time depends on the oven a little, but 15 minutes is what I use. I tried 17 minutes once. The cookies were fine right after baking, but the next day they were too hard and crispy for my liking. These cookies firm up even more as they cool overnight, so a shorter bake leaves room for that.
Why do I have to chill the cookie dough?
For some, chilling cookie dough may seem unnecessary or too cumbersome. However, there’s a really good reason why you should “age” the cookie dough in the fridge overnight before baking them. Aging it in the fridge results in a deeper flavor all around for these ginger molasses cookies.
Without going through the exact science stuff, the brown butter re-solidifies, some of the sugars re-crystallizes, and the flavor is also even more absorbed in the dough. But also, this will give your cookie more structure as it bakes. Since the butter is cold again, it takes longer for it to completely melt as it bakes. The result? Cookies that are not super flat. I promise your patience will be worth it! If you really can’t wait that long, or you’re in a rush, at least chill the cookie dough for 3 hours.
Storage
These ginger molasses cookies can last up to 3 days. If eating the next day or so, I kinda like to warm them up for like 5-10 seconds before eating them.
If you’re planning on making the dough ahead of time and not bake it all at once, you can freeze the cookie dough, but roll and sugar the dough balls first, then freeze them. They keep for 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them for 30 minutes and make sure the oven is preheated during those 30 minutes before baking.
Tools you’ll need
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup white sugar (for coating)
Instructions
- Brown the butter in a small saucepan. Make sure to keep an eye on this and occasionally stir so it doesn't burn!
- Pour in a medium mixing bowl. Chill in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Take out your brown butter from the freezer. At this stage, some of the butter probably started to solidify, but that's okay. Whisk vigorously.
- Add both sugars and whisk thoroughly. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well-combined.
- Pour all the dry ingredients (flour, kosher salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg) into the bowl and mix everything. At this point, you may need to switch to a silicone spatula or an electric whisk. However, just don't forget any good batter bits from the whisk!
- Scoop out your portions of cookie dough into your hand and roll it. I use the 1-inch/0.5 oz ice cream scoop to keep things consistent. Then toss it into the 1/4 cup of white sugar in a small bowl to coat it all over. Then place each one onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Because you'd want to space out the portions with enough room, you may have to use two pans. These cookies spread while baking, so plan accordingly.
- Now comes the hard part. You gotta chill the dough in the fridge anywhere between 3 hours to overnight. I know, it's torture to have to wait for it, but it's worth it!
- Once your cookie dough has sufficiently chilled, bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Edges should be golden brown, and the center should be a bit chewy.
- When you take them out, they'll be a bit fragile, so wait for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!