Name: The Easiest Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 2 h 22 min
Ingredients: 3/4 c (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted; 1 c dark brown sugar, packed; 1/4 c unsulphured molasses; 1 large egg; 2 1/4 c all-purpose flour; 2 tsp baking soda; 2 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground cloves; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 c coarse sanding sugar (or turbinado sugar)

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You can’t have a holiday cookie box without a classic ginger cookie. But I’m not talking about the hard, crunchy kind. I’m talking about a truly chewy, luscious, and unbelievably flavorful ginger molasses cookie. This is that recipe.

These are my favorite no-stress holiday staple. They have that gorgeous, sparkly, crackly top, a rich, deep molasses flavor, and an amazing, velvety, chewy texture that is just incredible.

But the real wow factor is our flavor secret. We’re not just dumping dry spices into flour. We’re doing a quick flavor infusion by blooming the ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in warm melted butter. This 30-second, no-stress step wakes up all those dormant spices, making them incredibly vibrant, aromatic, and festive. It’s the pro-tip that makes everyone ask, “What is in these?!”

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The Ultimate Chewy Texture: This is our promise! The combination of melted butter, dark brown sugar, and molasses makes these the chewiest, most luscious cookies.
A “Wow Factor” Flavor Infusion: Our bloom technique unlocks a vibrant, spicy, and aromatic flavor that is so much better than just dry spices.
The Perfect Holiday Classic: This is the nostalgic, festive, and sparkly cookie that is the anchor of every Holiday Cookie Box.
A No-Stress, Make-Ahead Dream: The dough must chill, which makes it the perfect no-stress recipe to make ahead of time.

Step-by-Step Instructions

First, let’s get our ingredients prepped. This recipe comes together fast once you start!

Now for our flavor infusion, which is the secret to this recipe. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt your butter. While it’s still warm (but not sizzling hot!), add your ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Whisk them all together and let them sit for 30-60 seconds. This is the bloom step! You will smell the difference immediately.

Into that same bowl, whisk in your dark brown sugar until it’s smooth. Then whisk in your molasses and the egg. Add your flour and baking soda to the bowl and fold them in gently with a spatula until just combined. This is a sticky, velvety dough! This next step is the secret to a chewy cookie: chill the dough. Scrape it onto a piece of plastic wrap, form it into a disc, and chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days!). This no-stress, make-ahead step is mandatory.

When you’re ready to bake, roll the chilled dough into balls. Now for the fun part: roll each ball in coarse sanding sugar. This gives them that festive, sparkly, crunchy wow factor.

Finally, place your sparkly dough balls on a baking sheet and bake for just 10-12 minutes. The secret to chewy is to pull them when they are puffed and crackly, but still look just a little soft in the center. They will set up perfectly and get even chewier as they cool on the pan.

Ava’s Notes

The Bloom is the Wow Factor: I’m serious, this is the #1 trick to amazing spice cookies! Blooming those spices in the warm butter wakes up all their essential oils. It’s a no-stress step that adds a huge punch of flavor.
Dark Brown Sugar is Key: Light brown sugar will work, but dark brown sugar has more molasses, which means a richer flavor and an even chewier, more velvety texture.
Don’t Skip the Chill! I know, I know, it’s hard to wait. But this dough is too soft to bake right away. Chilling is mandatory for that perfect, thick, and chewy result. It’s your no-stress make-ahead moment!
A Foodie Pro-Tip: Want to add another layer of wow-factor? Add 1/4 teaspoon of finely ground black pepper with your spices. It sounds wild, but it’s a classic trick that makes the ginger pop.