Molasses Gingersnap Cookies Recipe - Tasting Table (2024)

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Molasses Gingersnap Cookies Recipe

Recipes Baking Cookie Recipes

ByJessica MoroneandTasting Table Staff/

Here at Tasting Table, we have never met a cookie we didn't like. Sometimes, it's good to go the traditional cookie route and make sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies, and other times, it's fun to think outside of the box and whip up something that's a little different. There's no doubt that these molasses gingersnap cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth, and they're great to serve all year round. The recipe yields 36 cookies, which is more than enough to share with family and friends ... or to keep all to yourself!

Recipe developer Jessica Morone came up with this delicious recipe that hits the spot."I love the flavor of these cookies, they just remind me of the holidays because of their ginger and other warm spices in them. They are so delicious and flavorful," Morone shares. She also adds what special occasions she likes to serve these cookies at. "These are great cookies for the upcoming holiday season, you can bring them to holiday parties or cookie swap or give them as gifts during the holidays," Morone notes. "But these are so easy to make you can just make them for any occasion."

Gather the ingredients for these molasses gingersnap cookies

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Jessica Morone/Tasting Table

If you bake a lot, you may already have several items at home. This recipe calls for all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground cloves, unsalted butter, both brown and granulated sugar, an egg, molasses, and maple extract.

Preheat the oven and start mixing

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Jessica Morone/Tasting Table

Since you will need to use your oven, go ahead and preheat it to 375 F. This allows time to get it nice and hot before you use it. Then, line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them to the side.

Now, it's time to get mixing. Take out a medium-sized bowl and add the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Use a whisk to combine everything well and set it to the side for the time being.

Mix the butter and sugars

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Jessica Morone/Tasting Table

Grab a large mixing bowl and add butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup of granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to cream the ingredients until they get pale and fluffy. This process is pretty quick and should only take about 3 minutes or so.

Then, toss in the egg, molasses, and maple extract, scraping the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture until combined. "The special ingredient in these cookies is maple extract," Morone shares. "It gives these cookies a subtle maple flavor and adds to the warm spices in the cookies that make it seem so perfect for the fall and winter seasons. But if you don't have maple extract you can substitute it with vanilla extract."

Scoop the dough and add sugar

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Jessica Morone/Tasting Table

Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough into a smaller bowl. Then, top it with the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar. Now, the cookies are ready to go on the baking sheet. Drop them on the sheet, making sure to keep 2 inches in between each cookie.

Once the cookies are all lined up, gently press down on the balls to flatten them. "These are pretty easy to make, but the dough doesn't really spread much when you are baking it so if you want the cookies to be the right shape you definitely need to flatten the dough balls a bit before baking them," Morone notes. "Otherwise the cookies will be more round on top. Either way they will taste delicious though!"

Bake and serve

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Jessica Morone/Tasting Table

Pop the cookies into the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes and bake until the bottoms and edges are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool more."These are great with warm seasonal drinks like warm cider or hot cocoa," Morone shares.

And, these are great to make ahead of time if it's easier for your busy schedule.These should be good for at least a week if kept in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

Molasses Gingersnap Cookie Recipe

5 from 60 ratings

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Get into the festive spirit with these perfectly sweet and spiced molasses gingersnap cookies.

Prep Time

15

minutes

Cook Time

8

minutes

Servings

36

cookies

Molasses Gingersnap Cookies Recipe - Tasting Table (10)

Total time: 23 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup molasses
  • 1 teaspoon maple extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, add the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves, and whisk together until combined. Set aside.
  3. In a separate large bowl use an electric mixer to cream the butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup of granulated sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, molasses, and maple extract, scraping the bowl as needed.
  4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture until just combined.
  5. Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough into a small bowl with the remaining ½ cup of sugar, toss to coat, and place on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart from each other. Gently press down on the dough balls to flatten them slightly.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms and edges of the cookies are golden brown.
  7. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool further before serving.

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Molasses Gingersnap Cookies Recipe - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

Why are my ginger molasses cookies not cracking? ›

Molasses cookie dough won't have those signature cracks on top if the dough is too wet. The cracks happen when the surface of the dough dries up. Rolling in sugar really helps this because the sugar binds the moisture and dries out the dough.

What is the difference between gingersnaps and molasses cookies? ›

Gingersnaps typically have a crisp, snappy texture and a spicier, more pronounced ginger flavor, while molasses cookies are soft with a deeper, rich molasses flavor. Can this dough be frozen? Definitely!

What is the best molasses to use for gingerbread cookies? ›

Medium Or Dark Molasses

“It adds enough bold flavor and sweet notes with a hint of bitterness to any recipe, which is exactly what you want for making gingerbread cookies.”

What is the best molasses to use for cookies? ›

I make these cookies with unsulphured blackstrap molasses, which gives them a rich molasses flavor and dark color. My favorite brand is Wholesome Sweeteners. Dark brown sugar and white sugar – For sweetness. This combination also contributes to the cookies' delicious chewy texture.

Why don t my ginger cookies crackle on the top? ›

Not enough leavening (it needs to be strong enough to crack the top once it's set) Using a single-acting baking powder (double acting gives extra rise when it gets heated) Not creaming the fat long enough (creaming cuts little air pockets into the fat, which means the leavening has to do less work)

Why are my ginger cookies so hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

Why do ginger snap cookies crack? ›

A heavy amount of baking soda interacts with the molasses in this recipe to encourage spread. This allows cracks in the dough to develop where moisture escapes, creating that beautiful crackled appearance and crunchy texture. Ensure your baking soda is fresh and active – learn more about that here.

Why are my ginger molasses cookies flat? ›

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.

What is the most popular cookie in the US? ›

Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world.

Does molasses go bad? ›

Since the flavor of molasses degrades over time, either in an opened or unopened jar, you should pay attention to the "best by" date stamped on the jar for a freshness timeframe. While it may still be perfectly safe for consumption, after too much time it won't give you the high-quality results your recipe deserves.

Is Grandma's Unsulphured molasses the same as blackstrap? ›

Unsulphured molasses can be light, dark or blackstrap, as long as it hasn't been treated with sulphur dioxide. Most commercially produced molasses is unsulphured.

What kind of molasses is in Grandma's? ›

Grandma's comes in two grades: Original Molasses and Robust Molasses. Both are unsulfured molasses, making them the finest quality of sugarcane molasses available. You can trust that Grandma's Molasses will bring homemade goodness every time and add love to every meal.

How do you make molasses taste better? ›

Its flavor dominates if you don't use another ingredient to mask it. If you're using it in a savory dish, think about stacking flavors like chile, vinegar, and assertive spices into fatty meats. These will keep the robust molasses in check. If you're using it in a sweet dish, flavors like ginger will help to balance.

Why do my molasses cookies go flat? ›

If your cookies come out of the oven looking flat, you may not have adequately chilled the dough before baking. Chilling times may vary depending on the cookie you're making, but you should typically chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours before you pop it in the oven.

How do you know when molasses cookies are done? ›

If the cookie is dark-colored, like a chocolate cookie or a molasses cookie, it's hard to judge by color. Instead, check the surface; it should look dry. You can also tell by touch — the edges should be firm (be careful not to burn yourself — a quick poke will do!).

Why are my cookies not cracking? ›

Issues with cracking usually derive from the sugar coating, not enough or expired baking powder or baking soda, or the oven temperature isn't hot enough. Solution: Granulated sugar is more effective at drying the surface than powdered sugar.

What makes molasses cookies crack? ›

A heavy amount of baking soda interacts with the molasses in this recipe to encourage spread. This allows cracks in the dough to develop where moisture escapes, creating that beautiful crackled appearance and crunchy texture. Ensure your baking soda is fresh and active – learn more about that here.

What makes gingerbread cookies crack? ›

The experts at King Arthur Baking also advise not using very much additional flour for rolling, as this can dry out the dough and lead to cracking.

Why aren t my cookies crinkling? ›

The signature crinkle effect happens when the cookies spread and crack as they bake. If your cookies aren't crinkling, it might be because the dough is too warm (try chilling it for longer before baking), or the oven temperature might be too low (ensure your oven is correctly preheated).

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