This Better Than Starbucks Ginger Molasses Cookies recipe is EXACTLY what the name suggests: they’re crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and bursting with sweetness and a sharp ginger flavour. They’re one of our most popular recipes ever and they’re SO easy to make.
It dawned on me recently that I’ve been making cookies for almost 25 years. Now, I realize that doing something for a long time doesn’t necessarily make you an expert, but I would like to think that I’ve learned a thing or two about baking cookies over the years and that I have at least a few cookie recipes that I’ve perfected…and these Ginger Molasses Cookies definitely fall into the perfection category!
This recipe is SO MUCH BETTER than the Starbucks Ginger Molasses Cookies Recipe, so if you’re a fan of those cookies these will become your new favourite. They’re not dry like some ginger-flavoured cookies can be and they’ve got the perfect balance of sweet molasses, spicy ginger, and warm cinnamon. They’re so soft that they almost melt in your mouth.
If you’re still buying the Starbucks’ Ginger Molasses cookies with your morning coffee then you obviously haven’t tried this recipe! I’m telling you, once you try these cookies you won’t find yourself in the Starbucks drive thru line up anymore (unless it’s to get a latte to dunk these bad boys in)!
To make this molasses cookies recipe, you’ll need these kitchen items (affiliate links):
- mixing bowls and a hand mixer OR a stand mixer
- a silicone spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- a cookie scoop
- a baking sheet or two
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To make this molasses cookies recipe, you’ll need:
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- molasses
- all purpose flour
- salt
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- fresh or powdered ginger
- ground cloves
Time needed: 45 minutes
Follow these tips for the BEST Starbucks ginger molasses cookies ever!
- Start with cool butter.
Leave your butter out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before using so it’s soft enough to mix but hard enough to keep its shape.
- Don’t forget the spices!
Don’t skimp on the spices, and use fresh ginger instead of powdered ginger for an intense ginger flavour.
- Chill the dough only if it’s soft.
If your dough feels extra soft, refrigerate it for up to 30-60 minutes so it firms up enough to form into balls.
- Use a cookie scoop.
For evenly-sized cookies, use a cookie scoop to portion the batter so all the balls of dough are the same size. Check out the cookie scoop we use HERE (affiliate link).
- Dip the dough balls in sugar.
For the gorgeous crinkly top, dip the top of the dough balls in granulated sugar before baking.
- Let the cookies cool on their pans.
If you attempt to remove them from the pans too soon they’ll be raw in the middle and they’ll probably fall apart since they actually finish baking completely AFTER they’ve been removed from the oven (the heat of the pan continues to bake the cookies even out of the oven). If you can muster up the patience to let them cool before moving them, you’ll be absolutely amazed at the result……a crispy, sugary exterior with a soft, chewy interior.
Why is the dough so soft?
If your dough is soft, it’s probably because your butter has a water content that’s too high. Try refrigerating the dough for 30-60 minutes before rolling.
If your cookies spread a lot in the oven, they likely contain too much butter, butter that’s too warm, or low quality butter that has a high water content.
Yes! Simply make the recipe as directed and either store the unbaked dough in the fridge for up to 2 days until ready to use, OR store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Adding molasses to cookie dough adds a dark brown colour, adds lots of flavour and sweetness, and it creates a chewy moist texture.
Molasses cookies are usually soft and chewy and gingerbread cookies are usually harder in texture and crunchy.
They’re likely over-baked. Molasses cookies are at their best when they’re very soft (too soft to move) when removed from the oven.
I hope you enjoy this Best Ever Ginger Molasses recipe below! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite cookie? I’d love to know!
Looking for more delicious recipes like this one? You’ll LOVE these:
EASY NO-FAIL HOLIDAY RECIPES AND COOKING & BAKING TIPS
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Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this homemade treat. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel
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Best Ever Ginger Molasses Cookies
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger or powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/3 cup white sugar for rolling
Recipe: Instructions
- Add the butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium high speed until it is soft and creamy and the colour begins to turn pale (use a hand mixer if you wish).
- Add the sugar and beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Beat in the eggs on medium high speed one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
- Beat in the molasses and scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, grated ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk these ingredients together until they're combined and dump the mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer with the butter mixture.
- Combine the butter mixture and the dry ingredients on low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. You’ll have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure everything is incorporated.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Shape the dough into about 36 balls with your hands or using a cookie scoop, rolling each ball of dough in the white sugar and placing it on a baking sheet prepared with some parchment paper. Remember to space the cookies out appropriately. This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies so you'll likely need to bake 3 or more sheets of cookies.
- Bake each sheet of cookies for 10-11 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When you remove the baking sheet from the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet until they’ve cooled almost completely. This will help them achieve that soft and chewy texture as they continue to bake on the inside even after they’ve been removed from the oven.
Recipe: Notes
What to do if your dough is too soft to roll
If your dough is too soft and sticky try adding 2-3 more tablespoons of flour, but make sure you don’t over-mix it. If your dough is soft, chill the dough in the bowl in the fridge for about 30-60 minutes until it firms up enough to roll. Soft dough can be caused by a variety of factors, including how soft the butter was when you began making the dough, the fat content in the butter (use at least 80% fat butter for this recipe), etc.Storage Instructions
Store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.Freezer Instructions
Store these cookies in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Be sure to add layers of parchment paper between the cookies to prevent sticking. Make Ahead Instructions Simply make the recipe as directed and store the unbaked dough in the fridge for up to 2 days until ready to use.Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Making these for the second year in a row, I love them but they always come out flat? Any idea why that would be? They still taste amazing so I keep making them just wish I could get the proper rise!
Hi Tammie! You can try 2 things. You can try refrigerating your dough before forming the cookies. You can also try using a higher quality butter (one with with a lower water content and higher fat content).
I make these every year and everyone loves them!
So happy to hear that!
I’ve been making these cookies for a few years now, every year they are a pleaser, I love em with hot chocolate
Thanks so much for taking your time to leave your feedback!
I have made Molasses cookies with my mother since I was a young girl. These are amazing and my friends and family rave about this recipe. I do have to revise for the Denver altitude. I roll them in Raw sugar before baking which is fun since the sugar crystals are larger. I also buy the Crystallized Ginger at TJ’s and chop and add to the recipe for that extra ginger taste!
We’re so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I have no idea how there are any negative comments about these cookies! I’ve made them about 6 times now and followed the recipe to a T and they are the most perfect cookie I’ve ever had! too good almost. however I don’t know how big you are making the cookies to get 36 because I get about 60 or more regular size cookies
Hello! Do you recommend a max time for refridgerating the dough? Would like to make it advance!
Hello Mary, you can keep the dough in the fridge up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Happy holidays!
I ALWAYS have to add extra flour to mine to make these come out right. Whenever I forget I get the same thing I did the first time I made this recipe: very flat cookies that end up undercooked or crunchy (there is no middle ground). Not sure if it’s me or my ingredients, but it’s incredibly consistent. I usually go for an extra 1/4 cup flour and always make sure to chill the completed dough before rolling and baking. The flavour is always great, but if these come out spreading huge and flat for you too, try a little extra flour next time!
Thank you for your feedback. Different flours require a different hydration levels so probably the flour that you are using takes in less water than the ones we tested while developing the recipe. As you can see in the recipe notes, we suggest adding 2-3 tablespoons of flour if your dough is too soft and sticky.
Such a great recipe! I’ve been making them for 3 Christmas in a row!
We’re so happy you are enjoying them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I love these cookies. I made them years ago, And they came out perfect every time. However, I tried making them 2 1/2 tablespoons to make a little bit larger than what I did in the past, and I am having trouble determining when they are done. The first batch, I took out too soon, but it wasn’t until they were cooled completely on the cookie sheet and I took them off that I realized that they were not baked enough. Any tips?
The cookies are baked when they lose their shine. So just keep an eye on them and you should be fine ☺️
these were so good I loved the texture they were so chewy on the inside and hard on the out side I give this recipe a 10/10 it’s a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ recipe. they were so good.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I followed your recipe to a T to make for Christmas gifts for family and teachers. I only had blackstrap molasses in the house so that’s what I used. They came out absolutely perfect and every single person I gave them to called me to say they were the best cookies they had ever tasted!
My mom asked me to make them again and gave me the fancy molasses she had in her cupboard. Right now the dough is chilling so I’m not sure if it’ll make a difference but so far I think I like the taste of the dough better with the blackstrap molasses better. But honestly still tastes amazing! Thanks for the recipe will be making often!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
These are great cookies. I made them and took them to work. I had to send everyone the link. When I make them for my family I double the spices. We like them spicy.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
These are the best cookies ever! How long can you store the dough in the fridge for?
You can store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.