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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Ginger Molasses Cookies {Soft & Chewy}

    Published: Nov 11, 2022 · Modified: Feb 10, 2023 by Abeer Rizvi · This post may contain affiliate links · 32 Comments

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    Easy fat free ginger molasses cookies recipe with no butter, no shortening, no oil, no egg yolks, homemade with simple ingredients. Crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside.

    I was so scared to make these fat free ginger cookies since most fat free recipes I have tried have been very disappointing. However, I was pleasantly surprised because these turned out to be wonderful! They are thick, soft, chewy and spicy. My favorite part is the incredible sugary, crunchy tops. These Gingersnap Cookies and Jumbo Gingerbread Men Cookies and this Easy Ginger Cake, all boast the same warm and yet spicy flavor that ginger brings to the culinary world.

    Stack of Easy Ginger Molasses Cookies on Rustic Gray Background

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    Table of contents

    • How to make ginger molasses cookies recipe from scratch?
    • What is the difference between ginger cookies and molasses cookies?
    • What molasses is best for cookies and baking?
    • Why do you put molasses in cookies? What is the purpose?
    • Why are my cookies hard after baking? How to soften hard cookies?
    • Variations for soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies
    • Tips and techniques for candied ginger cookies
    • Storage of homemade cookies
    • More spiced cookies recipes

    How to make ginger molasses cookies recipe from scratch?

    1. Mix ingredients- This includes brown sugar, applesauce, molasses, and fresh ginger, egg whites.
    2. Sift dry ingredients- This includes flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, ground clove.
    3. Combine mixtures- Until smooth.
    4. Stir in- Candied ginger.
    5. Chill dough- To make it easy to handle.
    6. Roll small dough balls- In a bowl of cinnamon sugar.
    7. Bake- Until the edges have set. 

    What is the difference between ginger cookies and molasses cookies?

    Ginger cookies are known for being crisp and "snap" when broken in half. Molasses cookies are known for being soft and chewy in consistency.

    What molasses is best for cookies and baking?

    I recommend using molasses labeled light, mild, or baking molasses because it contains the most sugar content, making it sweet and perfect for baking.

    Why do you put molasses in cookies? What is the purpose?

    It adds so much sweetness, depth of color, and also helps to make cookies softer.

    Why are my cookies hard after baking? How to soften hard cookies?

    This usually means the cookies are over baked, or it could be from improper measuring of ingredients. It can be hard to tell when they are done cooking because they are already a deep brown color. There are different methods to soften hard cookies. You can microwave the cookies with a wet paper towel or you can store them in a cookie jar with a slice of bread, which is my favorite method. Simply, put a slice of bread in a cookie jar with the cookies overnight. By morning, the slice of bread will be hard, having transferred its moisture to the cookies and cookies will be soft again.

    Partially Eaten Fat Free Ginger Cookies on Rustic Gray Background

    Variations for soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies

    Adjust the amount of spices- Add more or less, based on your preference.

    Add some cardamom powder- For an additional spiced flavor.

    Add finely chopped nuts- Such as walnuts, pecans, cashews, or almonds.

    Add finely chopped dried fruit- Such as raisins, cranberries, or dried cherries.

    Add a frosting- Once the cookies cool, top them with this Best Cream Cheese Frosting or this Brown Sugar frosting.

    Tips and techniques for candied ginger cookies

    The applesauce in this recipe is supposed to be unsweetened and thick- Use Gerber's applesauce baby food. It has a fairly thick consistency compared to regular applesauce jars you find in the baking aisle.

    This will be a sticky dough- Don't add additional flour! You must chill the dough for 3 hours to make it easier to handle.

    The color of these cookies could be darker or lighter- This is based on the use of dark brown sugar vs. light brown sugar, more spices vs. less spices as well as different brands of molasses. Regardless of which of these ingredients you use or the the color of the cookies, your cookies will end up tasting superb. 

    Use fresh ginger- Because it has a wonderful aroma and a strong potent taste.

    Only egg whites are used- Don't use full eggs because the batter consistency will change.

    Chilling the dough is very important- Because this makes the dough easier to handle and roll.

    Don't omit the candied ginger- Because it adds a lot of flavor and enhances the chewy texture too.

    Only baking soda is used in this recipe- No baking powder is used. Don't replace soda with powder.

    Don't replace brown sugar with granulated sugar- Because that's one of the key factors in creating that perfect chewy texture. If you don't have that on hand, check out this post on How to Make Homemade Brown Sugar.

    Molasses cannot be replaced with maple syrup- Because it has a thinner consistency and a different flavor.

    Where to buy candied ginger? You can find it at most larger stores such as Jewel, Target, Walmart, or online at Amazon.

    Stacked Homemade Candied Ginger Cookies- Closeup Shot

    Storage of homemade cookies

    Refrigerate- In a covered box or container for about 1 week.

    Room Temperature- Store cookies in an airtight container at for up to 5 days.

    Freeze- In a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1 month. Thaw to room temperature to enjoy.

    More spiced cookies recipes

    • Cinnamon Cookies
    • Cake Mix Gingerbread Cookies
    • Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies (With Cake Mix)
    • Caramel Snickerdoodle Cookies
    • Classic Snickerdoodles Cookies
    • Churro Cookies

    Recipe

    Stack of Easy Ginger Molasses Cookies on Rustic Gray Background

    Ginger Molasses Cookies

    Abeer Rizvi
    Easy fat free ginger molasses cookies recipe with no butter, no shortening, no oil, no egg yolks. Crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside.
    4.43 from 7 ratings
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Chill time 3 hours hrs
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 25 minutes mins
    Course Cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 cookies
    Calories 126 kcal

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    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup Brown sugar
    • ¼ cup Applesauce Use baby food applesauce
    • ⅓ cup Molasses
    • 1 tablespoon Ginger Finely grated fresh ginger
    • 2 Large egg whites
    • 2¼ cups All-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon Allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon Ground cloves
    • ¼ cup Finely chopped candied ginger
    • 1 cup Additional granulated sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon For rolling cookie dough balls

    Instructions
     

    • In a mixing bowl, add brown sugar, applesauce, molasses, fresh ginger and mix until smooth.
    • Add egg whites and mix again.
    • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper and ground clove.
    • Dump the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
    • Stir in candied ginger.
    • Chill the dough for 3 hours.
    • Scoop out small portions of the dough and form little balls. Roll them in a bowl of cinnamon sugar and place on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper.
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until the edges have set. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Read all my tips above.
    • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
    • This recipe is slightly modified from David Lebovitz's recipe. He modified his recipe from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) and I have modified it further by reducing the spices, so as to suit my own taste buds.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 126kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 1gSodium: 105mgPotassium: 95mgSugar: 21gCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.8mg

    An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or rate and tag @cakewhiz on social

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah Toasty

      January 06, 2014 at 12:31 pm

      I've been looking for a good cookie to send to my Aunt, she can't have fat anymore and these look perfect! Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Belinda Chiu

      January 06, 2014 at 11:07 pm

      They wouldn't last more than 2 days...OMG, they look amazing!

      Reply
    3. yummychunklet

      January 07, 2014 at 10:54 am

      Fat free? Yay!

      Reply
    4. Jean

      January 14, 2014 at 12:44 pm

      where did you find Ginger Paste. they look and sound awesome

      Reply
    5. cakewhiz

      January 14, 2014 at 4:08 pm

      @Jean... I actually make my own ginger paste. Just peel your ginger and cut it into smaller chunks. Add it in a food processor with some water and you should end up with a thick and smooth paste. I use this in spicy cookies and even my dinner recipes. The paste freezes well or you can also keep in the refrigerator up to a month, as long as it's in a proper, sealed container.
      Hope this helps and gIve these cookies a shot... they are soooo good!

      Reply
    6. cakewhiz

      January 14, 2014 at 11:43 pm

      @ Jean... Oh, you can also buy it at grocery stores. Less work for you

      Reply
    7. sadhana swar

      January 15, 2014 at 1:38 pm

      this receipes seems to be very good...i m surely going to try this...but what can we use instead of applesauce...if we do not get easily? (As i would like to make it for my brother in India when i go there)

      Reply
    8. cakewhiz

      January 15, 2014 at 10:48 pm

      @Sadhana... I haven't tried any substitutions for applesauce. I used Gerber applesauce from the baby food section. I am quite sure they sell Gerber applesauces in India too. If not, it's very easy to make homemade applesauce. Just boil apples in little water until they are very soft. Then, use a food processor to make them into a very fine puree. The applesauce has to be thick or else it's going to really mess up the consistency of this batter. Let me know how it goes if you play around with other substitutions and I hope your brother likes these cookies

      Reply
    9. C

      November 20, 2014 at 7:57 am

      Can I make this without putting oil on the paper or coating the cookies wirh sugar?

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        November 20, 2014 at 9:28 am

        Hey C,
        If you are using parchment paper, you won't need to use any oil spray. But, if you use aluminum foil paper, then you need to spray it with some oil or else the cookies will stick to the foil.

        You really need to coat the cookies with sugar... it really helps in forming the balls and also gives the cookies a nice crispy top.

        Reply
    10. Cameron Warner

      December 21, 2014 at 2:01 am

      Hey, these things are amazing!!!! My family has a bottle of molasses we never use so I used some of it cause you know it has an expiration date lol. I made my own applesauce for this recipe (I've never made applesauce) it turned out amazing! I don't put any allspice, nutmeg, or ground cloves only because we didn't have them

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        December 21, 2014 at 1:00 pm

        Yayyy! I am so happy to hear that! And good job making your own applesauce. Homemade applesauce is the BEST!

        Reply
    11. Sharon

      December 31, 2014 at 5:45 am

      I've been looking for a fat-free cookie for Christmas so those who do not eat fat could enjoy some cookies too. These were perfect! And they are easy to make. I'll be making them every Christmas--and probably in-between too. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 01, 2015 at 8:45 pm

        It's lovely to hear that Sharon! I made these for gift-giving this Christmas too

        Reply
    12. patty

      January 06, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      Hi. Just made these and they are delicious but they did not puff up like yours even after chilling them twice as long. . are you sure no baking powder is used?

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        January 07, 2015 at 1:20 am

        So happy to hear they turned out delicious, Patty. There's no baking powder in this recipe. I am not sure why your cookies didn't puff...Did you flatten the balls before baking them? Mine are small balls and I don't flatten them. I think that's why they are puffy...

        Reply
    13. Maria

      April 03, 2015 at 4:00 pm

      I would love to make these biscuits for my son, but we live in Europe and I can´t quite understand the measures 1/8 teaspoon, 1/4 cup.
      Could I have the measures in grams, please.
      Thank you very much.

      Reply
    14. Cecilia

      November 23, 2016 at 8:08 am

      I wish it had less sugar! The thing that's bad for cholesterol is not the fat and egg yolks but sugar. Otherwise it sounds like a nice recipe.2 stars

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        November 24, 2016 at 6:07 am

        I know what you mean. Normally, I eat a bit of dark chocolate and that curbs the cravings but otherwise, a couple of these cookies hits the right spot. Everything in moderation is key or at least that's what my doc said...heheh

        Reply
    15. Amy

      November 25, 2016 at 11:40 am

      How many tablespoons/millilitres/cups/whatever is 2 large egg whites? If I buy the carton of egg whites instead of using the whites from actual eggs?

      thanks!

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        November 29, 2016 at 1:05 am

        I have never tried that. So unfortunately, I can't help you there. If you do try it, please let me know how it goes

        Reply
    16. Lela

      April 18, 2017 at 11:04 pm

      Came out moist and chewy

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        April 19, 2017 at 12:21 am

        Great!

        Reply
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    Hello, I'm Abeer Rizvi, the author and founder of CakeWhiz.com—a cherished dessert blog dedicated to baking, cake decorating, doctored cake mix recipes, and all things sweet. As a skilled food writer, baker, recipe developer, and cake decorator, I take pride in wearing multiple hats.

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