Ginger Molasses Cookies {Soft & Chewy}

Easy 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. Packed with candied ginger, fresh ginger and ground spices.

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I was so scared to make these cookies since there is no butter or oil but my Mom assured me that I won't be disappointed and of course she was right. They are thick, soft, chewy and have the perfect balance of spices. My favorite part is the incredible sugary, crunchy tops. These Gingersnap Cookies, Cake Mix Gingerbread Cookies, Jumbo Gingerbread Men Cookies and this Easy Ginger Cake all boast the same warm flavors.

Key ingredients

• Sugars- You will need both brown and granulated sugar for this recipe.
• Applesauce- Brings natural sweetness and a moist texture.
• Molasses- Adds sweetness, depth of color, overall softness.
• Ginger- This must be freshly grated for best flavor profile.
• Eggs- Only egg whites are required in this recipe. Please do not add any yolks.
• Flour- Helps bring all the ingredients together to form a nice dough.
• Baking soda- Used as a rising agent.
• Candied ginger- Balances both the spicy and sweet.
• Ground spices- Gives these cookies that unique kick of flavor.

Variations

• Adjust the amount of spices- Add more or less, based on your preference.
• Consider adding some cardamom powder- For an additional spiced flavor.
• Mix in finely chopped nuts- Such as walnuts, pecans, cashews, or almonds.
• Toss some finely chopped dried fruits- Such as raisins, cranberries, or dried cherries.
• Drizzle on top- Some melted chocolate, or Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Ganache
• Dip in- Powdered Sugar Glaze, Royal Icing, Lemon Glaze, or Easy Glace Icing.
• Pair with a frosting- Once the cookies cool, top them with this Best Cream Cheese Frosting or this Brown Sugar frosting or even Maple Frosting.
• Roll in- Some unsweetened coconut flakes before baking.

How to make easy ginger molasses cookies recipe from scratch?

1. Mix ingredients- This includes brown sugar, applesauce, molasses, fresh ginger, and egg whites.
2. Sift dry ingredients- This includes flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, and ground cloves.
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 edges have set. 

Tips and techniques

• 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 have brown sugar in your pantry? You can't omit it because that's one of the key factors in creating that perfect chewy texture. Check out this post on How to Make Homemade Brown Sugar or if your brown sugar is rock solid, check out this post on How to Soften 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 grocery stores such as Jewel, Target, Walmart in their candy or baking aisles or even online at Amazon.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

• Refrigerate- In a covered box or container for about 1 week.
• Room Temperature- Store cookies in an airtight container at for 3-5 days.
• Freeze- In a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1 month. Thaw to room temperature to enjoy.
• Make ahead- These can easily be made 1-2 days in advance.

More spiced cookies

• Cinnamon Cookies
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies (With Cake Mix)
• Caramel Snickerdoodles
• Best Snickerdoodle Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
• Churro Cookies (With Pie Crust)

Recipe

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Abeer Rizvi

Easy 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. Packed with candied ginger, fresh ginger and ground spices.

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 132 kcal

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup Brown sugar
• ¼ cup Applesauce Use baby food applesauce
• ⅓ cup Molasses
• 1 tablespoon Ginger Finely grated
• 2 Egg whites From large egg, Room temperature
• 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 Candied ginger Finely chopped
• 1 cup Cinnamon sugar 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 F for 13-15 minutes or until the edges have set. 
• Let them cool and enjoy.

Notes

• Please note that you are only using egg whites. Do not add whole eggs because that will make the dough wet and sticky. 
• Don't omit chilling the dough because it prevents the cookies from over-spreading during baking. 
• Line your baking trays with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan. 
• Use freshly grated ginger rather than ground ginger powder because it tastes better and is also more fragrant and aromatic. 
• Read additional tips and variations above.
• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 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: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 2gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 103mgPotassium: 103mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg

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.

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