Soft and Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles
User Reviews
4.5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
8 mins
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Chill Time
3 hrs
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Total Time
3 hrs 23 mins
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Servings
20 small / medium cookies
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Calories
174 kcal
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Course
Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
Soft and Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles
Description
Soft and Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles combine classic cookie ingredients with dark molasses and a mix of spices, including cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, creating a warmly spiced, moist cookie. The butter and sugars are creamed to incorporate air and then combined with molasses and spices for a flavorful dough. The inclusion of cornstarch and cream of tartar helps yield tenderness and a balanced chewiness. Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading during baking and to achieve their characteristic soft, chewy texture. Finally, rolling the dough in a cinnamon-sugar coating adds a subtle, crisp outer layer with a touch of sweetness and warm spice.
The baking process produces cookies with a tender center and slightly crisp edges typical of gingerdoodles. These cookies serve well as a seasonal treat or an accompaniment to tea or coffee. Their rich molasses flavor, complemented by spices and sugar coating, offers a traditional yet soft and chewy texture enjoyed by many.
Storing the cookies airtight at room temperature keeps them fresh up to a week, and they can be frozen for longer preservation. The dough itself can also be refrigerated or frozen for baking later, offering flexibility in the preparation timeline.
Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup butter softened, unsalted
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed (light brown sugar may be substituted)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg large
- ⅓ cup molasses I used robust molasses (dark; light or medium may be used; blackstrap will likely be too pungent, unsulphered
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cloves ground
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch salt optional and to taste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 to 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
For the Cookies
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, optional salt, and beat on medium-high speed until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, cream of tartar, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 45 seconds.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form two tablespoon mounds (I made 20). Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. The dough is soft, mushy, limp, and isn’t suitable for baking until it’s been chilled. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line baking sheets with Silpats, or spray with cooking spray; set aside.
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating
- Add sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Roll each mound of dough through the coating, liberally coating all sides. After all mounds have been coated, I like to go back and double-dip each mound to get an extra-thick coating.
- Place coated mounds on baking sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
- Bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are have crackled; don’t overbake for soft cookies (I bake mine 8 to 8 1/2 minutes and they’re extremely soft and a touch underdone but firm up in time; for crispier cookies, bake longer). Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
- Chill the dough at least 3 hours before baking to prevent cookie spreading and maintain a chewy texture.
- Cookies keep fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week or can be frozen up to six months.
- Unbaked dough can be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 4 months, allowing you to bake fresh batches whenever desired.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 20small / medium cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 174 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 174kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.5g | 3% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 57mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 77mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 139mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 17g | 34% |
| Vitamin A | 209IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 0.02mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 31mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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