My old-fashioned ginger molasses cookies are slightly crispy on the outside and perfectly chewy in the middle, with just the right amount of spice. Take a bite of nostalgia with my no-fuss, easy recipe!
Part of what makes these cookies so special to me is the fact that they are my daddy’s favorite cookie. Daddy has an affinity for spice-like baked goods, i.e., apple cakes, fruit cakes, and pretty much anything with cinnamon or nutmeg. I remember my sister started making these cookies years ago when she still lived at home, and they became an instant hit in our household.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to ginger cookies: crispy or soft. My sister always used white sugar, but I switched it up and added brown sugar. As y’all know, I am obsessed with chewy textures, and the additional molasses from the brown sugar makes for an even chewier cookie. I like to think this version has the best of both worlds with a slightly crispy exterior with a soft and chewy interior.
What really makes these cookies shine is a dip into granulated sugar before baking (see below). This step is not required, but it gives the cookies that professional, bakery-style sheen. We eat with our eyes first! 🙂
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- granulated sugar (for dipping the cookies)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together brown sugar and shortening until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add molasses and egg and mix until well-combined.
- In several batches, add the flour to the wet mixture until everything is mixed together. Add in the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Mix until combined, making sure to scrape down all sides of the mixing bowl.
- Shape the cookie dough into roughly 1 inch balls and dip the tops into the granulated sugar. Place on baking sheet 2-3 inches apart, sugar side up.
- Bake cookies for about 10 minutes or until they are set. ** Allow cookies to rest on pan for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack to full cool.
- Enjoy!
- **Over baking the cookies will result in a much crispier cookie. If you slightly under bake the cookies, they will be much softer and chewier.
These cookies are screaming for a glass of ice cold milk!
Hope you and your family will enjoy these special cookies! 🙂
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Comment (5)
susan storey (7 years ago)
Yum, wish I had some right now!
Shug (7 years ago)
Thanks, Mama! Very soon I’ll be close enough to bring over homemade cookies anytime! <3
Julia Andrick (3 years ago)
Can I use butter instead of shortening!?! I just found your blog! So fun!!
Shug (3 years ago)
Hey Julia!! Yes, you can use butter, but I would refrigerate the dough for an hour or so before baking. The butter has milk and water in it, so it melts more quickly, i.e., flatter cookies; but the shortening is all fat, so it’s a slower melt – hence why the cookies hold their shape with shortening without refrigeration. Let me know how they turn out for you!! Xoxo
Alex (2 years ago)
The S&S Ginger Molasses cookies are an absolute delight! They reminded me of my grandmother’s recipe when I used to visit her in Lancaster, PA during the holidays as a kid. In my opinion, they are the unsung hero of the S&S holiday package. I’ve been sharing with all my friends. 10/10!