Ginger cookies have been a staple of festive baking for centuries, tracing their roots back to medieval Europe, where crystallized ginger and molasses were prized for both flavour and preservation. By the 19th century, gingerbread had become a holiday tradition, with spiced cookies and cakes appearing on family tables across Europe and North America. Rich with warming notes of ginger, cinnamon, and clove, these cookies have long evoked nostalgia, conjuring the scents and memories of winter kitchens.

Yet while the ginger cookie is beloved for its spice and warmth, there is a certain magic in chocolate. Enter the chocolate chip cookie, a classic North American invention that brought gooey, melty chocolate into the equation, elevating a simple dough into a comforting, irresistible treat.

Our Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookie marries these two worlds. It takes the spice-forward complexity of a traditional ginger cookie, layering in cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate chunks for depth and indulgence, and enrobes it in a subtle, sparkling sugar coating that adds a delicate crunch and visual elegance. The result is a cookie that is simultaneously chewy and soft, lightly spiced and luxuriously chocolatey.

Whether you are a seasoned baker or trying your hand at baking for the first time, these cookies are remarkably forgiving. Underbake slightly to ensure a tender chew, roll them generously in sugar for sparkle, and wait until the aroma fills your kitchen – warm, inviting and unmistakably festive.

Soft Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies

A soft and chewy chocolate ginger molasses cookie with cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate, finished with a sparkling sugar coating.

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Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup fancy molasses
1¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and levelled
2½ tbsp cocoa powder
2½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate 142 g
1/3 cup granulated sugar or coarse sugar for coating

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In large bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy; beat in egg and molasses until combined. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, salt; stir into butter mixture just until combined. Add semi-sweet chocolate and combine.
Place coarse sugar in shallow dish. Roll dough, 1 tbsp at a time, into balls; roll in sugar to coat. Arrange 2 in. (5 cm.) apart on prepared pans. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, just until edges are firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
Bang tray on counter to level, then let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool completely.

Notes

Tip: The trick to good molasses cookies is not overbaking them –underbaking is ideal.

Keyword Chewy molasses cookies, Chocolate ginger molasses cookies, Chocolate holiday cookies, Holiday Cookies, Molasses cookie recipe, Soft ginger cookies