Growing up we called these cookies “chocolate gingersnaps” but they’re not like a crunchy gingersnap at all, they’re actually a classic soft and chewy molasses cookie full of warm spices and chunks of melty chocolate. These Chocolate Molasses Cookies are the perfect cozy cookie for cold winter days and they pair perfectly with a hot cup of cocoa or coffee (especially with my gingerbread creamer). And the best part? They freeze beautifully, so you can keep a batch in your freezer and just take one or two out at a time to enjoy with your afternoon cup of tea or coffee. :)
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Why You’ll Love these Molasses Cookies
Molasses creates an incredible chewy texture when added to cookies, as well as a slight sweetness with a rich and earthy flavor. If regular cookies tend to be a bit too sweet for you, I bet you’ll be a fan of these chocolate molasses cookies. Not only is the sweetness not super over the top, but the warm spices and semi-sweet chocolate give the cookie a little kick that helps counteract the sweetness. The flavor combination is absolute heaven! They’re almost like a snickerdoodles and gingerbread love child… but with a touch of chocolatey goodness.
What Kind of Molasses to Use
I used Grandma’s Original Molasses for these cookies. While you can use blackstrap molasses, keep in mind that it has a much more intense, slightly bitter flavor and the ingredients in these cookies were not formulated using that type of molasses. Will it still be good? Maybe! At the end of the day, that’s going to be a matter of personal preference.
How to Store Chocolate Molasses Cookies
Once the cookies have cooled completely to room temperature, store them in an air-tight container to keep them from going stale. The cookies will keep at room temperature for about a week, or you can freeze them for about three months. I absolutely love keeping these in the freezer so I can take just one or two out at a time. I like to microwave the frozen cookie for a few seconds to make it extra soft and gooey.
Can I Substitute the Fresh Ginger?
While I do think the fresh ginger is what makes these cookies extra special, you can substitute it for more ground dried ginger if needed. If you don’t have fresh ginger on hand, use two teaspoons of dried ginger instead of the 1 ¼ tsp listed in the recipe below.
Chocolate Molasses Cookies
Servings 24 cookiesIngredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour ($0.23)
- 1.25 tsp ground ginger ($0.12)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.04)
- 1 tsp baking powder ($0.02)
- 8 Tbsp butter, room temperature ($0.80)
- 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger ($0.30)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar ($0.24)
- 1/2 cup molasses ($1.18)
- 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate ($3.49)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar ($0.04)
Instructions
- Add the flour, ground ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cocoa powder, and baking powder to a bowl and stir until well combined.
- To a separate bowl, add the butter, fresh ginger, brown sugar, and molasses. Use a mixer to beat these ingredients together until light and creamy.
- Begin adding the flour mixture into the molasses mixture, ½ cup at a time, beating at low speed, until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.
- Roughly chop the chocolate, then stir it into the cookie dough. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic, then refrigerate for at least one hour.
- When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Divide the cookie dough into four equal-sized pieces, then divide each of the quarters into six small pieces to make 24 total cookies.
- Roll each piece of cookie dough into a ball, then roll the dough ball in the granulated sugar to coat. Place the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 12 per baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes in the 325ºF oven, or until they're slightly cracked on top. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
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Equipment
- Measuring Cups Spoons
- Enamelware Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
Nutrition
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How to Make Chocolate Molasses Cookies – Step By Step Photos
Add 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1.25 tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground cloves, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, and 1 tsp baking powder in a bowl and stir until well combined.
Add 8 Tbsp room temperature butter, 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger, ½ cup brown sugar, and ½ cup molasses to a separate bowl.
Use a mixer to beat the wet ingredients together until they are light and creamy.
Begin mixing in the flour mixture at low speed, adding about ½ cup at a time, until all of it is incorporated.
Roughly chop the semi-sweet chocolate. You definitely want it to be fairly chunky.
Stir the chopped chocolate into the cookie dough.
Wrap the cookie dough in plastic, then refrigerate for about an hour to help firm it up. You can refrigerate overnight if needed.
When you’re ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Place ¼ granulated sugar in a small bowl. Divide the cookie dough into four equal-sized pieces, then divide each quarter into six small pieces (24 total pieces). Roll each piece into a ball, then roll the ball in the granulated sugar to coat.
Place twelve of the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the cookies in the preheated 325ºF oven for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly cracked on top. Repeat with the second 12 cookies.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes, or serve warm. Allow the cookies to cool completely to room temperature before storing in an air-tight container.
Is the butter salted, or unsalted in the recipe? Thx.
Salted! If you want to use unsalted you can just add a tiny pinch of salt.
These cookies are all right but I feel like the chocolate doesn’t really belong. I’d be curious to try the recipe again with the chopped chocolate omitted (but keeping the cocoa powder).
These cookies are absolutely delicious! The only problem was that mine didn’t spread like the video & I’m not sure why. They just stayed as little balls. I still enjoyed them!
These taste amazing!! I used Trader Joe’s fresh frozen crushed ginger (thawed) and Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chunks to cut down on prep time (didn’t have to peel/mince fresh garlic or chop chocolate into chunks). So easy!
Really really delicious cookie! A keeper!
Love the strong molasses flavor! I think an egg could improve this recipe. The texture was a little loose and cookies ended up pretty flat. Chocolate flavor kind of gets lost. Going to try melding this with my favorite ginger snap recipe.
Loved the recipe! Should cookie be soft? Or Hard like a gingersnap cookie is? Mine did not crack? Left in a few more minutes but no crack? Thanks so much!
I followed the recipe exactly but used mini chocolate chips. So good!
Loved these! My thought is a little less fresh ginger and more chocolate! I made sure that my dough was just out of the fridge when I put it in the oven, and the cookies came out perfectly!
I made these last night and they spread and flattened a lot. I don’t think it’s the recipe’s fault, though, because this seems to happen to me with all drop cookies that are based on creaming together butter and sugar. Does anyone have any advice on why this happens? Am I not beating the butter and sugar long enough or for too long? I have a kitchen aid stand mixer – the lower-end version – and I use the paddle attachment. The butter/sugar mixture gets stuck up the sides of the bowl, and I do scrape the sides occasionally, but I wonder if it doesn’t get mixed enough. Anyway, thanks for any ideas! Flat cookies are always so disappointing.
It might be more of an issue with the temperature of the cookies when they go into the oven. You really want to chill that dough well before rolling them into a ball. If you find that they are warming up too much while you shape them, perhaps try chilling them again before you actually bake them. This slows the spread. :)
Hi Sam! After many many years of my cookies going flat despite me following recipes to the tee and me doing extensive research I think I have your answer…. the butter! The butter which is too warm when you cream it with the sugar which then causes the cookies to spread. You can refrigerate the dough to kingdom come but, once creamed it’s too late – they will spread! Something about when butter is too warm when creamed which causes some type of reaction that causes the spreading. I read the butter should be 68 F degrees but I don’t bother with that, I just make sure it’s still cool.
Since finding that out I make sure the butter is still cool when preparing the batter and, voila… no spread! Hope this helps ;)
Can you freeze the dough? Trying to get holiday cookie dough prepped and ready! Thanks :0)
While I haven’t tried freezing this particular dough, it probably will freeze very well. :)
Thanks so much!
These were good, but they just don’t beat the “big soft ginger cookies” that I usually make. I’m finding (as I JUST made them) there’s a bit too much of a molasses presence in the flavour. I wonder if it’s the brown sugar? With the ginger cookies I make, it’s just white sugar.
Like I said, they’re good. In fact I’m certain there will be some people REALLY enjoying these on the 31st. But I’ll also be making my ginger cookies to go along side them. ;)
I think the molasses flavor coming from the brown sugar is probably negligible compared to the 1/2 cup of molasses used in the batter. If you wanted to cut down on the molasses flavor I’d just cut back on the molasses. :) I made these once and didn’t have the full 1/2 cup molasses (I had about 1/4 cup) and they still turned out great! I had to add a couple extra Tbsp of water to make the dough come together, but the cookies’ texture was still fine and a much lighter molasses flavor.
I love this recipe! It’s really admirable that you are so diligent about crediting your recipes, even if you’re not sure of the original source. I think I can help you out there–this looks really close to one of my favorites, Martha Stewart’s Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies: http://www.marthastewart.com/339353/chewy-chocolate-gingerbread-cookies. Your recipe replaces the white sugar with more molasses though.
The last time we made it, we doubled the cocoa powder, ginger and spices. So good! I’m getting super excited now because I’ll probably make a batch this weekend. I’ll be making my first trip to the new Trader Joe’s in NOLA tomorrow–I once used one of their giant bars of chocolate for a huge batch these, and it came out really good. If I recall correctly, it was around $5 for a 16 oz bar of quite delicious chocolate. Hopefully they’re still that cheap, in which case these cookies are for SURE happening!
Yum, these look delicious! Check out this post if you want to know how to make them crunchier or chewier! http://sciencewiththat.wordpress.com/2014/03/14/how-do-you-like-your-cookies-crunchy-or-chewy/
I made these this evening exactly as described and they turned out perfectly! I really loved the addition of chocolate to a gingersnap – I never would have come up with the combination on my own, but they fit together great. I tried out my new Silpat for the first time with this recipe and the cookie texture was phenomenal: crisp and cracked on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
I didn’t have any molasses (or the cash to get it), so I used a 1/2-cup mixture of dark brown sugar and honey instead and it worked out really nicely! Thanks for the yummy recipe. :)
These cookies are amazing. The first batch spread a lot, I guess because they were warm. The second lot I did from frozen, and they held their shape better and still cooked in 12-13 minutes. I gave most away, so I’ll be making another batch soon!
just finished making these for a holiday party tonight, and i have to say – they are fabulous!! thanks for the recipe!
Oh my. This is definitely on my to-do list.
Forgot to add that I got 28 cookies out of my batch. I guess I wasn’t that exact in forming them!
Just made these, and they are quite yummy. The fresh ginger adds a nice kick, and a “freshness” to the cookie…almost tastes like its good for you! They were a nice change from the super sweet cookies we are used to, and the chocolate was a great compliment to this gingery cookie. Certainly a new Christmas (and heck, all year round) favourite!
PS I don’t they should be called gingersnaps since they aren’t rock hard, they’re nice and soft…at least mine are. Also, would probably roll in powdered sugar next time for less sweet and distinct Christmas look.
Made these tonight, it did make exactly 24! I accidentally added 1/4 cup white sugar to the dough, wouldn’t recommend that as they are pretty sweet, however other than that great texture and flavor. Thanks, made these for my boyfriend’s potluck tomorrow.
this sounds intriguing!
Thanks for the recipe! Made it last night, was awesome. I added some cayenne pepper, didn’t really taste it in the small amounts. I’ll definitely try adding more next time.
Thanks, Lassarina! Fixing it now :)
Hi Beth–I think you’re missing the chocolate step in the write-up. I see it in the photos, but not in the text steps (which is what I usually print for keeping your recipes handy!)
These cookies look soooo good! Drooling. Drooling. Drooling. I am definitely saving this recipe to try soon!
mattarse – that might work, although the molasses is responsible for a lot of the flavor in this cookie :(
These sound wonderful! But here in Czech Republic molasses is incredibly expensive, I think I’ll have to cut it and replace with some more brown sugar……but then I’m worried about the moisture content. Maybe add .25 cup brown sugar to the recipe and a little water as needed at the end? Not much experience with this substitution but will try it in a few days.
Yes! Finally! The cookie that I’ve been waiting for :-) Thanks for sharing! I know the family will love this… I will for sure.
dough is chilling as we speak :)
Chocolate + gingerbread is totally my combination this year — I just made a g-bread loaf with chocolate ganache and basically can’t stop snacking on it. This will have to be the next delicious attempt!
Oh rats. I had completely convinced myself I wouldn’t bake this year until I saw your post.
I love every single thing you do. I can’t remember how I found you, but you rock.
Can we substitue semi-sweet chocolate chips for the baking chocolate?
Yes, that would probably still be delicious!