Dessert

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Soft, chewy ginger cookies rolled in sugar for a crackled top, flavored with molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

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Stack of crackled, sugar-coated ginger cookies on a plate, one broken open showing a gooey center.

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Chewy Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

Servings
24

Instructions

0 of 8 steps done
01Step

Mix the dry ingredients

Whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside
02Step

Cream the butter and sugar

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes
03Step

Add the egg and molasses

Beat in the egg and molasses until fully combined and smooth.
Beat in the egg and molasses until fully combined and smooth
04Step

Combine wet and dry mixtures

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until no streaks of flour remain; avoid overmixing.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until no streaks of flour remain; avoid overmixing
05Step

Chill the dough

Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the butter firms up and the cookies hold their shape while baking.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the butter firms up and the cookies hold their shape while baking
06Step

Shape and coat the dough

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat
07Step

Bake the cookies

Place the balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have cracked but the centers still look slightly soft; the egg in the dough will be fully cooked once the cookies are set.
Place the balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have cracked but the centers still look slightly soft; the egg in the dough will be fully cooked
08Step

Cool the cookies

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely

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Cooking guide

Cooking tips and techniques

This ginger cookies recipe produces soft, chewy cookies with crackled sugary tops, made with molasses, brown sugar, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. A short chill and a short bake keep the centers tender instead of crisp, so the cookies stay soft for days after baking.

Why This Ginger Cookies Recipe Stays Chewy Instead of Crisp

Chewiness comes down to moisture and baking time: molasses and brown sugar both hold more liquid than white sugar alone, and pulling the cookies from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone lets residual heat finish the job without drying them out. If you prefer a firmer snap, an extra minute or two in the oven will push these toward crisp territory, but for soft, chewy cookies, resist the urge to bake past the point where the edges look set.

Ginger Cookies vs. Gingerbread Cookies: What's the Difference

Ginger cookies and gingerbread cookies share the same core spices but are built for different jobs. This drop-style ginger cookies recipe uses enough butter and brown sugar to keep the dough soft and spreadable, while gingerbread dough is deliberately firmer so it can be rolled thin and cut into shapes without losing its edges. If you want a dough built specifically for cutouts, the gingerbread cookies guide walks through that version step by step.

Ingredient Substitutions for Ginger Cookies

Dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar adds a deeper molasses flavor and slightly more chew, since it carries more moisture. Ground ginger can be swapped for grated fresh ginger in a pinch, though fresh ginger brings a sharper, brighter heat rather than the warm, rounded flavor ground ginger gives after baking. If you're out of cloves, a pinch of allspice is the closest stand-in and won't noticeably change the texture.

Butter and Sugar Ratios

Reducing the butter will make the dough stiffer and the baked cookies less spread, closer to a cakey cookie than a chewy one, so it's best to keep the fat-to-sugar ratio as written if chewiness is the goal.

Preventing Flat, Dry, or Overspread Ginger Cookies

Cookies that spread into thin, greasy puddles usually mean the butter was too warm or the dough wasn't chilled long enough before baking; a 30-minute rest in the refrigerator firms the fat back up so the cookies hold their shape in the oven. Dry, cakey cookies are almost always a sign of overbaking or too much added flour, so measure flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.

Storing Chewy Ginger Cookies

Baked ginger cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week, and adding a slice of bread to the container helps the cookies stay soft longer. The shaped, unbaked dough balls can also be frozen on a tray and then transferred to a freezer bag; bake them straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.

Helpful answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Why aren't my ginger cookies chewy?

Overbaking is the most common cause; pull the cookies out once the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft, since they continue cooking on the hot baking sheet after removal.

Can I use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger?

Yes, but fresh ginger gives a sharper, brighter flavor rather than the warm, rounded taste ground ginger develops during baking, so start with a smaller amount and adjust to taste.

How long do ginger cookies stay fresh?

Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they stay fresh for about a week; adding a slice of bread to the container helps them stay soft longer.

Can I freeze ginger cookie dough?

Yes, shape the dough into balls, freeze them on a tray until solid, then store in a freezer bag and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.

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