I couldn’t let The Great Cookie Season pass without sharing my absolute favorite Christmas cookie recipe of them all: Chocolate Ginger Cookies. Soft and chewy in the centers with melty puddles of chocolate and a spirited zing of fresh ginger, these are the cookies I most look forward to every year.
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My Favorite Christmas Cookies
I first started baking these amped-up ginger cookies in my early 20s for an annual girls’ cookie exchange my coworker Megan and I started.
Newcomers to town, we surmised that an excellent way to expand our friend network would be to lure prospective candidates over with promises of chocolate, butter, and Spiced Wine. It worked.
We hosted the exchange every year we lived in the same city. While we changed up the cookie assortment each year, these ginger molasses cookies were our annual, iron-clad must make.
It’s been almost two decades (!) since I first tasted these ginger cookies, and my Christmas still doesn’t feel complete without them (and Perfect Cream Cheese Cookies too).
I’ve baked them for my sisters, girlfriends, and neighbors. When I receive requests for a recommendation for a stellar cookie to bring to a cookie exchange, this is the recipe I send. Everyone who tries them, loves them. They are special.
If you love warm spices, chocolate, and cozy, fuzzy feelings that make you want to cuddle around a Christmas tree, I know they’ll be a fast favorite of yours too!
The Very Best Chocolate Ginger Cookies
These chocolate ginger cookies are triumphantly thick, chewy, and their spice level is spectacular.
In addition to a heavy dose of classic gingerbread spices such as cinnamon and cloves, this molasses cookie recipe uses fresh ginger, which I am convinced is what makes them unquestionably superior to any other ginger molasses cookie in the cosmos.
Every bite is filled with the warmth and comfort of a crackling fire on a chilly day.
The big chunks of melty dark chocolate certainly don’t hurt their superiority level either.
How to Store and Freeze These Cookies
- To Store. Store leftover baked ginger molasses cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days, in the refrigerator for 7 days.
- To Freeze. Place cookies in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Make Ahead. Rolled, unbaked cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed.
Whether you are looking for the perfect soft ginger cookie to add to your tray, a treat to warm you on a winter night, or something to show Santa how much you’d really, really appreciate his support, these cookies truly hit the spot.
Chocolate Ginger Molasses Cookies
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Ingredients
- 7 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate I used 70% dark
- 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg*
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup unsulfured molasses NOT blackstrap
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Chop chocolate into rough 1/4-inch chunks (I like to use a serrated knife for maximum chunkiness). In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. (If you skip the sifting, the cocoa will be lumpy. It’s worth the extra step!)
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, grated ginger, and salt until very light, about 4 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, then beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the molasses, and beat until incorporated.
- Place the baking soda in a small bowl. Top with 1 1/2 teaspoons of very hot water, then stir to dissolve. Set aside.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat just until most of the flour disappears.
- Beat in the baking soda-water mixture, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining half of the flour mixture and beat just until the flour disappears.
- Mix in the chocolate chunks and any chocolate “dust,” switching to a wooden spoon if needed to ensure the chunks are evenly distributed.
- Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap (I used two sheets stuck together at the edges to make it larger), then pat dough into a rough circle that is 1 inch thick. Seal the dough with the wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (they will look quite large). Place on the baking sheets and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Once the dough balls have chilled, roll them in granulated sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake until the surfaces barely begin to crack, about 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will look underdone. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling as long as you can stand the suspense (I actually think these taste better once they've fully cooled and set, but I know it's hard to wait!).
Notes
- *It’s an incredible flavor upgrade to grate your own nutmeg from whole nutmeg instead of buying preground. I use this zester to do it.
- Store leftover baked ginger molasses cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days, in the refrigerator for 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Rolled, unbaked cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed.
- Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies
I made these tonight for our family Christmas gathering. I found the dough rather dry, but added about 2 more Tbsp of molasses and water and it came together better. I used a 95% dark chocolate bar (a gift I knew would need to go with something sweet!). They turned out great! Smell so wonderful while baking with a nice ginger-chocolate flavor. Can’t wait to share them!
Hi Diana! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and your feedback!
These are my favorite cookies too! Made them as gifts a few times now drizzled with white or dark chocolate (or both!) and topped with little smidgens of crystallized ginger. Looks a little snazzy and highlights the great flavors already there. The whole recipe is a bit fussy but totally worth the effort. Thank you!
Hi DeeAnne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Love this cookie. More importantly, my husband loves it and he’s not a big ginger fan. I did make a couple of changes based on personal preference.
I used 1/2 dark semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 milk chocolate chips. I also added 1/2 tsp of salt since the recipe used unsalted butter. On half the cookies, I finely chopped crystallized ginger and sprinkled it on top. I love the soft chewy center with the crispy sugar crust. Will definitely be a favorite in this house.
Hi Julie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Just made the dough but realized there is no egg in the recipe. Is that right? No egg?
Hi Linda, that’s correct, there is no egg in these cookies. Hope you enjoy them!
Wow these are simply incredible I followed this recipe to the T – outstanding just had 5 with my tea. Oops…
Yum! :) Thanks Kim!
Delicious!! My family can’t get enough of them. Loved the ginger-chocolate combination. Another great recipe from Erin♥️
So great to hear! Thank you Suzanne!
Obsessed does not even begin to cover it. I’m making these for the fourth Christmas in a row! Our favorite ginger molasses cookies and the chocolate takes them over the top!
Yay! So glad to hear, Nadine! I have the dough in my refrigerator right now! EEK!
Just baked for the second time this week. Everyone loves them!!
Yay! Great to hear, Maria! Thank you!
I wasn’t sure how the molasses would work with the chocolate, but this combo is surprisingly delicious. They look a bit rustic, but once you take a bite you get that deep molasses flavour with rich chocolate. Perfect with a glass of milk.
It’s the best! Thank you Debbie!
what can I substitute fresh ginger for?
Hi Marta! I’d add another 1/4 tsp of ground ginger. Enjoy!
Should the butter be softened?
Hi Kimberly, no softening required! Enjoy!
These are probably my favorite cookies I’ve made this year. The ginger gives them a warm kick, and the molasses keeps them soft and chewy. I added a bit more extra chocolate because why not, and they turned out amazing. Great with a cold glass of milk.
Makes me so glad to hear, Giselle! Thank you!
I was a bit intimidated by the spice mix at first, but it turned out really nicely. The dough smelled amazing even before baking. There’s a good hit of ginger and cinnamon but not overpowering, and the chocolate balanced it all.
So glad you enjoyed the cookies, Carmen! Thank you!