Big Soft Ginger Cookies
There's something special about the aroma of freshly baked ginger cookies filling the kitchen. These big soft ginger cookies are perfectly chewy with lightly crisp edges and a rich blend of molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and warm spices in every bite. They're easy to make, stay soft for days, and deliver the cozy flavors everyone loves.
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place 2 tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl and set aside for rolling.
- Sift together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the egg to the butter mixture and beat until fully combined. Mix in the molasses and water until smooth.
- Gradually add the sifted flour-spice mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until a soft, cohesive dough forms. Do not overmix.
- With lightly floured hands, roll the dough into 24 walnut-sized balls. Roll each ball in the reserved sugar until evenly coated.
- Place the dough balls onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten each one using the flat bottom of a glass.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pans between racks halfway through, until the tops are cracked and the centers appear just set.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For the softest results, pull cookies from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone — they will continue to set as they cool on the pan.
- Room-temperature butter is essential for proper creaming. Cold butter won't incorporate air the same way.
- If the dough is too sticky to roll, refrigerate for 20–30 minutes before shaping.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Place a slice of bread in the container to help retain moisture.
- To freeze baked cookies, layer between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- To freeze unbaked dough balls, skip the sugar coating, freeze on a sheet until solid, then bag and store for up to 3 months. Roll in sugar and bake from frozen, adding 2–3 extra minutes.
Nutrition (per 1 cookie / 1 serving):
- Calories: ~145 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Protein: 1g
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Cholesterol: 25mg