Molasses Gingersnap Cookies Recipe

Here at Tasting Table, we have never met a cookie we didn't like. Sometimes, it's good to go the traditional cookie route and make sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies, and other times, it's fun to think outside of the box and whip up something that's a little different. There's no doubt that these molasses gingersnap cookies will satisfy your sweet tooth, and they're great to serve all year round. The recipe yields 36 cookies, which is more than enough to share with family and friends ... or to keep all to yourself!

Recipe developer Jessica Morone came up with this delicious recipe that hits the spot. "I love the flavor of these cookies, they just remind me of the holidays because of their ginger and other warm spices in them. They are so delicious and flavorful," Morone shares. She also adds what special occasions she likes to serve these cookies at. "These are great cookies for the upcoming holiday season, you can bring them to holiday parties or cookie swap or give them as gifts during the holidays," Morone notes. "But these are so easy to make you can just make them for any occasion." 

If you bake a lot, you may already have several items at home. This recipe calls for all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground cloves, unsalted butter, both brown and granulated sugar, an egg, molasses, and maple extract.

Since you will need to use your oven, go ahead and preheat it to 375 F. This allows time to get it nice and hot before you use it. Then, line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them to the side. 

Now, it's time to get mixing. Take out a medium-sized bowl and add the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Use a whisk to combine everything well and set it to the side for the time being.

Grab a large mixing bowl and add butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup of granulated sugar. Use an electric mixer to cream the ingredients until they get pale and fluffy. This process is pretty quick and should only take about 3 minutes or so.

Then, toss in the egg, molasses, and maple extract, scraping the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture until combined. "The special ingredient in these cookies is maple extract," Morone shares. "It gives these cookies a subtle maple flavor and adds to the warm spices in the cookies that make it seem so perfect for the fall and winter seasons. But if you don't have maple extract you can substitute it with vanilla extract." 

Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough into a smaller bowl. Then, top it with the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar. Now, the cookies are ready to go on the baking sheet. Drop them on the sheet, making sure to keep 2 inches in between each cookie.

Once the cookies are all lined up, gently press down on the balls to flatten them. "These are pretty easy to make, but the dough doesn't really spread much when you are baking it so if you want the cookies to be the right shape you definitely need to flatten the dough balls a bit before baking them," Morone notes. "Otherwise the cookies will be more round on top. Either way they will taste delicious though!" 

Pop the cookies into the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes and bake until the bottoms and edges are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool more. "These are great with warm seasonal drinks like warm cider or hot cocoa," Morone shares. 

And, these are great to make ahead of time if it's easier for your busy schedule.These should be good for at least a week if kept in an airtight container. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.