Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
TASTE: Chocolate + ginger is slightly unexpected, but positively addictive.
TEXTURE: The molasses adds SO MUCH CHEWINESS to these cookies, and helps keep them soft for days!
EASE: 30-minute recipe, no chill time required. No chopping chocolate.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: You won’t be able to get enough of these!
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This is one of those holiday cookie recipes you will not want to share. You’ll want to keep these cookies all to yourself.
If you do plan to take them to a Christmas party, potluck, or cookie exchange, do yourself a favor and hide a few beforehand. I’m telling you, they will not last long otherwise!
They’re incredibly chewy yet soft and thick and perfectly balanced in flavor.
Struggling with Flat or Dry Cookies?
My free guide shows you how to fix texture problems and bake cookies you’ll love.
I originally posted this recipe in 2009 (!) after having tweaked it from Martha Stewart’s Cookies. Since then, quite a few readers have had issues with their cookies spreading too thin.
I decided to take the recipe back to the drawing board to ensure nice thick cookies, and to also see if I could eliminate the original required chilling time. And the need to chop any chocolate!
Well, I’m happy to say I succeeded on both fronts! I pulled some ratios from my Chewy Gingersnap cookie recipe found in my own cookie cookbook, added eggs, and increased the flour and cocoa powder to thicken the cookies and strengthen the chocolate flavor.
The result is a delightfully beautiful, festive, flavorful, and addictive cookie I hope you’ll love.
Sprinkle of Science
Ingredient Notes for Success
Do I Really Need Fresh Ginger and Ground Ginger?
Yes! The combination of both is what makes this recipe truly something special. It’s worth the extra few minutes of prep, promise.
TESSA’S TIP: I always keep big knobs of ginger in a resealable bag in the freezer. Not only does this extend its life so you have ginger whenever you need it for cooking and baking, but frozen ginger is super easy to peel and grate. Just note, the frozen grated ginger will appear more voluminous than it is immediately after grating. Press it a bit in the measuring spoon to get a more accurate measurement.
What Can I Use Instead of Molasses?
I highly recommend sticking with molasses as it’s essential to the taste and texture of this recipe. If you cannot get molasses where you live, you can try substituting golden syrup, though the results will not be the same.
The Spices
Check your spices to ensure they’re not expired. They should release a strong aroma when the container is opened. Older spices will be less flavorful so you may need to add more.
The Chocolate Chips
I recommend sticking with semisweet chocolate, or even something darker (like bittersweet). For extra pretty cookies, dot the cookie dough scoops with extra chocolate chips before rolling in sugar.
Do I Need to Chill the Cookie Dough?
Nope! I re-engineered this recipe to eliminate the chilling step. However, if you would like to chill, which will intensify the flavors and thicken the cookie’s texture, feel free.
You can either cover and chill the entire mass of dough for up to 3 days and let it come to room temperature before scooping (this may take several hours).
Or, you can wrap the pre-scooped dough in plastic and chill for up to 2 days. Roll in sugar just before baking to avoid the dough absorbing the sugar as it sits.
The Best Baking Pans for Cookies
I always use unlined aluminum half-sheet pans lined with pre-cut parchment for baking cookies. Never use dark-colored pans to bake cookies, as they tend to overly brown or even burn the bottoms of the cookies. Learn more about the best baking pans here.
Storage Notes:
Place in an airtight container at room temperature and store for up to 5 days (if they last that long!).
To freeze, scoop dough balls and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Press chocolate chips on top, then freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When ready to bake, smooth each dough ball between your palms, then roll in granulated sugar. Bake at 325°F for 12-13 minutes.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
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Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (22 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (67°F — warm butter will make your cookies spread)
- 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) lightly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (170 grams) unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
For rolling:
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg until combined.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and fresh ginger on medium speed until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the molasses and beat until combined. Then add the egg and vanilla, beating until very well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again.
- On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Stir in three-quarters of the chocolate chips (170 grams) until just combined. Dough will be sticky.
- Using a medium spring-loaded scoop, divide the dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon-sized scoops.
- Place sugar in a shallow dish and roll each scoop in the sugar. Gently form each scoop into circular balls before placing on baking sheets. Dot each scoop with a few chocolate chips.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tops are set.
- Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
Learn the sweet SCIENCE of cookie baking in a fun, visual way to customize your own recipes frustration-free. Plus, my best 50+ homemade cookies!
This post was originally published in 2009 and has been updated with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Jess Gaertner.
If you love the combo of chocolate & gingerbread, this recipe is absolutely amazing! I substituted the fresh ginger with finely chopped candied ginger, reduced the sugar a tiny bit which produced a very addictive, chewy & morish cookie. It’s an excellent cookie & your friends & family will thank you for your baking expertise.
Chewy, delicious and easy to make. I did substitute raw sugar in place of the granulated, for rolling, to make them sparkle more. The chocolate compliments wonderfully with the ginger. These are definitely going into the holiday rotation.
Hi Patrick! While we prefer grated here, ground will work just fine. Let us know what you think of these cookies once you have given them a try 🙂
Hi Kiersten,
I ended up making the recipe with no substitutions at all, and while they tasted good, all of the cookies ended up looking flat and totally unlike the pictures. Some came out of the oven that way, and others came out looking OK but flattened while cooling. None of them ever really looked thick like in the pictures. I also thought they were a bit on the greasy side.
I’m having trouble identifying my issue: I weighed the ingredients to the gram, and my butter was about 68-69 degrees, so maybe just a tiny bit warm. The batter was chilled overnight and then sat out for about 30 minutes prior to being put in the oven. I did notice the batter was especially wet and messy, but just assumed that was normal for this recipe.
Any ideas on what could have caused my issue? Maybe expired baking soda?
Thanks!
Hi Patrick! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. While it’s tough to pinpoint exactly what went wrong without baking right alongside you (we wish we could!), I hope something below helps you identify the issue.
Your butter temp sounds spot on, so unless there was a delay in mixing and the butter warmed up more, that likely wasn’t the problem. This dough is a bit sticky, but after chilling, it should be pretty firm and easy to scoop into balls and roll in sugar, as you can see in Tessa’s video below the recipe here. Was your dough easy to handle after chilling? If it still felt “wet and messy” after chilling, it’s possible there was a slight mismeasurement of an ingredient. It happens to the best of us!
Another factor could be climate. If you live in a humid environment (over 75% humidity), the extra moisture could affect the dough. If you think that’s the issue, try adding an additional tablespoon of flour next time to see if that helps.
As for baking soda, while it primarily causes cookies to spread outward, expired baking soda can still impact texture and structure. If you’re curious, here’s how to test for freshness. Lastly, ingredient brands can sometimes influence the final result. Even small differences in the fat content of butter or the protein level of the flour you use can impact how cookies bake and hold their shape, so that could have been a factor too.
I hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions, but I’d encourage you to review the recipe again and see if anything stands out that could have caused the issue, then give it another shot. Good luck, and please let us know how your next attempt goes! 🙂
I had no idea that video was there! It was blocked by my adblocker. My dough seemed to be much wetter and stickier than what Tessa had in the video.
These were delicious! Chewy gingerbread + chocolate = delicious!!!
I’ve made these every holiday season for the past 3 years– they never disappoint and people always ask me for the recipe! The chocolate ginger combination is truly the best!
Wow. Just. Wow…Made these cookies yesterday. According to my boyfriend, who has been around the world, says they are the best cookies he has ever had!!! Is he prejudice? Maybe but thank you for the recipe. Definitely going to top of our cookie list!
So happy to hear that, Angie!
Hi Kat! These cookies structurally just don’t require egg! If you are interested in learning more about ingredients and how they interact with one another, I recommend enrolling in our Handle the Heat Baking School, or taking our Magic of Baking course! 🙂
Made numerous times, my all time favourite cookies ever! I use treacle instead of molasses and they turn out perfect. I keep the dough in the freezer and make small batches so that I always have fresh warm cookies.
So happy to hear that, Georgia!!
10/10!
Texture, flavour, appearance, and still great after being frozen for over a month!
I love ginger. I love chocolate. I love these cookies!
I made a double batch and experimented with two sizes, (8min for 1tbsp) and also added a bit of dried ginger powder to the sugar coating.
Thanks!!
Great addition! Thanks for the comment, so happy you love this recipe!
So yummy! Very gingery and spicy, but I love it! I rolled them in sugar plus greens me red sprinkles and they look so Christmasy! I didn’t follow the instructions and left the cookies in the oven longer than specified because they still looked so soft. But after they cooled, they were too crunchy, so be sure to follow Tessa’s instructions and only bake them for 10-12 min.
What can i use instead of molasses?
(I think probably honey would work but my 9mo may want a small bite and i won’t be able to offer him)
What do molasses give to the recipe?
It’s not an ingredient i can easily find in Greece. We have petimezi though which is a syrup made from boiled grape juice.
The results won’t be exactly the same, but you can try honey or dark corn syrup instead!