Attention: Ginger Cookie Lovers! You'll love these no-refined sugar, vegetarian, and dairy-free Healthy Ginger Molasses Cookies. Soft, delicious and oh so gingery, they are soon to be your favorite!
Although these cookies typically mean "Christmas is coming," I can seriously eat them all year long. Every time I make these cookies, both Dustin and I think, "There's no way they are as good as we remember." But, once we bite into the crunchy outside and taste the soft, delicious gingery inside, we are reminded of just how good they really are.
The ginger helps keep the cookies moist and a bit chewy while the cloves, nutmeg, molasses, and cinnamon just wrap you up with comforting flavors that remind you of good times and good people. And good food. For a fact, these Healthy Ginger Molasses Cookies seem to be the perfect end to a delicious meal. Not only does the spicy combination in the cookies top many a good dessert, well, these are just quite possibly my favorite homemade cookies. Ever.
The recipe makes about 18-22 cookies, depending on how large you form the cookies. And I'll happily admit, in my house, they disappear in about two days. Yep, it only takes 2 days for the family to gobble these delicious cookies up. Dustin and I have to share them after all, because the kids love them, too.
And, besides, ginger's good for you, right? [crickets chirping]
Being a clean-eating recipe, these good-for-you cookies are a perfect take-along to a school function, a playdate for the kids and of course, at holiday time. They also make great gifts, too. They travel well since they are pretty tough on the outside.
As Dustin put it earlier this week with a mouthful of soft ginger molasses cookies, "These taste like Christmas."
So true, Dustin. So. True.
Originally, way back when Dustin asked me to make him ginger cookies, I was tentative, as I'm not a big fan of ginger snaps. I honestly didn't expect to like them. I certainly didn't expect them to be so soft and absolutely scrumptious. Now, every time I make them, I still have it in mind that I'm making them for Dustin -- even though I happily devour just as many (if not more...shhhh!) as he does.
HOW CAN I MAKE HEALTHY GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES GLUTEN-FREE?
Those of you who require gluten-free eating can enjoy this tasty sweet by switching out the whole wheat pastry flour for almond meal or flour, which have a 1:1 ratio. Another good choice is cassava flour. A bit lighter in consistency, this flour also has a 1:1 ratio.
HOW CAN I MAKE HEALTHY GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES VEGAN?
It’s easy peasy to make these yummy ginger molasses cookies into a vegan-friendly sweet by using some easy vegan substitutes. including:
- chia egg: put one tablespoon of chia seeds in a bowl and add 2 ½ tablespoon of water. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken and you have a perfect egg substitute.
- unsweetened applesauce: Just add ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce in replacement of the two required eggs.
WHY USE COCONUT SUGAR IN HEALTHY GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES?
Coconut sugar is part of the perfect package that makes these popular cookies a healthy version. Coconut sugar is not refined and the fructose level is much lower than that of other sugars. That’s a bonus for sure, and it contains vitamins, too. And who doesn’t need more vitamins, right?
MY HEALTHY GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES DIDN’T CRACK. WHY?
To ensure your cookies have that nice cracked texture (but not too cracked!) make sure that your oven has reached 350 degrees F before putting the cookies in the oven. Also, don’t over mix the dough when you are combining the ingredients. And lastly, follow the recipe exactly. Too much flour can have an effect on the texture of these flavorful yummies.
MORE HEALTHY SWEET TREATS
If you are a cookie lover, you’ll enjoy whipping up these scrumptious treats, too:
- Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Raw Edible Cookie Dough Bites
- Dark Chocolate Covered Coconut Bites
- 3 Ingredient Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark
- $850 Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Healthy Ginger Molasses Cookies
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup coconut sugar lightly packed
- ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp coconut oil
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp black strap molasses
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon water plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger finely chopped
For the Spice Topping:
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger, and sea salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using your hands, beat together the coconut sugar, coconut oil, and molasses on medium speed until smooth in texture, about 3-5 minutes.
- Turn the speed to low and add the egg, Beat for an additional minute until well combined. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated, mix on medium speed for an additional minute. At this time, if you find the mixture is too crumbly and needs moisture, add 1 tsp. oil and 1 tbsp. water and mix well. Add an additional tsp. oil and tbsp. water if necessary.
- Add the fresh ginger and mix until well combined.
- Combine the spice mixture, and then spread out onto a flat surface or plate.
- Using a spoon, scoop a small amount of the dough for each cookie. Using your hands, gently roll each cookie into approximately a 1 ¾-inch ball and then slightly flatten with your palm or fingers. You may need to wet your hands with a tiny amount of water to prevent sticking. Once flattened, press each side of the cookie into the cinnamon sugar in a shallow dish and then place cookie onto baking sheet.
- Bake 9-13 minutes. The cookies will be cracked on top and soft inside. Don't wait for the cookies to turn golden, as that will overcook them. Remove the cookies from the oven and let stand on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use and highly recommend.
Lena
Would the recipe be completely different/altered if the fresh ginger was not added? I just don't have any at home so I was wondering if I can opt out of it.
Sonya Ravi
Wow excellent recipe, I did a little change-up with the spices (added some white pepper and anise to make it a little spicier) but the dough is a great consistency; light and airy but still dense enough to be chewy, soft, and delicious. Thank you!!!
Nancy Ribe
I just finished making these soft molasses cookies and they are great. This recipe will be the official molasses cookie recipe in my house. My old recipe was made with shortening; has anyone tried making this with coconut oil instead of vegetable oil? Don't want to change perfection but I have coconut oil and am looking for things to put it into.
Lacey Baier
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Nancy! I'd bet the coconut oil would work just as well 🙂
Baby June
Ah those look wonderful! I love ginger + molasses, it's such a great quintessential flavor 🙂
Lacey Baier
Thanks! They're my quintessential holiday cookie 🙂
Amanda
I just made these tonight. Oh my goodness! I have a new favorite holiday cookie. I'm a ginger fanatic and these came out perfectly!
Lacey Baier
Yay! They're sooooo good, right?!? 🙂
Lauren
Have you ever frozen the dough and then baked them? Any reason why not? If I made them in Sept. or Oct. would they still be good for Dec.?
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Lauren! I've never done it, but freezing cookie dough is definitely something you can do. I recommend checking out this article for more information.
Tammy
YUM!!!!
I found your website a couple of weeks ago. Tried these this weekend. There is a cookie store we enjoy going to who charges an arm and leg for cookies that taste just like these. I was trying to find "the" recipe. Jack Pot. Boy the money I can save...... 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yay, Tammy! So glad to help you find that one recipe AND to help you save money. Score! 🙂
Elizabeth
I just found your site through googling for soft ginger cookies. Fantastic! I haven't time to look around it much as I am leaving to go buy some candied ginger to make these cookies today. They sound excellent and you have some great reviews. I'll let you know how they turn out for me. 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Yay, Elizabeth! Oh, I think you're gonna love these cookies. Good luck! 🙂
ElizabethS
Lacey, the cookies are fabulous! Easy recipe and they baked up beautifully. I got 33 3" cookies and have only 4 left! Everyone loved them, even the kid with braces.
Thanks again for the recipe. It will become a standard in my cookie repetoire!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Elizabeth! Aren't they so fabulous! So glad you enjoyed them and they were a hit. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Joanne
I just found your site and this recipe that I can't wait to try. Do I find granulated ginger in the spice aisle? I've never heard of it.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Joanne! Welcome to my site. You can find crystallized ginger in the spices aisle or sometimes in the aisle where they sell bulk items, like grains, beans and rice. Hope you enjoy the cookies -- they're my favorite!
WenDee Riffe
i just wanted ya to know that i soooooo love these cookies!!! i have made them several times since discovering you on PW's TK site!!! i am sorry that i am just now leaving you a comment on the TK site!!! however--it was a good one!!! or at least i thought so???LOL!!!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi, WenDee! Better late than never -- especially with a good review! 🙂 Heehee. I'm so glad you like the cookies...aren't they just fabulous?!?
Tina
Oh my. I just made these and ate 3 warm out of the oven. These are now on my Christmas cookie list. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I had a lot of crystallized ginger around after making ginger syrup (from the site Try It You Might Like It).
Here's my little shortcut for forming the cookies. I use a small scoop to make the dough into a ball shape and drop the ball into a small plate of sugar. Roll the ball in the sugar and the gently flatten it to about 1/2 inch thick with the bottom of a smooth object. (I used my measuring cup) The balls were about an inch and a quarter in size. I made 32 cookies in total.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Aren't they addicting, Tina? Especially right out of the oven. Thanks for sharing your shortcut!
Lisa
Ginger cookies are one of my favorite cookies and the spicier the better. Yours sound like exactly what my tastebuds are looking for.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Lisa, I think you will really like these ginger cookies. Thanks for stopping by!
Juliana
Lacey, these ginger cookies look very yummie, all the spices in it and ginger...will have to try this soon since I have a whole bag of crystallized ginger at home 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Perfect! I hope you like them, Juliana!
Joanne
I used to hate the taste of ginger but now I think I'm actually addicted to it. I could eat candied ginger by the handful! I am totally bookmarking this recipe. And yes ginger is totally good for you. So munch away!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Joanne! Yeah, I never really was much of a ginger fan before either...but I'm right there with you on just snacking on candied ginger....it's so good!
delicieux
These look fantastic Lacey. 🙂 My boyfriend loves ginger cookies, given his german heritage, so I have an old faithful recipe I usually make, but I will have to give these a try sometime as I like the idea of them being soft in the middle.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Oh my gosh, I hope you try them!! They are super soft in the middle 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Heather
These are the best ginger cookies I have ever eaten, and I have eaten plenty in my time!
Two questions: can I use raw sugar or Demerara in place of the coconut sugar, which is very expensive? And can I get away with less sugar and/or molasses?
Jen Moderator
Hi Heather, thank you for your question! Raw sugar or demerara should work just fine. Let us know how they turn out! -Jen
Miss Becky
the soft chewy centers of a ginger cookie cannot be beat. I've always loved gingersnaps and yours look so scrumptious and I love that they aren't overly dark too. I'm making this recipe very soon as I'm always looking for an alternative to chocolate (can't eat it). thanks for stopping by to say hello Lacey, and for your kind words of encouragement. my intention for 365 photos a year is alternately challenging and a labor of love. thanks so much.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi Miss Becky! I hope you like these ginger cookies. I agree with you on liking the lighter version, rather than overly dark. Again, best of luck with your 365 project! Keep up the good work!