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These soft ginger molasses cookies with white chocolate chunks are a warm, spiced cookie studded with creamy white chocolate. Chewy centers, crisp edges, warm spiced flavor, with creamy white chocolate make it a quintessential Christmas cookie.
Growing up I thought that I didn’t like gingerbread cookies. I remember in elementary school eating the rock hard gingerbread men covered in royal icing and thinking it tasted downright horrible. For so long, I thought that I just wasn’t a gingerbead cookie girl.
And then I decided to try them again and make a soft and chewy version with all of the warm spices and buttery goodness of a homemade gingerbread cookie. I have never looked back! Now I can say that I am a gingerbread cookie lover.
Ginger molasses cookies are a quintessential holiday dessert. I love spiced cookies because of their warm spices, chewy centers, crisp edges, and they just remind me of cozy Christmases spent with family.
I have shared my friend’s famous Soft Ginger Molasses Cookie Recipe, my Levain Bakery Spice Cookie Recipe, chewy Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting, and homemade Christmas Oreos which are Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting. I love pairing ginger molasses cookies with chocolate, white chocolate, and cream cheese frosting to compliment the warm spices.
Why you will love these White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies:
The combination of warm spices, rich molasses, and creamy white chocolate chunks makes these the perfect Christmas cookie recipe. The balance of sweetness, spice, and creamy white chocolate makes them perfect for holiday gatherings, cookie swaps, or sharing with family and friends.
Ingredients:
The key to soft and chewy gingerbread cookies is to use a combination of butter, molasses, the perfect ratio of flour, and a combination of warm spices.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg + Egg Yolk
- Vanilla Extract
- Molasses
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Spices: Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Cayenne (optional)
- White Chocolate Chunks or Chips: I like to use chopped white chocolate bars but you can also use white chocolate chips. My favorite white chocolate chips are from Ghirardelli and Guittard.
What does molasses do in molasses cookies and why is it important?
Molasses is the star ingredient in these cookies. Its robust, bittersweet flavor complements the spices beautifully, adding depth to every bite.
Molasses gives the cookies their signature deep brown color, soft texture, and earthy sweetness. Molasses also attracts and retains moisture, giving the cookies their signature soft and chewy texture.
What spices to use in Ginger Molasses cookies?
The combination of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg evokes the essence of holiday baking, filling your kitchen with festive aromas.
- Ginger: Provides a warm, zesty heat that’s iconic in ginger molasses cookies.
- Cinnamon: Adds a sweet, woody warmth that enhances the overall spice blend.
- Cloves: Offer a rich, earthy depth and a slightly bitter edge that balances the sweetness. Cloves can be an overpowering flavor, so start with 1/2 teaspoon and add up to 1 teaspoon in this recipe.
- Nutmeg (optional): Contributes a nutty, slightly sweet spice with subtle hints of pine and earth.
- Cayenne Pepper (optional): Brings a slight heat and warmth to the cookies.
White Chocolate Chips vs. White Chocolate Chunks:
White Chocolate Chips: These are designed to hold their shape during baking, which means they will remain intact while baking.
White Chocolate Chunks: Cut from a bar of high-quality white chocolate, these melt more easily, creating gooey pockets of sweetness in the cookies. They also have a creamier flavor compared to chips.
For the best experience, we recommend using white chocolate chunks for their melty, luxurious texture.
How to make White Chocolate Chip Ginger Molasses Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until light and fluffy and pale in color. Add egg and vanilla. Add molasses and mix well.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Mix just until combined to avoid over-mixing the dough. Fold in white chocolate chunks or chips. Set aside some extra white chocolate for garnishing the cookies after baking.
- Place sugar into a small bowl. Roll dough into small balls and roll into sugar, coating well. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes.
- If you want the cookies to look like the ones in this recipe, as soon as the cookies are done baking and are removed from the oven, place a few white chocolate chunks or chips on the top to garnish the cookies.
Baking these cookies fills your home with the most inviting aromas, and sharing them spreads a little bit of holiday cheer. Whether you’re gifting them or enjoying them yourself, these ginger molasses white chocolate chunk cookies are sure to become a new holiday favorite.
Here is a collection of all of my CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES all in one place.
Christmas Cookie Recipes:
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Ginger Molasses White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter (barely softened, cut into cubes)
- 1 1/3 cups Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup Molasses
- 2 2/3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt (if using salted butter, reduce to 1/2 tsp)
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
- pinch Cayenne
- 2 cups White Chocolate Chunks or Chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until light and fluffy and pale in color. Add egg and vanilla. Add molasses and mix well.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Mix just until combined to avoid over-mixing the dough.
- Fold in white chocolate chunks or chips. Set aside some extra white chocolate for garnishing the cookies after baking.
- Place 1/4 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Roll dough into small balls and roll into sugar, coating well.
- Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes.
- If you want the cookies to look like more gourmet…as soon as the cookies are done baking and are removed from the oven, place a few white chocolate chunks or chips on the top to garnish the cookies.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How much dough is used per cookie?
Love how soft and chewy these cookies were!! Really good recipe.
These cookies!!! I am blown away by the impeccable flavor distributed through these. The spices and the warm, gooey consistency of this cookie brings an immediate smile to my face. I surely will be recommending these to everyone I see haha!
These cookies are AMAZING! Perfectly spiced, they truly are such a good soft Christmas cookie 🙂
Thank you for making them, Boston. Happy Holidays!