You know what tastes like the holidays? These Chewy Molasses Ginger Sourdough Cookies. A balance of sweet molasses and warm ginger gives them a classic, cozy flavor. They bake up with slightly crisp edges and a tender, chewy center—perfect for a holiday plate or a weeknight treat.
Some Important Ingredients in Chewy Ginger Molasses Sourdough Cookies
Molasses: Light molasses gives these cookies chew and sweetness. For a deeper, more bitter flavor, use blackstrap molasses.
Ground Ginger: Ground ginger provides the warm, spicy note that defines these cookies.
Sourdough Discard: Use fresh discard (no more than a day or two old) to avoid an overly sour taste. The recipe assumes 100% hydration discard; if your discard is very thin, you may need a touch more flour.
Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter lets you control the salt level. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt slightly. Use softened butter for best texture.
Granulated Sugar: Sugar sweetens the dough and is used to coat the cookie balls before baking, adding a slight crunch.
All-Purpose Flour: These cookies perform best with all-purpose flour (about 11.5% protein), not bread flour.
Mixing Up Molasses Ginger Sourdough Cookies
Cream softened butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until a little lighter in color. Add granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated; this helps emulsify the mixture. Stir in the molasses and the sourdough discard until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger and cinnamon. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined—do not overmix.
Scooping Molasses Ginger Sourdough Cookie Dough
Pour some granulated sugar into a small bowl. Scoop the dough into roughly 2-tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between cookies for spreading.
Convection Bake for Cookies
Convection baking helps create crispy edges and a chewy middle. If your oven has a convection setting, use it. If not, you have two good alternatives:
- Increase the temperature by 25°F (so bake at 400°F) and preheat the oven longer to ensure it’s very hot before baking.
- Bake at the convection temperature (375°F) and add 2–3 minutes to the bake time.
Key tip: avoid overbaking. Remove cookies when the centers are still slightly soft; they will finish setting on the baking sheet and become chewy as they cool.
Let Molasses Ginger Sourdough Cookies Cool
These cookies need a few minutes on the baking sheet to fully set. The centers may be a bit soft when they come out of the oven—this is good. Let them cool most of the way on the sheet so the centers firm up into a chewy texture.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store leftover cookies?
Let cookies cool completely, then store in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze cooled cookies and thaw at room temperature a few hours before serving.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes. Scoop dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet (do not roll in sugar). Once frozen, transfer the balls to an airtight container and freeze for 2–3 months. When ready to bake, roll frozen or thawed balls in sugar and add a minute or two to the bake time if baking from frozen.
Can these cookies undergo long fermentation for more sourdough flavor?
Yes. Refrigerate the mixed dough overnight or up to a couple of days to develop more sourdough flavor and benefit from extended fermentation.
My cookies baked up flat. Why?
Likely reasons: not enough flour or butter was too warm or melted. Next time add a little more flour and ensure the butter is softened but not oily.
My cookies baked too thick and crumbly. What happened?
They probably had too much flour. Reduce the flour slightly on your next batch.
Molasses Ginger Sourdough Cookies
Equipment
- mixer or hand mixer
- cookie scoop
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 82 grams unsalted butter, softened (about 6 Tablespoons)
- 240 grams granulated sugar (about 1 cup)
- 1 large egg (about 50 grams)
- 90 grams molasses (about 1/4 cup)
- 60 grams sourdough discard
- 290 grams all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
- 12 grams baking soda (about 2 teaspoons)
- 2 grams salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
- 5 grams ground ginger (about 2 teaspoons)
- 3 grams ground cinnamon (about 1 teaspoon)
- Additional granulated sugar for coating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F on convection. (If you don’t have convection, see notes below.)
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter about 1 minute until light. Add granulated sugar and cream until fluffy.
- Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Mix in the sourdough discard and molasses until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- Scoop dough into 2-tablespoon balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between cookies.
- Bake at 375°F convection for 7–8 minutes, until cookies are puffy and the edges are slightly crisp. If you don’t have convection, bake at 375°F for 8–10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
Sourdough Discard: Use fresh discard to avoid a strong sour flavor. This recipe assumes 100% hydration; adjust flour if discard is runny.
Molasses: Light molasses gives chew and sweetness. For a darker, more bitter note, use blackstrap molasses.
Convection Bake: Convection helps achieve crisp edges and chewy centers. Without convection, bake at 375°F and add a couple of minutes to the time.
Nutrition
Calories: 149 kcal; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Protein: 2 g; Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Sugar: 15 g (values are approximate).