Gingerdoodles

Soft, chewy, and warmly spiced, Gingerdoodles combine the flavors of classic ginger cookies and snickerdoodles. Molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and other warm spices give them plenty of flavor, while a sugar coating adds a lightly crisp finish. They’re a great addition to a holiday cookie tray or an easy treat to enjoy with coffee or tea.

Three ginger cookies on a white speckled plate, with a napkin and a glass of milk in the background.

In the Christmas cookie baking mood? Try my oh so popular Shortbread Cookies, Christmas Sugar Cookies, Actually Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies or check out this big list of 50 Christmas Cookies.

Ingredients Notes

Okay, let’s jump right into the ingredients list because once you start to smell those delicious spices, you’re going to want these cookies like NOW. So here’s what you’ll need:

Butter: Softened for easy creaming and that rich, buttery flavor.
Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: For sweetness and a touch of moisture.
Egg: Helps bind the dough and creates a soft texture.
Vanilla Extract & Molasses: The flavor duo that makes these cookies unforgettable.
Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for that warm spice profile.
Salt: Balances the sweetness.
All-Purpose Flour: The base of the cookie dough.
Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise and stay soft.
Extra Granulated Sugar: For rolling and that classic sugar-crusted exterior.

ingredients for gingerdoodles recipe including butter, granulated sugar, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and molasses

How to Make Gingerdoodles

For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are my step by step directions for making these festive gingerdoodle cookies:

Step 1: Preheat Oven + Prep Baking Sheet

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2: Cream the Butter + Sugars

Cream butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy.

Cubes of butter in a glass bowl on a marble surface, ready to melt into delicious ginger cookies, with a wooden board and beige cloth in the background.

A glass bowl with brown sugar, white sugar, and cubes of butter sits on a marble surface, ready for making ginger cookies. A wooden board holds a spoon with brown powder, and a cloth napkin is nearby.

Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients

Stir in egg, vanilla extract and molasses. Whip for 1-2 minutes or until it turns a light brown color.

A bowl brimming with cookie dough, an egg, and molasses sits invitingly, ready to transform into delightful ginger cookies. Nearby, a whisk waits patiently on a backdrop of rustic fabric.

A hand mixer blends a delicious ginger cookie mixture in a glass bowl, with visible motion blur from the mixer blades.

Step 4: Add in Dry Ingredients

Stir in salt, baking soda, flour, and spices. Mix until ingredients are just combined.

A glass bowl containing flour, baking soda, and spices, including cinnamon and ginger, is displayed on a countertop, ready to transform into delicious ginger cookies.

Hands mixing dough for ginger cookies in a glass bowl using a spatula, with a countertop and baking utensils in the background.

Step 5: Roll + Coat in Sugar

Roll a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough into a ball and coat in granulated sugar. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Hands holding a metal cookie scoop over a bowl of brown dough.

Hands rolling dough into a ball over a glass bowl with brown dough on a kitchen counter.

Step 6: Bake

Bake 7-9 minutes or until the outside looks cooked but the inside is still soft and gooey. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Five sugar-coated cookie dough balls on a white baking tray.

Six round ginger cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step 7: Serve!

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips for Success

Use softened butter, not melted butter: Softened butter creams properly with the sugars, while melted butter can make the dough too loose and cause the cookies to spread more than you want.
Measure the flour carefully: Too much flour can make these cookies thick and dry, so spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping directly from the bag.
Watch the mixing after adding flour: Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear. Overmixing can develop too much gluten and leave the cookies tougher than they should be.
Keep an eye on the bake time: Gingerdoodles can look slightly underdone in the center when they come out of the oven. That soft center sets as the cookies cool, so taking them out too late can make them drier.
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes: They’re very soft right out of the oven, and letting them set a bit makes them much easier to move without breaking.
Use a cookie scoop for even-sized dough balls: This helps the cookies bake evenly, so you don’t end up with some cookies overbaked while others are still soft.

Hands holding a cracked, round ginger cookie over a white plate with more cookies in the background.

What to Serve With Gingerdoodles

These gingerdoodles are great with a warm drink or a scoop of something creamy. Here are a few recipes that pair especially well with their warm spices and molasses flavor.

Hot Chocolate – Rich, creamy hot chocolate makes a classic pairing with soft, spiced gingerdoodles, especially during the holiday season.
Vanilla Ice Cream – A scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream adds a cool contrast to the warm spices and soft centers.
Lemon Bar Ice Cream – The bright lemon flavor contrasts nicely with the deeper ginger and molasses flavors in the cookies.
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream – Pumpkin and warm spices make a natural match for gingerdoodles, giving you an easy fall-inspired dessert pairing.
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake – Serve these together for a cozy afternoon spread with plenty of cinnamon and warm spice.

With their perfect balance of sweetness and spice, Gingerdoodles are sure to become a new favorite in your baking rotation. Whip them up for a festive occasion with some eggnog or just because; these cookies are always a good idea. Happy Holidays, friends!

Three sugar-coated ginger cookies on a white speckled plate, with a blurred background featuring a glass of milk.

These soft baked Ginger Cookies, or Gingerdoodles, are the quintessential Christmas cookie! Chewy, buttery and full of warm spices that everyone will love.

Course Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword ginger cookies, ginger cookies recipe, ginger molasses cookies, soft ginger cookies

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Cool Time 5 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Servings small cookies

Calories 85kcal

Author Katie Cooksey

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
Stir in egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Whip 1-2 minutes or until it turns a light brown color.
Stir in remaining ingredients and mix until dry ingredients are just combined.
Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball, and coat in granulated sugar.
Place on silicone baking mat, lightly greased cookie sheet or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Bake 7-9 minutes or until outside looks cooked but inside is still soft and gooey.
Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Video

Nutrition

Variations

You can make these ginger cookies your own with a few simple tweaks:

Add Citrus Zest: A little orange or lemon zest brightens the flavor.
Use Dark Molasses: For a deeper, richer flavor.
Swap the Sugar: Try turbinado sugar for rolling for extra crunch.
Extra Spice: Amp up the ginger or add a pinch of black pepper for a spicier kick.
Candied Ginger: Mix into the dough, then roll in sugar and bake.
Dipped in White Chocolate and Sprinkles. This dresses these up a bit and makes it look more festive. Plus, chocolate is always good.
Icing. A simple mixture of powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk. Skip the sugar coating if you do this one.

More Christmas Ginger Recipes to Love!

Storage + Make Ahead Directions for Gingerdoodles

Store in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to a week. You can extend their shelf life by keeping them in the fridge for an extra week or the freezer for up to 3 months!

To Make Ahead: Gingerdoodles are a great make-ahead recipe. Simply follow the recipe and stop before you roll the ginger cookie dough into sugar. Freeze the dough now for up to 3 months.

When ready to bake, take the cookie dough out of the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then pick up where the recipe left off by rolling the dough in sugar and baking.

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tag me @laurens_latest.

Gingerdoodles

Ingredients Notes