Ginger Molasses Cookies with Cardamom Glaze

These ginger molasses cookies are ultra-soft, chewy, and are easy to prepare in large batches. If that’s not enough, I even topped it off with a cardamom and ginger glaze to take your holiday cookie game to the next level!

• Butter: For this recipe, unsalted butter at room temperature is ideal. To prevent the cookies from spreading, it is recommended to only take out your butter 2 hours ahead of time.
• Sugar: I love combining granulated and brown sugar with molasses. It is just the perfect balance!
• Molasses: Choose pure fancy molasses since “fancy” molasses is more sweeter and lighter.
• Egg: You will need one large egg at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract: A splash of vanilla really ties in the flavours.
• Flour: Just regular all-purpose flour will work.
• Baking Soda: This cookie needs baking soda to achieve a fluffy cookie.
• Salt: Table salt or kosher salt.
• Spices: Molasses cookies are full of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.
• Turbinado: A classic ginger molasses cookie has those delicious crystallized sugar pieces all around, so you best believe this recipe will also include that! If you don’t have turbinado sugar, you can use regular granulated sugar or demerara sugar.
• Powdered sugar: Only powdered or icing sugar will work for the glaze.
• Heavy cream + Milk: To thin out the glaze, use any percentage of milk or a combination of milk and whipping cream for a thicker glaze consistency.

Step 1: Combine flour, baking soda, salt and all the spices in a bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whip the room-temperature butter with a handheld mixer or in a stand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the butter is fluffy and pale. Then add granulated and brown sugar, and mix until the sugar is well incorporated into the butter.

Step 3: Add one egg, molasses and vanilla. Combine for a few seconds.

Step 4: Mix in your dry ingredients until incorporated, be careful not to over-mix (a few remaining streaks of flour in the dough are fine).

Step 6: Use a medium cookie scoop and roll the balls of dough using your hands. Freeze the ball of dough for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to an hour.

Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176℃) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a shallow plate or bowl, pour the turbinado sugar and roll each ball of dough firmly until fully covered. Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes or until they reach your desired texture (I prefer my cookies to be on the crispier side). After baking, allow the cookies to cool in the pan for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack.

Step 8: For the cardamom glaze, combine icing sugar, cardamom, ginger, heavy cream and milk. Whisk until it forms a thick glaze. (If the glaze is too thick add more milk)

Step 9: Now for the best part! Drizzle on the glaze with either a spoon or piping bag and decorate with festive sprinkles.

• Use room temperature ingredients
• Measure out ingredients in grams
• It’s a good idea to place a single cookie in the oven to test the temperature and baking time, as oven temperatures can vary.
• Store frozen cookie dough in an airtight ziplock bag in the freezer. Allow the dough to come to room temperature for an hour before baking.
• Making these cookies is a perfect holiday activity. First, bake the cookies, then put the icing in lock bags, and set up some fun Christmas sprinkles in bowls. This is a great activity for the kids to stay busy and it’s also perfect for a fun girls’ night

Ginger Molasses Cookies with Cardamom Icing

These ginger molasses cookies are ultra-soft, chewy, and are easy to prepare in large batches

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Servings 14 cookies

Ingredients

  

Ginger Molasses Cookies

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (281 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter (151 grams) room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (73 grams)
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1/3 cup pure fancy molasses
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar

Cardamom glaze

• 1/3 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream see note
• 2 tablespoons milk
• optional: festive sprinkles or candied ginger

Instructions

 

Ginger Molasses Cookie

• Combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.
  2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (281 grams), 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground clove, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• In a large bowl, whip the room-temperature butter for 3 minutes using a handheld or stand mixer at medium to low speed. Add the granulated and brown sugar and cream to the butter and mix for a minute.
  2/3 cup unsalted butter (151 grams), 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams), 1/3 cup brown sugar (73 grams)
• To the sugar and butter mixture, add an egg, molasses and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
  1 large egg, 1/3 cup pure fancy molasses, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Add your dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low speed until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
• Using a medium cookie scoop, (approx 1.5 tablespoons) scoop out the dough and roll it into a ball. Place the dough balls into the freezer for approximately 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (176℃) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the turbinado sugar into a bowl and roll each ball into the sugar until it is fully covered. Evenly spread the cookies onto the baking sheet.
  1/3 cup turbinado sugar
• Bake the cookies for approximately 9 to 12 minutes. Once the cookies are done, allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wired rack.

Cardamom Glaze

• Combine icing sugar, cardamom, ginger, heavy cream and milk into a bowl. Whisk until combined. Using a spoon or a piping bag, drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles, candied ginger or nuts.
  1/3 cup icing sugar, 1 teaspoon cardamom, 1 teaspoon ginger, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 2 tablespoons milk, optional: festive sprinkles or candied ginger

Notes

• Heavy cream: you can substitute the heavy cream for milk.
• Consistency: If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. 
• Baking time: may vary depending on your oven. 
• Storage: Freeze dough balls in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months or place baked cookies in a ziplock bag or sealed container for 3 to 4 days. 

Keyword christmas cookies, ginger molasses, ginger molasses cookies