Quick Soft Molasses Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (No Chill)
These soft, spiced molasses gingerbread cookies come together in under 30 minutes with no chilling required. Perfect for last-minute cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or a cozy treat any time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (170g) unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional: ¼ cup coarse sugar (turbinado or demerara) for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through.
- Add the molasses and room-temperature egg. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth. Scrape the bowl again.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt for about 20-30 seconds.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions, mixing on low speed or stirring with a wooden spoon just until the flour disappears after each addition. Do not overmix. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- If using coarse sugar, pour about ¼ cup into a small bowl. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion out rounded balls of dough, about 1½ tablespoons each. Roll each ball between your palms to smooth, then roll in the coarse sugar to coat. Place the sugared dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies are done when puffed up, edges set, and tops look cracked; centers will still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough, letting the baking sheet cool completely between batches.
Notes
For the most consistent cookies, weigh dough balls to about 25 grams each. Use unsulfured molasses, not blackstrap. Butter must be softened but not melted. Do not overmix after adding flour. Bake one sheet at a time for even results. Cookies taste even better the next day as flavors meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 95
- Fat: 4.5
- Saturated Fat: 2.5
- Carbohydrates: 19
- Protein: 2
Keywords: soft molasses gingerbread cookies, no chill gingerbread, quick gingerbread cookies, molasses cookies, gingerbread recipe