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These small batch ginger cookies bake up soft and chewy in the center with lightly crisp, sugar-coated edges and rich molasses and ginger flavor. The dough needs no chilling, and the recipe makes 4 cookies from scratch, sized for one or two people.
Featured Comment
“These were a big hit in my household of two people. It was just the right amount of soft with a little bit of crunchy exterior and they were delicious…”
– Marianne
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Cool Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Equipment: Baking sheet, hand mixer
- Cook Method: Bake
- Servings: 4 cookies (for 1 to 2)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Deep molasses and ginger flavor, warmed with cinnamon and a hint of clove.
These ginger molasses cookies crackle across the top as they bake, the same soft spiced cookie you’d pull from a Christmas cookie tin, in a batch small enough to make any time of year.
Why You’ll Love These Soft Ginger Cookies
A batch of these ginger cookies gives you the best part of holiday baking without a counter full of cookies. They bake up soft in the center with crackled, sugar-crusted tops, and the dough goes straight from the bowl to the oven without any chilling. I make them for one or two people, four cookies at a time, so every cookie gets eaten fresh.
They taste like the spiced cookies I grew up eating around the holidays, the kind that usually come from a recipe that makes four dozen. I scaled mine down until it made exactly four, with a single egg yolk that gives the cookies their chewy texture. Save the white for one of my egg white recipes.
Everything in the dough is a pantry staple, the cookies are made from scratch, and if four isn’t enough, the recipe doubles easily with the same bake time. Have one with an afternoon cup of coffee, then save the rest for dessert.
Looking for more small batch cookie recipes? Try my small batch molasses cookies, small batch snickerdoodles, and small batch sugar cookies. And if you love these flavors, my mini gingerbread cake belongs on your list too.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
A handful of baking staples makes these single serve ginger molasses cookies, and you probably have everything in your pantry right now. For ways to use any leftover ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Butter: I use salted butter, softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugar. It should be cool to the touch but soft enough to leave a dent when you press it. Leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes, or microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds, and don’t let it melt.
Sugar: Granulated sugar does two jobs here. It sweetens the dough, and you’ll roll the dough balls in extra sugar for the lightly crisp coating that gives these cookies their crackled tops.
Molasses: Use dark molasses, sometimes labeled “robust.” It carries the deep flavor these cookies are known for. Skip blackstrap, which is too strong and bitter for a batch this small. If you have molasses left in the jar, use it in my small batch gingerbread granola.
Egg yolk: One egg yolk gives these cookies their chewy texture. Save the white for my mini pavlova, small Texas sheet cake, or two vanilla cupcakes.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping from the bag, which packs in too much and makes dry cookies. For gluten free ginger cookies, swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend like King Arthur Measure for Measure.
Baking soda: Baking soda helps the cookies spread and gives the tops their cracks. If yours has been open a while, test it: add ¼ teaspoon of vinegar to ½ cup of hot tap water, then add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. If it doesn’t fizz right away, replace it.
Spices: Ground ginger leads, with cinnamon, cloves, and a pinch of salt behind it. This is the classic ginger cookie spice blend, and you can adjust any of them to taste.
Recipe Variations
There are easy ways to change these chewy ginger cookies to suit you. For a deeper spice flavor, add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice to the dry ingredients, and for a little crunch, mix in a tablespoon of finely chopped walnuts or almonds.
Single Serve Ginger Cookies
To make two large ginger cookies, divide the dough in half and roll each half into one big ball. Coat them in sugar the same way and leave plenty of space between them on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have crackled. One big, soft-centered cookie is a dessert on its own.
Mini Ginger Cookies
To make mini ginger cookies, roll the dough into 1-inch balls instead of 1½-inch. You’ll get 8 to 9 small cookies from one batch. Start checking them at 8 minutes, since smaller cookies bake faster.
Ginger Cookies With Candied Ginger
Stir 1 tablespoon of finely chopped candied ginger into the dough after the flour mixture goes in, just until the pieces are spread through evenly. Candied ginger gives these cookies a stronger ginger flavor than ground ginger alone can, plus little chewy, spicy bites throughout. Chop the pieces small so every cookie gets a few.
Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies
Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips to the dough after the flour mixture goes in. Chocolate and ginger are a classic pairing, and the chips melt into pockets that soften the spice in each bite. Regular or white chocolate chips work in these cookies.
Orange Ginger Cookies
Stir ½ teaspoon of orange or lemon zest into the butter and sugar as you cream them. Creaming releases the citrus oils into the butter, so the flavor spreads through the whole batch instead of sitting in streaks. The zest brightens the molasses without covering the spices, and orange with ginger is a flavor pairing you’ll find in classic holiday baking.
How To Make Small Batch Ginger Cookies
These photos show you how easy it is to make ginger cookies from scratch. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Mix in the egg yolk and molasses until fully combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt, then gradually mix them into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms with no streaks of flour.
- Roll the dough into 1½-inch balls and coat each one in granulated sugar.
- Place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart, and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have cracked.
Ginger Cookies vs. Gingersnaps vs. Gingerbread Cookies
All three cookies share the same backbone of molasses and warm spices, and the names get used loosely. The real difference is texture.
Gingersnaps are thin, crisp cookies that snap when you break them, baked longer so they dry out and crunch.
Gingerbread cookies are usually rolled and cut into shapes, though plenty of bakers also use the name for soft, round molasses cookies like these.
Ginger cookies, sometimes called ginger molasses cookies, are the soft and chewy version, baked just until the edges set so the centers stay tender.
This recipe makes soft ginger cookies, so if what you want is a small batch of gingerbread cookies in drop form, with crackled tops instead of cut-out shapes, you’re in the right place.
Expert Tips
Make the dough balls the same size. Four cookies bake side by side, so one oversized ball means one underbaked cookie. Roll all four to 1½ inches and they’ll finish together.
Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges set. The centers should still look soft and the tops should be cracked. The cookies keep cooking on the hot baking sheet after they come out, and that carryover heat is what leaves the centers chewy instead of dry.
Let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Fresh from the oven, these cookies are too soft to move. A few minutes on the sheet firms them up enough to transfer to a wire rack without breaking.
Start with a fully preheated oven. A bake this short leaves no time for the oven to catch up. Cookies that go into an underheated oven spread too far before they set.
Troubleshooting
If your homemade ginger cookies didn’t come out the way you expected, here’s how to get them soft, chewy, and crackled every time.
Why are my ginger cookies flat?
Ginger cookies spread flat when the butter is too soft or the kitchen is warm. Butter that’s melting before the dough hits the oven can’t hold the cookie’s structure. The dough should feel soft but not greasy. If it does, chill the dough balls for 10 minutes before rolling them in sugar and baking. This recipe doesn’t need a chill under normal conditions, so a quick one is only the fix for a warm day.
Why are my ginger cookies hard?
Ginger cookies turn hard when they bake too long or the dough has too much flour. These cookies finish baking on the hot sheet after they come out of the oven, so pull them from the oven when the edges are set and the centers still look soft. If your dough was dry and crumbly before baking, the flour was likely packed into the cup; spoon and level it next time. Hard cookies soften in an airtight container overnight with a slice of bread.
Why didn’t my ginger cookies crack on top?
Ginger cookies don’t crack when the baking soda is old, the sugar coating is skipped, or the dough goes into an oven that isn’t fully preheated. The cracks come from two things working together: baking soda reacts with the acidic molasses to make the cookie rise and spread, while the sugar coating dries the surface of the dough ball so it splits instead of stretching. Test your baking soda if it’s been open a while, roll each ball generously in sugar, and give the oven time to reach full temperature before the cookies go in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ginger cookies need molasses, and I don’t recommend making this recipe without it. Molasses gives these cookies their deep flavor, dark color, and chewy texture, and I haven’t tested this recipe with any substitutes. If you’re out of molasses, my small batch sugar cookies or snickerdoodles are good cookies to bake instead.
This ginger cookie dough needs no chilling and goes straight from the mixing bowl to the oven. Many ginger cookie recipes call for 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge, but this small batch dough holds its shape when the butter is cool and properly softened. On a warm day, if the dough feels greasy, chill the dough balls for 10 minutes before baking.
This ginger cookie recipe doubles easily to make 8 cookies, enough for two people with a few to spare. Double every ingredient and bake the cookies at 350°F for the same 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have cracked.
Ginger cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. A well-sealed container keeps them soft and chewy.
Ginger cookies freeze well for up to 3 months, either baked or as unbaked dough balls. Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container and thaw them at room temperature. For dough, freeze the sugar-coated balls on a tray until solid, transfer them to a freezer bag, and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
This ginger cookie dough is made for drop cookies, and I haven’t tested it rolled and cut into shapes. It’s a soft dough with no chill time, so it’s best rolled into balls by hand. For shaped gingerbread cookies, use a recipe developed for cut-outs.
RELATED: Best Homemade Food Gifts
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch ginger cookies recipe please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Small Batch Ginger Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter , softened to room temperature (cool but soft enough to dent with your finger)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar , plus 1 tablespoon for rolling
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon molasses (dark or robust, not blackstrap)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and ¼ cup of the sugar with a hand mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy.
- Add the egg yolk and molasses, and mix on medium-low speed until fully combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a soft dough forms with no streaks of flour.
- Roll the dough into four 1½-inch balls. Roll each ball in the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar until coated, and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set, the tops have cracked, and the centers still look soft. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
One of my most favorite cookies ever! I like to add just a bit of chopped up crystallized ginger to the mixture too.
I’ve never baked cookies before. I thought I would try something new, and try to make these ginger cookies. The cookies turned out great. The second time I made them, I made 12 cookies instead of 8 – just to have a little smaller cookie. Thanks onedishkitchen !
Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed them.
This was so good, even my picky husband gave it a 5/5!
I’m so happy to hear that—even a win with the picky eaters! Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
First time making these and they’re already a favorite. Perfect balance of sweet and spice. I mixed in white baking chips. Perfectly crunchy on the edges and soft and chewy in the middle!
Absolutely love this recipe. I always add nutmeg and sometimes candied ginger they are amazing.
Have made them more times than I want to admit. If you like ginger cookies try these they are perfect.
How to access receipesfor egg whites, tried to do so, but no luck. Did see a link to receipes for egg whites but can not find it today. Please send it to me please.
Here it is, Glenn – https://onedishkitchen.com/egg-white-recipes/
It’s just a perfect recipe for these cookies in my opinion. They turned out a bit crispy and so delightfully chewy in the center, really a perfect texture for such. They also look fantastic with a lot of cracks on mine(i wish i knew a way of getting less but bigger ones tho). Molasses really shines through, but I’d actually add a little less so I can eat more of these not getting tired of its tanginess. That’s a solid recipe for treating just yourself with warm on a snowy winter evening.
I am so happy I found your site. It is just my husband and I now and we aren’t big eaters. I hate having so much food from one recipe. . I can do the math to cut a recipe in half but it is just so nice to find small batch recipes already there. It looks like good common food that we both like. I a, going to make cookies first , of course, but look forward to trying out more as time goes on. Thank you.
Hi, In the method it says to use one portion of the sugar in the first step but does not explain where to add the remaining sugar? Am I miss reading the method?
Hi Doreen, in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, under step 5, we roll the balls of cookie dough in the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
YUM! I made 9 smaller cookies, baked for 10 minutes in my toaster oven, and they came out perfectly!
Turned out amazing!So happy with them!!
These were a big hit in my household of two people. It was just the right amount of soft with a little bit of crunchy exterior and they were delicious. What a great way to have something yummy and to control portions!
Awesome cookie. I drizzled some with brown butter icing.
I love ginger cookies. But can’t take too much sugar. How to adjust the recipe and make them crunchy. Thanks.
To reduce a little bit of the sugar content in ginger cookies, don’t roll the cookie dough in sugar. You can cut back on the amount of sugar in the recipe but doing so will result in changes to the cookies. Sugar helps the cookies to spread and the amount of sugar called for in the recipe is what we have determined to be the right amount so that the cookies spread perfectly. If you use less sugar, the cookies will spread less. Lower sugar cookies will also be more cakey and crumbly.
Wonderful cookie!!! Didn’t change a thing- very hard for me- but I’m glad. I used a Tbsp cookie scoop, heaped a bit and got 9 cookies! Excellent outcome for this very old Swedish lady who grew up thinking all cookies should be very small so a variety can be served and everyone can try them all.
Excellent! I upped the spice level: adding allspice, cayenne, white pepper but these are wonderful as written. They make the perfect amount (7).
I don’t use salted butter and don’t want to buy it just for making cookies. What can I do for these recipes that call for salted butter.?
Using unsalted butter is perfectly fine.
I’ve been meaning to try all of these recipes but never found the time. So glad I finally found the time because these cookies are AMA-Zing!! Love, love, love everything about them – soft, sweet and a hint of spice!
My favorite molasses cookie recipe! Making some for breakfast now 🙂
Sounds like the perfect breakfast!
Made these today and they are heavenly! Thank you for this wonderful recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Just made them for the evening. They came out perfect. I made the 4 cookies for both of us. Baked them in the toaster oven. I love your site. Mostly make things for my husband and I. Thank you for sharing.
Can this recipe be used for roll out cookies? I love that it is a small batch! Going to find your Facebook page next. 😉
Thank you, Chris. I actually haven’t used this cookie dough for roll out cookies but if you do, please let me know how it turns out.
I would love to give these as gifts in jars to my single friends. If they don’t have molasses, what can they use instead?
Will try it out soon.
Hi Aletta, molasses is a key ingredient in ginger cookies and I have not tested this recipe with any substitutes. You might try using a tablespoon of dark corn syrup instead of molasses but it will alter the flavor of the cookies a bit. Another idea would be to use 1 tablespoon of brown sugar instead of molasses. Since brown sugar is made from granulated sugar and molasses, it might be a closer flavor match.
Thank you! I’ve just baked them exactly as the recipe states, but mine didn’t spread at all. It stayed in a rounded ball. It tasted good though. Did I do anything wrong?
Was the amount of butter you used reduced? Did you preheat the oven or put the cookies into a cold oven? The oven should preheat for at least 10 minutes before baking. You might want to check the oven temperature with an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature registered is correct.
I would like to purchase your cookbook, please advise me how to do that. Thank you
Thank you so much, Virginia. You can purchase our cookbook from Amazon or in bookstores. You can read more about it on our cookbook page – https://onedishkitchen.com/ultimate-cooking-for-one-book-order-page/
Hi…just one quick question…do you need to flatten these out into a cookie shape after rolling them in the sugar? I couldn’t see it anywhere in the recipe.
Thanks,
Tina
No, you don’t need to flatten the cookies before baking.
There are two of us.
If I want to double the recipe could I just use 1 whole egg?
Thanks in advance for any response.
Hi Elizabeth,
The cookies have a nicer texture when only the egg yolk is used. I have doubled this cookie recipe with success by using two egg yolks. Save the egg whites and add them to scrambled eggs or consider using them in Meringues (https://onedishkitchen.com/small-batch-meringues/) or cupcakes (https://onedishkitchen.com/how-to-make-two-vanilla-cupcakes/), both of these recipes can be doubled so you can use two egg whites.
Love to try this!!! Don’t like the crunch so this is great!
Is it possible to make this in a toaster oven. Thanks for your time
Yes, the cookies can be made in a toaster oven. Keep the temperature and time the same.
I made these for dessert Saturday night. Super easy and so yummy. They will be a fall staple for sure around here.
Easy to make and tasted great.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the cookies, Ginny. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Joanie