These big, soft ginger cookies are perfectly spiced and incredibly delicious. They have a melt in your mouth texture and are rolled in sugar before baking for a slight crunch. Easy to make, this small batch recipe yields 4 spectacular ginger molasses cookies.
These big, soft ginger cookies are one of my favorite kinds of cookies. They've got the perfect blend of sweet molasses, spicy ginger, and warm cinnamon.
These cookies are soft and chewy with a little crunch from the sugar coating. They're perfect for dunking in milk or enjoying with a hot cup of tea.
When cookies are this easy to make you'll want to make them fresh and enjoy them hot out of the oven when a cookie craving hits.
Why This Recipe Works
- This ginger cookie recipe yields a small batch of cookies - not the standard 2 dozen. It's the perfect amount if you're cooking for one.
- They're perfectly spiced and super chewy with soft centers.
- There is no chilling of the dough and these cookies bake in just 10 minutes!
RELATED: The Best Small Batch Cookie Recipes
Small Batch Cookies
Ginger cookies bring back many childhood memories. When I was a little girl, one thing I enjoyed most was climbing into my dad's recliner and settling in next to him while he watched the nightly news. My dad's favorite thing to do after dinner was to relax in his big chair with a tall glass of milk and a handful of spiced ginger cookies.
My dad loved his ginger cookies, or rather he loved ginger snaps. These store-bought cookies were a favorite of his and he felt the ginger cookies helped with his digestion.
I loved the flavor of those cookies but I was never a fan of the crunch. The snap in the gingersnaps was a bit much for me. I preferred my cookies to be soft.
When I set out to make this small batch ginger cookie recipe, I wanted to make sure the cookies had a gloriously spiced flavor, along with a hint of molasses. I also knew I wanted them to be soft and chewy.
I wanted to create a cookie recipe that would yield a very small batch - 3 or 4 cookies; enough to enjoy in one sitting if desired, or perhaps to enjoy for a day more.
RELATED: Best Homemade Food Gifts
You might also be interested in our Gingerbread For One recipe.
Ingredients
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Butter: Use softened salted butter, not cold butter in this ginger cookies recipe. Softened butter should still be cool to the touch but when you press your finger into the butter, your finger will leave an indentation. The best way to soften your butter is to put it out on the kitchen counter for a half hour before you want to use it. Another way to quickly soften butter is to put the cold butter in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. If you use this method, be sure to watch carefully - you don't want the butter to melt at all.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar in the dough, plus a little extra for rolling the cookies in before baking.
- Molasses: There are quite a few different types of molasses on store shelves, from lighter molasses to blackstrap molasses. I generally go with dark molasses or "robust molasses". The flavor of blackstrap molasses can be intense so I don't often use it for baking.
- Egg yolk: One egg yolk is all you need in this recipe. Do not be tempted to use the entire egg, doing so will affect the texture of the cookies. Instead, save the leftover egg white and use it in any of the recipes listed below or use it along with another egg or two to make scrambled eggs.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour. This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free or other types of flours.
- Spices: Use ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.
How To Make Ginger Cookies
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix in the egg yolk and molasses.
- In a small bowl, mix together the spices. Add spice mixture to the cookie dough and mix well.
- Roll the cookie dough into a ball and roll the ball in granulated sugar.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
What To Do With Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this ginger cookie recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes.
- Egg white: Meringue Cookies, Coconut Macaroons, Flourless Chocolate Cookies, Texas Sheet Cake
- Molasses, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves: Gingerbread Granola, Gingerbread
RELATED: Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Expert Tips
- Make sure you take the time to preheat your oven before baking.
- Soften the butter to room temperature. Do not melt the butter, it will change the texture of the cookie.
- I use unsulphured molasses in this recipe. I find Blackstrap molasses to be a little strong in baked goods.
- Feel free to tweak the amounts of ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The amounts listed in the recipe are my preferred amounts, however tinker with the amounts to suit your taste.
- Place the cookies on a silpat lined or parchment paper lined baking sheet and space the cookies 2-inches apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
This cookie recipe will yield about 4 cookies so you may or may not need to store them.
If you choose to, ginger cookies keep well in an airtight container or in a large zip-top bag at room temperature.
I love using Grandma's Unsulphured Molasses. It's got no preservatives, artificial colors, or artificial flavors. Another favorite is Brer Rabbit Molasses.
Yes, you can! Double all of the ingredients and use two egg yolks instead of one. Do not be tempted to use the entire egg, the texture of the cookies will be off. Cover and refrigerate the egg whites and use them in any of the recipes listed above.
Yes, they can. Keep the temperature and the baking time the same.
Other Small Batch Cookie Recipes
If you like this small batch ginger molasses cookie recipe, you might also like to try these cookie recipes:
- Lace Cookies
- Cowboy Cookies
- Oatmeal Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- DoubleTree Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried these cookies or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Batch Soft Ginger Cookies
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon, for rolling
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 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
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and ¼ cup of the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Mix in the egg yolk and molasses, and beat on medium-low speed until combined.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
- Roll the dough into 1 ½-inch round balls, then roll in the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Place 2-inches apart on baking sheet.
- Bake until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Make sure you take the time to preheat your oven before baking.
- Soften the butter to room temperature. Do not melt the butter, it will change the texture of the cookie.
- I use unsulphured molasses in this recipe. I find Blackstrap molasses to be a little strong in baked goods.
- Feel free to tweak the amounts of ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. The amounts listed in the recipe are my preferred amounts, however tinker with the amounts to suit your taste.
- Place the cookies on a silpat lined or parchment paper lined baking sheet and space the cookies 2-inches apart.
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.
Shanthini Jayanthan says
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.
Chris Kunze says
Can this recipe be used for roll out cookies? I love that it is a small batch! Going to find your Facebook page next. 😉
Joanie Zisk says
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.
Aletta says
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.
Joanie Zisk says
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.
Aletta says
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?
Joanie Zisk says
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.
Virginia kwiat says
I would like to purchase your cookbook, please advise me how to do that. Thank you
Joanie Zisk says
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/
Tina says
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
Joanie Zisk says
No, you don't need to flatten the cookies before baking.
Elizabeth says
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.
Joanie Zisk says
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.
Cindy says
Love to try this!!! Don’t like the crunch so this is great!
RJ says
Is it possible to make this in a toaster oven. Thanks for your time
Joanie Zisk says
Yes, the cookies can be made in a toaster oven. Keep the temperature and time the same.
Janet Fazio says
I made these for dessert Saturday night. Super easy and so yummy. They will be a fall staple for sure around here.
Ginny says
Easy to make and tasted great.
Joanie Zisk says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the cookies, Ginny. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Joanie