Sourdough Ginger Molasses Cookies
These are the best sourdough ginger molasses cookies ever! They are soft and chewy with a delicious sugar crunch on the outside. They are the perfect cookie to bake for the Christmas holidays!
Are you looking for the best cookie recipe to bake for Christmas?
Not only is this recipe for ginger molasses sourdough cookies one of the easiest to make, but it's one of my favorite sourdough recipes as well.
The texture and flavor of these cookies are out of this world. You'll love how chewy they are as well as the crunch on the outside from the coating of sugar.
These sourdough molasses cookies are easy to make with sourdough starter discard. Just mix the ingredients, let the cookie dough chill for an hour, and bake.
Your kitchen will smell amazing as these cookies bake up to perfection every time!
More sourdough cookie recipes to try: sourdough snickerdoodles / sourdough chocolate chip cookies / sourdough thumbprint cookies / sourdough cut out sugar cookies / sourdough peanut butter cookies / sourdough oatmeal cookies
Sourdough Ginger Molasses Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- unfed sourdough starter
- unsalted butter - melted
- dark brown sugar
- white cane sugar
- molasses
- egg
Dry ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- salt
Tips and Substitutions
- We developed this recipe as a way to use sourdough discard but it can be made with active sourdough starter as well.
- Either plant-based or regular butter can be used.
- If you are looking to make these cookies vegan, omit the egg, but note that the cookies will not be as chewy.
- Add up to 1 additional teaspoon of baking soda for thinner cookies.
How to make sourdough ginger molasses cookies
This cookie dough can be made by hand, using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.
Step 1: Make the dough
Add the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger, to a large mixing bowl and use a whisk to combine. Set the bowl aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients, sourdough starter, melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and egg, together until they are smooth and creamy.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix everything together.
NOTE: Make sure the dough is smooth and not sticky. If it's sticky, mix in an additional 2-3 tablespoons of flour.
Step 2: Chill the dough
Cover the bowl and place the dough in the fridge to chill for a minimum of one hour. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days before baking.
Step 3: Portion the cookie dough and coat with sugar
When you are ready to bake, move the oven rack to the center position and preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
Add ¼ cup of granulated sugar to a plate or small bowl.
Use a cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough. Each one should be about 2 tablespoons.
Scoop a portion into your hands and roll it around to create a smooth ball.
Roll the ball around in the sugar to evenly coat the outside of the dough ball.
Arrange 12 cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should flatten out and the tops will start to crack.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
How to store
Keep the baked sourdough ginger molasses cookies at room temperature in a sealed container for up to a week. For extended storage, move them to a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can prepare the cookie dough up to 5 days ahead of baking and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
If there's any unused dough after 5 days, freeze it for up to 3 months.
To freeze unbaked cookie dough, divide the dough into portions without sugar coating. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for one hour before transferring them to a freezer-safe container.
More easy sourdough dessert recipes
- sourdough brownies
- sourdough chocolate chip scones
- sourdough sugar cookie bars
- sourdough blueberry muffins
Subscribe to our newsletter and we'll send you more fresh recipes, valuable troubleshooting advice, useful tips, and other information we believe will be helpful to you!
Sourdough Ginger Molasses Cookies
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter (melted)
- ¼ cup (50 g) dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup (100 g) sourdough starter discard
Sugar Coating
- ¼ cup sugar (you may need more)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine the dry ingredients, — flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger — in a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together thoroughly and set the bowl aside.
- In another bowl, blend the wet ingredients — sourdough starter, melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and egg — until the mixture achieves a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Transfer the wet ingredients to the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to carefully blend all the ingredients together. (Make sure the dough is smooth and not sticky. If it's sticky, mix in 2-3 tablespoons of flour.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the dough, allowing it to chill for at least one hour (up to 5 days).
- When you're ready to bake, place the oven rack in the center position and preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Place ¼ cup of granulated sugar on a plate or in a small bowl. Use a cookie scoop to measure out the cookie dough, with each portion being approximately 2 tablespoons. Take a portion in your hands and roll it to form a smooth ball. Roll the ball around in the sugar to evenly coat the outside of the dough ball.
- Place 12 cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until they spread and the tops begin to crack. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before serving them.
These are SO good! I did, however, also get the fluffy/cakey result with two different batches. I think they are fantastic that way. but I really want to achieve the cracked top/chewiness like the cookies pictured! Any tips? (I use a scale, so I am wondering if it's because of my baking soda quantity? Used very flat start that was in the fridge for quite some time.)
Hi Monica, have you tried lightly banging the cookie sheet on the counter after the cookies come out of the oven? This may be what you need to get the cookies to "fall and crack".
Pretty good! My 7 year old loved them. My 10 year old said too much Molasses. I personally would like more ginger but they were great as is too! Love that they weren't overly sweet.
These cookies instantly became a favorite by everyone who tried them! Big, soft, chewy, that bit of ginger spice and sweet sugar coating - just delicious. The recipe is very easy and I love that I can have it in the fridge for a few days ready to bake. Thank you for sharing it, it’s mine now 😉
Hello - the cookies seemed to be domed and fluffy, not flatten out like yours? any suggestions? I did add 1/4 tsp baking soda to see if that would help but it did not.
Hi Julie, fluffy and domed cookies are usually due to too much baking soda. Make sure you level off the baking soda when using a measuring spoon. We also recommend chilling the dough for at least an hour before baking.
I made these yesterday. The texture is perfect but they have an aftertaste of baking soda. I followed the recipe and put 2 teaspoons. Have you ever had that happen? I chilled the dough over night for extra ferment but can’t take the aftertaste. Any suggestions? I follow so many of your recipes.
Have you ever tried substituting honey for the sugar? Wondering if that would turn out.
You can use honey but you will probably need to add some additional flour if the dough is too sticky.
Lovely recipe for using up discard; very tasty and easy to make. Did omit the sugar coating.
We made them a bit large (24 total,) but they tuned out fine on our silicone baking mat for 12 minutes.
Will save and make again! Thanks!
I have made four of your sourdough discard cookies and all have been delicious. Theses are nice and crunchy on the outside and very moist and flavorful on the inside.
Absolutely delicious and the kitchen smelled great. Mine cracked, but did not flatten as in the photo. Cooked longer than 12 minutes hoping they would flatten. Used my scale and always use grams. Would using your tip of extra Baking Soda help flattening next time? There will be a next time!
Delicious! Only used half the butter required but they came out great.