I’m a sucker for a good molasses cookie. The rich, dark, complex, bitter notes of blackstrap molasses meld together with sticky, floral honey to create a not-too-sweet cookie that’s full of spice and everything nice. These ones happen to be made with whole wheat flour (what else is new?) and chunks of candied ginger, and when backed into a corner and given no other option but to choose a favorite anything, darnit, these ones might be the cookies of my dreams. 
I grew up with plenty of molasses around. Maybe it’s a Massachusetts thing- we do love our baked beans and brown bread. Sometimes my mom would make us a glass of molasses milk (think chocolate milk, but with molasses instead of chocolate syrup), which, as a kid, was a weird but loveable flavor combo. I didn’t want to like it- it was bold, bitter, and masquerading as chocolate, after all- but I couldn’t resist the bold, bitter flavor of the molasses. 
It turns out molasses is pretty darn healthy, too. It’s full of iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, and, unlike white cane sugar (which is what molasses would eventually become, if it was boiled down, dried out, and bleached) it has antioxidant and anti-inflammitory properties. 
These cookies are of the soft, chewy variety. No gingersnaps here. I might have accidentally left a few of them in a container on the table for a week and even then, they were still soft and flavorful. The smoky-sweet molasses, spicy bites of candied ginger, and extra dose of winter-y spice by way of cinnamon and ginger make these cookies perfect with a cup of tea and a snuggly blanket. Because of all the bold flavors, you don’t even notice the whole wheat flour. Like, really, not at all. 
If you need any further persuasion to make these cookies, they’re rolled in sugar for a crunchy bite on the outside, and I stashed 12 of them in my freezer to turn into ice cream sandwiches in the coming weeks. I’m dreaming of a chai-spiced ice cream and/or a cardamom caramel ice cream to go with them. I can’t wait. 
If you make this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or take a picture and tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can see what you’re up to. Happy cookie season, friends!
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup room temperature butter*
- 1/4 cup room temperature coconut oil*
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour can sub all-purpose, regular whole wheat, or a combination of the two
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup candied ginger finely chopped
- 1/4 cup sugar to roll dough in
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment; set aside.
- 2. Add butter, coconut oil, honey, and molasses to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to fully combine (either by hand or with an electric mixer), then add egg and vanilla, and whisk again until smooth.
- 3. Add all remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Transfer dough into the fridge for 20 minutes or the freezer for 10. This will help the dough firm up and more easily roll into balls. You can also stop here and leave the dough in the fridge for up to 5 days, and just bake them as needed.
- 4. Once dough is chilled, scoop it onto the prepared pans. I used a small ice cream scoop to keep them all the same size. Drop each ball of dough into a small bowl with the 1/4 cup of sugar, and toss the ball around to coat. Once all dough balls are coated, put the pans into the oven. Either cook them one pan at a time for 10-14 minutes, or cook both at the same time, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Cookies should be golden around the edges, and just set in the middle. Mine were perfect at 12 minutes. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes