Introduction
Have you ever stood in the kitchen, caught between the desire for the comforting simplicity of a sugar cookie and the spicy warmth of a ginger snap? I certainly have. Cooking isn’t just about food; it’s about making people happy, and sometimes that means navigating the conflicting cravings of a household. Last Tuesday, the rain was coming down hard here in our neighborhood, the kind of gray afternoon that practically begs for the oven to be turned on. My son Adams, who is twelve now and strictly believes chocolate is a food group, asked for something rich and fudgy. However, I was filled with a sudden nostalgia for my Grandmother’s kitchen, specifically the smell of her spice cabinet where she kept the ginger and molasses for her famous holiday bakes.
That is exactly how this recipe for Chocolate Sugar Cookies which doubles as an incredible Chocolate Ginger Cookies recipe was born. It is a memoir meets manual situation where two classic worlds collide. By tweaking just a few spices, you can transform a classic chocolate sugar cookies dough into soft and chewy chocolate ginger molasses cookies that rival any bakery offering. Whether you are looking for chocolate sugar cookies for cutouts to decorate with the kids or a sophisticated spiced chocolate sugar cookies drop cookie for a dinner party, this dough does it all. Grab your apron! Let’s make a mess and some memories together.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Ginger Cookies
There is a special kind of magic that happens when you combine deep, dark cocoa with the sharp bite of fresh or ground ginger. If you are on the fence about which cookie to bake, here is why this recipe is going to become a staple in your home, just as it has in mine.
- Versatility at Its Best: This is essentially a master dough. You can leave out the spices for a pure, fudgy easy chewy chocolate sugar cookies recipe that tastes like a brownie edge, or you can load it up with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves for chocolate molasses cookies that scream holiday comfort.
- Texture Heaven: These are not dry, crumbly biscuits. Thanks to the specific ratio of brown sugar and butter, these are soft chocolate cookies with a slightly crisp edge. If you roll them in sugar before baking, you get that satisfying crackle texture reminiscent of a simple chocolate crinkle.
- No Chill Time Required (mostly): For the drop cookie version, you can bake these right away. If you are making chocolate sugar cookies for cutouts, a brief chill helps, but for the impatient bakers among us (like my daughter Jana), you can have cookies in just over 20 minutes.
- Freezer Friendly: As a busy dad, I love recipes that I can prep ahead. You can freeze the dough balls and bake them straight from the freezer whenever you need a fix of double dark chocolate ginger cookies.
- Dietary Flexibility: I have included notes below on how to tweak this for vegan chocolate ginger cookies or gluten free needs, ensuring everyone at the table feels included.
Ingredients for Chocolate Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Ginger Cookies
The beauty of this recipe lies in the pantry staples. You do not need to run to a specialty store, though quality does matter. Here is what you need to gather to get that perfect chewy chocolate cookies texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure it is softened to room temperature. This allows it to cream properly with the sugars, creating air pockets that lead to a soft lift. If you need a dairy free option, high quality vegan butter sticks work wonders.
- Granulated Sugar & Dark Brown Sugar: We use a mix here. Granulated sugar provides crisp edges, while brown sugar adds moisture and chewiness, essential for soft ginger cookies.
- Molasses: The secret weapon. Even if you are making the standard chocolate sugar cookies, a tablespoon of molasses adds a depth of flavor that mimics the complexity of chocolate. For the ginger snap cookies version, we increase this slightly.
- Egg: One large egg at room temperature binds everything together.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract to round out the chocolate flavor.
- All Purpose Flour: The structural backbone. If you are gluten free, a cup for cup gluten free flour blend works very well here.
- Dutch Process Cocoa: I highly recommend using dutch process cocoa cookies as the standard here. It is less acidic and darker than natural cocoa, giving you that Oreo like color and a smoother flavor profile.
- The Spices (For the Ginger Version): This is where the transformation happens. You will need ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and perhaps a pinch of black pepper if you are feeling adventurous.
- Optional Add Ons: Semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks for a double chocolate punch, or Christmas cookie sparkles for rolling the dough.
How to Make Chocolate Sugar Cookies or Chocolate Ginger Cookies
Step by Step Instructions
Baking is a science, but it is also a rhythm. I like to put on some jazz in the background, wash my hands, and get Adams to help me measure the flour. Here is how to achieve soft and chewy chocolate ginger molasses cookies perfection.
- Prep Your Oven and Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Never use a naked pan for these, as the dark chocolate bottoms can burn easily without that protective layer.
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium high speed. You want to do this for about 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture should look pale and fluffy. This aeration is critical for easy chocolate cookies that are not dense rocks.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Lower the speed and mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. If you are making the chocolate ginger cookies with molasses variation, ensure you scrape the measuring spoon well; molasses is stubborn! Mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Sift the Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and your spices. If you are making the plain chocolate sugar cookies, just use the cocoa and skip the ginger/cloves. If you are making the gingerbread cookies style version, whisk in 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of cloves. Sifting the cocoa is important to avoid lumpy bitter pockets.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture on low speed. Mix just until the flour streaks disappear. Do not overmix, or you will activate the gluten too much, resulting in tough cookies rather than soft chocolate cookies.
- Roll and Coat: This is the part my daughter Jana loves. Scoop the dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls. Pour some extra granulated sugar (or coarse sparking sugar) into a small bowl. Roll each ball in the sugar until fully coated. This gives the cookies that beautiful sparkly exterior and a slight crunch.
- Bake: Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The centers will still look slightly underdone and soft. This is exactly what you want for chewy chocolate cookies. They will set up as they cool.
- Cool: Let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The smell of chocolate and ginger wafting through the house is frankly irresistible.
Pro Tips & Variations
Over the years, I have tweaked this recipe dozens of times. Here are my best tips for ensuring your chocolate ginger cookies turn out perfect every single time, along with some variations to keep things exciting.
The “Dark & Stormy” Variation
For a sophisticated twist, add 1/2 cup of uncrystalized candied ginger, chopped very fine, into the dough. The chewy bites of spicy ginger against the dark chocolate backdrop create incredible double dark chocolate ginger cookies. It elevates the humble cookie into something you would find in a high end bakery.
Making Cutouts
If you want to use this recipe for shaped cookies, perhaps for a holiday platter, you need to chill the dough. Wrap the dough disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Roll it out on a surface dusted with a mixture of cocoa powder and powdered sugar (to avoid white flour streaks on your dark cookies). Cut your shapes and bake. These make excellent chocolate sugar cookies for cutouts that hold their shape well.
Vegan and Dairy Free
To make vegan chocolate ginger cookies, simply substitute the butter for a high quality plant based butter block (not tub margarine) and use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water, let sit for 5 minutes) in place of the chicken egg. The molasses does a great job of masking the flavor difference, resulting in a cookie that is indistinguishable from the dairy version.
Troubleshooting Texture
If your cookies are spreading too much and becoming flat puddles, your butter was likely too warm, or you did not measure the flour correctly (spoon and level method is best!). If they are too thick and cakey, you might have used too much flour. For perfect soft molasses cookies texture, accurate measuring is key. Also, check your baking soda freshness; old leavening agents can ruin a batch of ginger snap cookies.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies Serving Suggestions
Now that you have a fresh batch of holiday chocolate ginger cookies, how should you serve them? In the Sharif household, we have a few traditions.
The Ice Cream Sandwich: Take two cooled peppermint mocha cookies or these chocolate ginger ones and smash a scoop of vanilla bean or coffee ice cream between them. The spice from the ginger cuts through the richness of the cream beautifully. It creates a dessert that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
The Coffee Companion: These sturdy cookies are superior dunkers. The structure provided by the cocoa powder means they hold up well when dipped into hot coffee, tea, or warm milk. The melting chocolate combined with the spices makes for a cozy morning treat.
Holiday Gift Boxes: Because these cookies are sturdy and shelf stable, they ship very well. I often include them in tin boxes alongside easy homemade chocolate truffles. The contrast between the dark, sparkly cookies and the smooth truffles makes for a visually stunning gift presentation.
For a fun party platter, you can arrange these alongside lighter cookies. The dark color of the dutch process cocoa cookies contrasts beautifully with lighter treats like classic sugar cookies or coconut macaroons. If you are looking for more inspiration on cookie assortments, I found some great ideas on Pretty Simple Sweet that align perfectly with this flavor profile.
Storage & Reheating
If by some miracle you have leftovers, storing these chocolate ginger cookies correctly is vital to effortless snacking later in the week.
Room Temperature: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. A slice of white bread tossed into the container will help keep them soft for up to 5 days. The moisture from the bread migrates to the cookies (a trick my grandmother taught me). This is especially helpful for soft ginger cookies which can dry out over time.
Freezing Baked Cookies: You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Layer them with parchment paper in a freezer safe container so they do not stick together. Thaw them on the counter for an hour before serving.
Freezing Dough: This is my preferred method. Scoop the dough balls and freeze them on a tray until solid, then transfer them to a zip top bag. You can bake them straight from frozen; just add an extra minute or two to the baking time. Having a stash of easy chewy chocolate sugar cookies recipe dough in the freezer is a parenting hack that has saved me on many rainy days.
Reheating: To restore that fresh from the oven gooiness, place a cookie in the microwave for about 8 to 10 seconds. The chocolate chips will melt slightly, and the ginger aroma will reactivate, making it taste freshly baked.
FAQ about Chocolate Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Ginger Cookies
Can I use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger?
Yes, absolutely! Freshly grated ginger adds a vibrant, spicy kick that ground ginger cannot quite match. If you use fresh ginger, blot it dry slightly on a paper towel to avoid adding too much liquid to the dough. I usually use about 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger to replace 1 teaspoon of ground ginger in this chocolate ginger cookies recipe.
Why are my cookies not cracking on top?
The cracks in crinkle cookies or sugar cookies come from the outer layer drying out before the center sets, causing it to pull apart as the cookie expands. To ensure good cracks, make sure your oven is fully preheated and roll the dough generously in sugar. The sugar draws out moisture from the surface, promoting cracking.
Can I make these without molasses?
If you are aiming for pure chocolate sugar cookies, you can substitute the molasses with corn syrup or honey, or simply omit it. However, the cookies will be lighter in color and will lose that chewy texture characteristic of chocolate molasses cookies. The molasses also reacts with the baking soda to help the cookies rise, so omitting it might result in a flatter cookie.
Are these gluten free?
The recipe as written uses all purpose flour, but I have successfully made gluten free ginger cookies by using a 1:1 gluten free baking flour blend. Just ensure your blend contains xanthan gum, or add 1/4 teaspoon to help bind the dough.
What is the difference between Dutch process and natural cocoa?
Natural cocoa is acidic and lighter in color. Dutch process cocoa has been treated with an alkalizing agent to neutralize the acid, making it darker and smoother. For this recipe, dark chocolate cookies are best achieved with Dutch process, but natural cocoa will work in a pinch; your cookies just might be slightly lighter and have a tangier chocolate flavor.
Final Thoughts
Standing in the kitchen with flour on my shirt and the smell of cinnamon and chocolate filling the air, I am reminded that the best recipes are the ones that bridge the gap between the past and the present. These chocolate sugar cookies (or chocolate ginger cookies, depending on your mood) do exactly that. They bring the warmth of my grandmother’s spices into the modern, chocolate loving world that my children grow up in.
Whether you make them as a quick weeknight treat or as part of a grand holiday baking marathon, I hope this recipe brings a little bit of joy to your kitchen. If you try these, please leave a comment below and tell me if you went the pure chocolate route or the spicy ginger route! I love hearing how you make these recipes your own. Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later and subscribe to Mister Recipes for more family favorites.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies & Chocolate Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Reduce speed and mix in egg, vanilla extract, and molasses until fully combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and spices (if making ginger version). Sift if needed to avoid lumps.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture on low speed. Mix just until combined and no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Scoop dough into 1.5-tablespoon balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar until fully coated.
- Place dough balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 9–11 minutes until edges are set but centers still soft.
- Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
