Ginger Molasses Cookies [Lightened-Up]

November 27, 2023

A recipe for ginger molasses cookies, made with unrefined coconut sugar, light on the butter and a zesty spice mix. Sub gluten-free flour for a gluten-free alternative or keep regular for an equally delicious cookie recipe, lightened-up!

3 ginger molasses cookies stacked on top of each other on a counter

Looking for a healthy alternative to classic ginger molasses cookies? Look no further than this lightened-up version! As a professional food blogger for over 10 years I’ve gotten quite a bit of experience baking up healthier alternatives to holiday classics. This ginger molasses cookie recipe just might be my favorite Christmas cookie recipe.

They’re soft and chewy and perfectly cracked along the top. Fun fact: one of my favorite cookies in the world is the Starbucks Ginger Molasses Cookies. Holy cow those are good. From time to time I might buy one but it’s actually not that hard to make them at home – and even better you get to decide what goes into them! Here are the healthier swaps I made:

Lightened-Up Ginger Molasses Cookies

Like I said, the Starbucks Ginger Molasses Cookie Recipe is so insanely addictive! That’s why I decided to make some adjustments to the recipe to lighten it up. Here are some changes I made:

I cut the butter in half – you can 100% get away with using a 1/4 cup instead of a 1/2 a cup of butter. If you’re not eating dairy you can sub room-temp coconut oil
I cut the sugar in half – instead of a cup of sugar, I used 1/2 cup. Reserve a 1/4 cup for rolling the cookies but to be honest you won’t use a a full 1/4 cup for this
I substituted coconut sugar for refined sugar – coconut sugar, while still sugar is unrefined so our bodies have less of a glycemic load while consuming it i.e. no sugar crash
Try gluten-free– I’ve tested this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend and they still turn out great. Just make sure your blend doesn’t have coconut flour in it otherwise your mixture will be too dry

Ingredients Needed

butter – pick up unsalted butter and make sure it’s softened (aka left at room temperature).
coconut sugar – a refined sugar-free alternative to brown sugar.
molasses – make sure you choose unsulphured molasses. Some molasses is processed with sulphur dioxide to help preserve it but leaves a chemical flavor so stick to unsulphured!
egg – I have not tried to make these without egg so just a heads up if you want to use a flax or chia egg.
flour – I used gluten-free but you can use traditional all-purpose flour if you’d like.
baking soda – necessary for the cookies to rise.
seasonings and spices – sea salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cracked black pepper.

How to Make Ginger Molasses Cookies

STEP 1: MIX WET INGREDIENTS

Combine butter and 1/2 cup coconut sugar by hand or with a stand mixer. Add in molasses and egg and stir until well combined.

STEP 2: COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS + MIX WITH WET

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and spices. Add wet ingredients to dry until well combined.

STEP 3: ROLL BALLS IN COCONUT SUGAR

Add remaining 1/4 cup coconut sugar to a bowl. Roll dough into 12 balls and roll each one in coconut sugar. Place on baking sheet and flatten firmly with palm.

raw ginger molasses cookies rolled in coconut sugar in a blue bowl

STEP 4: BAKE GINGER COOKIES

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until done to liking (14 for softer cookies and 16 for crispier). Let cool on sheet for 5 mins before removing to cool on a wire rack.

Baked ginger molasses cookie recipe on a baking sheet

Are your cookies spreading like crazy during baking?

There are a few reasons this could be happening. If you melted your butter in the microwave instead of just allowing it to come to room temperature, your cookies could spread. You also could have too much liquid in your cookie dough. Your ratio of fat and flour might be off – make sure you have enough flour in your dough to absorb the melted fat. Lucky for you, I’ve tested and perfected all of the ratios in this recipe to ensure no spreading! I know it’s tempting to adjust the recipe…but don’t 😉

Are your cookies cracking too much? Or not cracking?

I’m always aiming for the perfectly cracked ginger molasses cookie. Again, I’ve perfected the ratios, baking temperatures and baking times for this recipe but those are all things to look into if you’re having trouble with other recipes! Your oven might not be hot enough, you may have added too much flour or you may have mixed the dough too much.

Can I freeze these ginger cookies?

Absolutely! Simply place in an airtight container or ziplock bag and freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw on counter top for several hours before serving. Alternatively you can freeze the dough before baking. Simply scoop onto a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 1 hour. Add cookie dough balls into a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Place batch directly onto a baking sheet and bake as directed. You may need to add a minute or two to the baking time to account for the fact that they are frozen.