Sourdough Ginger Molasses Cookies (Soft and Chewy)

Soft and chewy on the inside, a tad crispy on the outside, with plenty of warm gingerbread spices and a sugary crackled top… Hellooo yum! Sourdough ginger molasses cookies are everything you’re hoping for, and more. They fit right in around the winter holidays, but are fantastic and welcome any time of year.

Truth be told, these sourdough ginger molasses cookies just may be my top favorite cookies – ever! I realize that’s a pretty bold statement, so I guess you’ll have to give them a try and let me know what you think. Even if they don’t end up to be your all-time favorite, I promise you won’t be disappointed. 

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Using Active vs Discard Starter

You can make sourdough chocolate chip cookies using discard or active starter. Since the recipe also calls for baking soda, the starter won’t play a huge role in the rise.

However, keep in mind that using very old, neglected starter will make the cookies exceptionally sour-tasting, and could also impact the final texture. Therefore, I recommend using discard that was fed within the last few weeks – not months ago.

RELATED: Looking for more sourdough discard recipes? Don’t miss our easy sourdough discard crackers, sourdough chocolate chip cookies, or this delicious chunky sourdough granola.

Ingredients

YIELD: This recipe makes about 30-32 sourdough ginger molasses cookies.  

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger powder
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg (optional but recommended)
• 1/2 cup granulated white cane sugar (plus extra for rolling the cookie dough balls in later)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
• 12 Tbsp butter, softened or room temperature (not melted)
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup molasses, unsulphured
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter, 100% hydration, active or discard (see notes above)
• Optional: 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger – for an extra ginger kick! 

Instructions

1) Mix Wet Ingredients

• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter (not melted) and both sugars. Whisk until combined but don’t overmix. I like to cut the room temperature butter into about 1 Tbsp tabs before adding it to the sugar, which seems to help everything mix more smoothly.
  
  
• Once the sugars and butter are combined, beat in the egg followed by the called-for molasses and vanilla. 
  
  
• Finally, add the sourdough starter to the “wet” bowl. Mix until combined.

2) Add Dry Ingredients

• In a separate smaller bowl, combine all dry ingredients in a bowl: the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix well.
  
  
• Next, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl, stirring to combine as you go. Fold and stir until everything is just incorporated, but do not over mix.
  
  
• If you’re adding the optional chopped crystallized ginger bits, mix those in now. Tip: After cutting up larger cubes of crystallized ginger, I like to toss the pieces around together on the cutting board so the loose sugar from the “crust” can coat each smaller piece, helping them to not all stick together.
  
  

3) Chill Dough

• Cover and refrigerate the dough to chill for at least 2 hours, or up to a couple days. Use saran wrap, or better yet, a reusable beeswax wrap to prevent the dough from drying out. We typically make our cookie dough one afternoon, let it chill overnight, and then bake the cookies the following day. Remember, the longer that sourdough is allowed to sit and ferment, the healthier it is for you too.
  
  
• You can also freeze the raw cookie dough in an airtight container or wrapping for up to 3 months, and bake sourdough ginger molasses cookies later!

4) Portion and Roll

• Keep the sourdough ginger molasses cookie dough in the refrigerator up until you’re ready to form and bake the cookies. Also refrigerate the dough between batches! You want the cookie dough to go into the oven cold (otherwise they may spread too much).
  
  
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (but do not grease the cookie sheet). 
  
  
• Add about half a cup of white sugar to a small separate bowl.
  
  
• Pinch and roll the dough into 1-inch balls, and then roll the balls in sugar until they’re lightly but evenly coated. 
  
  
• Place the cookie dough balls in your baking sheet, spaced at least 3” apart (or 12 cookies per sheet). 
  
  

5) Bake

• Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies start to spread and the tops start to crack. Note that they’ll continue to flatten and crackle as they cool too. Bake for a shorter time (9-10 minutes) if you didn’t add crystalized ginger and/or prefer an extra gooey cookie, and slightly longer (11-12 minutes) if you did add crystallized ginger and/or for a more set cookie – though still plenty soft!
  
  
• Remove from the oven, but allow the cookies to stay and rest on the hot baking sheet for 4 or 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack thereafter. 
  
  
• Enjoy your chewy sourdough ginger molasses cookies fresh within 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Store the cookies in a sealed container at room temperature.
  

Are sourdough ginger molasses cookies good for you?

Well, as a cookie with plenty of butter and sugar, I wouldn’t necessarily call them “healthy” per se. (Everything in moderation, right?) Yet this recipe has several added health benefits over other classic cookies!

First of all, molasses is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals that are otherwise missing in refined sugar, including calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, and vitamin B6. Even more, ginger is rich in antioxidants and nutrients, known for its numerous health benefits. In fact, ginger can help regulate blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol levels, ease upset stomaches and aid in digestion.

Last but not least, any baked good that includes sourdough starter is better for you than its equivalent made without starter. Sourdough starter culture, when allowed to ferment the ingredients around it (e.g. flour and sugar) has been proven to reduce the glycemic index and gluten content and in turn increase nutrient bioavailability and digestibility of the resulting baked good. Learn more about the health benefits of sourdough here.

Oh my ginger goodness gracious.

I hope you love these sourdough ginger molasses cookies just as much as we do. Please stop back by to leave a review after you try them! Also please share or pin this article to help spread the sourdough love. We appreciate you tuning in today. Happy baking!

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• Sourdough Pancakes recipe (discard or active starter)
• Easy No-Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe
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• Simple Sourdough Focaccia Recipe
• Healthy Sourdough Spiced Pumpkin Bread (or muffins)
• How to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter
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• Sourdough Cornbread