With their sparkly, crinkly tops and super soft chew, these chocolate ginger sparkle cookies are as delicious to eat as they are beautiful to behold. Dip these spiced cocoa molasses cookies in dark chocolate, and finish each with finely chopped crystallized ginger for extra flavor.
One reader, Kayla, commented: “I pretty much exclusively bake with Sally’s recipes, and WOW, this one is an absolute home run. The warm spices with the molasses and chocolate is an amazing flavor combination I have never had. The texture is spot-on as well… I made these as a test run this evening for a Christmas gathering, and I will definitely be taking them to my holiday dinner! ★★★★★“
This cookie recipe was, quite simply, a JOY to create. It only took a couple of test batches to get it right, and how often does that happen? (The answer is: not nearly often enough.) The flavors of chocolate, ginger, and molasses come together so perfectly—an underrated flavor trio!
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Ginger Sparkle Cookies
- So soft & chewy—and stay that way for days
- Chocolate & ginger pair beautifully, just like these chocolate gingerbread sandwich cookies, for a slightly sophisticated flavor profile. A unique addition to any platter of Christmas cookies!
- Flavorful warm spices balance the sweet
- An elevated twist on classic ginger soft molasses cookies
- Dip in melted dark chocolate for a truly luxe cookie
- Roll in sugar + finish with crystallized ginger for double the sparkle!
This is a classic drop cookie dough that comes together with basic ingredients. Pick up a few holiday baking spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves—all ingredients you need for a batch of gingerbread oatmeal cookies, too!
Here Are the Ingredients You Need & Why
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides the main structure in this cookie dough.
- Cocoa Powder: We’re adding just enough cocoa powder to the dough to give it a chocolatey flavor, while still letting the other flavors come through. Don’t expect a fudgy chocolate flavor like a batch of chocolate crinkle cookies; it’s mild here.
- Baking Soda: A touch of extra baking soda helps the cookies puff up in the oven, then fall and develop that crinkly texture when they cool. Don’t worry if yours don’t crinkle—you can see in the photos that they all look a little different.
- Spices: This careful blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves is exactly what every molasses cookie needs! Fresh grated ginger is too strong for these cookies—in testing, we found that its sharp flavor overpowered the chocolate.
- Salt: To balance the sweetness.
- Butter: Creamed butter forms the base of these soft cookies. If you’re a beginner baker, here’s more on how to cream butter and sugar properly.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is what helps produce the softest cookie ever. You can use light or dark brown sugar, but I like using dark for the extra molasses flavor it provides.
- Molasses: Make sure you’re using a dark molasses, aka “robust” molasses, but avoid blackstrap, which is too intense.
- Egg: For structure and richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Feel free to use homemade vanilla extract in these cookies.
- Granulated Sugar: To coat the dough balls before baking. Sweetness and sparkle!
- Chocolate: Melt chocolate once the cookies are cool, and dip or drizzle to take the chocolate-ginger flavor to the next level.
Plus, an optional garnish: Finely chop candied ginger for a dazzling (and flavorful!) finishing touch. I love using crystallized ginger in baking for that unexpected sweet-yet-spicy flavor, like in these lemon ginger cookies and this ginger pear galette.
Step-by-Step Photos
Like many cookie doughs prepared with molasses (looking at you, gingerbread cookies) this is a sticky dough mixture and must chill in the refrigerator before you shape it into balls:
It solidifies after a 2-hour nap in the refrigerator, and a cookie scoop makes portioning the dough really easy. Use about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into a ball, and then coat generously in granulated sugar just as if you were making a batch of peanut butter blossoms or gingerbread blossoms.
Arrange 9–12 cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet. If you’re shopping for new baking supplies, I use and love these baking sheets.
The cookies will puff up in the oven from all the baking soda, and then fall as they cool. The rising and falling helps create those beautiful crinkles. Some will have more cracks than others.
Don’t Forget the Chocolate Dip!
These neapolitan cookies and pinwheel cookies will tell you… a chocolate dip is the best finishing touch.
The best chocolate for dipping is the “baking chocolate” bars found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. I typically use Bakers or Ghirardelli brands, either semi-sweet or dark. Do not use chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers, which prevent them from melting into the correct consistency.
Make sure the cookies have fully cooled before you dip them into the melted chocolate. I had extra chocolate, so I drizzled the rest on top. Sprinkle the finely chopped crystallized ginger onto the chocolate-dipped cookies while the chocolate is still melty, then let dry.
Once the chocolate has set, the cookies can be stacked, stored, transported, or gifted.
Can I use white chocolate instead? Absolutely! White chocolate is another delicious pairing with ginger, like in these soft white chocolate chip molasses cookies.
3 Success Tips for Perfect Chocolate Ginger Cookies
- Use proper room temperature butter. Cold or melted butter can’t cream properly.
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours. Unless you want over-spread gingery puddles.
- Melt pure chocolate, not chocolate chips. Save those for chocolate chip cookies!
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Chocolate Ginger Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 24
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Perfectly spiced cocoa ginger molasses cookies come together with basic baking ingredients, and taste even better after a dip in melted chocolate. The cookies will puff up in the oven from the baking soda, and then fall as they cool. Some will have more crinkles and cracks than others.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (22g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I recommend dark)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, for rolling
For Dipping:
- 4–6 ounces (113–170g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped (see note)
- optional: 2 Tablespoons (30g) finely chopped crystallized ginger
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on high speed until creamy and combined, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. The mixture may look a bit curdled; that’s ok.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be thick and sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is imperative for this sticky cookie dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. The cookies may not spread in the oven if the dough is that cold. Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons (30g) of dough each (I use this medium cookie scoop). Roll each in granulated sugar and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until edges appear set.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Dip in chocolate: When the cookies are cooled, melt the chopped chocolate, either in a double boiler or use the microwave. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each until completely melted. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the chocolate, and use any leftover chocolate to drizzle on top, if desired. Sprinkle chopped crystallized ginger on chocolate.
- Allow chocolate to completely set at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Baked cookies, cooled but undipped, freeze well for up to 3 months. (For best taste and texture, chocolate dip should be fresh!) Follow recipe through step 7 before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before continuing with step 8. Unbaked cookie dough balls (before rolling in sugar) will freeze well for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, preheat the oven, then roll in granulated sugar. Bake as directed. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Medium Cookie Scoop | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler or Glass Measuring Cup (for dipping)
- Molasses: I use and recommend unsulphured or dark molasses. (I like Grandma’s brand. The kind I use is labeled “original” molasses.) Blackstrap molasses is extremely bitter and not ideal in this recipe.
- Chocolate: The best chocolate for dipping is the “baking chocolate” bars found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. I typically use Bakers or Ghirardelli brands, either semi-sweet or dark. Do not use chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers, which prevent them from melting into the correct consistency. 4 ounces is enough for a light dip and 6 ounces is plenty for a dip and a little drizzle on top, too. You can use white chocolate if desired instead.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Made these for Christmas Eve last year and my family is still talking about them a year later, making sure I make them again this Christmas They’re delicious!
I’ve made these before successfully, but the batch I made today spread way too much. I weigh my ingredients and am positive I didn’t measure anything wrong. Chilled the dough overnight. Any ideas why this batch failed?
Hi Catherine! Did you use a different type of butter by chance? European style butters are higher in fat content and can change results. Here’s our tips for preventing cookies from spreading.
These are delicious! Instead of doing the chocolate dip thing, I just added some chocolate chips to the dough. About 1 cup. Any kind/size works, but my preference is the mini or some chopped up dark chocolate. Or a little of both!
Why don’t my cookies fall
Hi Deborra, is it possible that they needed to bake a little longer? Here’s my best cookie tips which might be helpful for next time. Thanks for giving these a try!
A different and delicious take on ginger cookies. I added some crystallized ginger in the batter. Yummy. Have not tried it, with chocolate dip yet, some time when I’m not on a time crunch. I also flattened the cookies with a glass before baking.
I’m just wondering, was there a recipe for these before that didn’t include cocoa powder and then being dipped at the end?
Hi Amy, no, you may be thinking of another website or recipe. Here are my other molasses-y ginger cookies, but they are not dipped.
I really liked them! The cookies came out good, my only issue was that I could not dip them. I ended up using a back of a spoon to put the chocolate on half the cookie. The double boiler was too shallow to dip them.
A total keeper! My family all loves chocolate and so when I saw these I knew I wanted to try them. They’re so chewy and the chocolate on the outside is the perfect touch. I topped with Maldon sea salt instead of the ginger because I didn’t realize it was in the recipe, and it was incredible! This was everyone’s favorite cookie on our family’s cookie tray (even two toddlers!). Thank you!
Made these twice. Once the regular recipe and now once dipped in chocolate. Blackstrap molasses both times, just cut it by a little so it wasn’t too strong. We all loved them and wouldn’t no differently.
These are amazing!! I followed exactly as written and honestly have no notes. So soft and chewy. They are going to be a new classic for sure. Thank you for sharing this fun twist on the classic ginger cookie!
Hi Sally. Any tips for chopping the crystallized ginger? I bought it fresh in bulk from the store and when trying to chop it up with a knife, it just all clumped together in one sticky gooey mess.
Hi Cynthia! Try just chopping a little bit at a time to prevent it from sticking together.
Hi Sally, B.C. is currently experiencing a brown sugar shortage, what are your thoughts on turbinado?
Hi Sasha, while I haven’t tested that substitution in this particular cookie dough, I’m sure it would be just fine. Use a 1:1 substitution.
These were delicious. I think they could have used a bit more ginger. Really good recipe
I’ve been searching for a chewy chocolate cookie I can add peppermint bark chips to. I have tried SO MANY and have been unimpressed with the results – nobody tests like you do, Sally. Do you think these would be weird if I omitted the spices and then added the peppermint bark chips? Would the molasses make them taste too spicy/gingery?
Hi Beth, you could certainly give it a try, or you can try them in place of the chocolate chips in our double chocolate chip cookies recipe. Let us know what you try!
Sally, I saw a similar recipe that included chopped crystallized ginger in the cookies. How do you think that would work in this recipe?
Hi Cynthia, you certainly can add that here!
These were phenomenal. I absolutely love them. So FULL of flavor and spice. Very soft inside. I weighed my ingredients, and Sally’s recipes are always spot on. I only had Blackstrap molasses in my house so I just went for it, and they turned out strong but great. I like them and would make them this way again. I chopped up crystallized ginger cubes that were gummy from the store. That is all they had. It was tedious but it was a lovely addition.
Hi! I’m planning on making these aswell as the regular gingerbread men recipe, but I’m curious, would these suit to be cut out cookies? I’m not seeing any comments about trying to cookie cut them.. hope this isn’t a silly question im a new baker! thank you in advance!
Hi Jasmine! No, this dough is not suitable for a rolling pin and cookie cutters. It is much too sticky. I recommend my gingerbread cookies instead.
I made this recipe a few days ago and used blackstrap molasses as that appears all we can get here in NZ. I felt it was very strong. Would the recipe work if I used 1/2 the molasses with golden syrup? I’d like to make these again soon, so any help here would be awesome. Everything else about the cookie was fantastic, texture and spices, etc. 🙂
Hi Lauren, yes, I think what I would personally try is half golden syrup and half blackstrap. If you try it, please report back!
Can I make the classic ginger molasses cookie recipe and then dip them in melted chocolate and add the crystallized ginger?
Hi Randee, can’t see why not!
These cookies are amazing! Definitely will now be on repeat – everyone at my house is raving about them! Yum!
These were so good! I made them for a family gathering they all disappeared within minutes. When I tried a bit of the raw dough, I thought it was a tad too bitter from the molasses, but once they chilled and baked- perfect! I refrigerated the dough for about 6 hours.
This is my newest favorite recipe! I made these yesterday for a cookie baking party where we had to also pair the cookies with a drink. I knew I wanted to make hot apple cider from scratch and found this recipe. I don’t particularly like the whole pumpkin spice combo that is all the rage in the fall, so wasn’t sure if I would like it. However, a bakery down the street from my apartment in Italy had these soft ginger cookie cake things half dipped in chocolate that were so amazingly delicious that I hadn’t forgotten them, but didn’t remember the Italian name for them… this recipe is even better! I love the cocoa and molasses pairing.
I left the dough in the fridge overnight and that worked out well. As I was rolling the dough balls, it started getting very sticky as it warmed. I put sugar just on the side I had up. I put the rest of the dough in the fridge as I baked my first tray and that firmed it up so it was less sticky for the second tray. Instead of dipping one side in the melted chocolate bar, I spooned the chocolate on top of half the cookie to avoid a mess and it worked well. It also paired wonderfully with my hot apple cider as I added a few whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and some fresh ginger to the apples – along with Jameson! So good. The cookies are super soft and the chocolate hits you first then the ginger gets you at the end in a delightful dance on your tongue. I put both trays in the 350 oven for 11 minutes.
A member of our master gardener class brought the chocolate dipped ginger cookies to today’s meeting. They were so so good!!
Lovely recipe, but I only dipped the dough balls in sugar on one side because the sugar gets a bit dark almost burnt on the bottom. They turned out beautifully.
We love the ginger flavor. Will milk chocolate for dipping the cookies be as good as dark chocolate?
Hi Janet, milk chocolate will work just fine here!
We love these cookies! They come together easily and the ginger and chocolate flavors are excellent together. Adding this one to my year round cookie rotation! The milk chocolate was a good flavor too. Thanks again for your help and another wonderful cookie. I have shared this recipe several times already with my family and friends.
You Sally are a baker’s dream.. these biscuits (Australian here) sorry cookies are to die for! I’m a total ginger nut and these are the best ginger biscuits I’ve ever had. Thank you for bringing us all these amazing recipes. I love you!!
Hi, how long do these cookies last once made? My daughter wants to make them for Christmas presents
Hi Lydia, you can cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Hi
Any tricks for scooping the dough out? I used a medium scoop, but found the dough still very sticky (chilled overnight). I feel like they weren’t all the same size because a lot was sticking in the scoop. They were also thin when cooled is that normal?
Hi Kim, you’re right, this is a very sticky dough! You can always use your finger or another spoon to help get all the dough out of the scoop. They will spread a bit in the oven, but if they were especially thin, this post 10 tips to prevent cookies from spreading will be helpful to review. Thank you for giving these cookies a try!
I also found these cookies delicious, but quite thin. I chilled for 3 hours and they didn’t spread (i.e. cookie soup), but they just didn’t have much lift when cooled and were quite flat.
Hi Sally. I love your recipes! I’m ashamed to admit this but I made them 11 months ago and froze them unbaked following your instructions and forgot them. They are delicious! Thank you for this unique wonderful recipe!
OMG, these are amazing. That crystal ginger on top is just that perfect little twist.
So easy to make but a show stopper. Thank you for this fabulous recipe.
I made a variation on this that turned out great. Instead of molasses, I boiled minced fresh ginger (about 2 tablespoons) into a syrup with the brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar. Cooled the ginger syrup before beating in the butter and egg. The other thing is rather than dipping them in chocolate I used good quality chocolate chips. Easy and lovely, thank you!