Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes Chewy Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies 4.1 (444) This much-loved treat is always in our editors' cookie boxes. Close Credit: Brie Goldman Servings: 24 Yield: 2 dozen Jump to recipe This chocolate gingerbread cookie recipe has a place in decorvow's test kitchen history. It's the hands-down favorite of our food editors and readers alike, even more than snappy gingerbread cutouts or intricately decorated sugar cookies. These cookies are a must-make for swaps and holiday gifting—we can’t imagine the festive season without them. Many things make these cookies so irresistible. There's the winning combination of fresh and ground ginger, the chewy texture provided by molasses, and the chunks of melty semisweet chocolate scattered throughout the dough. Together they create what is, in our humble opinion, the perfect holiday cookie. 8 of Martha's All-Time Favorite Christmas Cookies Credit: Brie Goldman Why These Cookies Are So Special These chewy treats really are the ideal holiday cookie. There are no specialty items or equipment used—just some classic ingredients elevated to new heights. Perfect texture: The more moisture in your dough, the chewier the cookies will be. In this recipe, that moisture comes from butter, dark brown sugar, and molasses. Brown sugar contains more moisture than granulated sugar, making it the perfect choice for these cookies. Spice ratio: A nice balance of spices is crucial when you’re making cookies that rely heavily on spices for flavor. Not to brag, but we’re pretty sure we nailed it with this recipe. We use a combination of ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Two kinds of ginger: In addition to the dried ground spice, a piece of fresh ginger is peeled and grated into the dough as well. We love to use both types of ginger because they each provide a slightly different flavor. The ground ginger is complementary to the other warming spices, while the fresh really holds its own through the baking process. Just enough chocolate: The dry ingredients contain just a touch of cocoa powder. The rest of the chocolate flavor comes from chopped semisweet chocolate. Although it’s a sophisticated cookie, it’s chocolatey enough that kids are bound to get on board. Double the molasses flavor: A ginger cookie wouldn’t be the same without molasses, and you get that flavor from molasses itself as well as from dark brown sugar. Brown sugar is just granulated sugar with molasses added, and dark brown sugar has a larger proportion of molasses than light-brown sugar. Crackly sugar crust: While these cookies would be delicious if they were just scooped and baked, we like to take that extra step and roll them in granulated sugar first. As the dough spreads, the sugar forms a crust around the cookies, adding extra crunch. Not to mention, it makes them sparkle. Want to know the secret to picture-perfect chocolate cookies? Save a few chunks of chocolate to press into the top of the dough balls. This way, you’ll have a few glistening pieces of chocolate peeking out from behind the rest of the dough. 3 Tips for Chewy Cookies In addition to ingredients, technique can also contribute to the chewy texture of these cookies. Cream the butter thoroughly: This recipe starts by infusing the freshly grated ginger into the butter by creaming the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. The aim is to get the butter light and airy before adding the brown sugar and molasses. Chill the dough: Starting with firm dough balls will do a few things. It will prevent the cookies from spreading too quickly. In turn, this will allow the cookies to retain their soft, chewy texture. Chilling the dough also allows the flavors a chance to settle and mingle, so your cookies will taste even better. Think of it as marinating, but for baked goods. Don’t over-bake: You want to pull the cookies as soon as you see that the surfaces are beginning to crack and the edges are just set. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Prep baking sheets; sift dry ingredients: Line two baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa. Credit: Brie Goldman Beat butter and grated ginger; add brown sugar, then molasses: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until lightened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined. Credit: Brie Goldman Credit: Brie Goldman Dissolve baking soda in water; add dry ingredients to butter mixture in two halves: In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Add chocolate: wrap dough and refrigerate: Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or overnight. Credit: Brie Goldman Credit: Brie Goldman Preheat oven; form cookies and refrigerate: Heat oven to 325°F. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Roll in sugar and bake: Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cookies are best the day they are made but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. Credit: Brie Goldman Storing Chewy Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies These cookies are the best the first day or two after they’re made, but they can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freezing Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookie Dough Once you’ve refrigerated the cookie dough so it’s firm enough to roll into balls, you can freeze and store the dough balls for up to 2 months. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Transfer the dough balls to freezer-safe bags, seal, and store. When you're ready to bake the cookies, thaw them in an even layer in the refrigerator overnight. How to Freeze Cookies and Cookie Dough the Right Way Frequently Asked Questions Is this recipe missing an egg? No, this recipe is not missing an egg; it is an egg-free cookie recipe. So if you have people with egg allergies at your holiday gatherings, these cookies are a great option. Can I use a different kind of chocolate? Yes, you can use a different kind of chocolate for these cookies. This recipe calls for semisweet chocolate, but bittersweet will work as well. Whichever chocolate you choose, opt for a good quality. Skip the chocolate chips for this recipe and cut your own chunks from a block or bar of chocolate. What if I don't have fresh ginger? If you don't have fresh ginger, don't worry. If you’ve begun making your cookie dough and realize you forgot to buy fresh ginger, you can still make them. Simply increase the ground ginger to 1½ teaspoons instead. Are these cookies vegan? No, these cookies aren't vegan—but you can make a vegan version. Simply substitute a good quality vegan butter for the dairy butter in this recipe if you have vegan friends you'd like to share them with. 7 More Holiday Cookie Recipes to Try Cookie-Press Cookies Noel Nut Balls Sugar Cookies Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies Gingerbread-Espresso Crinkle Cookies Meyer-Lemon Shortbread Wreath Cookies Double-Chocolate Peppermint Sandwiches Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the decorvow recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.