Soft chocolate chip gingerbread cookies with a warmly spiced molasses dough and distinct semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Fold the chocolate chips in after the flour is incorporated to avoid overworking the dough.
Use the same portion weight for every cookie so the centers and edges finish baking together.
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Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 11–13 minutes · 3 trays of 12 cookies
Allow 144 minutes: 25 hands-on, 60 chilling, 39 for all baking trays, 20 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Digital kitchen scale and US measuring cups/spoons
- Large mixing bowl and electric mixer
- 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Two 13 × 18-inch light-colored baking sheets and parchment paper
- Wide spatula and wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Chocolate add-in
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Instructions
Cream and combine
- Beat butter and both sugars for 2 minutes. Mix in molasses, then egg and vanilla; scrape the bowl. Whisk flour, soda, salt and spices separately, then mix into the wet ingredients just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips at the end.
Firm the dough
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If chilled longer than 2 hours, let stand about 20–30 minutes until scoopable; keep it cool rather than greasy.
Portion evenly
- Heat to 350°F (175°C) conventional or 325°F (165°C) fan. Divide into 36 portions of about 28 g, roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons. Space 3 inches apart on lined 13 × 18-inch pans; no sugar coating is needed.
Check the centers
- Bake on the center rack for 11–13 minutes. The edges should be set and tops cracked, with soft centers that are no longer glossy-wet. Use a cool pan for each new batch.
Let the structure set
- Rest 5 minutes on the pan, then lift onto a wire rack. Cool another 15 minutes before sealing airtight. Cookies firm as they cool; do not bake until hard.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Add chips last
Fold through after the flour disappears, leaving the dough minimally worked.
Skip extra coating
The chips add sweetness and visible contrast without a sugar crust.
Serve gently warm
After the pan rest, warm chocolate gives a softer bite; let cookies set before lifting.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 days | Cool completely, then store airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Wrap dough tightly. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze portions airtight; thaw covered in the refrigerator before baking. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Warm undecorated cookies briefly at 300°F for 3–5 minutes if desired; cool before decorating. |
Notes
- Semi-sweet chips are folded into a molasses gingerbread dough without cocoa, so the spiced dough stays brown and the chocolate appears as distinct chips. Keep portions equal and centers soft; chocolate firms as it cools.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there cocoa in this dough?
No. The chocolate comes from the chips, keeping a classic molasses dough.
Can I use mini chips?
The same weight works, but they distribute more finely and are less visible than standard chips.
Why are centers very soft when hot?
Molasses and melted chocolate soften hot cookies. Let them rest on the pan before lifting.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
