Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies
These are the softest cookies with a lovely spice and a gorgeous crackle. You'll never know they're vegan, but beware: they are super addictive!
Equipment
- Medium cookie scoop (apx. 3 tbsp)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup vegan butter at room temperature (or regular butter, if you choose)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill egg replacer, plus 2 tablespoons filtered water to mix (equivalent to one egg)
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (1/4 tsp if your vegan butter is unsalted)
Instructions
- Cream the vegan butter and sugars in the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, or by hand with a whisk. Mix egg replacer with water according to the package instructions and let it rest a minute. Add the thickened egg replacer to the butter mixture along with the molasses, ensuring everything is well combined. If using a stand mixer be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until it's all well combined (you don't want to overmix, but you do want it to look uniform and smooth).
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (apx. 3 tablespoons per cookie), scoop balls of dough and place them in a single layer on parchment paper or wax paper. It's normal that the dough will be quite soft, though the scoops of dough should hold their shape. As this step is to chill (not to bake) you can put them close together on a cookie sheet, or in an airtight container, even on a plate. Whatever works best and fits in your fridge where the balls can sit, covered (plastic wrap is fine), for at least one hour. The chilling time is what gives the cookies their thickness, otherwise they may bake pancake flat (they'll still taste good though).
- When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll each ball of chilled dough in granulated sugar (optional, but it does make them look prettier) and then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet approximately four inches apart, as they will spread. Any cookies that are not going into the oven immediately should go back in the fridge to stay cold.
- Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes in the middle of the oven. The tops of the cookies should NOT look wet, but you also do not want to overbake these as the under-baking is what keeps them so soft for so long. They will puff up while baking, and settle and crackle as they cool.
- Place the cookie sheet on a cooling rack for five minutes to allow them to cool slightly. If you can, carefully slide your parchment paper with cookies on it directly onto the rack so they can cool completely. If your cookie sheet has sides, this may be tricky. You may have to leave them on the baking sheet until they're cooled enough that you can move them safely. The cookies are very soft when warm so we keep them on the parchment paper to avoid them either falling apart or taking on the imprint of the cooling rack on the bottoms.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also keep the unbaked balls of dough refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days before baking. Once the dough has chilled for the initial hour, the balls will maintain their shape and you can safely layer them in the container, with a sheet of wax or parchment paper between each layer, to save space in your fridge. Enjoy!
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