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–+ servings
A cookie with a bite taken from it surrounded by other cookies.

chewy chocolate orange ginger cookies with molasses

Author: Mika Kinney
5 from 8 votes
Sweet molasses with tangy ginger and bright orange, these chewy chocolate orange ginger cookies are the perfect holiday treat that you’ll crave all year.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Protein: 4g
Serves: 16
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Equipment

  • 1 mixing bowl
  • 1 sheet pan or cookie sheet

Ingredients

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1 cup cashew butter (MUST BE DRIPPY NUT BUTTER or almond butter, see notes for what this looks like and if your nut butter is not drippy (aka dry))
  • 1 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoon molasses
  • zest from half an orange or 2 Mandarin oranges
  • ¾ cup dark chocolate chunks (can go up to 1 cup, can use a chopped chocolate bar too)

Before you start!

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Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
  • Add everything except the chocolate to a medium bowl and mix well to combine. See the photo for how the batter should be.
    A bowl of the ingredients after mixing.
  • Fold in the chocolate chunks. Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop the batter into 1" -2" balls onto the baking sheet. Space them 2-3" apart.
    A sheet tray with the cookie batter portioned on it.
  • Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are just set and the center is puffy like the photo below. Let them cool for 2 minutes on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to conitnue cooling until they are set enough to handle (about 8-10 minutes). You can just leave them on the tray but they will take longer to cool and set (about 10-15 minutes to set)
    Cookies puffed up in the oven.
  • Then enjoy!

Video

Notes

Notes on the cashew butter
The cashew butter or almond butter MUST be drippy because it's the sole source of structure and fat for the cookies and one of 2 sources of moisture. Target brand cashew butter is the best I've found. The photo below shows an example of drippy nut butter.Scooping out peanut butter from a glass jar.
If it's not drippy, and your batter doesn't look like the photos (is crumbly, etc) then you will need to add another egg to make up for the lack of moisture. The cookies will spread more but they will still be tasty.
Helpful Tips
  • Let them cool in the fridge if possible before eating then set them at room temperature for serving. This allows them to set completely and stay together when eaten. These orange ginger cookies are so tender that without this they can just kind of fall apart.
  • Be careful when zesting the orange to not zest too deep that you get the bitter parts of the skin.
  • Give the cookies space, about 2-3” in between so they have room to spread and cook evenly.
Common Questions
Can I use white chocolate in these cookies?
Yes, you can use white chocolate chips or a white chocolate drizzle(I tested it with white chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate). The white chocolate is much sweeter so just something to be aware of. It may be good to add orange zest to the white chocolate to act more like an orange glaze.
Can I use candied orange in place of orange zest?
I don’t recommend this because candied orange doesn’t add as much flavor as it does texture. To make the cookies really pretty you could top with a chocolate drizzle and a curl of candied orange!
What is the difference between ginger cookies, ginger snap, and gingerbread? 
Ginger snap and gingerbread are crunchy and make good structures for gingerbread houses. They use molasses to completely replace the sugar while chew ginger cookies are soft and still use sugar and some molasses but more to flavor the cookie.
How should I store these cookies?
These cookies are best stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They will keep for up to a week. The baked cookies can be frozen too for up to 3 months; just let them come to room temperature before eating.
Additional notes and substitution options can be found in the post above.
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.

Looking for more information?

Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chips, cookie, gluten free, nut butter

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg
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