This Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies recipe is one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes to make. Taking a bite out of a soft, perfectly-round molasses cookie is just about the best feeling in the world. A classic Christmas cookie recipe you have to try!
These Chewy Molasses Cookies are different from my usual cookie. (I like thick cookies.) But while playing around with some different ingredients, these flat, golden-brown ginger molasses cookies came out of my oven instead. I wasn’t sure how I felt about them.
Once I took a bite, though, I was hooked! The edges are crisp and the center is chewy, which is a surprisingly satisfying combination. The spices and molasses make these cookies feel like a cozy Autumn evening in one bite.
Molasses cookies provide a fantastic Fall flavor – they’re an addicting, warm blend of cinnamon and ginger. A little bit like a gingersnap cookie or gingerbread. These old fashioned molasses cookies are sweet with a touch of saltiness and a cozy burst of Autumn spices. They are irresistible from the moment you pull them out of the oven! (They’ll also make your home smell amazing!)
Recipe Ingredients
Grab these ingredients to get started:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Ginger
- Salt
- Ground Cloves
- Unsalted Butter: make sure you let it come to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg
- Molasses
- Coarse Sugar: you’ll use this for rolling the balls of cookie dough.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Move racks to the center of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment. Set aside.
Mix: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves. Set aside.
Cream with Mixer: In stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix in molasses. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix until fully combined.
Form Cookie Dough Balls: Using 1 heaping tablespoon of dough, shape the dough into balls or you can use a ice cream scoop to form the balls. Place coarse sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll the dough balls in the sugar to coat them. Place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches for spreading.
Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes – until the tops crack. Remove from the oven and leave them on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to finish cooling on a baking rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
There is a bit of technique involved in making these molasses cookies. Using a cookie scoop for example, will help you get your cookies to be the same size. When you’re ready to roll the cookies in the sugar, you can also use a fork to roll the balls of cookie dough around to avoid coating your hands in sugar.
Try out these tips for the best molasses cookies:
- Use Dark Molasses: It provides a deeper, richer flavor in the cookies.
- Parchment Paper: You may want to line your pan with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking to the bottom.
- Don’t Over-Bake Them: Once the edges are crispy/crunchy, the cookies are ready to come out. The middles will firm up as the cookies cool.
- Add-Ons: A thin layer of frosting would be a great addition to this cookie. You could also dip it in some chocolate 🙂
These cookies will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5 days, and they’ll keep a little longer if you store them in the fridge. If you freeze them, they’ll last for a couple months.
These Chewy Molasses Cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes to make. Taking a bite out of a soft, perfectly-round molasses cookie is just about the best feeling in the world.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- coarse sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Move racks to the center of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves. Set aside.
- In stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix in molasses. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix until fully combined.
- Using 1 heaping tablespoon of dough, shape the dough into balls or you can use a ice cream scoop to form the balls. Place corase sugar in a shallow bowl, and roll the dough balls in the sugar to coat them. Place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches for spreading.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes – until the tops crack. Remove from the oven and leave them on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to finish cooling on a baking rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
28Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 1g
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Question – I’ve been making these almost as long as the recipe was posted . They are my daughter’s favorite. I’ve always made and baked them same day but need to do differently year due to travel, can I make one day, refrigerate dough until the next morning and then bake?
And they turn out exactly as doing all same day? I know this works with many doughs but wasn’t sure with this specific one. Thx ☺️
Hi Dana! I also believe it will work just fine, but I haven’t had a chance to do that. However, I find they are great on the second day after baking, so I would probably go ahead and bake them the day before you want to serve them. I store them in an airtight container with a slice of white bread and it keeps them extra soft and chewy!
My favorite cookie recipe. Have you ever frozen these? I need to take them to a reunion….
Hi Bridget! Sadly, I have not and can’t tell you how it would work. But if you do try it, please report back and let me know!
Make these every year for my family. My Grandmother used to make them but I never had the recipe so was so excited to see it when you first posted it!!!!! Full disclosure I’m a terrible baker. Today accidentally used baking powder instead of baking soda. They are really good but definitely different. Puffy and soft, still a big hit!!!
Hi Jessica…I was looking for a cookie like this! They served them in my high school cafeteria at East High School in Rochester New York back in the 1970’s with a thin confection glaze. I did add 2 pinches of ground cayenne pepper for that faint tingle that lingers on the palate. I also substituted the ground ginger for 1 TABLESPOON of FRESH minced ginger instead, which I whipped in with the butter and sugar mixture. These cookies make an amateur baker look like a professional. Yummy…pure perfection…kudos to you Jessica!
Hi there Jessica,
I love this recipe….have been making them since 2013. I’m using a #60 scoop (a level tablespoon) and get 42 cookies consistently…..about 3 1/2″ across when done. How BIG are your cookies? …..the dough spreads out and I may have a “dinner plate” size cookie!! My daughter has requested I make these for “Cookies for a Cop”….a program to thank our local law enforcement for all they do and let them know we appreciate them. (of course I said I’d be glad to make 8 dozen??!!!)
Anyway, just wondering about size of your batches…thanks 🙂
I love that you are baking for such a great cause!
To be honest, it has been many years since I have made these cookies. I said I got 28 cookies, mine seem to have been larger than yours. But as long as you are happy with the size and they are consistent, I think they are perfect just like that! 🙂 I hope all the officers enjoy your cookies!!
Made with one egg. Delicious flavor, I will make these again. 🙂
Question, I was about to make these but I noticed there’s a discrepancy in the recipe. Ingredients say 1 egg, but directions say add eggs. Can you clarify the proper quantity? Thanks!
Hi Lex! Yes, sorry and thank you for catching my error! It is just the one egg! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed them!!
I’ve made these twice in one week. They are the best cookies I’ve EVER eaten!!! I’m looking for a chocolate chip cookie that is just as thin and chewy. Any idea how to do that?