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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Cookies / Molasses Cookies

    Molasses Cookies

    December 15, 2018 By Sam 34 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    Molasses cookies

    Perfectly spiced molasses cookies are flavored with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and (of course) plenty of rich sticky molasses!  They have slightly crisped, sparkling sugar coated exteriors and soft, chewy interiors.  

    This Molasses Cookie Recipe is the softer, chewier cousin of the Gingerbread Cookies that I shared the other day. They’re a great and easy-to-make cookie option for your holiday cookie tray. 

    Molasses cookies cooling on cooling rack

    Cookie Season is in full swing! Which cookies will have the honor of being on your cookie tray this year?

    For me, these Molasses Cookies definitely make the cut. They have a place reserved right beside my Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Peanut Butter Blossoms, to name just a few.

    With their crackly sugared surfaces, slightly crisped edges, and soft, so soft, chewy interiors, Molasses Cookies are the treat to leave out for Santa if you have something particularly pricy on your wishlist this year. They’re brilliantly flavored with real butter (no shortening!), molasses and dark brown sugar, and spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

    These are eat-by-the-fireplace-on-a-snowy-Christmas-Eve cookies, and they taste like the holidays. Cozy, molasses-y holidays.

    Molasses cookies covered in sugar

    How to Make Molasses Cookies

    The dough for these cookies will need to be prepared a little bit in advance, as it will need to chill for at least 3 hours (you can chill it longer, sometimes I like to make the molasses cookie dough the day before I plan to bake, and chill it overnight).

    Because of the molasses, the dough is a little bit sticky, and chilling is required to make the dough manageable and easy to roll the dough into balls.  The chilling period also allow the flavors to really develop, giving you the best, most deeply flavored molasses cookies.

    You’ll roll the dough in granulated sugar for their sparkly surfaces.  I like to use a coarse or turbinado sugar, but regular granulated sugar will work, too.

    Are Molasses Cookies the Same as Gingersnaps?

    No, Molasses Cookies are not the same as Gingersnaps. While the flavor is quite similar, Gingersnaps have a spicier, more pronounced ginger flavor while molasses cookies have a deeper rich molasses flavor. Another key difference: Gingersnaps are typically thin and crisp and snappy, while my Molasses Cookies are thick, soft, and chewy.

    Crackly, soft Molasses cookies

    I happened to have some leftover whipped cream in the refrigerator and topped some of the warm cookies off with it after they finished baking.  Indulgent?  Totally.  But also totally delicious and reminded me of a whipped cream-topped gingerbread that my mom likes to make… just something you might want to try out for yourself 😉

    Enjoy!

    Other Recipes You May Like

    • Brown Sugar Cookies
    • Chocolate Snickerdoodles
    • Peanut Butter Cookies
    Molasses Cookie on cooling rack

    Molasses Cookies

    These perfectly spiced molasses cookies are soft, chewy, and rolled in sparkling sugar. They're a great and easy cookie for your holiday cookie tray!
    4.77 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Chilling Time: 3 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Calories: 190kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (170g)
    • ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
    • ½ cup dark brown sugar packed, can substitute light brown sugar (100g)
    • 1 large egg
    • ¼ cup unsulphured molasses it should say unsulphered on the label, I used "Grandma's" brand) (60ml)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (280g)
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Combine butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer).
    • Add egg, stir until combined.
    • Add molasses and vanilla extract, stir well until ingredients are combined.
    • In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt.
    • Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until completely combined.
    • Cover dough with clear wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
    • Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
    • Roll dough into heaping Tablespoon-sized balls and roll in sugar to coat completely.
    • Place at least 2" apart on prepared cookie sheet and bake on 375F (190C) for 10-11 minutes.  
    • The cookies should look baked but have slightly under-done centers. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet to finish cooking -- this will make them very soft.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 188IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Thick chewy molasses cookie on cooling rack

    I originally shared this Molasses Cookie Recipe 12/01/2017. Post updated (recipe remains the same) 12/15/2018.

    « French Toast Casserole
    Gingerbread Cookie Bars »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jodie

      June 19, 2021 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious! Made the cookiesabitbigger andcooked them a few minutes longer- just like the coffee shop cookie❣️

      Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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