These soft and chewy Molasses Cookies are hands down my all time favorite Christmas Cookie! Every year they are the crowd favorite from my Christmas Cookie Roundup.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
These Molasses Cookies come from my mom - who I think got the recipe from my her mom and she probably got it from her mom. Who knows. Either way - these Molasses Cookies are perfection. The dough comes together quickly, chills in the fridge to harden it up, and then rolled into balls and coated in sugar before baking. The result is a perfectly soft and chewy molasses cookie that you'll totally love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Unsalted Butter – I like to use unsalted butter when baking to control the amount of salt I add to the recipe. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before creaming it together with the sugars to yield the best results.
- White Sugar– White sugar helps aerate the cookies when creamed with the butter to create tiny air pockets for a crispier cookie.
- Egg – Use large eggs at room temperature. If they're straight from the fridge, they will make the butter seize and won't combine evenly.
- Dark Molasses – Some people might tell you that you can substitute other ingredients like Maple Syrup, Cane Syrup or Sorghum Syrup, but there really isn't anything else that compares to the flavor of molasses. It's carried at almost every grocery store so it's easy to come by, and it keeps for years in the pantry!
- All-Purpose Flour – Measured by scoop and leveling.
- Baking Soda – For leavening, texture, flavor, and browning.
- Spices – I like using a combination of cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground ginger.
*For full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Molasses Cookies
Step 1: In a large stand mixer combine the butter, sugar, egg and molasses. Mix for a minute or two until well combined.
Step 2: Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Step 3: Once chilled, scoop 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll into balls.
Step 4: Roll them around in a small cup of sugar and set onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Step 5: After baking remove from the oven and transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool.
Step 6: Store any leftover Molasses Cookies in the freezer. This way they stay fresh even longer!
The in's and outs of Molasses Cookies!
- What does molasses do for cookies?
- Molasses makes baked goods extra soft so these cookies stay chewy even longer!
- What's a good substitute for molasses?
- Some people might tell you that you can substitute other ingredients like Maple Syrup, Cane Syrup or Sorghum Syrup, but there really isn't anything else that compares to the flavor of molasses. It's carried at almost every grocery store so it's easy to come by, and it keeps for years in the pantry!
- How do you store molasses cookies?
- My family has been storing them in the freezer since I was a kid. I'll take out as many as I need an hour or so before I plan on eating them and let them come to room temp. This way they stay fresh even longer! You can also nuke them in the microwave for 10 seconds when they come out of the freezer to speed the process up
- Should I use light or dark molasses?
- For baking - always use dark molasses!
So whip up a double batch of these and store them in the freezer for the next few weeks while you’re prepping for the holidays! Grab a few when you’re sweet tooth strikes and warm them up a bit in the microwave just so you can pretend you’re eating a cooking fresh outta the oven. They are pure perfection - I promise!
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Molasses Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup white sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup dark molasses
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (measured by scoop and leveling)
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
Instructions
- In a large stand mixer combine the butter, sugar, egg and molasses. Mix for a minute or two until well combined.
- Combine the flour, cloves, ginger cinnamon and baking soda and sift together.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Once chilled, scoop 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll into balls. Roll them around in a small cup of sugar and set onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool.
Notes
- What does molasses do for cookies?
- Molasses makes baked goods extra soft so these cookies stay chewy even longer!
- What’s a good substitute for molasses?
- Some people might tell you that you can substitute other ingredients like Maple Syrup, Cane Syrup or Sorghum Syrup, but there really isn’t anything else that compares to the flavor of molasses. It’s carried at almost every grocery store so it’s easy to come by, and it keeps for years in the pantry!
- How do you store molasses cookies?
- My family has been storing them in the freezer since I was a kid. I’ll take out as many as I need an hour or so before I plan on eating them and let them come to room temp. This way they stay fresh even longer! You can also nuke them in the microwave for 10 seconds when they come out of the freezer to speed the process up
- Should I use light or dark molasses?
- For baking – always use dark molasses!
Fantastic recipe! I have made these cookies many times and it is a family favorite. They are delicious and beautiful. The larger size is perfect! These make a great gift for neighbors at the holidays and even my 5 year old nephew cannot get enough! Thank you for this gem!!
These cookies are delish!
These were incredible. I made them for a Christmas party and people flipped out. The molasses makes them special and festive and people will think you're some exquisite baker when really you just like to read food blogs and occasionally make treats (speaking from experience).
I come back to this recipe again and again and again. I think my family would disown me if I didn't make them at Christmas. They are easy and fun to make as well. Absolutely perfect! Thanks Gaby! ❤️
I baked these cookies twice today. I had the same issue as some others did with the first batch, very puffy and cake like. With the second batch, I cut 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 tsp of baking soda and now they are perfectly chewy. The most delicious cookies I have ever tasted! Even my husband who has always claimed to not like molasses, can’t get enough of them 🙂
Anyone tried making vegan? Can I use a flax egg and vegan butter as subs?
Yes! I’ve made vegan for my daughter using as egg substitute.
I have made this recipe 3 times for a total of 12-15 dozen cookies. I used a Sorghum ( Fain’s Sorghum....found at http://www.fainshoney.com).
I can honestly say that everyone that has tried them LOVES them and said ”One of the best cookies EVER”. My husband new favorite over chocolate chip!!!!
Just gave them away in a goody platter for our neighbors for Christmas.
Thank you and Merry Christmas
I’m pretty sure I’ve made these before and they were delish. Just tried them again and I totally botched them! I think i did 2 things wrong: I didn’t cool dough at all (Im impatient) will that wreck them?! Also I ran out of reg Flour so subbed about 3/4 cup with whole wheat. Maybe that was bad?! Anyways I froze half of the dough, maybe I can salvage the rest next time by adding a bit more reg flour?! I used black strap molasses and did exact amount of baking soda but mine did rise, and we’re a quite bitter tasting/black bottoms, lol sorry for the long post!
chilling the dough is V important. And i don't think the flour would have had THAT big of an affect on them.
Kirsten, I had the same problem this year, except I intentionally used almond flour!...Gaby, I did not COVER and refrigerate, but I did refrigerate for an hour! Does not covering make a difference? Also think I might have made too large of balls, and maybe because of the almond flour, I wasn’t able to roll them in sugar... I did drizzle sugar on top though, but oh man, it was molassss mush haha. I feel so bad, these were my hubby’s favorite last year! lol
almond flour def will not yield the same results as the way my recipe is written! Sorry - it's not a 1:1 substitution!
And chilling is important! Covered doesn't really matter - but dough needs to be COLD before baking
I'm guessing the kind of molasses you used is the main culprit. Blackstrap molasses is made from the third boiling of the sugarcane and is much thinner, darker, and more bitter than regular molasses, I would not recommend using it for baking. Grandma's is a decent and widely available brand.
How long can this dough keep in the refrigerator? I want to make a batch but it's just me and my mom at home and it would be nice to bake as we want them.
better yet - freeze it! That way it will last forever. But a week in the fridge
These look and sound amazing! I have an aversion to cloves, though. Is it really noticeable? Think I could omit Or substitute it?
you can totally leave them out! still delish!
I made these last night and they were amazing! Thank you to you, your Mom & Grandmother! They are the perfect Molassas Cookie!
Will a hand mixer work if I don't have a big fancy one??
Thanks
Absolutely!
These are my ABSOLUTE favorite!!! I need them all year round, not just for the holidays!
This is the best recipe! I made these cookies several times and every time each cookie came out perfect - exactly like your picture. Thanks for a great recipe!
I absolutely love this recipe for molasses cookies. They are my all time favorite cookie and this is the best recipe ever - in over 50 years of baking ! 5+ stars Gaby!