Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies

5 from 4 votes
12 Comments

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Molasses Cookies are soft, chewy cookies that will send you right back to your childhood. Sweet with a hint of molasses, they’re like a soft gingersnap. Delicious!

Hand grabbing a Molasses Cookie from a plate.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in Molasses Cookies
  2. What Type of Molasses to Use
  3. Recipe Tips
  4. What Readers Are Saying About these Molasses Cookies
  5. Frequently Asked Questions About Molasses Cookies
  6. More Homemade Cookie Recipes
  7. Molasses Cookies Recipe

These Molasses Cookies are very near and dear to my heart – mostly because they remind me of my dear mother-in-law. “Grandma Blick”, as we lovingly called her, made these cookies often. Grandma Blick always had a secret stash of these cookies in a tin hiding in a cupboard. She would pull them out and share them with everyone who came to visit. Now they’re one of my most treasured, favorite cookie recipes and I also love making them for my family. The soft, chewy cookie reminds me of a gingersnap, with a light molasses flavor and also sweetened by a sugary outside. If you’re looking for a warm, nostalgic cookie recipe, then this one is it!

Ingredients in Molasses Cookies

These cookies come together with simple pantry ingredients. They’re so easy to make! Here’s what you need:

  • Shortening – I find that using shortening instead of butter helps keep the cookies nice and soft.
  • Egg – Just one egg. This recipe is easy to double!
  • Molasses – I use light molasses instead of a super dark variety. More on what molasses to use down below.
  • Flour – make sure to sift the dry ingredients together with the flour before adding to the molasses mixture.
  • Baking soda – two teaspoons
  • ¼ teaspoon salt  
  • A half teaspoon ground cloves
  • One teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • One teaspoon ground ginger
Stack of four baked Molasses Cookies.


What Type of Molasses to Use

A commenter asked what type of molasses to use. We prefer light molasses in this recipe. Light molasses tastes the sweetest and is most commonly used in baking. Dark molasses is a little less sweet, and is mostly used in gingerbread cookies. Blackstrap molasses is the thickest and most also most bitter type of molasses. We would advise you not to use that type of molasses in this recipe as it will not taste as good or have the right texture.

Recipe Tips

  • Chill the cookie dough for an hour before shaping into balls.
  • Sprinkle water on top of the cookies. It will dissolve some of the sugar on top and give the cookies a nice, crinkly texture on top.
  • The spices blend so well in the molasses, and the flavors mix together after sitting for a while. I like to store them for about a day before serving, because they just taste better the second day!
  • Don’t overbake these cookies! To achieve the chewy texture, pull the cookies out of the oven when they are just starting to turn a light brown on top and you can see them getting crusty on the top layer of the cookie. 
  • Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing.
  • If you want a super easy cleanup, then place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet!
Hand dipping a Molasses Cookie dough ball into a bowl of sugar.

What Readers Are Saying About these Molasses Cookies

“Boy, I haven’t seen a molasses cookie recipe ever. My grandmother made these for me as a child and I thought they were just the best cookie ever. Thank you for sharing this one, it brings back the good old days… Smile.” – RHONDA

“These were the best cookies I’ve ever had!” – CHUCK

“These look so soft and chewy, I can’t wait to try them!” -SUSAN

Frequently Asked Questions About Molasses Cookies

What does molasses do in cookies?

Besides adding lots of rich, deep flavor, molasses gives the cookies a beautiful brown color that honey or other ingredients just don’t match. 

What is the difference between Molasses Cookies and Ginger Snap Cookies?

Molasses cookies are soft and chewy, whereas ginger cookies are crispier in texture.

Why are my molasses cookies bitter?

Avoid using blackstrap or dark molasses in these cookies. For a sweeter cookie, make sure you use light molasses.

Can I double the recipe or will it change the texture of the cookies?

You can double this recipe, no problem! They freeze well too. So make a huge batch, and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

Read More: 25+ Christmas Desserts

From classic chocolate chip to peanut butter, we have SO many delicious cookie recipes to choose from. Try some new cookie recipes with your family!

Hand grabbing a Molasses Cookie from a plate.

Molasses Cookies

5 from 4 votes
Molasses Cookies are soft, chewy cookies that will send you right back to your childhood. Sweet with a hint of molasses, they're like a soft gingersnap. Delicious!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Refrigeration 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Mix shortening, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses.
    Mixing bowl of wet ingredients for Molasses Cookie dough.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together
    Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl for Molasses Cookies.
  • Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Chill dough for 1 hour.
    Mixing bowl of Molasses Cookie dough.
  • Roll into balls the size of large walnuts.
    Molasses Cookie dough balls on a plate next to a bowl of dough.
  • Dip top of dough ball in sugar.
    Hand dipping a Molasses Cookie dough ball into a bowl of sugar.
  • Place 3″ apart on greased cookie sheet.
    Hand sprinkling water onto a Molasses Cookie dough ball.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
    Cookie sheet of baked Molasses Cookies.

Notes

  • Sprinkle water on top of the cookies. It will dissolve some of the sugar on top and give the cookies a nice, crinkly texture on top.
  • The spices blend so well in the molasses, and the flavors mix together after sitting for a while. I like to store them for about a day before serving, because they just taste better the second day!
  • Don’t overbake these cookies! To achieve the chewy texture, pull the cookies out of the oven when they are just starting to turn a light brown on top and you can see them getting crusty on the top layer of the cookie. 
  • Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 27mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 10IUCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising, and her four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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Comments

  1. Boy, I haven’t seen a molasses cookie recipe ever. My grandmother made these for me as a child and I thought they were just the best cookie ever. Thank you for sharing this one, it brings back the good old days… Smile

    1. It dissolves the sprinkled sugar just a little bit and gives the top of the cookie a crunchier texture than the rest of the cookie. It’s not necessary, the cookie will be a softer cookie without it. Thank you for asking!

    1. There is definitely a difference. Black strap molasses is much stronger in flavor and intensity than general molasses. The cookies will have a different flavor, but it will still work. If I was using black strap molasses in this recipe, or any other recipe that calls for molasses, I would use about 1/2 of what the recipe calls for. Thank you for your question and for visiting our site!