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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!
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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
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!
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
Besides adding lots of rich, deep flavor, molasses gives the cookies a beautiful brown color that honey or other ingredients just don’t match.
Molasses cookies are soft and chewy, whereas ginger cookies are crispier in texture.
Avoid using blackstrap or dark molasses in these cookies. For a sweeter cookie, make sure you use light molasses.
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.
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Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- Mix shortening, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses.
- In a separate bowl, sift together
- Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Chill dough for 1 hour.
- Roll into balls the size of large walnuts.
- Dip top of dough ball in sugar.
- Place 3″ apart on greased cookie sheet.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
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
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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
These were the best cookies I have ever had!
I’m making this for the weekend, I bet everyone is going to devour it!
These look so soft and chewy. Can’t wait to try them!
Have you doubled the recipe? Does it change the chewy texture of the cookie?
You can double the recipe without any problems. These cookies are delicious – you will love them!
Why do you sprinkle the tops with water?
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!
is there a difference in type of molasses used? Is blackstrap molasses generic molasses?
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!
Those look delicious! I love molasses cookies. 🙂
Me too! These are my favorite! Thank you for visiting our website!