My molasses cookies have the perfect balance of sweetness and spice in each delicious bite! They make wonderful Christmas cookies, but my family enjoys them throughout the year! It's a classic cookie recipe that never goes out of style!
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If you enjoy baking with molasses, you'll love my ginger molasses cookies and oatmeal molasses raisin cookies, too!
Super Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies
Molasses adds a rich, caramelized flavor to these cookies, making them truly unique! That, combined with a warm blend of cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, makes these an excellent addition to your fall baking or Christmas cookie plans!
A molasses substitute will do in a pinch if you don't have molasses. But I have to say, nothing compares to the flavor of the real stuff!
🥘 Ingredients
- Butter - ½ cup of butter or a suitable butter substitute.
- Dark Brown Sugar - 1 packed cup of dark brown sugar (or use light brown sugar). Dark brown sugar will enhance the rich molasses flavor even more!
- Eggs - 2 large eggs at room temperature. Warm up your eggs in a flash by setting them in a bowl of water that is room temperature.
- Molasses - ½ cup of molasses (or light molasses).
- Salt - ¼ teaspoon of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Baking Soda - 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
- Ground Cloves - ½ teaspoon of ground cloves.
- Ground Cinnamon - 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Ginger - 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Flour - 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour or a flour substitute (it may alter the consistency).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Molasses Cookies
Molasses cookies are straightforward, but you do have to chill the dough for a few hours to get the right consistency. You'll need your measuring utensils, a mixing bowl, a silicone spatula, and a baking sheet to get started.
This recipe makes three dozen cookies to eat, share, and freeze some for later!
Make The Cookie Dough
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Cream ½ cup (113.5 grams) of butter and 1 cup (220 grams) of dark brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add ingredients. Stir in 2 (100 grams) large eggs, ½ cup (118.3 milliliters) of molasses, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of salt, 2 teaspoons (8 grams) of baking soda, ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of ground ginger and mix well.
Step 3: Mix in the flour. Fold in 2 ½ cups (312.5 grams) of all-purpose flour until just combined (do not over-mix).
Chill The Dough
Step 4: Cover and chill. Cover the dough with plastic cling film and refrigerate to chill it for 1-2 hours.
Step 5: Preheat. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
Portion and Bake
Step 6: Roll and coat with sugar. Roll dough into small balls (I use a small melon baller to help with this) and roll in white sugar until generously coated. Place on prepared cookie sheets with 2 inches of spacing between cookies.
Step 7: Bake. Bake in the center rack of your oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 8-10 minutes.
Step 8: Cool. Remove them from the oven and leave the cookies on your baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before storing.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Opt for either medium or dark molasses for the best cookies. Light molasses is the second best option due to its sweetness, but steer clear of backstrap molasses. It has an intense bitterness and spiciness that would not make for good cookies!
- Using fresh spices makes all the difference in these classic spiced cookies!
- You must chill your cookie dough for the best results. This helps keep them from overspreading and makes the dough easier to roll. You can chill the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking, but I recommend at least 1-2 hours.
- This is a great make-ahead cookie recipe because these cookies will stay soft and chewy for days in an airtight container!
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🥡 Storing
Your molasses cookies can be kept in an airtight storage container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I recommend keeping them in a pantry, cabinet, bread box, or somewhere dark and cool.
Freezing
The baked cookies can be frozen in a sealed freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature or in the fridge before serving.
To freeze the cookie dough, roll it into balls and flash-freeze them on a baking sheet for a few hours. Once solid, they can be combined in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months. See more on how to freeze cookie dough here!
I recommend letting the frozen cookie dough balls sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
🍪 More Great Cookie Recipes
- Lemon Cream Cheese Crinkle Cookies - These rich, chewy cookies are packed with citrus flavor for a year-round favorite cookie!
- Pineapple Bars - A personal favorite that I would bake fresh every day if my family permitted it!
- No Bake Butterscotch Cookies - A twist to the standard chocolate or chocolate and peanut butter no-bake cookie!
- Strawberry Shortcake Cookie Cups - Make these tender cookie cups in bite-size shape for a summer tradition!
- Peanut Butter Pecan Cookies - Rich and tender cookies topped with pecans for a nutty pairing everyone loves!
- Classic Sugar Cookies - My favorite rolled sugar cookie recipe for any theme or holiday!
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📖 Recipe Card
Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed, or use light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup molasses or light molasses
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Mix The Cookie Dough
- Cream ½ cup butter and 1 cup dark brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Stir in 2 large eggs, ½ cup molasses, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon ground ginger and mix well.
- Fold in 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour until just combined (do not over-mix).
Chill Dough & Prep
- Cover with plastic cling film and refrigerate to chill the dough for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line a baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
Portion, Bake & Cool Cookies
- Roll dough into small balls (I use a small melon baller to help with this) and roll in white sugar until generously coated. Place on prepared cookie sheets with 2 inches of spacing between cookies.
- Bake in the center rack of your oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave the cookies on your baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Opt for either medium or dark molasses for the best cookies. Light molasses is the second best option due to its sweetness, but steer clear of backstrap molasses. It has an intense bitterness and spiciness that would not make for good cookies!
- Using fresh spices makes all the difference in these classic spiced cookies!
- You must chill your cookie dough for the best results. This helps keep them from overspreading and makes the dough easier to roll. You can chill the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking, but I recommend at least 1-2 hours.
- This is a great make-ahead cookie recipe because these cookies will stay soft and chewy for days in an airtight container!
- Your molasses cookies can be kept in an airtight storage container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I recommend keeping them in a pantry, cabinet, bread box, or somewhere dark and cool.
- The baked cookies can be frozen in a sealed freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature or in the fridge before serving.
- To freeze the cookie dough, roll it into balls and flash-freeze them on a baking sheet for a few hours. Once solid, they can be combined in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months. I recommend letting the frozen cookie dough balls sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
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