The smell of warm molasses and spices filling the kitchen, signaling the coming of soft molasses cookies will make everyone hurry to the kitchen. Here is a simple and easy recipe for rich and full of flavor molasses cookies for your family and guests to enjoy.
With their rich, powerful flavors and chewy texture, these delicious snacks are a true sensory experience. Let me share with you this tried-and-true recipe that ensures you make the ideal batch of soft molasses cookies every time.
Jump to:
❤️ Why its a must-try
- The flavors are heavenly, robust caramel like mixed with fragrant spices makes this an irresistible combination.
- This recipes produces a soft cookie with amazing chewy texture.
- Molasses cookies are versatile and can be adapted to suit various preferences.
Enjoy this seasonal delight with your family and probably a hot cup of tea milk or simply a glass of milk. Let the kids be involved in the making and baking of the cookies and make wonderful memories together. They always love to help in the kitchen, specially when making cookies.
📝 Ingredients
Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- All purpose flour
- Butter, unsalted
- Brown sugar
- Molasses
- Spices, ginger, cinnamon and cloves
- Eggs
- Baking soda
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream butter and sugar. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl
- Slowly min dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate for an hour.
- Form a 1 tablespoon balls of the cookie dough and roll in granulated sugar.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake as directed below
💡Amira's Tips
- Make sure to use unsulphured or dark molasses, they are the best for this recipe. Grandma's is the brand I always use as it is the closest to what is sold in Egypt, do not use blackstrap molasses.
- Make sure to creamy butter and sugar until really fluffy and pale in color, this step is very important.
- When mixing the dry ingredients mix them on low or using a spatula to avoid overmixing.
🥣 Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
- Molasses , you can also find it in your grocery store usually with maple syrup
- Baking sheet
🧺 Storage
Countertop: Place cookies in an airtight container on your counter, they will keep for about a week. If you want to keep them longer place a piece of bread in the container to keep them sodt.
Freeze: Baked ginger molasses cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
💬 FAQs
If you look at the ingredients quickly they might seem the same but there is a difference. Gingersnaps usually, well like the name indicates.. snaps. Ideal gingersnaps should be crispy while molasses cookies and chewy. Also molasses cookies use less ginger than gingersnaps.
Molasses offers softness to baked goods like cookies making them chewy and soft for longer time than regular sugar. Better yet, molasses brings a robust brown sugar flavor to cookies without making it too sweet.
📣 Related Recipes
- These 3-ingredient Almond Butter Cookies are are chewy and delicate with a delicious nutty flavor. In less than 30 minutes you'll have delicately sweet irresistible cookies.
- Irresistible Butter Crunch Cookies with crisp edges and chewy center is just what you need to make your morning or afternoon snack better. Ready in under 20 minutes, these cookies are great for cookie swap too.
- Traditional Easy Linzer Cookies recipe made with a handful of everyday ingredients. Buttery and lightly sweet cookies filled with raspberry jam are a great way to celebrate any holiday.
- Pecan Pie Cookies are delicious bite-sized cookies easily made with a pie crust base and buttery pecan pie topping. Rich and indulgent alternative to the classic pecan pie in a portable smaller form.
Don’t want to miss a recipe? Sign up for the FREE Amira's Pantry newsletter delivered to your inbox with lots of tips and surprises!
If you like this recipe do not forget to give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and attach a photo of your finished dish. It is always a pleasure of mine to see your photos and check your own take of the recipe. Thank you.
What’s new? Check out Amira's Pantry Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness! Thanks so much for being a part of Amira's Pantry!
Soft Molasses cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter unsalted, room temperature
- ⅔ cup brown sugar dark or light
- 2 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup molasses
Optional
- Granulated sugar for rolling the cookies.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and all the spices. Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and molasses and mix until well blended.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until well incorporated.
- Chill the dough until firm, from 1 hour and up to 3 days.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat evenly.
- Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between each cookie.
- Bake in the center of your oven for for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Cool down on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then finish cooling on a wire rack.
Notes
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
Sign up and learn more about Mediterranean flavors
This recipe has been updated from the original December 2016 . Last updated November 15, 2023.
Would you like to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
John / Kitchen Riffs
We all need to have our souls lifted now and again. These will do the job! Great cookie -- thanks.
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
I love a good spiced cookie, yum!
abra - abraskitchen.com
My favorite cookie of all time, although I would have to switch out the shortening. Maybe I'll try with butter or coconut oil!
Erin
So good! And it's nice that the ingredients are easily found in most pantries already.
Sara
Yum! Molasses is an awesome idea for cookie flavoring. I can't wait to give these a shot!
Michelle Ferrand
I love soft and chewy cookies, these look great!
Christine
Love molasses! It's such a great flavor for cookies. Rich, but not overly sweet.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago
These look like they would be great for a holiday cookie exchange!
Citra Kale @Citra's Home Diary
Can I use butter instead of shortening? Would love totry this cookies
Amira
Well, you can use butter but I am afraid the cookies might spread quicker and it might lead to a flat cookie. If you do not mind that then go ahead and try it and I hope you come back to tell me what happened.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I love ginger cookies! And I will eat them soft or crispy!