Molasses Cookies
Molasses Cookies are sweet, spiced, and SO chewy! These homemade cookies are as easy to make as they are scrumptious. Bring them to any cookie exchange this holiday season to make everyone smile! They’re truly timeless, and sometimes, you just can’t beat a classic.
If there’s one thing I think I might love the most about the holiday season, it’s the baking! When I’m not making a big batch of Molasses Cookies for the upcoming cookie exchange, it’s only because I’m making my other favorite – Oatmeal Cookies! And maybe some Peanut Butter Cookies!
Molasses Cookies
If you’ve ever had a good homemade Molasses Cookie before, you know that the deal is… It’s all about that chew! Adding molasses to just about anything does a few things. It makes the recipe sweeter, richer, and more often than not, chewier!
These easy homemade cookies are perfectly baked for all of those who, like me, love that classic chewy consistency you can really only find in Molasses Cookies. Plus, they’re spiced with cinnamon and ground ginger to really seal the deal on that rich flavor!
How to Make Molasses Cookies
When you bake these homemade cookies, they’re going to make your kitchen smell better than any Yankee Candle ever could!
- Whisk together all of the measured dry ingredients (except for both sugars).
- Cream together the butter and both sugars until fluffy.
- Add in the molasses, egg, and vanilla.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients to form the dough.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours to chill.
- Scoop the dough into balls and roll them in white granulated sugar.
- Place them on a prepared baking sheet, then bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to set for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to fully cool.
Tips for the Best Molasses Cookies
- The dough will be sticky when it’s first made, and that’s to be expected. Don’t worry! The consistency will become much easier to work with once the dough chills for about 2 hours in the fridge.
- Speaking of the fridge, do NOT skip the chilling step! Chilling the dough not only makes it easier to handle, it also ensures that the dough holds up well in the oven. If you skip this step, the dough will spread a lot in the hot oven and not hold the right shape.
- I always recommend using a cookie scoop to make sure all of your cookies are the exact same size. If they’re all slightly different sizes, they won’t bake evenly.
- For the best results, we recommend using name brand butter. Store brand butter doesn’t hold up well to hot oven temps and makes these cookies spread a tad too much.
Storage
Storage: In an airtight container at room temperature, Molasses Cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Yes, Molasses Cookies can be frozen! These cookies freeze well for about 2 months when wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil.
When are Molasses Cookies finished baking?
Do they still look a little under-baked in the middle? That’s just fine! The cookies are ready to come out of the oven when they start to crack and still have a slightly underdone center. They’ll continue to crack and look done as they cool.
If you want them to crack a little more, gently tap the pan against the countertop just before the cookies finish baking. Place them back in the oven for another minute or two. This tip is courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Why did my cookies turn out tough?
If your cookies are tough, they were either baked too long or the dough was over-mixed. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until there’s no more visible flour, then stop!
More Easy Dessert Recipes:
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, ground cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour1 ½ teaspoons baking soda1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon1 teaspoon ground ginger½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon ground cloves¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.¾ cup unsalted butter¾ cup light brown sugar¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Continue mixing until the ingredients are well mixed.¼ cup unsulfured molasses1 large egg1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour in the flour mixture, and mix on low speed just until mixed and no flour streaks remain. The dough will have a slightly sticky or tacky texture, but it will firm up and be easier to handle once it chills.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to chill.
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and portion out the dough into evenly sized balls. Roll the balls into the granulated sugar and place onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until the cookies just begin to crack and are slightly underdone in the center. They’ll continue to crack as they cool. Allow the cookies to set on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature. See post for tips and storage instructions.
