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Home » Blog » Cookie and Bar Recipes » Soft Molasses Cookies

Soft Molasses Cookies

Cathy Roma Published: Dec 20, 2022

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These soft molasses cookies are brimming with warm spices and have a crunchy sugar crust.
These soft molasses cookies are brimming with warm spices and have a crunchy sugar crust.
Soft Molasses Cookies on a round wire rack with white branches and pine cones around.

Planning a holiday cookie exchange? Add these soft molasses cookies to the list pronto!

These classic molasses cookies were a favorite when I was growing up and are now a favorite of my own children. They have the warm, toasty flavor of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom and a crackly, sugared crust thanks to a roll in a mix of granulated sugar and crunchy turbinado sugar.

A stack of Soft Molasses Cookies on a small flowered plate.

These molasses cookies are more soft than chewy because I use all brown sugar in the batter as opposed to both brown and granulated. Prefer a chewy molasses cookie? Substitute half granulated sugar in place of the light brown sugar.

I find 10 minutes to be the magic number for baking these cookies. They should just begin to crack and still seem soft, even a little under-baked. Never fear, they will set as they cool (although a warm cookie just out of the oven is heaven).

Soft Molasses Cookies in a red tin with white branches around.

The end result is a soft, tender cookie with crackly edges. They are the perfect addition to the holiday table and always a favorite at at cookie swap. This recipe yields four dozen cookies which means there will be plenty for sharing, as well as dunking into a glass of milk all on your own.

Let’s Make Soft Molasses Cookies

Step by step photos showing how to make Soft Molasses Cookies. Cream the butter and the sugar (1), add the eggs (2), add the molasses (3), whisk together the dry ingredients (4).
  1. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, blending after each addition.
  3. Beat in the molasses.
  4. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Step by step photos showing how to make Soft Molasses Cookies. Mix in the flour (5), Roll the dough into balls (6), roll in sugar (7), Bake until beginning to crack (8).
  1. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat just until combined.
  2. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls with damp hands.
  3. Roll into sugar and place on a lined baking sheet.
  4. Bake for about 10 minutes, just until the tops begin to crack.
Soft Molasses Cookies on a plate with one cookie broken in half.

Tips for success

  • Use room temperature butter and eggs for the best results.
  • Use unsulphured, robust molasses for these cookies. Blackstrap will be too intense!
  • I use a small scoop to portion out the dough so the cookies will be uniform in size.
  • Wet your hands as you roll out the dough to prevent it from sticking to your hands.
  • Parchment or a silpat lined baking sheet prevents the cookies from sticking as they bake.
  • I roll the portioned dough in a mix of granulated and turbinado sugar for that crackly crust.
  • Bake these just until the tops begin to crack, but the cookies are still soft. They will set as they cool.

Planning a Cookie Exchange?

  • Nutty Thumbprint Cookies
  • Walnut Snowball Cookies
  • Snowflake Cookies
  • Italian Cookies
  • Classic Shortbread Cookies
Soft Molasses Cookies in a red tin with white branches around.
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A stack of Soft Molasses Cookies on a small flowered plate.
Print
Soft Molasses Cookies
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

These soft molasses cookies are brimming with warm spices and have a crunchy sugar crust.

Course: Cookies and Bars
Cuisine: American
Keyword: molasses cookies
Servings: 48 Cookies
Calories: 124 kcal
Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For…
Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)
  • 1 3/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 4 cups AP flour
  • 3 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar (I recommend equal parts granulated sugar and turbinado sugar)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line to baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Cream the butter and sugar with a paddle attachment of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in the molasses.

  3. Whisk the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt, together in a small bowl.

  4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.

  5. Using a small ice cream scooper or spoon, and scoop out heaping tablespoons. Roll each portion into a ball and roll the ball in the sugar in a small bowl.

  6. Place the balls on the parchment lined sheet trays about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 mins, until the tops begin to crack.

  7. Cool slightly on the sheet trays, them remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Recipe Notes

The cookies will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

  • Use room temperature butter and eggs for the best results.
  • Use unsulphured, robust molasses for these cookies. Blackstrap will be too intense!
  • I use a small scoop to portion out the dough so the cookies will be uniform in size.
  • Wet your hands as you roll out the dough to prevent it from sticking to your hands.
  • Parchment or a silpat lined baking sheet prevents the cookies from sticking as they bake.
  • I roll the portioned dough in a mix of granulated and turbinado sugar for that crackly crust.
  • Bake these just until the tops begin to crack, but the cookies are still soft. They will set as they cool.
  •  
Nutrition Facts
Soft Molasses Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 124 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 101mg4%
Potassium 79mg2%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 158IU3%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
7

Cookie and Bar Recipes, Recipe cookies, molasses, molasses cookies, soft molasses cookies, ginger cookies

About Cathy Roma

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tara says

    December 19, 2019 at 8:39 pm

    One time, Grandma Ruthie and I were making molasses cookies and someone came to the front door. I grabbed a big handful of the dough and ran into the bathroom to eat it 😀 I love molasses cookies!

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      December 20, 2019 at 10:43 pm

      Ha! Love it. There’s nothing better than cookie dough!

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HEY THERE, I’M CATHY.

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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