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Molasses Cookies are the perfect sweet treat! I am in love with this molasses cookie recipe – it’s so easy and produces a soft and chewy cookie perfectly spiced for Christmas with a crackly top – just how they should be!
Soft Molasses Cookies
If you’re looking for soft chewy ginger molasses cookies, you can’t top this southern favorite. The ground cinnamon paired with the ground cloves and sugars is what takes the flavor and taste over the top. These are my favorite holiday cookies – I love the gingerbread spices and molasses flavor – just smelling molasses makes me long for Christmas! I know they’re traditionally a holiday cookie but I love them all year long.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted butter – Make sure that it’s softened to mix well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Brown sugar – Pack it when measuring it so that you get the correct amount.
- Molasses – Use unsulphered or blackstrap molasses.
- Egg – Great for binding the ingredients in the cookie dough and adding some protein.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract is my choice!
- Baking soda – This gives the cookies a bit of fluffiness/
- Salt – Just a pinch.
- Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg – Adds a nice warmth and flavor.
- All purpose flour – You can sift the flour if you want to get rid of any lumps or risk of lumps.
- Granulated sugar – The main sweetener for these cookies!
- Christmas M&Ms – Optional topping.
How to make Molasses Cookies
- Use a mixer and combine the butter, brown sugar, and molasses. Add the egg and vanilla and stir. Then mix in the baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth. I used a hand mixer but you can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if you prefer.
- Slowly add the flour and stir. Add the teaspoon ground cinnamon and sugar into a medium bowl and roll the cookie dough balls in the mixture. These cookies spread, so leave space when you’re baking them.
- You can use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to shape dough into balls and place on the baking sheet. Add them to the cookie sheet, and top with toppings if you’re adding anything.
- Put the cookie dough scoops into the fridge for one hour at a minimum.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add parchment paper to the baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until they’re no longer glossy on top. Cool cookie sheets on wire racks.
Expert Tips
- To store: Let them cool down all the way and store them in an airtight container. You can keep them at room temperature or in the fridge. Your choice. You can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze these ginger molasses cookies! Just add them to a freezer-safe bag or container and keep them frozen. When you’re ready to eat them, move them to the fridge to thaw.
- I love adding Christmas M&Ms on top before baking for color!
- Want more cookies – just double the recipe.
FAQs
Adding molasses is what gives these cookies their brown coloring and most of their sweetness! The added molasses always makes them chewy, too!
While many people think that these two types of cookies are the same, they’re actually quite different. Molasses cookies are soft and chewy, while gingerbread cookies have a crisper texture.
You bet! I love adding ground ginger to this cookie recipe because it’s such a flavor enhancer. You could make it without adding it – but why?
To determine if the cookies are done baking, the top of the cookies is your clue. If they’re done and ready to be removed from the oven, the glossy top will be gone and will not look shiny.
Molasses Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (79ml) molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- Christmas M&Ms for topping, optional
Instructions
- Note: this dough requires chilling.
- Using a stand or a hand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until the butter is broken up (the mixture will be lumpy). Mix in egg and vanilla, then add baking soda, salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth, then slowly mix in the flour until the cookie dough forms.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls of dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. No need to space them out; you’re going to chill them.
- Chill the dough for at least one hour, but you can also cover and chill up to one full day (or freeze the balls of dough for later baking).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Stir together the granulated sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball in the cinnamon sugar and then place on the cookie sheet. These do spread, so leave room. Top each ball with 5-6 M&Ms.
- Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until they’re no longer glossy. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Nutrition
Molasses Cookies are the perfect Christmas Cookie Recipe! These are soft & chewy cookies with M&Ms but they’re amazing plain too!
Favorite Gingerbread Recipes
Last Updated on December 5, 2023
Chewy molasses cookies are my favorite! A definite must for the holidays!
I would read any book of yours Dorothy! Keeping a journal is a goal of mine. I can;t keep it up so I compromise with a “happy book”. Every day I write down 3 positive things from that day. Maybe you could start with something like that and build from there?
That’s such an awesome idea!
These cookies are perfection! My favorite too! And girl, go for IT!
I’ve never tried molasses before; hopefully I’ll like it. I love how you used M&Ms as cookie “toppings” – I used to love doing that as a kid!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Hy Dorothy , U make everything seem so simple! I’m gonna try this recipe for Kids ! five star for your SOFT & CHEWY CHRISTMAS MOLASSES COOKIES
Warm Regards
Jonathan 😀
You would be very good at writing a book. I think everyone reads every word you put in this blog. Go for it!
Soft and chewy molasses cookies are basically my favorite thing in the world. I would take it over a PB, a choc chip, a snickerdoodle, anything! Why do they have to be so seasonal? I actually have been known to bake with molasses in the summer 🙂
I also love soft, chewy, dark cookies. There’s something so comforting about them. I’m happy you’re not feelin’ guilty about making a no-share batch. You work hard, you deserve it!
Do you use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar? Just curious…
I use light because it’s normally what I have on hand, but dark works too!
Great minds think alike. Looks like we both have chocolate and gingerbread on the brain today!
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