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These old fashioned chewy molasses cookies are soft, warmly spiced, and just how Grandma made them!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love these Molasses Cookies
- Ingredients
- How to Make Molasses Cookies
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Old Fashioned Chewy Molasses Cookies Recipe
Looking for other old-fashioned Christmas cookies? Try these Williamsburg gingerbread cookies, make a batch of soft cut-out sugar cookies, and whip up a tray of 3-ingredient Scottish shortbread cookies, too!
Why You’ll Love these Molasses Cookies
Share a batch with friends during the holidays, gift them to your favorite teacher, or enjoy one with a hot cup of tea this afternoon. You don’t need a special occasion to treat yourself and your loved ones to these soft molasses cookies!
I’ve tested this recipe so many times (with plenty of fails along the way) to bring you the absolute best molasses cookie recipe! Trust me — you don’t have to be “a baker” to get these right. Here’s why these are some of our favorite cookies…
- They’re perfectly soft and chewy — so satisfying to sink your teeth into!
- The sugar coating gives them a slightly crisp exterior.
- They’re freezer-friendly, so you can bake them ahead of the holidays and just pull them out when you need a sweet treat for sharing.
- They’re loaded with warm spices for the ultimate cozy dessert!
What Molasses Cookies Taste Like (they’re not the same as Gingersnaps)
While molasses cookies and gingersnap cookies share many of the same primary flavors — namely, darkmolasses and spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg— there are a few major differences.
These molasses cookies are soft and chewy, while gingersnap cookies are typically crisp on the outside and just slightly chewy on the inside. The ginger flavor is also less prominent in molasses cookies.
What Makes Cookies More Chewy Instead of Crunchy
Cookies that are soft and chewy incorporate more moisture in the dough. That’s why you’ll find both butter and oil in this recipe. Those ingredients, along with the molasses, contribute a lot of moisture and result in chewy (not crunchy!) cookies!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a batch of chewy molasses cookies. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step directions are included the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Butter: I use salted butter since that’s what I always have in my fridge, but you can sub with unsalted butter when necessary. If using unsalted butter, I recommend adding an extra ½ teaspoon of salt to the dough.
- Sugar: to sweeten the dough and for rolling on the outside of the dough balls.
- Molasses:adds flavor, color, sweetness, and moisture to the dough.Thisis the brand of unsulphured molasses that I always use.
- Canola oil: adds moisture and keeps them soft.
- Vanilla extract: for extra flavor.
- Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps the cookies puff up and rise.
- Salt: balances the sweetness and adds depth of flavor.
- Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg: warm spices that give the cookies their cozy flavor.
- Eggs: gives the dough structure.
- All-purpose flour: the base of the cookie dough.
How to Make Molasses Cookies
These molasses cookies are made without shortening, and use butter instead! As a result, I always have the ingredients on hand to whip up a batch when a craving strikes.
- Mix together the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use an electric hand mixer).
- Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
- Roll the dough into balls (a cookie scoop helps with this) and coat in sugar.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes.
How to Keep Molasses Cookies Soft
The key to keeping the molasses cookies soft and chewy is pulling them out of the oven before they’re crispy and brown all over. You want the dough to be set and the edges to be turning brown, but the cookies should still be soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool, but they will maintain that great chewy texture!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead:Prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance, keeping it covered in your fridge until you’re ready to bake.
- How to Freeze the Dough:You can also freeze the cookie dough before baking. This recipe freezes best if you portion out the cookie dough balls and coat them in sugar first. Arrange the dough balls on baking sheets, freeze, and then wrap tightly in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.When ready to bake, just pull a couple of frozen dough balls from the oven and bake in a 350°F oven. You’ll need to add about 1-2 more minutes to the baking time since you’re starting with frozen dough.
- Storage:Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.They will last on the counter for about 3 days.To extend the life of your cookies, wrap them tightly andfreeze them for up to 3 months.
Recipe Variations
- For spicy molasses cookies,add extra ginger. You can also stir in some chopped crystallized ginger, or use grated fresh gingerroot. The more ginger, the spicier the dough!
- I use salted buttersince that’s what I always have in my fridge, but you can sub with unsalted butter when necessary. If using unsalted butter, I recommend adding an extra ½ teaspoon of salt to the dough.
- The granulated sugargives the outside of the cookies a slightly crisp texture, which is a hallmark of old fashioned chewy molasses cookies. That said, you can certainly skip this step if you don’t want to bother!
- Cut all of the ingredients in halfto prepare a smaller batch of cookies.
- Mix-In’s:if you like a fully-loaded cookie, try addingwhite chocolate chips, raisins, and/or nutsto the dough before baking.
Tips for the Best Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Donotuse blackstrap molassesin this recipe. I recommendGrandma’s brand unsulphured molasses, or another similar variety.
- Allow the butter and eggto come to room temperature before mixing the dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours (and preferably much longer).The cold, hydrated dough yields the thickest, chewiest cookies.
- Don’t over-mix the doughonce you add the flour. Stir just until completely combined, but no more. This will avoid a dry, tough cookie.
- Pull the cookies out of the ovenas soon as the edges are lightly browned and starting to set. They will look underbaked in the center, but they will continue to firm up as they cool. This keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
More Old Fashioned Cookie Recipes to Try
Russian Tea Cakes {Snowball Cookies}
1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Snickerdoodle Cookies
56 minutes mins
My Grandmother’s Bourbon Balls
15 minutes mins
Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 11 minutes minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours hours
Total: 26 minutes minutes
Servings 41 cookies
Calories 119 kcal
Soft, chewy, and warmly spiced cookies — just like Grandma's!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until smooth. Add the molasses, oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg and mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Slowly add the flour until just combined.
Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to 2-3 days).
When dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350°F.Place remaining 1 cup of sugar in a shallow bowl.
Remove dough from refrigerator and use a scoop to form the dough into round balls. Roll each ball of dough in the sugar. Place dough balls onto cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Bake for about 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies are just set and starting to brown on the edges. They will still be soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Donotuse blackstrap molassesin this recipe. I recommendGrandma’s brand unsulphured molasses, or another similar variety.
- Allow the butter and eggto come to room temperature before mixing the dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours (and preferably much longer).The cold, hydrated dough yields the thickest, chewiest cookies.
- Don’t over-mix the doughonce you add the flour. Stir just until completely combined, but no more. This will avoid a dry, tough cookie.
- Pull the cookies out of the ovenas soon as the edges are lightly browned and starting to set. They will look underbaked in the center, but they will continue to firm up as they cool. This keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 119kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 175mgPotassium: 75mgSugar: 7gVitamin A: 150IUCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.8mg
Keyword: chewy molasses cookies, molasses cookies, old fashioned chewy molasses cookies, soft ginger cookies
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Author: Blair Lonergan
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