Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies – These molasses cookies are an old-fashioned holiday favorite! Super soft and packed with the amazing, rich flavors of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. Just like Grandma used to make!
This recipe was originally posted on November 8, 2017! The recipe stays the same and most people have had great success with it. The reason I am revamping and republishing this is that I have written a more thorough post to answer readers questions!
What do Molasses Cookies Taste Like?
Molasses cookies have a very distinct spice flavor. This comes from the use of ground cinnamon and ginger, as well as the rich flavor of dark molasses. They taste somewhat like a gingersnap cookie, however, they are more subtle and soft instead of crisp.
How to Make Molasses Cookies:
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. You will want to line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for best results. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use non-stick cooking spray.
- You can use a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for this recipe.
- Start by beating together your butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and molasses until well combined. This will take about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, you can add your flour, baking soda, salt, and spices right into the mixer and mix just for about 1 minute until the dough comes together.
- Shape your dough into balls that are about 1 1/2 inches. You can do this with your hands, a Tablespoon measure, or a cookie scoop. Whatever is easier for you!
- Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar and then place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- These cookies will bake for 13-15 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven you will want to scoop them up with a spatula and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
There aren’t a ton of tips for making these cookies because they are so very simple, but let’s talk about a few things I do to make them their very best!
Tips and Tricks for Making Molasses Cookies:
- Make sure you are using DARK MOLASSES for this recipe. Light molasses won’t be flavorful enough, while blackstrap molasses is too bitter.
- Use butter instead of shortening. The old version of this recipe uses shortening. I’m personally not a fan and much prefer the taste of butter, and I also think the cookies come out even softer this way.
- I omit ground cloves because the flavor always seems to overpower the cookies and it’s just my preference. If you love that clove flavor, feel free to add a pinch right in!
- Don’t let these overbake. These always take exactly 13 minutes in my oven. Since oven times vary I suggest checking them at 13 minutes in and then baking for another minute or two if necessary. They should look slightly wet when you take them out of the oven.
These molasses cookies come out perfect! Slightly crisp around the edges with a super soft, melt in your mouth, center! You’re going to love them!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
If you’re looking for other great cookie recipes definitely try my Soft Batch Sprinkle Cookies and my Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies!
Don’t forget to follow along with me on my Facebook Page! We are always sharing yummy food!
Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup Butter, Softened
- 1/4 Cup Dark Molasses
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar, For Rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper or non stick cooking spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the brown sugar, butter, molasses, egg, and vanilla until well combined.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- Shape the dough by rounded tablespoon fulls into 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip the cookies into the granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes just until set. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The cookies are very easy to make and taste just like. grandma used to make my5 yr old great grandson loved helping me make them
Amazing recipe! Thank you
My favorite recipe..so many compliments!
Made these today and they are delicious. Even my chocolate loving French husband couldn’t stop eating them!
I made these last Christmas and my family loved them. They taste just like what my grandmother made when I was little. They are now my daughter’s favorite cookie.
Wonderful as is, but I tinkered with it the second time because I wanted cookies and am doing no sugar when possible. I used applesauce and a few extra grams of molasses + stevia to to taste in place of the brown sugar, cassava flour(works so great in place of wheat flour!) in place of flour, and a gelatin egg (allergies). I bake cookies in my air fryer oven on parchment paper. I halved the ginger because the one I use is really potent, doubled the cinnamon and added a dash of nutmeg. My very picky daughter who dislikes most cookies loved the applesauce version When I made them with brown sugar, they exactly reminded me of ones I loved as a kid.
Delicious!! These are just like the ones that my aunt used to make when I was younger.
This looks similar to my Mother’s old- fashioned recipe; however, I don’t have it …it was stolen from me.
My Mother’s were soft and larger. I know she cut the dough out like biscuits. Is it possible to do that with this recipe? I have been searching everywhere for a recipe like the one I grew up with.
Please let me know if it can be rolled out.
Sincerely,
Gigi
Unreal delicious. Came out perfectly, to my amazement. I don’t do dairy, so I used a cup of grapeseed oil instead of butter, and the results were stellar. I also had to experiment with spices a bit (made them during a snowstorm and I didn’t have cinnamon/ginger on hand)–even just using nutmeg and clove turned out absolutely fabulous. So crispy on the edges, soft inside.
I made these for the first time two days ago. They are all gone now and my family requested more. They wouldn’t stop telling me how amazing they are! I make a lot of cookies and these ones are definitely a favorite with everyone. Thanks for the recipe!!