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.
Love this recipe and made it many times now but I made some changes so they taste the way we want and work out better imo.
2 t ginger, 2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t nutmeg, 1/4 t cloves.
I chill for 30 min and I bake at 350 F for 11 -12 min and it seems to reduce the spreading.
Still an overall great recipe, soft, chewy, delicious and if you don’t like the other spices I add, this original recipe is perfect.
I am older and have had many years of baking. I would agree with Zee, the spices needed just a bit more but not much. The texture was tender on the inside and slightly crisp on the edges (I used a preheated baking stone instead of a cookie sheet). I believe next time I will add a bit more spice and lower the oven temperature a bit as my oven is convection. Also I would suggest using half butter and half crisco for a cookie that will stay moist longer in storage …. if you have any left that is. Thank you for a very good recipe.
Delicious and easy to make.
Followed recipe and chilled dough for an hour before baking as it was too sticky to roll in sugar; used a 1 1/2” cookie scoop rolled into ball then dredged in sugar; baked per instruction 13-14 minutes however cookies came out flat slightly crusty on edge and soft in middle; they were not thick as shown in picture, any suggestions for a thicker cookie as shown?
Put the rolled dough in your fridge for an hour or so; keeps the cookies from spreading
These are the best cookies my family have ever had! They couldn’t get over the fact that I made them because they were so soft and crispy and were good as any bakery in the city, we highly recommend. Also didn’t have brown sugar the first time so substituted with white sugar and added 1/2 a cup of molasses.
Just got all the ingredients to make them again so I can follow the recipe next time!
I just made your soft molasses cookies and they came out perfect. The flavour is so yummy. Will definitely make again.
Thank you for this recipe.
Wanda
Great flavor but first batch done exactly as your recipe but they spread all over the pan. 2nd batch we added 2/3 cup on they came out actually looking like a cookie
We had the same thing happen. They are super soft and delish but they spread all over the pan.
What did you add 2/3 cup of?
Hi I was wondering could I use pumpkin spice 1-1/3 tsp it seems easier and faster
How long can I store them for? Should I freeze them or keep in an airtight container?
Super easy and delicious. I used almond flour and they turned out great. 13 min is perfect! Thank you so much for sharing.
These are just the tip of the iceberg. Delicious. Grandma must of sent the receipt to you. Thanks