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!

Soft Molasses Cookies

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.

Molasses Cookies

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.

Molasses Cookies

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!

4.92 from 199 votes

Old Fashioned Soft Molasses Cookies

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!
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 13 minutes
Total 23 minutes
Servings 24 Cookies

Ingredients 

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

Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 213mg, Potassium: 82mg, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 245IU, Calcium: 22mg, Iron: 0.9mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Like this? Rate & review this recipe below!

Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Nichole!

Welcome to The Salty Marshmallow! I'm a mom, animal lover, photographer, & kitchen mess-maker. Here you will find the result of my decades-long passion for chasing the best flavors in the kitchen, all meant to be cooked by regular people with busy lives just like you and me.

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177 Comments

  1. When you say to “dip”’the cookie ball into the sugar do you mean just one half of the all?! Or do you mean to roll the ball in the sugar?! I know this can make a huge difference for spreading on the cookie sheet. Help!!

  2. 5 stars
    These cookies are delicious.. thank you for sharing your recipe Nicole. I’ve made them 3 times since I found your recipe last month and it is our family’s favorite cookie. I use fresh grated ginger because I don’t have powdered ginger and it works really well.

  3. 5 stars
    Best cookies ever , probably top 3 I’ve ever made .. will make from now on , forever until I’m dead

    They are that good

    I added more cinnamon and ginger and I think a little nutmeg ..
    excellent

  4. 5 stars
    Best ever! I have a local bakery I buy molasses cookies from a local bakery that are amazing. I made these a couple weeks ago and holy smokes, I think they’re better than theirs! Made up a couple goodie bags for friends and they agreed that they were so soft and tasty. Thank you!!

  5. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness! I just tried them and they are AMAZING!!! Made them to treat my coworkers but will definitely make some more for my family reunions on holidays. (And another batch just for my belly hehe) My place smells like heaven! Thanks a lot for this recipe! ?

  6. 4 stars
    Hi I don’t think I’m good at making cookies is my conclusion. I attempted to make these cookies last night. I believe I followed the directions exactly until it was time to roll the dough into balls and dip it into sugar. It was so sticky I wasn’t able to work with it so I added a little more flour. I don’t know what I did wrong at first. But adding the flower obviously wasn’t the answer LOL they just flattened and became super chewy. Which isn’t what I was trying to accomplish I wanted fluffy and soft not chewy. The flavor is exactly what I’m looking for so any advice …
    Thank you
    Please help me??☃❄

    1. Hi there! I’m sorry you had a difficult time with these cookies. Without me being in your kitchen with you, it can be difficult for me to say exactly what went wrong. Let me give you a few tips that will hopefully help!

      Starting with room temperature ingredients can sometimes make a world of difference. Set your eggs and butter out so that they come to room temperature on their own before you start baking. Microwaving butter to soften is never a good idea, you want it to soften naturally. If you are short on time, you can cut your butter into cubes and it should soften up within 30 minutes. You can also bring the eggs to room temperature naturally by placing them in warm water (not hot!) for about 10 minutes.

      If you try this and find that the dough is still too sticky, I’d recommend chilling for 30-45 minutes rather than adding extra flour.

      1. Thank you so much!!! That helps a lot. I needed all those tips!!! I almost gave up but these cookies are the perfect flavor I’m looking for. The spices are so great in thus recipe. Thanks again, I am new to making cookies! Oh I forgot To say my oven tends to run about 15° hotter so I cooked them at 315-° I’m sure that could have played into it too.

    2. Lol same thing happened to me the first time making these and I swore up and down that I followed the recipe to the exact ingredients…. but after looking again and realizing I forgot to add the other cup of flour I decided I would try again. The first batch came out super flat and chewy…. yikes. But the second batch with all the four was AWESOME!!! I will be making these every year for the holidays! I sure do live these cookies!!