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    You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Dessert / Cookies / Molasses Cookies

    Molasses Cookies

    Published: Nov 30, 2019 · Modified: Mar 6, 2020 by Anna 44 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    These Molasses Cookies are classic Christmas cookie that everyone loves! They are thick and chewy. No special ingredients and no chilling the dough required!

    These chewy ginger molasses cookies are a must on our holiday cookie platter alongside my Gingerbread Bars and Oreo Fudge.

    Molasses cookies on a white plate.

    One of my favorite things about the holiday season is baking cookies. Ginger cookies are one of my favorites! I love to bake them, share them and eat them. Molasses and ginger combo to me is a classic one when it comes to holiday cookies. These cookies are chewy, perfectly spiced with ginger, cloves and cinnamon and have a slight crunch from the sugar coating. The smell and the taste of it make me so happy and excited for Christmas!

    Ingredients

    • unsalted butter
    • granulated sugar
    • molasses
    • large egg
    • all-purpose flour
    • baking soda
    • cinnamon
    • cloves
    • nutmeg
    • ginger
    • salt

    Instructions

    • Start by beating butter and sugars until fluffy. Mix in egg and molasses.
    • Whisk dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Gradually mix in with butter mixture.
    • Scoop dough and roll in sugar into balls.
    • Bake until tops are cracked.

    Expert Tips

    • The dough is slightly sticky, so I scoop it and place it directly in the bowl with sugar. Roll it a few times and it's much easier to handle and roll into a perfect ball in your hands.
    • Place cookies 2" apart on a sheet so they have the room to spread.
    • If you feel like having even more fun, you can dip the cookies in white chocolate and add festive sprinkles! Sprinkles are always a good idea when it comes to cookies! The more festive - the better!
    Molasses cookie stack.

    Storing

    Cookies (or any baked goods for that matter) that contain a high ratio of brown sugar or molasses are best kept in a container with a lid to prevent drying out. They will stay moist and chewy for days!

    Can I freeze the dough?

    Absolutely! You can make the dough and scoop it out with a cookie scoop onto a baking sheet. Place them close together. Place the sheet in a freezer and freeze the cookie dough balls. Transfer into a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.

    Why should I try this recipe?

    I love that these cookies are so easy to make. There is no need to chill the dough (although you can and it will produce slightly thicker cookies) which means you can enjoy a stack of these babies in 30 minutes from start to finish. When you want cookies - you want them now!

    The flavor

    The dark molasses gives these cookies a deep, rich flavor that will remind you of gingerbread cake or cookies.

    More Christmas cookies:

    • Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
    • Best Chewy Snickerdoodles
    • Christmas M&M Cookies

    If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

    Molasses cookies on a white plate.

    Molasses Cookies

    Author: Anna
    These Molasses Cookies are a classic holiday cookie that everyone loves! Chewy, thick and delicious. No special ingredients and no chilling the dough required!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 cookies
    Calories 284 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature, 12 tablespoons
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/4 cup molasses I used Grandma's molasses
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
    • Line a baking sheet with Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds with electric mixer. Add sugar and beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
    • Add egg and molasses and beat on medium low speed just until combined.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Gradually add to the sugar molasses mixture and beat on low until combined.
    • Place 1/4 cup of sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop cookie dough with a medium size (1 and 1/2 tablespoons) cookie scoop and place directly on the sugar. Roll few times and then form into a ball in your hands. Place on a cookie sheet, leaving about 2" of space between cookies.
    • Bake cookies for 9 to 11 minutes (10 minutes was the magic number for me). Remove from oven and let cool 2 minutes on the sheet. Transfer cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.
    • Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

    Notes

    1. The calorie count is for 4 cookies per person. 
    2. Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 133mg | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

    This post was originally published in December 2017 and updated on November 30th, 2019.

    More COOKIES RECIPES

    • Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
    • Christmas M&M Cookies
    • Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Perfect Sugar Cookies

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sandra says

      December 14, 2022 at 6:49 pm

      Great cookies!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        December 19, 2022 at 9:44 pm

        Thank you, Sandra!

        Reply
    2. S.D. says

      May 14, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      5 stars
      Best cookies EVER! I never leave recipe reviews but these were just so incredibly delicious! 🤤

      Reply
    3. Karen Stewart says

      March 18, 2021 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      Chewy molasses cookies are one of my top favorite treats. I can tell this recipe is a no-nonsense, full flavor cookie. Reading the comments proved really helpful. Yum - these are
      winners!

      Reply
    4. Amanda says

      November 18, 2019 at 7:22 pm

      Can use this recipe for rolled cookie dough? Thanks!

      Reply
    5. Sherri says

      August 29, 2019 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      YUMMY! I just put some in the freezer before they find out there’s more. Thank you

      Reply
    6. Jolie says

      December 19, 2017 at 8:12 am

      5 stars
      I just made these molasses ginger cookies and they turned out perfect! I'll definitely be baking them again and again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 21, 2017 at 1:13 am

        Hi Jolie! Yay! That's awesome! I am so happy you are enjoying this recipe!

        Reply
    7. Bev says

      December 06, 2017 at 6:51 pm

      Have you ever frozen the dough to bake at a later date?

      Reply
    8. Laura Sabovitch says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:59 pm

      Can you freeze the cookies after they are made
      I’m going to a cookie exchange and I would like to make my cookies in advance and freeze them... possible?

      Reply
    9. Anita says

      June 14, 2017 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      Just made cookies, smell delicious, some were a little flat,
      Approximately how many cookies do u get with scoop, I think some maybe were to big. They look smaller in picture. Thx Anita

      Reply
    10. jessica says

      January 30, 2017 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      thank you for sharing! I made these today with chocolate chips and cayenne pepper added and they were divine...made exactly 24 too!

      Reply
    11. Judy says

      December 20, 2016 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      Hi,
      Just wanted to let you know that I recently made these and I have to say, they were the best ginger cookies I have ever made. I ended up rolling them in turbinado sugar. My oh my! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 20, 2016 at 1:21 pm

        Hi Judy! I am so happy to know that you love the cookies! Yay! 😀 Thank you for letting me know! Happy Holidays! -Anna

        Reply
    12. Keisha says

      December 18, 2016 at 7:24 pm

      Hi,
      I just made these, followed the recipe exactly, but my cookies spread out and were flatter than a pancake. Is this dough supposed to be chilled before baking?

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 19, 2016 at 1:41 pm

        Hi Keisha! You can always chill the dough for thicker cookies. I don't chill this dough. Thanks so much!

        Reply
      • Sarena says

        December 22, 2016 at 1:22 am

        Same here! Before 10 minutes were up I watched as my cookies started deflating! I'm not sure what went wrong.

        Reply
        • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

          December 24, 2016 at 1:12 pm

          Hi Sarena! This dough doesn't need chilling and the cookies should not come out flat. I've made them many times and they always come out as on the photos. What kind of butter did you use? Did you cream it with sugar until fluffy? Thanks so much! -Anna

          Reply
          • Sarena says

            January 24, 2017 at 1:00 am

            Unsalted butter and I dreamed it with sugar. Didn't chill it. Made the dough and went straight to the oven. I made it again tonight and took off a minute and they still completely flattened.

            Reply
            • Maegan Jean says

              December 05, 2017 at 4:25 pm

              Try putting a little more flour into the cookies. Doesn't work with melted butter! Soft butter, not melted.
              If that doesn't work, try half butter, half shortening.

            • Claire says

              August 17, 2019 at 12:54 pm

              Buy new baking soda. That should fix it. Voice of experience.

      • Julie Jubb says

        December 01, 2017 at 7:57 pm

        I've heard that is from the temperature of your oven being too low. Crank it up another 25 degrees next time and try it.

        Reply
    13. Kate says

      December 11, 2016 at 11:31 pm

      Hi! I was just a little confused because it has ginger listed as a produce so does that mean I shoud use fresh ginger? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 12, 2016 at 1:35 pm

        Hi Kate! I am guessing that Pinterest is showing ground ginger as produce. It is a mistake in their system. In this recipe you need to use the spice: ground ginger. Hope this helps! Have a beautiful day! -Anna

        Reply
    14. Michelle says

      December 02, 2016 at 6:53 pm

      Can you freeze either the dough or the cookie after they are baked? Making 4 different types of cookies for Christmas and I am trying to organize them so I'm not baking all at once. TIA

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 02, 2016 at 9:23 pm

        Hi Michelle! Yes, you can definitely freeze the cookie dough. Scoop the dough onto a sheet, cover with saran wrap and freeze. Once frozen you can store them in a ziploc bag. When ready to bake, thaw in room temperature, roll in sugar and bake. I hope this helps! Have a beautiful weekend! -Anna

        Reply
    15. Nicole says

      December 01, 2016 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      I just made these cookies (with a few substitutions to make them vegan) and my coworkers are RAVING about them! Thank you for this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 02, 2016 at 8:56 pm

        Hi Nicole! That's FANTASTIC!! I am so happy to know you made the cookies and everyone loved them! I love that you adapted it to be vegan. Awesome! 😀 Thank you for letting me know! Have a beautiful weekend! -Anna

        Reply
    16. Cathy Trochelman says

      December 02, 2015 at 11:15 pm

      Molasses cookies always remind me of my grandma...and these ones look absolutely perfect!

      Reply
    17. Sylvie says

      December 02, 2015 at 5:15 am

      A Christmas classic, love the crackle top!

      Reply
    18. Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says

      December 01, 2015 at 4:15 pm

      These cookies look like absolute perfection! Now I'm craving a thick and chewy ginger cookie!

      Reply
    19. Justine | Cooking and Beer says

      December 01, 2015 at 12:35 pm

      I love classic holiday cookies, especially when there is ginger and molasses involved! These look just perfect!

      Reply
    20. Christi @ Love From The Oven says

      December 01, 2015 at 9:31 am

      Wow, these look incredible! Last year I found that I really loved gingerbread, so I'm excited to try some new recipes recipes with ginger this year. This one is at the top of the list!

      Reply
    21. Sara says

      December 01, 2015 at 1:04 am

      These look like the ultimate ginger cookie. I'm totally a chewy cookie girl so I definitely want to try them soon!

      Reply
    22. Melanie | Melanie Makes says

      November 30, 2015 at 9:47 pm

      The perfect holiday cookie - love a chewy molasses cookie!

      Reply
    23. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

      November 30, 2015 at 9:42 pm

      Ginger cookies are so awesome, but chewy ginger molasses cookie? The cookie bomb! Yours looks so good - I'd love a few with a glass of milk right now! I'll be making these this season!

      Reply
    24. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:46 pm

      These are some of my all-time favorite cookies and I'm so happy to see you use butter instead of oil!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        November 30, 2015 at 11:05 pm

        Always butter! Thanks, Kimberly!

        Reply
    25. Kathleen says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:28 pm

      These look delicious! Can't wait to try your recipe. They're a must on our Christmas Cookie plate as well.

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        December 02, 2015 at 9:44 pm

        Thank you, Kathleen!

        Reply
    26. Medha @ Whisk & Shout says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:11 pm

      These look so chewy and delicious!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        November 30, 2015 at 11:00 pm

        Thank you, Medha!

        Reply
    27. Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says

      November 30, 2015 at 4:19 pm

      These cookies look like they have the PERFECT texture!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        November 30, 2015 at 10:52 pm

        Thank you, Sharon!

        Reply

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