Chewy Molasses Cookies

My Molasses Cookies are soft and chewy, with the perfect balance of spice! They are a classic favorite and the molasses adds that distinct flavor that reminds you of the holidays.

With the perfect blend of warm fall spices and molasses, these cookies are the epitome of holiday desserts. I simply cannot make these without my home smelling like Christmas for days. Besides the enticing aroma, the scrumptious taste are incredible as the one-of-a-kind taste touches your taste buds like nothing else.

Molasses Cookies are on top of my holiday baking list. These are no ordinary cookies, they are rich, flavorful, spicy, and simply delicious. Ginger. Cloves. Nutmeg. Cinnamon. I have added all those spices to this dessert which make it so much more interesting.

The flavors go well with the molasses and the brown sugar combined. It is a tried and tested formula throughout the generations in my family of making this favorite dessert. The inside of these delightful cookies is almost gooey, and a crunchy outer layer coated in raw turbinado sugar makes them even more unique and crispy.

I absolutely love the cracks on the outside, this is what set these molasses cookies apart from others. This only happens by following my recipe of rolling them in sugar to bind the moisture. This dries the dough on the outside as it cooks.

There are so many new holiday desserts that it seems like the old traditional gingerbread and molasses cookies are disappearing. Let’s not let that happen. These are delicious recipes that need to be carried on. Try my fluffy and sweet gingerbread recipe with rich cream cheese frosting. It is so yummy and easy to make.

Why you will love this recipe

• They are classic and unique: How can a cookie be classic and unique at the same time? Because I put my spin on an old favorite to make them like new.
• It is so fast and easy: My recipe is also so easy that it can be done in less than 30 minutes. It is just a matter of mixing the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients before combining them together. Then, let them chill, roll them in sugar, and bake them for 10 minutes.
• Just a few ingredients: The common ingredients I used in this recipe can probably already be found in the kitchens of most people. I know I have all of them. I even had molasses! This will save money and time since there is no need to go shopping to buy a bunch of ingredients.
• Holiday traditions: My favorite reason for making this easy holiday cookie recipe is to keep the tradition going. There are too many traditional cookies that are disappearing because of all the new recipes. These old-fashioned desserts need to be kept going so everyone can continue to enjoy them.

What you’ll need to make chewy molasses cookies

Special items

• Cookie sheets – I use two cookie sheets to alternate so I always have a cool one ready to put in the oven when I am making a large batch.
• Stand mixer – For mixing the batter.
• Bowls
• Cooking utensils

Ingredients

• Softened unsalted butter – I prefer unsalted butter to let the sweet creaminess of the butter shine through. Also, the butter should be softened to room temperature to make it easier to combine.
• White granulated sugar – Combined with brown sugar, white sugar aerates the dough to make the cookies fluffier while adding pure sweetness.
• Packed brown sugar – Brown sugar adds more moisture and compactness with creaminess to keep the cookies chewy as well as rich.
• Raw turbinado sugar – For coating the cookies before cooking. This dries the outside of the dough to help it crack and make it crunchy.
• Large egg – One large egg (at room temperature) is needed to keep the cookies together and contribute moisture and steam, encourage thickness, and make them richer.
• Molasses – The main star of the show, be sure to get unsulfured molasses. Dark or light are both good, but I prefer the light one. Do not get blackstrap molasses because it is strong and bitter.
• All-purpose flour – I like all-purpose flour for this recipe because it has a moderate protein content that balances tenderness and chewiness. 
• Baking soda – Helps the cookies rise and weakens gluten to let the dough set better for even baking. The texture is chewier and denser with a crispier outside.
• Cinnamon – Gives these cookies a sweet, rich, spicy, and robust flavor in one spice.
• Nutmeg – To me, this spice tastes like Christmas with a warm and comforting flavor that is slightly nutty and a bit sweet.
• Ginger – It has a spicy kick with a citrusy profile and floral background.
• Cloves – A warming, pungent, and spicy taste with a hint of bitterness that can leave a numbing sensation in the mouth.
• Salt

How to make chewy molasses cookies?

• Preheat the oven: First, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix the wet ingredients: Then, I mix the softened butter, white and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until it is light and creamy. The molasses and egg are beaten in next.

• Whisk the dry ingredients: In a different bowl, I whisk together the dry ingredients before stirring in the butter mixture.

• Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with wet ingredients, and whisk to combine. Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times.

• Chill the dough: After combining it all, I roll it into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic. Then it goes into the fridge to chill for an hour. This keeps it from spreading too much when it is baked.
• Roll and bake: When it is chilled, I roll the dough into one-inch balls and then roll them into turbinado sugar.

• Arrange: I place them on the prepared cookie sheet with three inches between them, and bake the for 10 to 12 minutes.

• Rest and cool: After, I let them rest for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them and letting them cool on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Make them in advance:

1. When I want to make them in advance, I prepare the dough first.
2. Form the balls, line them up on a baking sheet and freeze.
3. Once frozen, transfer them into freezer bags and store in the freezer.
4. When ready to bake, thaw for at least 30 minutes, roll in sugar and bake per recipe directions.

Expert tip

Choosing the right molasses

Many people do not even know that there is more than one type of molasses. Only two of them are used in making cookies though. In these molasses cookies, I would only suggest using unsulfured molasses. Unsulfured molasses has no additives in it and is made from ripe sugar cane. Sulfured molasses is made from young green sugar cane and has to be treated with sulfur dioxide to preserve it.

I use the sweetest molasses, light molasses. It has the most sugar left in it because it has only been boiled once. Molasses is the juice left over after removing the sugar crystals after boiling. It is most commonly used for cookies, gingerbread, and cakes. Because it is so mildly sweet, it is sometimes used instead of maple syrup on pancakes.

Dark molasses is what is left over after boiling it twice. It is also known as full or robust molasses because it is thicker and more bitter than the lighter one and is typically used for more savory dishes. But it can also be used for sweet dishes if sugar is added. Blackstrap molasses is what is left after the third boil, and it is very bitter with high levels of acrylamide.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Add sprinkles: Add red and green sprinkles to make these cookies more festive.
• Pumpkin spice: These molasses cookies taste even better with some added pumpkin pie spice.
• White chocolate chip: To make them even richer and more delicious, add a scoop of white chocolate chips.
• Nutty cookies: Add nuts like chopped pecans, slivered almonds, or crushed hazelnuts to the mix to make them even crunchier.
• Caramel: I like to top the yummy cookies with my 10-minute three-ingredient caramel sauce and sandwich them together to make them even more decadent.   

Serving suggestions:

• Add these cookies to a tray of Christmas brownies, cookie bars, cupcakes, and muffins at your next holiday brunch
• They taste great with a glass of candy cane chocolate martini for the adults and non-alcoholic Christmas punch for the kids and non-drinkers.
• Alternatively, a Pinot Noir, Ruby Port, Banyuls, Primitivo, or Abouriou would also be a nice pairing.
• They also make perfect hostess gifts, just stack them together and tie a red bow tie on top.

Frequently asked questions

How to store:

• Refrigerate: Leftovers can stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to five days or in the fridge for seven days.   
• Freezing: To freeze, wrap them in plastic and place them in a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to four months.   
• Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for the best texture and taste.

More Christmas cookies:

Recipe tips:

• Use butter softened to room temperature for a creamier and fluffier cookie.
• Also, chill the dough for at least an hour before baking it to keep it from spreading too much.
• Rolling the cookie balls in turbinado sugar before cooking will help give them a coarser texture and make them a bit crispy on the outside to emphasize how chewy they are on the inside.
• Bake only one sheet of cookies at a time to ensure they cook more evenly. Also, rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time.
• Once they come out of the oven, leave them on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes to set. They need to get crispy on the edges and the middle will still be nice and chewy.
• Grease the inside of the measuring cup before measuring the molasses to make it easier to remove.