Easy Soft Molasses Cookies

Easy Soft Molasses Cookies are chewy in the center, crisp around the edges and slightly sweet with a hint of spice. An easy recipe for holiday baking!

If you’re looking for an easy Christmas cookie recipe, try these soft ginger molasses cookies. They’re not as spicy as gingerbread, and they are super quick and easy to make!

A few years ago, a friend from the church we used to attend gave me her recipe for old fashioned molasses cookies. Up until then, I had never even had soft molasses cookies before, but one bite, and I was hooked!  

Unfortunately,  I somehow lost the recipe after one of our moves, and I couldn’t find one that produced the soft chewy molasses cookies that I remembered. I modified a recipe that I found on a jar of Molasses, and it was very close to the one I was looking for.

These cookies are firm around the edges but soft and chewy in the middle. You can definitely taste the sweetness of the molasses and a hint of spice from the cinnamon and ginger.

How to Make Soft Molasses Cookies

Start out by creaming the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. By the way, this is much easier if you let your let your butter soften up first!

Next, add the molasses and the egg. Then, gradually add the flour and the remaining ingredients.

The dough might be sticky, and if it is you’ll need to refrigerate it for a few minutes. If not, you can skip this part and go onto the next step.

Scoop up some of the dough with a teaspoon, and drop it into your sugar. And to make these spiced molasses cookies a little extra festive, I rolled them in a mix of granulated sugar and red sugar crystals.

Place the cookie balls onto a lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. You can line the cookie sheets with foil, parchment paper or silicone mats.

Then, bake the molasses cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. They should be slightly firm around the edges but soft in the middle.

You should also see little cracks and crevices forming in the cookies. It’s another sign that they’re ready!

I don’t add cloves to my molasses cookies, but I do add more cinnamon. A little extra cinnamon never hurt anyone!

Just like our favorite Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Bourbon Balls, these soft and chewy molasses ginger cookies are a permanent part of our Christmas cookie baking!

Best Molasses for Cookie Baking

Look for unsulphured molasses in the baking aisle. It’s sweet enough for baking, unlike blackstrap molasses, which is bitter and works well with savory recipes.

How to Keep Molasses Cookies Soft

• Don’t overbake the cookies. They get crispier the longer they bake.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container as soon as they are cool.
• Place a piece of bread in the cookie container. The cookies absorb moisture from the bread and stay soft — This really works!

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Easy Molasses Cookies Recipe

Easy Soft Molasses Cookies

Easy Soft Molasses Cookies are chewy in the center, crisp around the edges and slightly sweet with a hint of spice. An easy recipe for holiday baking!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: molasses cookies, soft molasses cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

Servings: 40 cookies

Calories: 84kcal

Author: Dee

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies (may use less)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with electric mixer, then add the egg and molasses, and mix until fully combined
• Mix in 1 cup of flour, then add remaining flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon.
• Chill dough until slightly firm (about 5 minutes) If your kitchen is cool, and dough is firm, you can skip this
• Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfulls into granulated sugar, and roll until covered, then place on lined cookie sheet 
• Bake for 8 minutes or until edges are slightly firm. Do not overbake
• Remove from oven, add more sugar or colored sugar crystals, if desired. Transfer to wire baking rack or another surface until completely cool

Notes

Cookies may take between 8 to 12 minutes to bake, depending upon your oven. They are done when edges are slightly firm and tops are crackled.

If you want crispier molasses cookies, flatten slightly on cookie sheet and bake slightly longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 48mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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Post was originally published in Dec 2016 and updated 2019

My family loved these easy soft molasses spice cookies, and even my picky teen, who normally only likes chocolate, gave them a thumbs up.

If you like this recipe as much as we do, leave a comment or give me a shout-out on social media!