Molasses Cookies: a weeknight method

Molasses cookies coated in sugar, surrounded by holiday decorations.

These molasses cookies are chewy brown sugar cookies infused with plenty of aromatic spices, then baked to golden brown perfection. A classic holiday cookie that’s straightforward to make and is sure to get rave reviews!

In December I find myself baking up plenty of treats for gift giving. Some of my go-to edible gifts include candied pecans, chocolate covered cherries, and these irresistible spice cookies.

These molasses cookies are a must-make recipe, especially during the cold weather months. They have the most memorable texture with the reliable blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice. Finest of all, they take just minutes to make and can be frozen for later use.

When the holidays come around, bake up some of my go-to holiday entertaining recipes including chocolate truffles, Christmas tree brownies and crock pot candy.

Molasses Cookies Ingredients

To make molasses cookies make sure you have dark brown sugar, butter, molasses, an egg, flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, allspice, salt and sugar.

How Do You Make Molasses Cookies?

To make this molasses cookies recipe, start by beating some sugar, butter, molasses and an egg in a stand mixer or with an electric mixer. Once the sugar and butter mixture is smooth, stir in flour, baking soda, salt and flavorful spices. Roll the dough into balls and dip them in a little granulated sugar. The sugar coating gives these cookies a sweet and slightly crunchy exterior in contrast to the chewy texture. Place each cookie dough ball on a cookie sheet. Chill the dough in a freezer for a few minutes. Next, bake the cookies until they’re golden brown. Let them cool on a wire rack, then serve and enjoy!

Balls of cookie dough rolled in sugar on a sheet pan.

Tips For The Reliable Molasses Cookies

To keep your balls the same size, scoop the dough with a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop. They also make special small cookie scoops designed for cookie baking.
You can make your cookies larger or smaller than what the recipe calls for depending on how many people you’re looking to serve. Simply adjust the cooking time up or down accordingly.
You can freeze this cookie dough for later use. Shape the dough into balls, then freeze and store in an airtight bag. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough balls thaw, roll them in sugar, and put them in the oven.

Quick Tip

Coat your measuring cup with cooking spray to keep the molasses from sticking.

Recipe FAQs

How long do molasses cookies last?

Molasses cookies last for about 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. In the fridge, they stay fresh for about 2 weeks. In the freezer, these cookies stay good for around 4 months.

What is the difference between molasses cookies and gingerbread cookies?

Gingerbread cookies and molasses cookies are made with similar ingredients and have a similar flavor. In general, molasses cookies tend to be thicker and have a chewier texture than gingerbread cookies.

What is the finest molasses for cookies?

For most cookies, light or original molasses gives a sweet but not overwhelming flavor. The other types of molasses are dark (or robust) and bootstrap molasses. Dark molasses has a more intense flavor than light molasses and bootstrap molasses has the most intense, almost bitter flavor.

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A stack of molasses cookies with a bite taken out of one.

Dressing Up Your Cookies

While this recipe is a classic rendition of this holiday treat, you can jazz up your cookies with some other fun flavors and decorations.

Chocolate: Try dipping the cookies halfway in melted dark or white chocolate.
Sparkling Sugar: You can use coarse sparkling sugar instead of granulated sugar for added texture.
Cinnamon: Roll the dough in cinnamon sugar for extra flavor.
Sprinkles: For a holiday cookie, try rolling the balls in holiday sprinkles instead of sugar.
Chocolate Candy: You can add some chocolate flavor by placing a chocolate kiss or other small chocolate on top of each cookie as they come out of the oven.

These cookies are a holiday treat that are so good you can make them all year round! This recipe makes the finest molasses cookies that I have ever eaten. When you make this recipe, I think you’ll agree!

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Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen Molasses cookies coated in sugar, surrounded by holiday decorations.

These molasses cookies are chewy brown sugar cookies infused with plenty of aromatic spices, then baked to golden brown perfection. A classic holiday cookie that's straightforward to make and is sure to get rave reviews! Time Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Chilling Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Serves 24

Ingredients

1 cup dark brown sugar packed
3/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or non stick baking mats.
Place the brown sugar, butter, egg and molasses in the bowl of a mixer. Beat for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and salt to the bowl. Stir until just combined.
Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Coat each ball in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the prepared pans.
Place the pans in the freezer and chill for 20 minutes.
Bake each pan of cookies for 14-16 minutes or until just set. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Coat your measuring cup with cooking spray to keep the molasses from sticking.
To keep your balls the same size, scoop the dough with a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop. They also make special small scoops designed for cookie baking.
You can make your cookies larger or smaller than what the recipe calls for depending on how many people you’re looking to serve. Simply adjust the cooking time up or down accordingly.