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These molasses cookies are soft, chewy, warmly spiced, and packed with rich molasses flavor. Rolled in sparkling sugar before baking, they develop beautiful crackled tops and tender centers that stay soft for days. Whether you’re baking for the holidays, a cookie exchange, or simply craving an old-fashioned treat, this molasses cookie recipe delivers everything you love about classic spice cookies.
One of my favorite things about these cookies is how easy they are to make. The dough comes together in minutes using simple pantry ingredients, and the warm blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice fills the kitchen with the unmistakable aroma of holiday baking.
If you love classic holiday cookies, be sure to try my Italian Christmas Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Christmas Sugar Cookies next.
Before You Begin
✨ Use dark unsulphured molasses. It provides the rich flavor these cookies are known for without the bitterness of blackstrap molasses.
✨ Measure flour carefully. Too much flour can make molasses cookies dry and cakey instead of soft and chewy.
✨ Roll generously in sugar. A thick coating helps create the signature crackled tops and sparkling finish.
✨ Don’t overbake. The centers should still look slightly soft when you remove them from the oven. They’ll finish setting as they cool.
✨ Let them rest before moving. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Ingredients + Key Notes
Flour: All-purpose flour provides the structure for these cookies. Be sure to measure it correctly using the scoop-and-level method to avoid dry cookies.
Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise and contributes to their soft, tender texture. It also reacts with the molasses to create the classic chewy consistency molasses cookies are known for.
Dark Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, keeps the cookies soft for days, and has deep caramel notes that complement the molasses beautifully.
Dark Unsulphured Molasses: The star ingredient. Molasses gives these cookies their signature rich flavor, chewy texture, and deep color. Use dark molasses for the best balance of flavor. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which can make the cookies bitter. Gives these cookies their signature deep flavor, soft texture, and chewy bite.
Warm Spices: A blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice creates the classic old-fashioned flavor that makes these cookies a holiday favorite.
Butter: Butter adds richness and helps create a tender texture. I prefer unsalted butter so I can better control the salt level in the recipe.
Coarse Sugar: Rolling the dough in coarse sugar creates the beautiful crackled tops and adds a subtle crunch. Granulated sugar works well if that’s what you have on hand.
Why Use Molasses In Cookies?
Molasses does much more than add flavor to cookies. It contributes moisture, chewiness, and the rich brown color that makes molasses cookies so distinctive. The deep caramel-like flavor also gives these cookies their warm, old-fashioned character.
Molasses works with the baking soda in the dough to create a softer texture and tender crumb. That’s one of the reasons molasses cookies stay soft longer than many other cookie recipes.
For the best flavor, use dark unsulphured molasses. Light molasses doesn’t provide the same depth of flavor, while blackstrap molasses can make the cookies taste bitter and overly strong.
🥣 How To Make Molasses Cookies
Preheat your oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter for about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses until fully combined.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Using a medium cookie scoop, portion the dough into balls and roll each one in coarse sugar.
Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still soft and slightly puffy.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
Storing: Store molasses cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They actually become even softer and chewier after a day or two.
Freezing: Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Once completely cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Freezing Cookie Dough: Roll the dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet until firm. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, roll in sugar and bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
Make-Ahead: The cookie dough can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes if it becomes too firm to scoop.
Frequently Asked Questions
♦ What does molasses do in cookies?
Molasses adds moisture, chewiness, rich caramel-like flavor, and the deep brown color that makes molasses cookies so distinctive. It also reacts with baking soda to help create a softer texture.
♦ Should molasses cookies be soft or chewy?
Traditional molasses cookies are usually both soft and chewy. The edges should be lightly set while the centers remain tender and slightly chewy.
♦ Can I use blackstrap molasses in molasses cookies?
I don’t recommend it. Blackstrap molasses has a much stronger, more bitter flavor than regular dark molasses and can overpower the cookies. Dark unsulphured molasses produces the best flavor and texture.
♦ Why are my molasses cookies hard?
Overbaking is the most common cause. For soft molasses cookies, remove them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. They will continue to set as they cool.
♦ Can I freeze molasses cookies?
Yes! Baked molasses cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Store them in an airtight container or freezer bag and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Still have questions? Drop them in the comments — I love helping you bake with confidence! 💗
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
Italian Wedding Cookies — Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies rolled in powdered sugar and perfect for holiday cookie trays.
Danish Wedding Cookies — Delicate, nutty cookies coated in powdered sugar with a rich buttery flavor that makes them irresistible.
Spritz Cookies — Tender butter cookies pressed into festive shapes and decorated for the holidays.
Amaretti Cookies — Crisp on the outside, chewy in the center, and packed with sweet almond flavor.
Vanillekipferl — Traditional Austrian crescent cookies dusted with powdered sugar and flavored with vanilla and nuts.
Tried This Recipe?
Made these Molasses Cookies? I’d love to hear how they turned out! Please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know what you think.
Don’t forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @gonna_want_seconds so I can see your beautiful holiday baking creations!
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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy baking, friends! ❤️ Kathleen
Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup dark unsulfured molasses
- 1/2 cup white sparkling sugar, or coarse sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Prep the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together flour (2 1/4 cups), baking soda (2 teaspoons), salt (1/2 teaspoon), cinnamon (1 1/2 teaspoons), ginger (1 teaspoon), cloves (3/4 teaspoon), and allspice (1/4 teaspoon) and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the butter (3/4 cup) with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar (1/2 cups), and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed.
- Add the wet ingredients. Mix in egg (1), vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), and dark molasses (1/3 cup) until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Finish the dough. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Roll in sugar. Place sparkling sugar (1/2 cup) in a shallow bowl. Scoop out dough using a medium cookie scoop, roll into balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on prepared sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.
- Bake. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still soft and slightly puffy.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Fans Also Made:
Nutrition
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I love my cookies spicy! These look fabulous and perfect for the fall weather. I can just see myself sipping my pumpkin latte from starbucks and enjoying 1 or 2 or maybe 3 of the cookies! 🙂
Great looking cookies Kathleen…these are the kind that always remind me of my Nanny.
These cookies look wonderful. Perfect match for fall….now if we can just get rid of this humidity here in Virginia. It has been so humid I wouldn't even turn on the oven….
These totally look store bought, and I mean that as a compliment.
oh so yummy, i love molasses cookies!
I like shoo-fly-pie which has Molasses in it, so maybe i would enjoy trying these cookies. Richard from Amish Stories.
I would love to have a couple of those spiced cookies with my tea. Love the cracked look and sprinkled sugar on the top.
I am sure gonna try this as i love these spiced Cookies. They look absloutley super.
Even as a child I loved the cracked surfaces of crinkle cookies.
These are total comfort cookies! I love the flavor of molasses…so deep and dark and dreamy.
Kathleen, these are a perfect cookie! they look simply delicious – great recipe with all the flavors of Fall 🙂
Mary
Perfect holiday cookies!!!
i hope i have a skill of cooking like yours.
T_____T
http://jialicious.blogspot.com/
Wow, those look perfect. I love your tea set.
These look delicious! I have been looking for a good, chewy molasses cookie. Thanks so much for sharing!
Those look perfect. Just like the cookies my college roommate's mother would send us. The postman would always comment on how nice the box smelt.
Mimi
They look absolutely wonderful and so seasonal.
I adore a spicy chewy cookie! Especially with a hot cup of tea!
These cookies just scream Autumn! They look fabulous. 🙂
I am so baking these tomorrow with my son! They sound wonderful and fall-like, and I have everything I need on hand.