These chewy molasses cookies are perfectly spiced with ginger, cinnamon, clove, and allspice. They bake with a perfectly crunchy outside and soft, chewy inside.

A close-up of a molasses cookie showing its chewy and moist interior texture.

Molasses cookies, and I go way back. They have been one of my favorite Christmas cookies since my childhood. This recipe is based on my grandmother’s chewy molasses cookies. I’ve made them all butter cookies and added more spices for that perfect holiday cookie. It’s chewy and crispy simultaneously, and the molasses keeps these cookies fresh for days! 

Once you have made and fallen in love with these soft molasses cookies, be sure to try my hot toddy molasses cookies. For more spiced recipes, I suggest my chai spiced crescent cookies, gingerbread cookies, eggnog bread with spiced rum glaze, or my Moroccan spiced nuts.

Table of contents

  • Super easy to make! Melting the butter is the most time-consuming part of this cookie dough. Mix the dough and chill. You can even freeze the dough and have ready-to-bake molasses cookies anytime you want!
  • Spiced to perfection. When testing this cookie, I went back and forth on adding more spice, and I am glad I did! The spice is just perfect! 
  • Easy to scale. The great thing about these is that if you have a big enough bowl, you can make as many as you want. It makes them a perfect addition to any holiday cookie tin!
A stack of molasses cookies highlighting their cracked, sugary tops.

Professional Tips for Making Chewy Molasses Cookies

  • Bake these cookies from frozen. These cookies should be chilled for at least two hours till they are firm. But I find they have the best texture when you bake them from frozen. 
  • Use a cookie scoop. For even cookies, use a cookie scoop. This will ensure they all bake at the same time and are the same size. 
  • Be careful not to overbake. Bake these cookies until the top of the cookie is matte. We want them to be chewy, and over-baking will cause them to become crispy. It’s still delicious but not chewy.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Ingredients for molasses cookies laid out on a white marble counter.
  • Unsalted Butter: The melted butter for this recipe must be warm! It helps dissolve the sugar and make a cohesive batter that will spread during baking. 
  • Light Brown Sugar: Using light brown sugar adds sweetness along with a little moisture. This will keep the cookies softer while complementing the molasses flavor. Dark brown sugar can be substituted. 
  • Molasses: I generally use unsulphured molasses. It has a lighter, milder flavor. This adds all the warm winter notes without the bite of blackstrap molasses.  
  • Whole Egg
  • Baking Soda: Baking soda reacts with an acid to leaven the cookies. It reacts more powerfully than baking powder and will create a more dramatic rise.
  • All-purpose Flour: All-purpose flour has just the right amount of gluten to create a chewy cookie. 
  • Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Clove and Allspice: These spices combine to create the perfectly spiced molasses cookie. They’re also the spices I love using in my gingerbread loaf!
  • Kosher Salt 
  • Turbinado Sugar: Turbinado sugar or sugar in the raw adds to the molasses flavor and gives the cookies that perfect crunchy outside. You may substitute granulated sugar. 

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

  • Frost the cookie. Drizzle a spiced glaze over the cookie or add a note of vanilla extract by topping them with my vanilla frosting from these frosted sugar cookies. 
  • You can never go wrong with a mix-in. Add some dried cherries, pecans, candied ginger, or dried cranberries. You might want to save your chocolate chips for some chocolate chip cookies, but I’m not one to judge!
  • Molasses cookie sandwiches. I envision a caramel Swiss meringue buttercream sandwiched between two molasses cookies. And for some added crunch, add chopped pecans around the edges.

How to Make Molasses Cookies

Use these instructions to make these perfectly spiced molasses cookies every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Melt your butter on the stovetop or in the microwave. 

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and salt. Set aside.

Step 3: In another large bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, molasses, and melted butter; beat well at medium to high speed. 

Step 4: Add the egg and beat to combine.  

A mixing bowl showing unmixed dry ingredients like flour, spices, and baking soda.
A cracked egg being added to the wet ingredients mixture in a bowl.

Step 5: Add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. 

Step 6: Scoop into balls with a two tablespoon scoop.

Dry ingredients being added to the wet mixture in a mixing bowl for molasses cookies.
A large mass of unportioned molasses cookie dough in a mixing bowl.
Unbaked molasses cookie dough balls arranged on a clean surface.

Step 7: Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

Overnight is better if you can wait. My refrigerator didn’t really get the cookies nice and firm until closer to 6 hrs.

Step 8: Preheat the oven to 350°F (no fan) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Step 9: Roll dough balls in turbinado sugar and place 2 inches apart on your prepared cookie sheet.

Chilled molasses cookie dough balls with a firm texture ready for rolling.
rolling molasses cookie dough balls in granulated sugar for a sweet coating.
Sugared molasses cookie dough balls arranged on a baking sheet before baking.

Step 10:  Bake in the preheated oven for 8-11 minutes. The cookies will puff and have small cracks but will still be very soft. They will fall as they cool. Let cool on the cookie sheet instead of cooling racks.

For even baking, rotate the cookie sheet halfway through the baking process. 

Freshly baked molasses cookies cooling on a baking sheet.
Fully baked molasses cookies arranged neatly and ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store my molasses cookies?

Store your baked cookies well-wrapped or in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

What type of molasses should I use?

My favorite molasses to use is grandma’s molasses. It is in every grocery store and stays good in the pantry for years.

Do I need to chill the cookie dough before baking?

Yes, this dough needs to be chilled before baking. If you bake right away, you will have molasses crisps. Which doesn’t sound terrible, but it is not what we are going for here.

How do I know my cookies are done baking?

Darker doughs can be hard to tell when they are done. Look for the turbinado sugar cracking and the cookie dough to go from wet-looking to matte. When they’re done, let them chill on the baking sheet instead of a wire rack.

Close-up of molasses cookies showing their slightly crisp edges and soft centers.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
A close-up of a molasses cookie showing its chewy and moist interior texture.

molasses cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Lindsey Farr
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Chill: 6 hours
  • Cook Time: 11 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 26 cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

These chewy molasses cookies are perfectly spiced with ginger, cinnamon, clove, and allspice. They bake with a perfectly crunchy outside and soft, chewy inside.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted (169.5g)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar (230g)
  • 1/2 cup molasses (150 g)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Additional raw or turbinado sugar for rolling

Instructions

  1. Melt your butter on the stovetop or in the microwave. 
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and salt. Set aside.
  3. In another large bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, molasses, and melted butter; beat well at medium to high speed. 
  4. Add the egg and beat to combine.  
  5. Add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. 
  6. Scoop into balls with a two tablespoon scoop.
  7. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350°F (no fan) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 
  9. Roll dough balls in turbinado sugar and place 2 inches apart on your prepared cookie sheet.
  10. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-11 minutes. The cookies will puff and have small cracks but will still be very soft. They will fall as they cool. Let cool on the cookie sheet instead of cooling racks.

Notes

Yield – 26 cookies 

Flavor Tips – Rolling the cookies in sugar in the raw for turbinado sugar truly makes all the difference. It’s a step that I would not skip. 

Technique – Allow the cookies to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Baking from frozen is the best. 

Storage –Store your baked cookies well-wrapped or in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef-tested holiday recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed Christmas recipes, including my kugelhopf, sweet potato pie, and apple bread—perfect for the holiday season.