Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies
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Soft and chewy with a crackly sugar crust, these molasses cookies are perfectly spiced and a must-bake for the holiday season.
Every year, my daughter and I bake these gingery molasses cookies for her holiday cookie bake sale and every year, they sell like hotcakes. Soft and chewy with a crackled sugar crust, they have just the right balance of spices to please kids and adults alike. You’ll note that the recipe calls for black pepper. I promise, no one will know it’s there, but it adds a delightful little kick that lingers on the palate.
Heads up: the dough needs a few hours to chill before baking, so plan accordingly. And if you love the deep, cozy flavor of molasses, be sure to check out my crispy ginger cookies, comforting gingerbread, gingerbread cookies, and pumpkin scones—all brimming with the cozy flavors of fall and winter.
“So delicious that my husband (who doesn’t normally have a sweet tooth) has to reach for second helping 😃. Definitely a keeper.”
What You’ll Need To Make Molasses Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda & Salt: These form the base and structure of the cookies, help them rise for that classic crackled top, and balance the sweetness. For accuracy, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off—no packing!
- Warm Spices (Ginger, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves & Black Pepper): This cozy mix gives the cookies their signature warm, spiced flavor with just a subtle peppery kick to balance the molasses.
- Butter, Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Together, these ingredients add richness, sweetness, and moisture, creating soft, chewy cookies with great flavor.
- Egg: Binds the dough and contributes to the cookies’ chewy texture.
- Molasses: Gives the cookies their deep, robust flavor and dark color. I use Grandma’s Original, but any unsulphured molasses works. Just steer clear of blackstrap—it’s too bitter for this recipe.
- Raw Sugar (for Rolling): Gives the cookies their signature crackly, sugary crust on the outside.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices until evenly combined.
Step 2: Beat the butter and sugars. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter with the granulated and brown sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add the egg and molasses. Beat until evenly combined.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until combined.
Step 5: Chill and roll the dough. Refrigerate the dough until firm, a few hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and set two racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and coat generously in raw sugar. Arrange about 2½ inches apart on the baking sheets.
Step 6: Bake and cool. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until puffed and set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days.
More Cookie Recipes You May Like
Molasses Cookies
These gingery molasses cookies have a soft, chewy center, crisp edges, and just the right amount of spice—holiday baking at its best.
Ingredients
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses, such as Grandma's Original
- ½ cup raw sugar (also called turbinado or demerara sugar), for rolling cookies
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and black pepper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and the granulated and light brown sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and molasses. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, a few hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and set two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two 13 x 18 in baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the raw sugar to coat generously. Arrange the dough balls about 2½ in apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until puffed and set. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze after baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 103
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 74 mg
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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These cookies taste incredible!
You will NOT be able to have just one!
Our new family favourite.
Every bite is perfect. Great cookie with perfect spice.
Hi Jenn! Just popped these in the oven – excited to see how they come out.
Curious how they’re different in from your Crispy Ginger Cookies? I just discovered that recipe and am now wondering if I should’ve baked those instead!
Hi SY, These are puffier and chewier – if I had to pick between the two, these would be my favorite hands down. Hope you enjoy!
Good to know – I’m a chewy cookie gal so glad I picked the right one.
They turned out fabulously! I appreciated that they had less sugar as well – I dialed it back even further by four tbsp (which may have been a bit too much; next time I’ll do two to not lose as much of the chew), but still were great. Thank you!!
total fail. They stayed in a ball. I refrigerated for a couple minutes so they didn’t flatten too fast. They didn’t. When time was up they were uncooked golf balls. I baked for 5 minute more and then they were officially golf balls. Followed recipe to a T. Don’t know what happened. I am at high altitude.
I’m sorry you had a problem with these! If you followed the recipe to a T, the only thing I can think of is that the altitude impacted them. I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.
I have made these twice now and both times have been a huge hit. They smell, look and taste amazing. I didn’t have any raw sugar left to roll them in but had coffee crystals so used that instead and they turned out perfectly.
Love, love this recipe! It’s my first time making spiced cookies. Hubby loves it as well. He kept saying “this is so good” while munching on the cookie. At first I thought the ginger flavor is strong but as it sits, it seemed to mellow. I also appreciate the friendly freezer instruction. I like that I can freeze the dough and not have to eat them in one sitting, lol. Thank you, Jenn!
These cookies are absolutely perfect. Bakery worthy! Made for Christmas and piped on little holly leaves and berries. 10/10
These are my new favorite cookies! A hit everywhere I take them! I’ve been asked for the recipe so many times. Love sharing it, Jenn. You’ve achieved perfection with this cookie!
These are amazing! Great cookie for anytime of year but love them for the holidays.
Really easy to make and so tasty! One thing I love about your recipes is they always come out as expected (so far at least!) . These were no exception. My family loves spice cookies so I increased the spices a bit and they are a big hit!
Thank you
I’m not a cook, but your directions I can follow. I like spicy food (I’m of Indian origin) but not too much spice in a sweet treat, and found these to be spot on for that lovely gingery-cookie flavor. And the crunchy exterior with soft insides- yum! I was skeptical about the black pepper but followed directions and left it in, and I didn’t regret it. Thanks for another great one!