Molasses cookies in a jar and on a board.

Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies

Soft and chewy with a crackled sugar crust, these gingery molasses cookies are loved by kids and adults alike.

Servings: About 3 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus a few hours to chill

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

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and black pepper.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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