Soft Molasses Cookies Recipe

Soft Molasses Cookies cooling on a rack
Soft Molasses Cookies

There’s something about sinking your teeth into these Soft Molasses Cookies. It’s one of the simplest cookies to make – a great project for you and the grandkids – and the reward far surpasses the effort!

With fall in the air, there’s nothing like the smell of cinnamon, ginger and cloves wafting from a warm oven.  And with such a simple recipe, you can whip these up in a good hour, leaving you free for other things.

This recipe for Soft Molasses Cookies is from one of my favorite go-to sources – the church cookbook.  I find the recipes in church cookbooks are often tried-and-true, tweaked and refined to the nth degree, so that there’s very little risk of failure (as with so many of those Pinterest recipes!)  This recipe produces two dozen, soft, chewy, flavorful cookies that will last for weeks in a sealed container.

Why Molasses?

Molasses is the thick, dark syrup produced in the sugar-making process – just after the sugar crystals are formed and removed. It’s flavor is strong, but pleasant in baked things. It’s used often in many southern US recipes, especially in cakes, cookies, and pecan pie, but also in many popular BBQ sauces.

Molasses imparts a warm flavor that is accented by the addition of ginger, cinammon and clove.

When purchasing molasses, look for unsulphured, light molasses. This is the most common type, and it’s hard to go wrong with it.


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These cookies store really well, so it’s easy to have them on hand all the time.  And if they do happen to dry out – whirl them in a blender and use them for a pumpkin cheesecake base!

Soft Molasses Cookies

A sweet, chewy cookie that's easy to make, filled with warm fall flavors from molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
Prep Time12 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Soft Molasses Cookies
Servings: 2 dozen
Calories: 175kcal
Author: Don Herman

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Brown Sugar packed, light or dark
  • 1 cup Butter softened but not melted
  • 1/4 cup Molasses
  • 1 lg Egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour 355 Grams
  • 2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 320 F. Lay parchment paper on a cookie sheet, or coat with cooking spray. (The parchment paper works better). Put the granulated sugar in a coffee cup and set aside for later.
  • In a mixer, beat together the brown sugar, butter, molasses, egg and vanilla until combined.
  • Gradually mix in the flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
  • Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, dip out enough batter to form 1 1/2" balls of dough. Drop the ball into the coffee cup and swirl around a bit to coat. Place balls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 13 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for just a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.

If you enjoyed these cookies, why not try some of my other kitchen-tested recipes? Dwaine’s Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies are always a hit.

Let me know how you enjoyed them! I always enjoy hearing from you.

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