Chewy, crunchy Molasses Cookies are the perfect holiday treat for Christmas and your holiday cookie exchange. These are a 50 year old recipe passed down.
The most requested Christmas Cookie on the site is our Ultimate (Award Winning I may add) Gingerbread Cookies but I’ve been getting requests all year for Molasses Cookies. I turned to an old family recipe that is over 50 years old and it was not a letdown! Check out our other Cookie Recipes for more ideas.
MOLASSES COOKIES
We’re filling our trays with all kinds of holiday cookies this time of year. My kids usually go for the Sugar cookies, because not only are they fun to decorate but they a holiday classic.
There’s just something about a spiced Molasses Cookie that puts us in the holiday spirit. Honestly, we could eat these all year long and it could be part of the reason we stock up on Molasses.
It’s just as easy to bake but has a deeper flavor that’s perfect for winter. The smell of them baking in the oven can take you right to the holidays. It’s like your favorite Gingerbread Cake smell with the portability of cookies.
We also call these Rudolph Cookies in our house because these are the cookies we leave for the reindeers on Christmas Eve. Santa gets Chocolate Chip Cookies of course!
These are the perfect Christmas Cookies to add to a Christmas Cookie tray for your coworkers (hello break-room amazing surprise!) or to give to friends and neighbors. The deep, rich color from the molasses really sets it apart from the other holiday cookies.
MORE HOLIDAY COOKIE CLASSICS:
Award Winning Gingerbread Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ginger Cookies
Brown Sugar Cookies
How to Make Molasses Cookies:
- To your stand mixer add the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar and egg on medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the molasses until fully mixed in, about 30 seconds.
- Sift dry ingredients.
- Add it into the stand mixer on low speed until just combined.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll 2 tablespoon sized scoops of dough.
- Roll in sanding sugar
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
How to Scoop and Roll these Cookies:
If this is your first time making these cookies, I suggest using a cookie scoop to help portion out the dough to make the dough balls.
- This means the dough will be uniform in size.
- Your dough will stay colder (this is better) because the heat of your hand won’t warm it up.
- You won’t have sticky hands.
- You can even roll with the tines of a fork in the sugar to make this mess free.
- It makes the process easier when you have little helpers in the kitchen too.
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VARIATIONS ON MOLASSES COOKIES
- Add-Ins: Sprinkle in chocolate chips, either milk chocolate or white chocolate, into the cookie dough for a fun mash-up of two classics. You can also melt chocolate and dip the bottoms in chocolate. This is the ultimate Molasses Cookie for a holiday cookie exchange!
- Frosting: Add in drops of food coloring (if you want it to be festive) to Buttercream Frosting and spread over the tops of these cookie.
- Toppings: Drizzle melted caramel or chocolate over these cookies. You could even dip half of it and add sprinkles for a holiday twist.
- Nuts: Pistachios or Walnuts would make a great addition to a nuttier cookie.
MORE DELICIOUS COOKIE CLASSICS:
Black and White Cookies
Coconut Macaroons
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Hershey’s Kiss Cookies
BAKING TIPS
- Don’t skip the sifting step for the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. It really helps to fully combine it all and makes it lighter and easier to combine with the wet ingredients.
- I have well seasoned baking sheets that are great for cookies. If you have issues with baked goods sticking, use a silpat or parchment paper to line your baking sheets. It not only makes clean up a breeze but helps keep your cookies from sticking to the baking sheet making them easier to remove.
- When choosing a molasses for this recipe, I recommend a dark molasses due to it’s deeper flavor. You can use light molasses if you prefer but I wouldn’t recommend going as far as using Blackstrap molasses as it’s slightly bitter in taste.
- Make sure to refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. The chilling process helps to solidify the fat in the cookie which helps to eliminate the issue of the cookies spreading while baking.
HOW TO STORE AND SERVE
- Serve: Once you remove the cookies from the oven, allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before serving them.
- Store: Store the cookies once they’ve fully cooled at room temperature, store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days (if they last that long!).
- Freeze: These cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months if stored in a freezer-safe storage container or bag.
Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter , melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup coarse sanding sugar
Instructions
- To your stand mixer add the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar and egg on medium speed until smooth.
Add in the molasses until fully mixed in, about 30 seconds.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, then add it into the stand mixer on low speed until just combined.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll 2 tablespoon sized scoops of dough in coarse sanding sugar and place on cookie sheets at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the tops are cracked then cool for 5 minutes before removing gently from cookie sheets.
These flattened out and are a waste of baking ingredients! DO NOT USE MELTED BUTTER! You are better off finding another recipe.
Oh no! Did you allow the dough to to be in the refrigerator for an hour before baking? That should’ve allowed it to solidify.
Very appreciative of your sharing your family recipe! I dont have handed down recipes, but hope to create memories with yours!
I picked this recipe off the internet based on history, pictures, and five star rating. It really delivers. I made with Grandma’s molasses and a separate batch with Blackshear. The Gmail cooked flat, crunchy outside chewy in and were perfect! The blackstrap cooked a little higher but equally delicious. Thank you for helping me establish a go to recipe for this cookie!
You’re welcome!
These cookies are so good. They remind me of cookies my grandma used to make. So many memories or being at her house and having a treat in her kitchen.
I’m so glad you love the cookies, Krissy. It means a lot when they have such a family connection too.
these are the best cookies!
Thanks, Rachael!
These are some of my absolute favorite cookies. I love rolling in the sugar, or pressing a fork in sugar and then into the cookie. The darker the molasses, the better the cookie!
Totally agree, yum!!