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Molasses Cookies are soft, chewy, and crackled all over with cozy gingerbread spice, rolled in powdered sugar so they look like little snowballs. I baked a double batch last snowy evening and the whole house smelled like the holidays before the first tray even cooled. If you love a warmly spiced treat, they are kin to our gingerbread bars.
Two bowls, a handful of pantry spices, and a roll in powdered sugar are all it takes for the softest, most festive cookies on the tray.
Molasses Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 14 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 24 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 18 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 160kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft and chewy with warm molasses, ginger, and cinnamon
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, no mixer required, like our cream cheese cookies
Quick Answer
To make Molasses Cookies, beat butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth, then mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and warm spices to form a soft dough. Scoop the dough into balls, roll each one in powdered sugar, and bake until crackled and set. The sugar coating crackles as the cookies spread for that classic crinkle look.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Molasses for chew and flavor. Molasses adds moisture and that deep, cozy flavor that makes these cookies taste like the holidays.
- Brown sugar keeps them soft. Brown sugar adds even more moisture so the cookies stay soft and chewy for days.
- Powdered sugar makes the crackle. Rolling the dough in powdered sugar gives the signature crinkled, snowy top as the cookies spread.
- Warm spices. A blend of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves gives that gingerbread warmth in every bite.
- Do not overbake. Pulling the cookies while the centers look slightly underdone keeps them soft, not crunchy.
- Chill if the dough is soft. A short chill firms the dough so the cookies hold their shape and crackle cleanly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are irresistibly soft and chewy with the most beautiful crackled, snowy tops, perfect for cookie trays and gifting.
- They fill the kitchen with cozy holiday spice, just like our spice layer cake.
- The dough comes together in two bowls with no mixer required, and a single batch makes plenty to share.
Key Ingredients
Here is what gives these Molasses Cookies their soft chew, warm spice, and snowy crackle.
- Molasses: The star, giving the cookies their deep color, chew, and cozy flavor. Use unsulphured molasses for the best taste.
- Brown sugar: Adds moisture and a soft, chewy texture. Light or dark both work here.
- Warm spices: A mix of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves gives that classic gingerbread warmth.
- Powdered sugar: The dough rolls in it before baking to create the crackled, snowy crinkle top.
- Butter: Melted for easy mixing and a tender crumb. Pair these with our soft frosted cookies on any cookie tray.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These Molasses Cookies are easy to make your own. Here are a few favorite twists.
- Roll in sugar: Use granulated or sanding sugar instead of powdered for more sparkle and crunch.
- Add a kick: Stir in a pinch of black pepper or extra ginger for a spicier cookie.
- Make them mini: Scoop smaller for bite-sized cookies and reduce the bake time slightly.
- Add chips: Fold in white chocolate chips for a sweeter twist.
- Dip them: Half-dip the cooled cookies in melted white chocolate for a fancy finish.
How to Make Molasses Cookies
- In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until a soft dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes if the dough is sticky.
- Scoop the dough into balls and roll each one generously in powdered sugar.
- Place the coated dough balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them a couple inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until crackled and set around the edges. Cool on the pan.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grease the molasses spoon. A light coat of oil helps the sticky molasses slide right out of the measuring spoon.
- Do not overbake. Pull the cookies when the centers still look slightly soft; they firm up as they cool.
- Roll generously in powdered sugar. A thick coat gives the boldest crackle and snowiest look.
- Chill sticky dough. If your kitchen is warm, a short chill keeps the cookies from spreading too thin.
- Use a room-temperature egg. It blends in smoothly for an even dough.
- Store with a bread slice. A slice of bread in the container keeps the cookies soft, just like our cream cheese cookies.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These Molasses Cookies are a holiday cookie tray classic. Pile them high next to frosted Lofthouse cookies and gingerbread bars for a spread that disappears fast.
Serve them warm with a glass of cold milk or alongside coffee and hot cocoa. They are made for cozy nights by the fire.
Pack them into tins as homemade gifts or set them out for Santa. For another warmly spiced bake, try our spice layer cake next.
Molasses Cookies FAQs
Molasses cookies get their crackled tops from rolling the dough in powdered sugar before baking. As the cookies spread and rise in the oven, the sugar coating splits to reveal the dark cookie underneath, creating that classic crinkle look.
Hard molasses cookies are usually overbaked. Pull them from the oven when the centers still look slightly soft and underdone. They firm up as they cool but stay soft and chewy in the middle.
Unsulphured molasses, sometimes labeled original or mild, gives the best flavor for cookies. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which is much darker and more bitter and can overpower the warm spices.
Yes. Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to three months, or freeze the rolled dough balls and bake them straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread. The cookies absorb a little moisture from the bread and stay soft and chewy for up to a week.
No. Molasses cookies keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. Refrigerating them is not necessary and can actually dry them out faster.
Baking up a cookie tray? Try our gingerbread bars next.
Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line sheet trays with parchment paper, set aside.
- Stir together the brown sugar, oil, molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, cloves, and salt.
- Slowly stir them into the wet ingredients, about a cup at a time until well combined.
- Form the dough into 1.5 inch balls, and roll in powdered sugar until completely covered.
- Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets and flatten the tops of each cookie until they are about 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops appear dry.
- Let cool on the sheet tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Other additions can be added to these cookies, see above for ideas.
- Butter can be substituted for the vegetable oil.
- You may have leftover powdered sugar, but you want to make sure that the cookies are coated in it.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
- These can easily be doubled or halved depending on how many you are serving.
- If your like your cookies slightly crispier bake for 15-16 minutes.
- Light brown sugar can be used place of the dark brown sugar.
Nutrition
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