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    Home » cookies

    Published: Oct 14, 2020 • Modified: Nov 23, 2021 • This site generates income via ads and may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy linked in the footer.

    Super Soft Molasses Cookies

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Image of super soft molasses sugar cookies from BeyondtheButter.com | All Images © Beyond the Butter®

    Old fashioned Super Soft Molasses Cookies are a homemade classic treat packed with bold flavors of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon in each bite. They're seriously soft and chewy on the inside with a crackly top outside that's been rolled in sugar. They're a fall and holiday favorite recipe that's the perfect addition to any cookie swap!

    Recipe updated with new images on October 14, 2020. Recipe was originally published on October 18, 2018.

    Overhead image of soft molasses sugar cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet | All Images © Beyond the Butter™

    Table of Contents

    • Reasons You Will Love These Super Soft Molasses Cookies
    • Where Does Molasses Come From?
    • What is a Good Substitute for Ground Cloves?
    • Can I Freeze Molasses Cookie Dough?
    • Quick Tips for Baking Molasses Cookies
    • Looking for More Holiday Cookie Recipes?

    Reasons You Will Love These Super Soft Molasses Cookies

    • seriously soft and chewy
    • a holiday favorite
    • perfectly flavored with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon
    • lightly rolled in granulated sugar to give them a nice sweet crunch
    • they stay soft for days
    • perfect for cookie swaps

    This soft molasses cookies recipe couldn't be any easier to make and they taste fantastic! They are a definite must-make heading into the holiday season!

    Where Does Molasses Come From?

    Molasses is commonly used as a sweetener in baking, cooking, coffee or oatmeal, and comes from either sugar cane or sugar beets where it's boiled down to a syrup. After removing the sugar crystals, what's left is the dark molasses!

    There are a variety of molasses flavors like light/mild, full/dark, and blackstrap. The light/mild flavor is the lightest and sweetest of the three, followed by the full/dark which is thicker and has a stronger flavor (great for recipes like this!). Blackstrap is the thickest of the three and has no sweetness to it. You'll typically see blackstrap molasses used in savory dishes.

    Small plate of molasses cookies placed on a larger plate filled with soft molasses cookies and one that is half eaten | All Images © Beyond the Butter™
    Overhead image of soft and chewy molasses cookies randomly placed on a white background and one half eaten | All Images © Beyond the Butter™

    How to Make Soft and Chewy Molasses Sugar Cookies

    Here is a brief overview of how to make this soft molasses cookie recipe!

    1. Whisk the dry ingredients together. This includes the all-purpose flour, ground cloves, ground ginger, cinnamon, and salt.
    2. Mix the wet ingredients together. Start with the vegetable oil and granulated sugar. Next you will add in the full-flavored molasses and egg.
    3. Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Unless specified in the recipe, always add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix the cookie dough together until just combined. The cookie dough will be a thin to medium consistency.
    4. Chill the dough. A minimum of 2 hours is best or until you're able to form the cookie dough balls. Make sure the mixing bowl is covered with plastic wrap.
    5. Roll and Coat. Roll the molasses cookie dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in a small bowl of granulated sugar. You only need about ½ cup to coat all 36 cookies this recipe yields.
    6. Bake then Cool. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375ºF. Mine seem to bake perfectly right at the 8 minute mark. Your cookies should have a nice sparkling crinkle top with golden brown edges. Cookies should cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before you transfer them to the wire cooling rack.
    Closeup overhead image of soft molasses cookies | All Images © Beyond the Butter™

    What is a Good Substitute for Ground Cloves?

    Ground cloves is not something I always have on hand when baking. So if you find yourself in the same situation, you can use nutmeg.

    Can I Freeze Molasses Cookie Dough?

    Yes! Follow the recipe instructions up until you have chilled the molasses cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough into the 1 inch balls, but skip rolling them in the granulated sugar.

    Place them onto a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze until firm.

    Remove from the freezer and place the frozen cookie dough balls into a well sealed freezer bag. Molasses cookie dough balls will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

    When ready to bake, add 1-2 minutes to your bake time.

    Parchment lined baking sheet topped with super soft molasses cookies | All Images © Beyond the Butter™
    Closeup overhead image of half eaten soft molasses cookies placed around other molasses cookies | All Images © Beyond the Butter™

    Quick Tips for Baking Molasses Cookies

    • Measuring sticky molasses. One thing that can be tricky from time-to-time is measuring sticky ingredients, so I suggest lightly spraying the inside of a measuring cup with some baking spray. This will help let the molasses slide out a lot easier when you're pouring it into the mixer.
    • Don't skip chilling the dough. I recommend a minimum of 2 hours or at least until you can easily form the dough into 1 inch balls. If they haven't properly chilled things can get pretty messy.
    • Use a cookie scoop. For more consistently sized cookies use a 1 tablespoon size cookie scoop. A regular spoon will work fine too.

    Looking for More Holiday Cookie Recipes?

    • Homemade Butter Cookies
    • The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies
    • Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
    • Chocolate Dipped Graham Cracker Cookies
    Closeup overhead image of soft molasses cookies | All Images © Beyond the Butter™

    Super Soft Molasses Cookies

    Author: Jennifer
    Old fashioned super soft molasses cookies are a homemade classic treat packed with bold flavors of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon in each bite. They're seriously soft and chewy on the inside with a crackly top outside that's been rolled in sugar. They're a fall and holiday favorite recipe that's the perfect addition to any cookie swap!
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Chill Time 2 hours
    Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 36 servings

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
    • ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
    • ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
    • 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¾ cup Vegetable Oil
    • 1 cup Granulated Sugar (plus extra for rolling cookie dough balls in)
    • ¼ cup Full Flavor Molasses (I used the Brer Rabbit brand)
    • 1 Large Egg (room temperature)

    Instructions

    • Whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground cloves, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Set to the side.
      2 cups All-Purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves, ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger, 2 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Salt
    • Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the vegetable oil and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until well blended. Add in the full flavored molasses and egg.
      ¾ cup Vegetable Oil, 1 cup Granulated Sugar, ¼ cup Full Flavor Molasses, 1 Large Egg
    • Switching the mixer speed to low, gradually add in the whisked dry ingredients until just combined.
    • Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the molasses cookie dough for a minimum of 2 hours (or until it's easy to shape).
    • Once the cookie dough has chilled, adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
    • Using a spoon or a 1 tablespoon size cookie scoop, form 1 inch size cookie dough balls. Roll each one in a small bowl of granulated sugar and place on the lined baking sheet roughly 2 inches apart.
    • Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes at 375ºF. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will be puffy at first, but will flatten as they cool.
    • Molasses cookies can be kept stored in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature. They'll stay soft too!

    Recipe Notes

    If you do not have full flavor molasses, you can use a light or dark flavor, but I do not recommend using blackstrap as it has no sweetness to it.
    Recipe adapted from A Taste of Bedminster Elementary Cookbook.
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @beyond.the.butter and tag #beyondthebutter!
    Small plate of molasses cookies placed on a larger plate filled with soft molasses cookies and one that is half eaten | All Images © Beyond the Butter™
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    © All images & content on BeyondtheButter.com are copyright protected. You may not republish, redistribute, or otherwise use any images, recipes, or content, in part or in whole, without express written permission from the author. Beyond the Butter® is a registered trademark of Jennifer Switzer. All rights reserved. For more information, please read my Policies page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joan says

      October 20, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      Do you use liquid vegetable oil or solid such as crisco?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 20, 2020 at 6:53 pm

        Hi! I used vegetable oil for this recipe.

        Reply
    2. Jannika says

      November 08, 2020 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies are absolutely divine! You might need to play with the baking time a little, as I had different results for 8, 9, and 10 minute batches but all tasted incredible! 9 mins was the sweet spot for my oven to put out beautiful crinkly tops and even chewy goodness.

      Reply
    3. Jana says

      November 24, 2020 at 1:05 am

      Can you use butter instead of veg oil?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 24, 2020 at 12:36 pm

        I've never made them using butter, but I suppose you could!

        Reply
      • Katie says

        December 24, 2020 at 8:30 am

        Did you try using anything other than the vegetable oil. Looking to make these today and do not have any!

        Reply
        • Jennifer says

          December 24, 2020 at 8:50 am

          I did not, sorry!

    4. Sandi says

      December 18, 2020 at 8:49 pm

      Can you substitute brown sugar for the white sugar? Or maybe use half and half?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        December 22, 2020 at 9:53 am

        Hi Sandi! I'm so sorry I'm just seeing your comment now! I've never tried these with using light brown sugar so I can't say for certain. I would be more inclined to say that the half and half would be something to try first.

        Reply
    5. Ashley says

      December 26, 2020 at 5:41 pm

      5 stars
      I love these cookies I made them twice now this week I put some on cookie plates for family and neighbor gifts and everyone said these are the perfect soft molasses cookies with a perfect amount of spice to it not too much clove just right! I have more in the oven as I type!! My dad can’t wait!

      Reply
    6. Sallianne Howell says

      January 08, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      the recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of molasses. If I added a 1/2 cup would it mess up the recipe on how the cookie comes out

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 10, 2021 at 1:51 pm

        Unless you doubled the entire recipe, yes it would more than likely mess it up.

        Reply
    7. Lindsay says

      January 11, 2021 at 2:13 pm

      You said to put the pan on the second level In the oven. Did you mean second from the top or second from the bottom? Lol. Mine has a lot of levels..

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 12, 2021 at 9:53 am

        Second from the top or the level just above center 🙂

        Reply
    8. Lori Scriver says

      January 11, 2021 at 10:02 pm

      5 stars
      I have celiac disease so I used cup 4 cup gluten free flour. My 5 yr old granddaughter was helping my and she acci4spilled the vegetable oil all over the floor. We ended up substituting unsalted butter. The cookies were soft and chewy and amazing!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        January 12, 2021 at 9:54 am

        Thank you for taking the time to make them and for sharing your substitutes as well! I'm glad they were a big hit!

        Reply
    9. Claus says

      January 18, 2021 at 5:40 pm

      4 stars
      Made these for my Christmas box that I give to friends. It was the recipe most asked for.

      Reply
      • Adam Wenzel says

        February 14, 2021 at 12:14 am

        5 stars
        These cookies are amazing. Ginger molasses have always been my favourite, and of the 10 plus recipes I've tried for these types of cookies this is my favourite. Will come back again and again. I was skeptical because initially because of the vegetable oil in lieu of butter but it really does work and taste exactly like they should. I love the spiciness from the clove but it's not overwhelming. The chewy texture with crispy edge is exactly what a cookie should be. Pro tip make double and freeze half for when you have a craving but don't have the time. You can simply pop the log out of the freezer and bake.

        Reply
        • Jennifer says

          February 14, 2021 at 12:17 am

          Thank you so much for this review and the freezing tip, Adam!❤️

    10. Jennifer T says

      February 25, 2021 at 8:23 pm

      5 stars
      These have become a family favorite!! Recipe is perfect as is!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 27, 2021 at 11:50 am

        Yay! That's wonderful to hear, Jennifer! Thank you for making them!

        Reply
    11. Meegan says

      July 02, 2021 at 3:53 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe! So tasty and easy to make.
      I added some chopped up glacé ginger to the dough mixture which added some extra ginger flavour.

      Reply
    12. Sue says

      December 20, 2021 at 2:14 am

      These taste good, but we’re crispy and nowhere near soft. I must have baked too long.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        December 20, 2021 at 10:10 am

        Hi Sue, it does sound like you baked them a little too long because they should be pretty soft. You could also try baking them on the next rack down to see if that helps. I'm glad they still tasted good though!

        Reply
    13. April Casillas says

      December 20, 2021 at 2:43 pm

      I just made these and they turned out fantastic! Ive made a recipe similar to this using butter but I always forget to leave the butter out to come to temp so i love that this recipe uses vegetable oil, makes it easy to be prepared to bake on a whim 👍🏼

      Reply
    14. Tami says

      April 25, 2022 at 10:52 am

      5 stars
      My son in the Navy requested soft molasses cookies and I reviewed a bunch of different ones. I made them with a couple of changes. I used 1/2 cup oil and 1/4 unsalted butter. I also used 1/2 granulated sugar and 1/2 cup light brown sugar. I rolled them in raw sugar for extra crunch on the outside. They were amazing! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        April 25, 2022 at 12:38 pm

        Thank you so much for making them!

        Reply

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