Name: Soft Molasses Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 3/4 cup brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1/4 cup molasses; 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 cup turbinado sugar (or granulated sugar, for rolling)

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Soft Molasses Cookies are chewy drop cookies that are lightly spiced and rolled in sugar. Popular for the holidays, these soft molasses drop cookies are filled with seasonal flavors like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

If you love the seasonal flavors of fall, you are sure to enjoy soft molasses cookies. These soft and chewy cookies are filled with flavor from cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

Best of all, the addition of molasses makes these cookies incredibly chewy and soft. Plus, molasses helps keep your cookies soft for days.

I love to roll my molasses drop cookies in turbinado sugar. In my opinion, the golden color adds an extra touch of fall to these cookies.

Molasses vs Gingerbread vs Gingersnap

You may be wondering what the difference is between molasses, gingersnap, and gingerbread cookies. They all contain very similar ingredients, like molasses, cinnamon, and ginger.

So, how do you tell them apart?

Ginger snaps are the crunchiest cookie – hence the name. They ‘snap’ when you break them in half. Ginger snaps also contain more ginger than a molasses cookie, and sometimes bits of candied ginger.

The same can be said for gingerbread cookies -they also contain more ginger than a molasses cookie. Gingerbread cookies, however, are softer and usually rolled out and cut into shapes, like gingerbread men.

Molasses cookies, however, contain less ginger than the other two cookies. They’re also made with all brown sugar, which makes them softer and chewier than a regular cookie.

In the end, they all have similar flavors, but different textures. If you’re a fan of one, you’ll probably like them all.

How to Make Soft Molasses Cookies

First, gather your ingredients.

To make soft molasses drop cookies, you’ll need unsalted butter, brown sugar, molasses, an egg, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, spices (ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt), and baking soda.

You’ll also need some turbinado sugar for rolling your cookie dough before baking (this can be substituted with granulated sugar).

In a large bowl, cream together your butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and molasses, mixing to fully incorporate.

In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground ginger.

Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.

Cover your bowl or wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator. Refrigerating will help the flavors meld and also create a firmer dough to roll into balls.

Once chilled, scoop dough using a 1.5 tablespoon scoop or shape by hand into 1.5 inch balls.

Add turbinado sugar to a small bowl. Gently roll balls in sugar to coat. Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 10-11 minutes, then allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies turn out incredibly soft and chewy, don’t they look amazing?

Fall Cookie Recipes

Soft molasses cookies are one of my favorite fall desserts. Looking for more fall cookie recipes? Try a few of my other favorites.

Or, try my Candied Pumpkin Seeds for an easy fall treat.

White plate filled with molasses cookies.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Soft Molasses Cookies

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time10 minutes

Resting Time1 hour

Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: soft molasses cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 120kcal

Author: Heather

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup turbinado sugar or granulated sugar, for rolling

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and molasses, stirring to fully incorporate.
In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground ginger.
Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined.
Cover bowl or wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at least 1 hour (up to 24 hours) in the refrigerator. Refrigerating will help the flavors meld and also create a firmer dough to roll into balls.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scoop dough using a 1.5 tablespoon scoop or shape by hand into 1.5 inch balls.
Add turbinado sugar to a small bowl. Gently roll balls in sugar to coat. Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10-11 minutes, then allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Your cookies will keep for 5-7 days in a sealed container. To help keep cookies fresh, you can place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread slice as needed.
You can keep raw cookie dough in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Cookie dough balls (and baked cookies) freeze well, up to 3 months in a sealed plastic container or freezer bag. Allow frozen balls to thaw for up to 10 minutes on the baking sheet before baking, or add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition

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