Soft Molasses Cookies Recipe

Molasses Cookies are a holiday staple around our house. This recipe yields such chewy cookies, with warm spices and a delicious molasses flavor. They’re the perfect treat to fill your cookie jar!

Soft Molasses Cookies

Soft Molasses Cookies smell and taste like Christmas. I absolutely love this soft and chewy cookie recipe to share with family during the holidays!

Are you wary of molasses? Don’t be; its mild flavor and smooth texture make these cookies so soft and scrumptious!  Molasses is what makes the difference between white sugar and brown sugar; the deep caramel flavor adds to your munching enjoyment!

You’ll love the sugary outside and the tender, spicy inside for the holidays or any day!

I used to think I didn’t like molasses until a dear friend baked a batch of these cookies for me several years ago. One bite of these chewy, sweet, Soft Molasses Cookies and everything I thought I knew about molasses changed forever.

This Molasses Cookie recipe is now one of my all-time favorites. Try them and let me know what you think!

Soft Molasses Cookies can be rolled in sugar before baking for a sweeter treat or left as is. Either way, these beauties are sure to become a favorite!

All the Holiday Cookies

25+ Favorite Christmas Cookies

Baking and Christmas go hand in hand. See our guide for our fave recipes + tips and tricks for perfect cookies.

See Guide

How to Make Soft Molasses Cookies

I just can’t get over how comforting and satisfying these cookies are. Warm, spicy, soft, chewy, and delicious!  I’ll eat them any time of year, but ginger and cinnamon just scream CHRISTMAS IS HERE!

To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine melted shortening, sugar, and molasses in a bowl, and beat together for about 3 minutes.
3. Add in the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes, until well blended.
4. Combine all dry ingredients, and then add the shortening/sugar mixture and beat everything together.
5. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes.
6. Roll the dough into balls, roll them in sugar if desired, and then place the balls of dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
7. Bake cookies at 350°F for 10-11 minutes.
8. When completely cool, store them in an airtight container (if you don’t eat them all first!). Make plenty so you can share with friends and family!

You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!

Are Soft Molasses Cookies the same as Gingersnaps?

The key ingredients to both cookies are similar; both call for exactly the same amount of molasses and are spiced with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. The big difference is in the texture.

Molasses Cookies are soft and chewy, whereas gingersnaps are crisper and, well, snappier in texture.

What kind of molasses should I use?

I generally use a lighter molasses in these cookies, but a dark, or “robust” molasses will enrich the flavor and color of the cookies. Steer clear of blackstrap molasses for this recipe; the flavor is very intense and may overpower your spices.

Can I make Soft Molasses Cookies without shortening?

Shortening, along with the molasses is what gives these cookies their soft and chewy texture. You can use half shortening and half butter if you like the flavor better.

If you’re concerned about hydrogenated oil and trans fats, check the label of the shortening container. Most are now made with vegetable oil.

Can Molasses Cookies be frozen?

Absolutely! In fact, some folks prefer to eat them straight out of the freezer. Me, I love them fresh out of the oven with a tall glass of milk, but they freeze beautifully and will keep for up to 1 month.

They’ll store on the counter nicely in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Share a plate of these divine cookies with friends and neighbors this holiday season. Happy baking!

More Holiday Cookie Recipes

One of the best things about the holidays is all the baking! There’s nothing better than grabbing an apron and whipping up something sweet and tasty in the kitchen, pulling out the same treasured recipes year after year. Check out a few of my favorite cookies:

• Soft Gingerbread Cookies 
• Soft Sugar Cookies
• Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
• Chocolate Spritz Cookies
• Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
• Best Sugar Cookie Recipe (Santa’s Favorite Cookies)
• Snowball Cookies
• Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies
• White Chocolate Molasses Cookies
• Brown Sugar Cow Chip Cookies

If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.

Recipe

Soft Molasses Cookies

4.85 from 20 votes

Author: Becky Hardin

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 10 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

Serves24 cookies

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Soft Molasses Cookies are a holiday staple around our house. These cookies are so chewy, with warm spices and a delicious molasses flavor. They're the perfect treat to fill your cookie jar!

Ingredients

• ▢ 1½ cups vegetable shortening 276 grams, melted (1½ sticks)
• ▢ 2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams, plus more for rolling
• ▢ ¼ cup unsulphured molasses 85 grams (SEE NOTE)
• ▢ 2 large eggs 100 grams, slightly beaten
• ▢ 4 cups all-purpose flour 480 grams
• ▢ 4 teaspoons baking soda 24 grams
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cloves 3 grams
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground ginger 3 grams
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6 grams

Recommended Equipment

• Kitchen Scale (optional)
• Baking Sheet
• Hand Mixer

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Using a hand mixer, beat the melted shortening, sugar, and molasses together in a large bowl for 3 minutes.
  1½ cups vegetable shortening, 2 cups granulated sugar, ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
• Add the eggs and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes
  2 large eggs
• Combine all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
  4 cups all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Add the dry ingredients to the shortening/sugar mixture and beat until thoroughly blended.
• Let the cookie dough stand for 5-10 minutes.
• Roll into balls, then roll the balls into additional sugar (optional – my family prefers these without the sugar on top).
• Place onto parchment-covered cookie sheets 3 inches apart and bake for 10-11 minutes, or until firm around the edges but not completely set.
• Place cookies on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!

Becky’s tips

• NOTE: I used light molasses in my cookies. A dark or “robust” molasses will enrich the flavor and color of the cookies. Steer clear of blackstrap molasses for this recipe; the flavor is very intense and may overpower your spices.
• You can use half shortening and half butter if you like the flavor better.
• Your eyes are not deceiving you; 4 teaspoons of baking soda is correct. This helps to cut the acidity of the molasses and prevents greasy, flat cookies. It also helps keep them soft and chewy!

Storage: Store soft molasses cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie Calories: 270kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 35g (12%) Protein: 3g (6%) Fat: 13g (20%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Monounsaturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 16mg (5%) Sodium: 288mg (13%) Potassium: 82mg (2%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 19g (21%) Vitamin A: 23IU Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) Calcium: 15mg (2%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!

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