Soft Molasses Cookies Recipe - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

Last updated on January 26, 2024

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These soft Molasses Cookies are inspired by Grandma’s! They’re soft, chewy and so easy to make! The perfect Christmas cookies for your freezer stash.

If you love simply spiced cookies, you’ll love these Chai Cookies Recipe and The Best Snickerdoodle Recipe too!

These soft and chewy Molasses Cookies will always remind me of my Grandma — she always had an impressive cookie stash in her freezer for when we would stop by! Around Christmas, I always have to make a batch.

I love the crisp coating that the sugar gives them as they bake!

Molasses isn’t something I use a lot of throughout the year, but around Christmas time I always need a carton to whip up my favorite holiday treats!

It has kind of a distinct flavor, and honestly not one that I usually find enticing. But these cookies are one of my favorites this time of year so I can’t resist (one I also love in this Slow Cooker Gingerbread Pudding Cake!). They are the perfect combination of warmth and spice and sweetness.

They would be perfect on a Dessert Charcuterie Board too!

If you want to take things up a notch and go beyond plain old Molasses Cookies, try these White Chocolate Gingersnap Oreos or these White Chocolate Truffle Stuffed Gingersnaps.

Some of our other favorite holiday cookies are these Christmas Sugar Cookies, Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies and Grandma’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies.

Ingredients Needed:

• Butter: I use unsalted butter in most of my baking recipes but you can also use salted butter and they will turn out fine, since there is not any salt added.
• Brown Sugar: brown sugar has a rich, dark flavor that works perfectly with the molasses.
• Egg: holds everything together. I haven’t tried these cookies with an egg substitute.
• Molasses: gives us that classic rich flavor
• Flour: I use all purpose flour but whole wheat flour works great as well.
• Ginger and Cinnamon: warm spices that complement the rich molasses perfectly.
• Baking Soda: makes these cookies rise just enough so that they are thick and chewy.
• Sugar: for rolling! This gives the cookies a bit of extra sweetness and a crisp crunch on the outside.

How to make Ginger Molasses Cookies:

See the detailed recipe down in the recipe card!

1. Cream the butter and sugar and then add the remaining wet ingredients
2. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. For thick cookies I like to refrigerate until the dough is firm, or at least workable.
3. Roll into balls and coat in granulated sugar.
4. Bake, but don’t overbake! The key to nice soft cookies is to take them out of the oven when they are just a bit glossy in the centre.

What’s the difference between these Molasses Cookies and Gingersnap Cookies?

These are softer and chewier than a traditional gingersnap cookie, but with many of the same flavors. They are still sweet and have mild spice, and that rich, sweet molasses flavor.

I am not a fan of crunchy cookies, so I prefer these soft Molasses Cookies over crispy gingersnaps any day!

How do you store Molasses Cookies?

These cookies keep beautifully, but it should be noted that the strong flavors in this cookie will transfer to other foods, so they should always be kept sealed in a separate container — don’t place them in the same bag or container as other cookies to store.

On the counter:

These Molasses Cookies can be store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They will be best the first 3 or 4 days, so I recommend moving them to the freezer if you’re not planning to eat them all in that time.

To freeze Molasses Cookies:

These cookies freeze perfectly. Simply place in a large freezer bag or freezer-safe container (you can place wax paper or parchment paper between the layers if you like but it’s not necessary), and freeze up to 3 months.

This is perfect for holiday gift-giving as you can make them quite a ways in advance!

What to do with your leftover Molasses?

Molasses is used in lots of great traditional fall and Christmas recipes. Here are some of my favorite ways to use up leftover Molasses:

• Slow Cooker Gingerbread Pudding Cake
• White Chocolate Gingerbread Poke Cake

Looking for more Christmas Cookie recipes? Here are some of my favorites!

• No-Bake Christmas Tree Cookies
• Fudgy Mint Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
• Grandma’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies