These rich and soft molasses cookies are another must-have on your holiday cookie platter. They are packed with spices and flavor – just like grandma used to make!
This soft molasses cookie recipe is one that my grandmother would make every year, so for me there is a specific flavor of nostalgia packed within each bite. They are soft, flavorful and covered in white sugar (plus some red and green sprinkles if you’d like them to be extra festive).
Quick Tips
- Roll the dough into small balls (1 inch or so) – the cookies spread quite a bit
- Take the cookies out of the oven when you see ANY cracking on the top – if you wait too long they will not be soft!
- Be generous with the sugar that you toss them in before baking. Add colored sugar sprinkles for an extra festive touch!
- Use shortening over butter – this will help make the cookies thick and soft
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Cookie sheets
- Parchment paper (optional)
- Silicone spatula for scraping down bowls
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Ingredient Notes
- Butter-flavored shortening: butter can be 1:1 substituted here, but I recommend shortening since it yields softer cookies
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Molasses: full flavor molasses is recommended
- Eggs
- Cloves
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Colored sugar sprinkles: optional
How to make soft molasses cookies
These cookies are super easy to make! Baking them can be broken down into two easy steps.
- Make the soft molasses cookie dough
- Coat and bake the cookies
How to make the soft molasses cookie dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (use convection bake if your oven has it).
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the shortening and sugar for 1-2 minutes on high.
Add the molasses and egg. Mix until combined and scrape down the bowl once complete.
In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, salt).
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in 2-3 portions. Mix until combined and scrape down the bowl once complete.
How to coat and bake the cookies
In a separate bowl, add ½ cup of sugar and mix in colored sprinkles if desired.
Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls and toss them in the sugar mixture, completely covering the cookie.
Place cookie dough balls on a greased baking sheet (or one that is lined with parchment paper), leaving 1 inch on each side of the cookies to allow for spreading.
Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cookies have just dropped and show minor cracking on top. Be sure to remove them from the oven immediately when you see cracking so that the cookies are soft!
Allow the cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes before moving them on to a cooling rack.
Soft Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the shortening and sugar for 1-2 minutes.
- Add molasses and egg and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl with a silicone spatula.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, salt).
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in 2-3 portions, mixing after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, add ½ cup of sugar (mix in colored sprinkles if desired).
- Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls and toss in sugar mixture, completely covering the cookie.
- Place cookie dough balls on a greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper), leaving 1 inch on each side of the cookies.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cookies have just dropped and show minor cracking on top.
- Remove from oven and let cookies rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
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