Easy Soft Molasses Cookies- The perfect Christmas Cookie! (2024)

These chewy, Soft Molasses Cookies are the perfect Christmas cookie. They’re slightly crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and rolled in sugar for a sweet finish.

Easy Soft Molasses Cookies- The perfect Christmas Cookie! (1)

Easy Molasses Cookies for Christmas

Christmas cookie season is the best! I just love packaging a bunch of different kinds up all cute and sending them to family and friends. I mean, is there anything better than getting a box of homemade cookies in the mail? I think not.

These cookies resemble my favorite snickerdoodle cookies, which gets the best reviews. See all those cracks and crevasses? That’s how you know it’s going to be good. Plus the edges have just the right amount of crispiness while the centers stay nice and soft.

Need more easy Christmas cookie ideas? My favorites include easy, no-chill sugar cookies, Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies, and Seven Layer Bars.

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What is the Difference Between Molasses Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies?

Both are spiced cookies often served around the holidays, but they are slightly different. Mainly, in the texture. You’ll find most Gingerbread Cookies are also used as cutout cookies and decorated with icing. Molasses cookies are usually intended to be soft while gingerbread cookies have a bit more crunch. Additionally, gingerbread cookies contain slightly more ginger than molasses cookies do.

What’s in a Molasses Cookie?

  • Butter
  • Sugar – we’re using both granulated sugar and light brown sugar. The brown sugar compliments the molasses flavor and keeps the cookies extra chewy.
  • Molasses – I use Grandma’s brand.
  • Egg
  • Pure Vanilla Extract
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Salt
  • Baking Soda
  • Cream of Tartar – cream of tartar is the secret to soft and chewy cookies.
  • Spices – we’re spicing the cookie dough up a bit with a mix of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.

What Type of Molasses is Used for Cookies?

That depends on what you want. Light molasses will have a more subtle molasses flavor. Dark molasses is going to be slightly more intense. Either will work. I use Grandma’s brand as it’s the most readily available.

How to Make Soft Molasses Cookies

  1. Combine the wet ingredients: In your stand mixer, combine butter and sugars until creamed together. Add in the molasses, eggs, and vanilla, then beat until combined.
  2. Add the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients, then mix until a dough starts to form.
  3. Portion and chill: Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough out into balls. Roll each ball in a bowl of sugar, then place them on a lined baking sheet. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 45 minutes.
  4. Bake: Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes, then cool and serve.
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Why Are My Molasses Cookies Not Cracking?

There may be a couple of reasons. Here are a couple tips to make sure you get that perfectly crackly cookie top:

  1. Use fresh baking soda. The baking soda causes the cookies to rise in the oven, then deflate slightly as they cool. This is what causes the cracks to form. If the baking soda is too old, it won’t serve that purpose.
  2. Don’t over-mix the dough. Over-mixing the dough overworks the gluten which results in a tougher texture. The cookies need to be soft to crack!
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Cookies Tips

  • Scoop before chilling. If you chill the dough before scooping it, it will be way too firm and difficult to portion out. The sugar will also stick more easily before chilling.
  • Chill the dough! This is essential, otherwise, the cookies will spread too much and you won’t get the rise you are looking for.
  • If you chill the dough longer than 2 hours, set it out on the counter for 20 minutes before baking. We don’t want it to be too cold.
  • You’ll know the cookies are done when the centers are slightly under-baked, but the edges are nice and crispy.
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How to Store

These molasses cookies will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

The cookies (or cookie dough) can also be frozen!

To freeze the dough, roll into balls, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container, then freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw prior to baking.

To freeze the cookies, cool them completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw or microwave to enjoy again.

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Easy Soft Molasses Cookies- The perfect Christmas Cookie! (8)

Soft Molasses Cookie Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Chill Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 11 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 41 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cookies
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Molasses Cookies are the perfect Christmas cookies! They are slightly crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle with a kick of ginger flavor and rolled in sugar for a sweet finish.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (95g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (59ml) molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cup (245g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoons cream of tartar
  • Additional ½ cup granulated sugar to roll the cookies in

Instructions

  1. In yourstand mixer, combine the butter with the granulated and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until well creamed together.
  2. Add the molasses, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix into the butter and sugar until the eggs are well beaten.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredient. Slowly add into batter and beat on medium low speed until well combined and dough starts to form.
  4. Place the remaining ½ cup sugar in a separate bowl. Use a large cookie scoop and scoop cookie dough into sugar, roll around to coat the cookie. Place the cookies on asilicone lined baking sheet. Refrigerate dough for a minimum of 45 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 350° F. If your cookies have been refrigerated longer than 2 hours, allow them to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before baking. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet.
  6. Bake at 350° F for 10-12 minutes. Allow cookie to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Storage: Keep stored in an airtight container.

Freezing instructions:Cookie dough can be frozen and thawed prior to bake. Baked cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 229
  • Sugar: 22g
  • Sodium: 162mg
  • Fat: 8g
  • Carbohydrates: 36g
  • Fiber: .6g
  • Protein: 2.5g
  • Cholesterol: 35mg

Filed Under:

  • Christmas
  • Christmas Cookies
  • Cookies
  • Holidays
  • Recipes with Videos
Easy Soft Molasses Cookies- The perfect Christmas Cookie! (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making soft and chewy cookies? ›

Double Your Yolks Most cookie recipes call for at least one egg. You can try omitting the white of each egg, which tends to dry out when baked, and replacing it with an additional yolk. Plus, egg yolks have more fat than egg whites, which helps to keep your cookies moist and chewy.

Why do my molasses cookies get hard? ›

Bake soft molasses cookies on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. It's very important to not over bake the cookies or they will be hard and dry instead of soft and chewy. To check for doneness, open oven and gently push the side of a cookie with your finger or utensil.

Why won't my molasses cookies crack? ›

Why don't my molasses cookies crack? Molasses cookie dough won't have those signature cracks on top if the dough is too wet.

Why not use blackstrap molasses in cookies? ›

Using Molasses in Baking

It's dark, dense, and comparatively dry, thanks to the lower moisture content of blackstrap. It's also bitter and salty, so there's nothing to temper the heat of the ginger, making it all but inedible.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

Cornstarch Is The Secret To Soft And Chewy Cookies.

What makes a cookie more soft? ›

For soft cookies, use: Brown sugar, as it has a high moisture content and retains moisture better than white sugar. Also, when combined with eggs, brown sugar can prevent spreading (taller cookies tend to be softer and fluffier). Shortening instead of butter or in addition to butter.

What happens if you add too much molasses to cookies? ›

Doubling up on molasses softened the cookies significantly.

Molasses is also extremely dark in color, so this batch of cookies turned out to be a deep brown.

How do you soften molasses cookies? ›

The best way to soften up those hard cookies is something you probably already have in your kitchen… bread! That's right, a piece of fresh bread will make those tough treats soft and chewy.

How to tell when molasses cookies are done? ›

Easy to Notice Signs:
  1. Golden Brown Edges – Check the edges of the cookies for a golden brown colour. This indicates that the cookies have caramelized and are likely done. ...
  2. Set Centres – Gently touch the centre of a cookie. ...
  3. Light Cracking – Look for light cracks on the surface of the cookies.
Oct 18, 2023

Why did my molasses cookies come out flat? ›

OVEN IS TOO HOT

Oven temperatures are a crucial factor in baking. If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

How do you keep molasses cookies from spreading? ›

Chill the cookie dough.

Chilling cookie dough helps prevent spreading. The colder the dough, the less the cookies will over-spread into greasy puddles. You'll have thicker, sturdier, and more solid cookies. Whenever I make cookies, I plan ahead and chill the cookie dough overnight.

Why can t you use blackstrap molasses in gingerbread cookies? ›

Answer: You wouldn't use blackstrap molasses in recipes for gingerbread because the taste is too intense. It would overwhelm the other flavors. There is no difference between sugar cane grown in mid Missouri and sugar cane grown in southern Mississippi.

Which is better, sulphured or unsulphured molasses? ›

If green, unripe sugarcane is used, it is treated with sulfur dioxide first to preserve it. It can leave a chemical taste in the mouth, so we recommend looking for unsulfured molasses whenever possible.

Is grandma's unsulphured molasses the same as blackstrap? ›

Unsulphured molasses can be light, dark or blackstrap, as long as it hasn't been treated with sulphur dioxide. Most commercially produced molasses is unsulphured.

Why is there a warning on blackstrap molasses? ›

Blackstrap molasses has a lead warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because the processing of molasses infrequently involves using a direct flame with coals that may contain a high amount of the caustic substance potash. The soil in which the sugar cane grows may also contain lead.

What keeps cookies soft and chewy? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

How do you make cookies soft and chewy vs hard and crisp? ›

Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.

What are three factors that contribute to a chewy cookie? ›

Salted butter, softened – I prefer salted butter but you can also use unsalted and add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Brown sugar – Just brown sugar because we will get the 'granulated sugar' flavor from the corn syrup. Corn syrup – The corn syrup is what makes these cookies CHEWY FOR DAYS.

What is the trick to soften hard cookies? ›

Another way to soften cookies is by placing the cookies in an airtight container with a damp paper towel. The paper towel will release moisture and help to soften the cookies without making them too soft or mushy. Another way is to place the cookies in a plastic bag with a slice of apple or a damp tea towel.

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