Easy Molasses Cookies
User Reviews
5
Easy Molasses Cookies
Description
This recipe mixes classic warm spices—ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg—and baking soda into all-purpose flour to create a spiced base. The wet ingredients include softened butter, light brown sugar, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, creamed together to ensure smooth incorporation. The batter thickens upon adding dry ingredients, then is chilled thoroughly to improve texture and ease shaping.
After chilling, the dough is rolled into balls coated lightly in granulated sugar for a subtle crunch. Baked cookies develop a tender center with slightly crisp edges, balanced by deep molasses sweetness and spicy warmth. Their firm texture holds well on cooling, making them ideal for snacking or serving with milk or tea.
Molasses cookies store well at room temperature or refrigerated to preserve freshness. They also freeze well both as baked cookies or dough balls, allowing for convenience in baking. Reheating briefly in a warm oven can restore some crispness if preferred. These cookies suit holiday baking or everyday treats.
Ingredients
- 282 g all-purpose flour 2 and ¼ cups
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves ground
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-½ sticks (¾ cup) butter softened to room temperature, unsalted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup molasses Grandma's, unsulphured
- 1 egg at room temperature, large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
To Roll:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Set aside
- In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars together on high speed until fully incorporated, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and continue to beat until well incorporated. Add the molasses and vanilla and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until incorporated, occasionally pausing to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to integrate the mixture thoroughly.
- Transfer the cookie dough into a medium bowl, cover it tightly, and chill in the refrigerator overnight or for up to three days. If chilling for 3+ hours, make sure you let the cookie dough sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling into balls; the cookie dough will be very stiff after being in the fridge that long.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and prepare a shallow bowl of granulated sugar; set aside.
- When the dough is soft enough to handle, use a 1-inch cookie scoop to roll each ball in sugar and press down with your palm to flatten the ball, then space the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake until the cookies start to crinkle on top but are still soft in the middle, about 10–12 minutes. Rotate the sheets halfway through to ensure the cookies are baked evenly; let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve the freshly baked cookies immediately or store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate up to two weeks.
- Freeze baked cookies up to three months, layering with parchment paper in a freezer-safe container.
- Cookie dough balls can be frozen before baking; bake directly from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to baking time.
- To crisp softened cookies, warm briefly in a 350°F oven before serving.
- Molasses and spice blend provide characteristic rich sweetness and warmth, typical of this cookie style.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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