Description
These Seriously Soft Molasses Cookies are rich, chewy, and bursting with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Perfectly balanced with dark molasses and rolled in sugar for a delicate crackled finish, these cookies stay soft and tender, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; recommended Grandma’s brand)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated or coarse sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined. Set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the softened unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed. Continue beating until the mixture is creamy and well combined, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add Molasses, Egg, and Vanilla: Beat in the molasses until incorporated. Then add the large room-temperature egg and vanilla extract, beating for about 1 minute until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: On low speed, gradually mix the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. The resulting cookie dough will be slightly sticky.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2–3 days. If chilled longer than 2 hours, allow dough to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats for best results and set aside.
- Form and Roll Cookies: Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls. Then roll each ball in granulated or coarse sugar to coat evenly. Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 11–12 minutes, until the edges appear set. If the tops have not cracked as desired, carefully remove the baking sheet and gently bang it 2–3 times on the counter to encourage spreading and cracking. Return the cookies to the oven for an additional 1 minute.
- Cool Cookies: Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store Properly: Store the cooled cookies covered at room temperature to keep them fresh for up to one week.
Notes
- For best flavor, do not use blackstrap molasses; unsulphured or dark molasses such as Grandma’s brand is recommended.
- Letting the dough rest in the refrigerator helps develop flavor and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
- If the dough is too cold when baking, cookies may not spread properly; allowing dough to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes can help.
- Gently banging the baking sheet on the counter encourages the cookies to spread and crack for the signature look.
- Using parchment paper or silicone baking mats prevents sticking and promotes even baking.
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for proper creaming with sugars.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approx. 25g)
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
