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    Home » Recipes » Cookies » Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies

    Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies

    Published: Oct 22, 2019 · Modified: Mar 10, 2023 by Jessica Robinson · This post may contain affiliate links

    2.9K shares
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    Molasses cookies with fork marks and dusted with sugar

    Molasses cookies are an old-fashioned holiday favorite and most popular Christmas cookie. The dough comes together easily with only a few basic ingredients and refrigerates for a few hours before scooping onto sheet pans.

    This molasses cookie recipe comes together in minutes and packed with rich flavors of molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.

    Homemade Molasses Cookies are soft and chewy and absolutely delicious.

    Molasses cookies lined up against each other on white marble.

    Old-fashioned molasses cookies are the perfect treat! My great grandmother’s original recipe was molasses cookies with shortening. Probably because it was during the Great Depression and there was a shortage on butter. I adapted her recipe and updated it back when I wrote my first cookbook in 2014.

    Just like this recipe from grandma, you’ll also love Cream Puffs, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Apple Hand Pies.

    How to make Molasses Cookies

    Step 1: Cream together brown sugar, molasses, and softened butter.

    Step 2: Add the egg and gently combine ingredients together. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula.

    Molasses cookie dough in a mixing bowl on butcher block

    Step 3: Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, and vinegar. Mixing to combine ingredients. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl again.

    Step 4: Transfer the dough to a plastic zip-style bag; refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

    Step 5: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several half sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.

    Scooped molasses cookie dough on sheet pan with white parchment paper.

    Step 6: Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and use scoop the cookies into rounds. Flatten Rounds with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle each cookie with sugar and use a fork to make cross marks.

    Pressed down molasses cookie dough on sheet pan with white parchment paper.

    Step 7: Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before removing from the sheet pan.

    Remember that every oven is different. It’s a great idea to use an oven thermometer to accurately monitor the oven temperature. Also, rotate your baking pans half way through the baking process. I carefully rotate each pan completely, and switch the bottom and top pans. This helps the cookies evenly bake.

    Unbaked molasses cookies with fork marks on sheet pan with parchment paper.

    Recipe FAQs

    What is the beset type of molasses for cookies?

    Blackstrap tends to be too strong. The best molasses for baking is light, unsulfured molasses. This is the sweetest and has a mild, but sweet flavor.

    Jar of Grandma's molasses on butcher block.

    Homemade Molasses Cookies are super simple to make and are perfect for the holidays! These Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies are just like grandma’s! If you love this recipe, try Homemade Apple Pie, Caramel Apples, and Apple Crisp.

    Did you make one of my recipes? Please take a moment to leave a star rating. Also, if you are on Pinterest, please feel free to leave a comment there! Follow A Farmgirl’s Kitchen on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST and YouTube and subscribe my mailing list for ALL the latest recipes!

    5 from 2 votes
    Molasses cookies lined up against each other on white marble.
    Print Rate this Recipe

    Molasses Cookies

    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time22 minutes mins
    Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies are the BEST molasses cookies ever!
    Course: Desserts
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Calories: 266.6kcal
    Author: Jessica Robinson

    Ingredients

    Molasses Cookies

    • 1 cup packed brown sugar
    • 1 cup molasses
    • 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter (softened)
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup granulated sugar (for coating cookies)

    Instructions

    Molasses Cookies

    • In a large mixing bowl, cream together brown sugar, molasses, and softened butter.
    • Add the egg and gently combine ingredients together. Occasionally scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
    • Add the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, and vinegar. Mixing to combine ingredients. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl again.
    • Transfer the dough to a plastic zip-style bag; refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several half sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
    • Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and use scoop the cookies into rounds. Flatten Rounds with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle each cookie with sugar and use a fork to make cross marks.
    • Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 14-16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before removing from the sheet pan.

    Recipe Notes

    Cookie scoops make it super easy to make the cookies uniform. 
    For everyday consumption, I would suggest the #16 cookie scoop. Either way, this is a really nice cookie scoop and is dishwasher safe!
    Remember to rotate your baking pans about half way through baking. Rotate the pans 180 degrees and if baking two pans at a time also rotate them from top to bottom rack, and vis versa. 
    Because everyone’s ovens are slightly different, it’s a good idea to have an oven thermometer. Use this to monitor the temperature of the oven. Baking times can vary.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 266.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.85g | Protein: 2.86g | Fat: 10.1g | Saturated Fat: 6.21g | Cholesterol: 34.21mg | Sodium: 284.33mg | Potassium: 251.14mg | Fiber: 0.75g | Sugar: 23.66g | Vitamin A: 308.21IU | Calcium: 45.32mg | Iron: 1.9mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @AFarmgirlsKitchen or tag #afarmgirlskitchen!

    Disclosure: As an Affiliate Marketer, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click a product affiliate link on A Farmgirl’s Kitchen and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you!  I own every cooking product I recommend and love how they perform.

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    Comments

    1. Jenn says

      October 02, 2023 at 3:22 pm

      Is the serving size one cookie only? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        October 04, 2023 at 9:53 am

        These are a rather large cookie. The calories are done by the recipe card plugin and not always 100% accurate. But everything in moderation.

        Reply
    2. Louise Baker says

      March 09, 2023 at 12:04 pm

      I forgot the ACV… OH NO! What’s the purpose of the Apple cider vinegar? Will they still turn out?
      Help!!!

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        March 10, 2023 at 2:24 pm

        Apple cider vinegar is a key component to help the leavening agent work and helps keep the cookies moist.

        Reply
    3. Laura says

      April 17, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      These are my all time favorite Christmas cookie. And I love them with a strong cup of coffee. Yum

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        April 17, 2020 at 9:50 pm

        My mom made them all the time! Loved them!

        Reply
    4. Lisa Hatfield says

      April 16, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Love how old fashioned and chewy this recipe is thank you for sharing your recipe Jessica!

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        April 16, 2020 at 4:45 pm

        Thanks so much Lisa!

        Reply

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    Jessica Robinson from A Farmgirl's Kitchen

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    I am a home cook who creates wholesome family meals, homemade pies, baked goods and preserves foods using easy to find ingredients. All of my recipes use simple and readily available ingredients.

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