Old-Fashion Soft Molasses Cookies
These old fashion soft molasses cookies bring childhood holiday memories to the Christmas season. Probably one of the most loved kids’ favorite cookies too. Soft, rich, and buttery cookies made with the wonderful flavor of molasses and warm spices like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. A simple recipe that gets mixed in 7 minutes and baked in 20 which means you have wonderful holiday cookies in less than 30 minutes.
People won’t remember what you said but they will always remember how you make them feel. Right? This recipe is everythign you need to get into the holiday spirit. Is just in my home or is molasses only ever used during the holidays. Well, I grew up with molasses being the star of the Christmas cookies. Mom made tons of gingerbread and molasses cookies and treats and she only made them during the holidays. I do make gingerbread cookies during the year but these molasses cookies… only when the holidays start.
I made the first batch of these on Halloween when Aadi had his friends over to watch a movie. The kids enjoyed these cookies with milk and since then I’ve made these twice more. One batch makes a good 24 cookies but… they do get over is less than 24 hours.
Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes(Save/Pin)
- All-purpose flour – yes, plain flour works great for this recipe. The amount of flour in the recipe will contribute towards how dense the cookies will so make sure to measure the ingredients correctly.
- Egg – Always use large size eggs when baking unless specified. The size of eggs varies significantly these days so as a guide on large eggs weighs between 50 to 60 grams
- Vanilla – A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. Premium vanilla can be expensive which is why I make my own homemade vanilla extract, bean paste or sugar.
- Brown sugar – The molasses in the brown sugar contributes to the soft texture. You can add dark brown sugar as well but the cookies get deeper in color as well. I like a nice light brown cookie.
- White Sugar – the white sugar add a bit of crisp coating to the outside of the cookies which enhances the flavor and texture of the cookies.
Useful Tips and Tools
- I’m not a slave to mixers. And yet, when you need some good creaming I have to insist that you use the K-Mix or Kitchen Aid.
- A good baking tray is always important. So, try using a light colored baking tray. Another option is to line the baking tray with parchment paper.
- If you aren’t going to fill or decorate these cookies a regular rolling pin will work just fine. And yet, a cookie rolling pin has the side spacers that will also help you with rolling. So all your cookies are leveled and bake evenly.
- Also, it is really important to cool cookies completely on all sides as soon as they come out of the oven. So take them off the baking tray to prevent them cooking further and place them on a cooking rack so they air circulates on all sides. This prevents steam from going back into the cookie thus keeping them crispy not soggy.
- Always bake cookies on the center rack of your oven. And if you have more than one tray simply bake them one at a time. You can bake two trays at the same time, and yet this can lead to some of the cookies in the bottom tray spreading too much. Also, you can rotate the trays during the baking. This is helpful with some cookies.
- Most cookies usually bake between 10 to 12 minutes. Since cookies bake quickly they can also get over-baked. This is due to our tendency to get distracted at the last minute. Hence, my solution is a kitchen timer that is always set to 10 minutes. I turn it on as soon as I place the cookies in the oven. This has saved me many cookies since my kids always keep me busy.
How to Make Old-Fashion Soft Molasses Cookies (Save/Pin)
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 356 °F.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt – set aside
- Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy
- Add molasses – cream for another minute
- Followed by the egg and vanilla
- Finally, add the flour and combine well making sure to scrape the bowl in between.
- Using a cookie scooper or two dessert spoons, scoop the batter into small mounds over a baking tray making sure to leave space between the cookies.
- Place in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes.
- Cool completely on a cooling rack before you store in a cookie jar.
Frequently asked questions
These lemon cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. You can freeze the dough for up to a month or freeze the cookies for up to three months.
These will spread a bit but should not spread too much.
Too much butter or sugar in the recipe can lead to cookies spreading.
Too much baking powder or baking soda can also make cookies spread too much.
Also, chill the cookie dough before rolling the cookies.
Place cookies on a cold, not hot baking pan.
And make sure the oven is at the right temperature.
It is always a good practice to refrigerate cookies while the oven is preheating. Having said that these can be baked right way without any chilling necessary.
Always make sure the oven is preheated well before adding the cookies. A cold oven will result in over-spread cookies. If you live in a warm place it’s best to chill the cookies on the tray before baking this will prevent them from spreading too much.
These lemon cookies have a good shelf life as a dough as well as cookies.
The dough, if wrapped well, can usually stay in the fridge for 5 to 6 days before rolling and baking.
And you can even cover the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined tray, wrapped well with cling wrap, for about 3 to 4 days.
In addition, sugar cookies dough can be frozen for a month or more if covered well.
Hence, it’s a great dough to have on hand in the freezer during the busy festive season.
I have not made these eggless yet. But a few visitors have said they had beautiful eggless molasses cookies by just substituting 2 tbsp yogurt for the egg. If you try please do come back and give me some feedback.
Yes, you can add 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts such as pecan, walnuts, and others.
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Old-Fashion Soft Molasses Cookies
Print Pin RateDescription
Ingredients
- 170 grams (0.75 cups) Unsalted Butter
- 110 grams (0.5 cups) Light Brown Sugar
- 50 grams (0.25 cups) White Sugar
- 90 ml (0.27 cups) Molasses
- 1 (1 ) Large Egg
- 250 grams (2 cups) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) Salt
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) ground allspice.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 356 °F.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt – and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add molasses – cream for another minute.
- Followed by the egg and vanilla.
- Finally, add the flour and combine well making sure to scrape the bowl in between.
- Using a cookie scooper or two dessert spoons, scoop the batter into small mounds over a baking tray making sure to leave space between the cookies.
- Place in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes.
- Cool completely on a cooling rack before you store in a cookie jar.
Recipe Video
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Matt
Soft cookies are the only kind I like. Excited to try these for the holiday season!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Matt. I think you will enjoy these.
Andrea Metlika
These look perfect. I haven’t had a Molasses cookie in a very long time.. Definitely going to use this recipe.
Veena Azmanov
You must make these soon Andrea.
Lucy Parissi
Less than 30 minutes to make and bake is impressive and they sound amazing.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Lucy
Emma
I’ve never cooked with molasses before – these sound delicious!!!
Veena Azmanov
Oh, you will love it. The flavor is so wonderful.
Sherri
My girls would definitely have fun baking a batch of these…and eating them too! So perfect for this time of year! 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Sherri. Yes, perfect this time of the year.
Catherine Brown
These look like they’s be perfect with a cup of tea!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Catherine.
Pam Greer
I’m so ready for Christmas and all things molasses! I’ve been looking for a good molasses cookie recipe and this one sounds fabulous!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Pam. Yes, me too -all excited about Christmas.
Shanika
Yum! These Molasses Cookies look and sound delicious!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Shanika.
Emily
Yum. This would make a great addition to my holiday cookie platter. Will definitely pin this for later.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Emily.