This post was originally published in September 2020. It has been updated and republished since then with the best notes on how to make soft and chewy molasses cookies.
Autumn hasn’t officially begun until there’s a batch of warm, chewy molasses cookies fresh out of the oven. Here’s is my grandma’s recipe.
Forget everything you thought you knew about gingersnaps or the like. These are like the most incredible combination of snickerdoodles and gingerbread – a little sweet; a little spicy. They are so easy to make, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that every time I’ve shared these with others, they immediately want to eat the entire batch in one sitting.
This recipe is a family favorite. My mom made them when I was a little girl, my sister makes them for her family, and I make them for myself (and anyone else who wants to come over for coffee and cookies). When you bake them, your whole house will smell like the holidays, and it’s bound to put you in the best mood!
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I truly believe these molasses cookies are the absolute best autumn snack.
You could easily turn them into ice cream sandwiches, with butter pecan ice cream in the center. You can dip them in spiced mocha… or you can just eat them by the handful while you’re working (as I tend to do).
Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg beaten
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Blend wet ingredients using a hand or stand mixer (or spatula if a mixer is unavailable)
- Blend dry ingredients with a whisk
- Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients little by little while continuing to mix
- Mix well
- Chill in the refrigerator overnight (or 2 hours minimum) with plastic wrap over the bowl
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Form 1" balls of dough and roll in granulated sugar
- Place rolled and sugared cookies onto greased cookie sheet approximately 2" apart
- Bake for 8-10 minutes
- Let cool on parchment paper or cooling rack
- Enjoy!
I can honestly say that these are my favorite cookies in the world – and I’m not even the biggest cookie fanatic. There’s something truly special about them!
Will you be whipping up a batch of these mouth-watering molasses cookies sometime soon?
pin for later
Oh hello!! These sound SO good. I’m hoping to do some serious seasonal baking over the next few months so I’ll have to give these a go
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
They’re the best cookies in the world if I do say so myself. I hope you love them!
Oooo these look so good and I can actually eat them! They definitely give me fall vibes 🙂 Might have to do this during the weekend!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
That’s fantastic to hear! I know you have a decent amount of food allergies, so I really do hope you get a chance to make and try these and that you enjoy them!
These can’t be real – they look too yummy! But for real, I love a good chewy molasses cookie.
Haha! They really are incredible cookies – and I’m not even a fan of cookies. They’re truly THAT good!
oh my, this looks so delicious! A PERFECT autumn cookie recipe to whip up with a cup of coffee and cuddling under a blanket! I can’t wait to make these when we move to our new house 😀 Saving for later! Thanks for sharing 😉
YES! That sounds like the perfect way to enjoy these cookies. You’ll have to let me know what you think when you do get a chance to make them 🙂
I’ve never had these cookies before but they sound truly wonderful! They would go perfectly with a cup of coffee and a good book for sure!
Kileen
cute & little
Well, they’re not your typical chocolate chip cookie, that’s for sure. I’ve never known anyone outside of my own family to have tried them. But they’re amazing!
I love cookies! Need to try this one later <3 Looks delicious ~ Thank you for the great recipes xxx
I don’t even like cookies and yet these are literally my favorite in the world. They’re seriously that delicious!
Yum yum yum! These look AMAZING and sound perfect to make for this chilly day. Literally going to check my cupboard right now to see if I have molasses haha. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Yes! They’re definitely the kind of cookies you wanna make on a chilly, cozy autumn day!
I love to bake, especially during fall! This delicious recipe is the perfect kick-off to fall baking season.
Me too! I always feel the desire to bake more in the autumn season, and these really are MADE for fall!
I will bake them the next weekend 🙂
I hope you love them when you do bake them!
They look so good 😍
I love how simple and easy this looks too, definitely something I want to try out!
Anika | chaptersofmay.com
They’re really simple! And they’re so delicious that I have a hard time not making a new batch every week haha!
I don’t bake much…think if I did I would be in big trouble because I love sweets so much, lol! These sound so yummy and perfect for the season! xoxo, Sarah
Ah, see I love baking. I guess I got it from my mama. It’s such a relaxing way to unwind after a long week. I put on an audiobook or some jazz and just spend a few hours in the kitchen with the windows open, baking away! I love it!
These look so good- the perfect sweet treat for fall!
They’re really incredible cookies. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share them!
Oh my! Yours turned out so perfectly! I do love a good molasses cookie, but I’ve never tried to make my own. These seem easy and fun to make. I need to give the recipe a try – I’ve never even purchased molasses before!
I’ve never known anyone else to even try molasses cookies – outside of my family, of course. They’re such a unique style of cookie. Chewy, soft, and delicious – with a little spice!
Oo I need to try to make these cookies! They sound delicious and sounds like they would pair amazing with black coffee!
http://www.rdsobsessions.com
I hope you do try them! They’re so much fun to bake and so rewarding because of how incredibly delicious they are!
Oh my god, these look SO delicious! And not too complicated to bake, either! I’m so trying these this week! Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Eeeek! I hope you absolutely love them! They’re seriously the yummiest cookies on the planet!
My attempts at dieting are about to fail now because my mouth is watering for these – definitely will be making a batch!
Hahah that’s part of why I never diet. It’s way more enjoyable to live a life of freedom and being able to enjoy your hard work!
Soft molasses cookies are so good! Your recipe looks great. I’ll have to give it a try soon.
They’re really the best cookies in the world!
This looks so easy and fun to make! I’d love to give it a try!
They’re certainly not challenging. I do hope you get a chance to enjoy them for yourself 🙂
These sound like such a yummy treat! I need to try to whip up a batch!
They’re delicious! And they’re really simple to make too. Plus they’re delicious with coffee (or wine)!
These sound and look amazing. Ginger cookies but chewy, I’m totally on board!
I’ve never really known any ginger cookies aside from gingersnaps (too hard for my taste) or gingerbread… and these are definitely neither haha! They’re something totally special and unique!
I have never had this type of cookie, but they sound delish!
They’re certainly not popular in the US, and aside from my family, I’ve never met anyone who knows they exist. They’re the BEST though!
Oh my goodness. These cookies look amazing. I bet they are heavenly with a cup of coffee!
They taste even more amazing than they look if you can believe it 😉 And YES – they’re amazing with coffee.. or red wine!
Man, oh man, these look SO darn good and would go perfectly with a good cup of coffee! Might have to try these one of these Fall nights.
Oh I highly recommend you do! I think you’ll just love them!
They look so yummy, love how it looks and it probably tastes as good as it does. 😋
They taste even BETTER than they look – can you believe it? Seriously divine!
These look amazing! I remember as a kid my mom would buy some version from the grocery (meh), but homemade is ALWAYS better! I am definitely giving this recipe a go — they’ll be perfect with my afternoon cup of tea!
I’ve never known anyone to even try molasses cookies before… but it sounds like you still have yet to try homemade ones! You gotta fix that and whip up a batch of these soon. They’re spectacular!
it is like your read my mind! I just said this morning I wanted to bake some cookies this week! thank you for sharing this recipe right on time. will be whipping these up Thursday or Friday – cannot wait to try!
xo Laura Leigh
https://louellareese.com
Oh my goodness talk about perfect timing! If you give them a try, let me know what you think. I don’t even like cookies and these are my favorites EVER.
These sound SO delicious! It really is the perfect fall cookie. I prefer chewy cookies over hard ones too. I can’t wait to try these!
They really are just made for autumn. I can’t think of a better time to enjoy a chewy and soft molasses cookie!
Mmm, this sounds incredible! I’ve never had molasses cookies, but the look of it reminds me a lot of ginger snaps I used to eat when I was younger! I’ll have to try this soon on one of these cozy nights in!
Not many people have. But these are certainly not gingersnaps. They’re soft and chewy and moist and delicious! I hope you give them a try soon. They’re perfect with a cup of coffee!
These look amazing!! I’ve tried shoofly pie, but not molasses cookies!
I’ve never tried shoofly pie, and I’m not sure how they’re similar – but either way, you must try these cookies 🙂
Every year I get the molasses cookies at starbucks so I definitely need to try making them myself!
They sell molasses cookies at Starbucks???? I’ve never seen them there before. I wonder if it’s different in different states and/or countries!
Oh my gosh, these cookies look DELICIOUS! You always share the best recipes so I don’t doubt these won’t be delicious. I’ll be making these this weekend!
Rachel
http://www.hello-her.com
I’m so glad you told me to start sharing more recipes because it really inspired me to start posting all my favorites. These are definitely in that category!
OH MY GOSH, these look and sound so freaking good!!! I am adding them to the list to try and make this weekend!!!
You know I’m here for all kinds of baked goods, and these look like they are totally my style. I love the cozy, fall feeling of molasses and ginger. I have been using a lot of both of those ingredients lately, and it’s been making me so happy. These cookies would be so perfect for a holiday spread or cookie exchange. Yum!
Fall is the perfect season for baking cookies and then curling up with cookies & a glass of milk. 😊
These are absolutely delicious, will be trying these soon.
Sounds delicious! I’m craving some right now! This one’s a keeper!
Oh I love chewy cookies. They are good snacks for tea times. Thank you for sharing.
These cookies are a favourite of mine and I make them every Christmas! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
What great flavour combinations in these cookies! They are perfect for this time of year — thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Oh my gosh I LOVE cookies! I will have to try this recipe out as it looks absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for sharing it!
Wow, these are cookie-book worthy! The cracks on top are so perfect and scream chewy.
I love a good molasses cookie this time of year with tea and your recipe is one to have on hand for its ease of bake.
Thanks for sharing!
These look delicious! I wonder if they would still be as delicious with almond flour or another gluten free substitute. I can’t eat gluten, unfortunately, so that is something I have to keep in mind. Either way, the cookies look so yummy and the photos give off the coziest vibes! <3
xoxo,
Sydney
http://www.thelotuslist.blogspot.com
These sound incredible. I’ve got to have a go at making some of these.
These look soo good! However I have never been a massive fan of ginger or biscuits similar to ginger breads etc. But I know that people in my family love them and it is always a pleasure baking for them so this would be a great idea, especially during this time!
I can’t say that I’ve ever had a molasses cookie before… But these look AMAZING! Definitely need to add them to my holiday baking list.
Bookmarking this so I can try these! They look so good! 🙂
I have molasses that I need to use up so this recipe will be a great excuse! These sound so yummy I can’t wait to start baking! Thank you for sharing these Stephanie x
Looks so yummy! omg I need them now
These seem like a great cookie choice for the Autumn season! I can just imagine curling up with a warm cup of tea, one of these cookies, and a great book on a rainy day. Thanks for sharing!
xoxo,
Sydney
http://www.thelotuslist.com
Sprinkle these with a little colored sugar for festive giving! They’re the best!