Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies

Tested & Perfected Recipes Cookbook Recipe

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Soft and chewy with a crackled sugar crust, these gingery molasses cookies are loved by kids and adults alike.

Molasses cookies in a jar and on a board.

Every year, my daughter and I bake these gingery molasses cookies for her holiday cookie bake sale and every year, they sell like hotcakes. Soft and chewy with a crackled sugar crust, they have just the right balance of spices to please kids and adults alike. You’ll note that the recipe calls for black pepper. I promise, no one will know it’s there, but it adds a delightful little kick that lingers on the palate. Allow a few hours for the dough to chill in the fridge before baking.

If you love the rich flavor that molasses adds to baked goods, you’ll definitely want to try my crispy ginger cookies, comforting gingerbread, gingerbread cookies (a fun project to do with the kids), or pumpkin scones—all brimming with the cozy flavors of fall and winter.

“So delicious that my husband (who doesn’t normally have a sweet tooth) has to reach for second helping 😃. Definitely a keeper.”

May Fung

What You’ll Need To Make Molasses Cookies

ingredients for molasses cookies
  • All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the cookies, giving them structure. To ensure accuracy, measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
  • Baking Soda: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the cookies rise and develop their crackled tops.
  • Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the warm, spiced flavors.
  • Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves, Black Pepper: This mix of spices gives the cookies a rich, warm, and slightly peppery flavor that complements the molasses and enhances the classic taste.
  • Butter: Adds richness and creates a soft, chewy texture.
  • Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: Sweeten the dough while helping with moisture retention, keeping the cookies soft.
  • Egg: Binds the dough together and contributes to the chewy texture.
  • Unsulphured Molasses: A key ingredient in the cookies, providing the signature deep, robust flavor and dark color. I use Grandma’s Original unsulphured molasses but any brand will work. Just make sure not to purchase blackstrap molasses; it’s quite bitter and would have a significant impact on the flavor of the cookies.
  • Raw Sugar (for rolling): Creates the characteristic crackled, sugary crust on the outside of each cookie.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-By-Step Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and black pepper.

dry ingredients in bowl

Whisk to combine.

whisked dry ingredients

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), combine the butter and the granulated and light brown sugars.

butter and sugar in mixing bowl

Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

beaten butter and sugars

Add the egg and molasses.

adding the egg and molasses

Beat to combine.

molasses and egg beaten into batter

Add the flour mixture.

adding the dry ingredients to the batter

Mix on low speed until combined.

molasses cookie batter

Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, a few hours. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and set two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two 13 x 18 in baking sheets with parchment paper. Form heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the raw sugar to coat generously. Arrange the dough balls about 2½ in apart on the prepared baking sheets.

rolling molasses cookie dough balls in sugar

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until puffed and set. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

molasses cookies cooling on rack

Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions

The cookies will last nicely, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days. The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze after baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Molasses cookies in a jar and on a board.

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Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies

Soft and chewy with a crackled sugar crust, these gingery molasses cookies are loved by kids and adults alike.

Servings: About 3 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus a few hours to chill

Ingredients

  • 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses, such as Grandma's Original
  • ½ cup raw sugar (also called turbinado or demerara sugar), for rolling cookies

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and black pepper.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), beat the butter and the granulated and light brown sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and molasses. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, a few hours.
  3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and set two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two 13 x 18 in baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Form heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the raw sugar to coat generously. Arrange the dough balls about 2½ in apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until puffed and set. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  5. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze after baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 103
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 16 g
  • Sugar: 9 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Sodium: 74 mg
  • Cholesterol: 15 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • I made this last weekend and they were delicious! It really put me in the mood for Christmas.

  • I love gingersnap cookies! These are really good as written, but I love to add chopped, crystallized ginger to the dough. It adds a new layer of flavor. I probably added 1/2 cup…maybe a little bit more. Can’t keep my hand out of the cookie jar:-)

    Thanks Jenn for providing us with so many good recipes over the last year. The best to you and your family at this special time of year!

    Linda

  • Great recipe! I don’t bake frequently (though I am an experienced home cook) but when I do, I always know that Jenn’s recipes are the ones that I want to use. They are straightforward and turn out the way they are supposed to after following instructions. These ginger cookies were no exception. I made the dough the night before (when I had some time) and chilled it overnight, covered with some plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. I was worried that the dough would be too tough, but it softened up as it warmed up. I did find that I needed more than 10 minutes in my oven, but I think that was because I didn’t know what kind of texture I was looking for. They were certainly puffed up but also very very soft, and I was just worried that they would be undercooked. I ended up cooking them for 14 minutes per sheet (I couldn’t fit more than 1 sheet at a time). They did deflate once cooled and were indeed crunchy and chewy. I like the flavour a lot – full of warm spices but not too strong. One batch made 37 cookies for me. I would make these again!

    • Oh I wanted to add that they were also not too sweet, which I liked!

  • I made THREE (yes, three) batches of these this weekend. They are absolutely delicious and have the perfect spice balance. They are soft and chewy, sweet and spicy. LOVE them. My friend thought I bought them at a bakery, and my husband who doesn’t usually like ginger snaps is a fan.

  • Hi Jenn, Just stumbled upon your website when looking for a Brussels sprout recipe and then found the cookies… 🙂 Regarding these ginger cookies and others, any suggestions for a high altitude and a very dry climate? Very excited to try many of your dishes! Thanks!

    • Hi Meredith, glad you’ve happened upon the blog! Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience baking at high altitude, but maybe these tips will help. Hope you enjoy the cookies if you try them!

    • Hi Jenn, can I use dark brown sugar instead of light?
      Thanks

      • Sure – enjoy!

  • Do you think it would be okay to substitute brown sugar for the turbinado? Thanks!

    • You could, Karen – the cookies just won’t be quite as crisp on the exterior.

  • Love these cookies! They are truly addictive! Even my husband, who is particular about his Ginger Cookies, loves these! I can’t wait to make them for my college son who LOVES ginger.

  • Can you substitute fresh ginger?

  • Have been looking for a nice, chewy ginger cookie and these are great. Love everything on your website. Can’t wait for your cookbook to come out

  • I’m planning on making these today. Made your snicker doodles yesterday and my husband loved them. I plan on making some of your other cookies from your 14 holiday cookie list. Can they be frozen successfully since Christmas is still 2 weeks away?

    • Hi Dee Dee, Yes these should freeze well. Enjoy!

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