Marie Saba

From My Kitchen To Yours

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies

These soft and chewy molasses cookies are an invitation to fall! With warm spices and a deep golden color, they make you want to cuddle up on the couch with a cup of tea. (I actually want to do that most of the time, but the cookie would definitely be extra motivation.)

There are several things I hoped to achieve when working on this recipe. First, I wanted plenty of molasses, for both flavor and texture. Second, I wanted a soft cookie with a chewy center. Third, I wanted a crackled top that would give a window into those chewy centers. After seven rounds of testing, I’m happy to say that these are everything I wanted in my soft and chewy molasses cookies, and hope they are everything you want in yours.

While the molasses flavor is prominent, it is balanced with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and a sprinkle of black pepper. The molasses is also carefully balanced with the sugar, creating a pleasantly but not cloyingly sweet snack. A bit of cornstarch gives the cookies structure without adding excess flour, and the vanilla rounds out the flavors. I can’t wait for you to try them!

Looking for some other cookies? Try our Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bakery-Style Snickerdoodles, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Cowboy Cookies, or Soft Peanut Butter Cookies.

Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies

Ingredients

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
10 Tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (110 g) dark brown sugar, packed
¼ cup (50 g) white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (170 g) unsulfured molasses
1 large egg

For Rolling:

½ cup white granulated sugar

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, cream butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. Add vanilla and molasses and beat again until fully mixed, about 1 minute, scraping sides and beaters again as needed. Add egg and beat to combine, scraping down sides and beaters again.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and beat just to combine. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes or overnight. (Chilling makes the dough easier to work with.)
Preheat oven to 350 F (176 F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour remaining ½ cup white granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Using a cookie scoop, scoop and then roll 1 ½ Tablespoons of dough into round balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake 13-15 minutes, until centers are set but still soft. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 10 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack and finish cooling.

Notes:

How to Store Cookies: Cool cookies completely. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days. Add a slice of sandwich bread to the container to keep the cookies soft.
For Thicker, Softer Cookies: Use 1/3 cup (113 g) molasses instead of ½ cup (170 g).

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