Skip to Content
Menu

Soft Molasses Cookies

  • Save Recipe
  • Jump to Recipe
By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Nov 20, 2023
24 days of cookies Betty Crocker x Hallmark channel

Bake, watch, and be merry! 

Every day from now until December 24th, we're revealing a new holiday cookie recipe and Hallmark movie pairing. Don't miss a moment of the magic!
See All Pairings
  • Save
  • Pin
  • Print
  • Share
  • Jump to Recipe
Mmm…molasses. These perfect, pillowy soft molasses cookies might even be better than the ones Grandma used to make. (But don’t worry, we won’t tell!) Betty has taken that classic spiced cookie recipe—with ginger, cinnamon and cloves—and positively perfected it to make the best ginger molasses cookies you’ve ever tasted. They’re baked with a soft, chewy center and a slightly crispy crunch on the outside, then dipped in sugar to give them a sweet finish. Whip up a batch during the holidays or whenever you’re craving cozy spiced cookies.

What are molasses cookies?

A true classic, molasses cookies have been around since the late 1800s. At the time, molasses was widely used in cookies because it was much less expensive than white sugar. After WWI, the price of white sugar fell and cookies and other baked goods were once again more commonly made with refined sugar. Today, molasses cookies are loved for their sweet and lightly spiced flavor with notes of ginger, cinnamon and cloves. This nostalgic sweet is popular around the holidays, but is absolutely delightful in any season.

How do you make molasses cookies?

The secret to the utterly irresistible chewy texture desired from a traditional molasses cookie is shortening. While many cookie recipes call for butter, shortening lends a lighter texture to your finished treat. For this simple recipe, combine shortening with brown sugar, molasses and eggs, then add the dry ingredients like flour, baking soda and that quintessential blend of spices. Dipping your dough in granulated sugar before baking gives your cookies that sparkly, crackly top everyone loves. And while your cookies are baking, your house will smell absolutely amazing. Is your mouth watering yet?

More About This Recipe

  • The classics are classics for a reason–and this tasty, traditional treat proves that tenfold. With a spicy, sweet flavor that reminds you of happy holidays and time spent in the kitchen with loved ones, these soft molasses cookies are a little bite of nostalgia. Make a batch today to enjoy and share!

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of molasses do you use for molasses cookies?

There are several kinds of molasses on the grocery store shelf, but which one is best for molasses cookies? Choices include light, cooking, unsulphured and blackstrap. Each style is a by-product of the sugar making process and they lend different flavors to baked goods. If you’d like a cookie with a lighter, sweeter flavor, cooking molasses is a good choice. Go with blackstrap molasses for a more robust flavor. If you’re not sure, unsulphured molasses is a great all-purpose choice.

Can I freeze molasses cookies?

This hearty cookie can stand up to a lot–freezing included. To save some of your molasses cookies for later, simply place cooled cookies in a plastic storage bag or airtight container and pop them in the freezer. Then when the cookie craving strikes, just defrost and enjoy.

Can I use butter instead of shortening in my molasses cookies?

While both would technically work, there are reasons for using shortening versus butter when mixing certain types of cookie dough. Shortening has a higher melting point, so cookies will hold their shape longer in the oven before the fat melts in the dough (and shortening doesn’t release any steam like butter) resulting in moist, chewy cookies–the ideal texture for soft molasses cookies. Butter melts more quickly and releases some steam so the cookies would be crisper and spread more, and have a distinctly buttery flavor. Some recipes even use a combination of the two fats.

Soft Molasses Cookies

  • Prep Time 40 min
  • Total 60 min
  • Servings 24
  • Ingredients 11
  • Save
  • Pin
  • Print
  • Share
  • Keep Screen On

Ingredients

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/4 cups Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar.
  • Step 
    2
    Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into 1 1/2-inch balls. Dip tops into granulated sugar. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls, sugared sides up, about 2 inches apart.
  • Step 
    3
    Bake 13 to 16 minutes or just until set and cookies appear dry. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Nutrition

160 Calories
7g Total Fat
1g Protein
22g Total Carbohydrate
12g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories
160
Calories from Fat
60
Total Fat
7g
10%
Saturated Fat
1 1/2g
8%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
10mg
3%
Sodium
135mg
6%
Potassium
100mg
3%
Total Carbohydrate
22g
7%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
12g
Protein
1g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
0%
0%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
6%
6%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

© 2024 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved