Chewy Molasses Cookies

Name: Chewy Molasses Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: ½ cup unsalted room temperature butter or soft (not melted) coconut oil; ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar; ⅓ cup granulated sugar*; ⅓ cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses*; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled); 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon water (plus more if necessary); ⅓ cup cane sugar (for rolling)

We can't get enough of these chewy molasses cookies! They have crisp edges, fudgy middles, and rich, spiced flavor from ginger and cinnamon.

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As I sat down to write this molasses cookies post, I watched some of the first snow of the year drift past the window. What could be more fitting? These chewy molasses cookies are perfect for cold, wintry days. They have crisp edges, soft middles, and a rich, spiced flavor that’ll warm you up in an instant. Pair one with a cup of hot chocolate, and you have an unbeatable holiday treat!

I think you’re going to love this molasses cookie recipe. It’s quick and easy to make (you don’t even have to chill the dough!), and it yields really wonderful cookies. After the first time I made them, I liked them so much that I couldn’t resist nabbing one for breakfast the next morning. Since then, I’ve baked countless batches of these molasses cookies, and Jack and I still can’t get enough. Baking them has become a new Christmas tradition in our house. I hope it will in yours, too!

Molasses Cookie Recipe Ingredients

Something else I love about this molasses cookie recipe? It’s totally vegan! It comes together with these basic ingredients:

Molasses, of course! I make these cookies with unsulphured blackstrap molasses, which gives them a rich molasses flavor and dark color. My favorite brand is Wholesome Sweeteners.
Dark brown sugar and white sugar – For sweetness. This combination also contributes to the cookies’ delicious chewy texture.
Coconut oil – For this recipe, your coconut oil should be soft, but not melted. To achieve the right consistency, I usually pop it in the microwave for around 15 seconds before I start to bake. The exact timing depends on its initial texture, which varies based on the temperature of the kitchen. Room temperature butter will work here too.
All-purpose flour – For the most precise measurement, use the spoon-and-level method.
Baking soda – It reacts with the molasses and brown sugar to help the cookies rise.
Warm spices – You can’t make good chewy molasses cookies without spices! I use ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cardamom for warm, cozy depth of flavor. If you prefer, feel free to swap out the cardamom for 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves!
Vanilla extract – It deepens the warm, spiced flavor of these molasses cookies.
Fine sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
And natural cane sugar – For rolling! It creates a sweet, crispy crust around the cookies’ chewy middles.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Molasses Cookies

This molasses cookie recipe is super easy to make! Here’s how it goes:

First, make the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the coconut oil or butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the molasses and vanilla, and mix again to combine. Then, whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually add them to the molasses mixture, mixing after each addition. Finally, mix in 1 tablespoon water to moisten the dough. If the dough still feels dry, mix in additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

Next, shape the cookies. Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to portion the dough, and roll each scoop into a ball. Roll the cookie dough balls in a small bowl of cane sugar. When they’re evenly coated, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Before you bake, gently press down on the dough balls to flatten them slightly.

Then, bake! Transfer the cookies to a 350°F oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies have spread slightly and cracks form on their surfaces. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Chewy Molasses Cookies Tips

Use natural cane sugar for rolling. I like to use regular granulated sugar in these cookies, but I use natural cane sugar on the outside. It has a slightly coarser texture, which creates a delicious crispy crust around the cookies’ edges.
Bake one sheet at a time. These ginger molasses cookies spread out as they bake, so depending on the size of your sheet pan, you may need to bake them in two batches. Though working in batches takes longer than putting all the cookies in the oven at once, the extra time is worth it. Because temperatures vary throughout an oven, the cookies will bake most evenly if they’re all on the same oven rack. You don’t want cookies on a lower rack to burn before ones above them are cooked through!
Leave them on the baking sheet for 10 minutes after they come out of the oven. It’ll be tempting to reach for these chewy molasses cookies as soon as they finish baking, but if you can, hold off for at least 10 minutes. Straight out of the oven, the cookies are puffy and delicate. As they cool, they crisp up around the edges and become chewy and fudgy in the middle. After 10 minutes, go ahead and sample one (or more), and transfer the rest to a wire rack to cool completely.
Freeze the extras. These ginger cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze them! Store them in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, let them sit at room temperature for about an hour, or zap them in the microwave for around 10 seconds.

More Favorite Cookie Recipes

If you love these soft and chewy molasses cookies, try one of these yummy cookie recipes next:

Chewy Molasses Cookies

rate this recipe:

4.93 from 231 votes

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Serves 16

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We love to make these chewy molasses cookies for the holidays! They have crisp edges, soft middles, and a rich, spiced flavor from ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted room temperature butter or soft (not melted) coconut oil
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar*
⅓ cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon water, plus more if necessary
⅓ cup cane sugar, for rolling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix again.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, cardamom, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing after each addition. Mix in the 1 tablespoon water.
Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to scoop the dough and use your hands to roll it into balls. If the dough feels dry, mix in ½ tablespoon additional water. Roll the cookie dough balls in the sugar and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press down slightly on the tops of the balls and bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and cracking on top. Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*Note: These cookies taste great using any brand of unsulphured molasses and any brand of sugar, but we recommend Wholesome Organic Molasses and Domino granulated sugar for the pictured crinkly look.