These old fashioned chewy molasses cookies are soft, warmly spiced, and rolled in sugar for a slightly crisp exterior. They’re freezer-friendly, loaded with cozy spices, and just how Grandma made them.
If you love classic holiday baking, try these old-fashioned gingerbread cookies or a batch of soft cut-out sugar cookies. You’ll also find more favorites in my Easy Christmas Desserts collection.
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
A few tips to set you up for success:
- Bring butter and eggs to room temperature. This helps everything cream together smoothly and creates a better texture.
- Don’t skip the chill time. The dough needs at least 2 hours in the fridge (longer is even better). Cold, hydrated dough yields the thickest, chewiest cookies.
- Pull them from the oven early. The cookies should look slightly underbaked in the center when you take them out. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay perfectly soft and chewy.
Choosing the Right Molasses
The type of molasses you use makes a big difference in these cookies. Unsulphured molasses (sometimes labeled “original” or “mild”) has a sweet, robust flavor that works perfectly here. It adds moisture, color, and that classic molasses taste without any bitterness.
Blackstrap molasses, on the other hand, is much darker and more bitter. It’s the byproduct of the third boiling of sugar cane and has a strong, almost metallic flavor that overpowers baked goods. Save it for savory recipes and stick with unsulphured molasses for cookies.
How to Make Chewy Molasses Cookies
These molasses cookies are made without shortening and use butter instead. That means you probably have everything on hand to whip up a batch whenever a craving strikes.
Molasses Cookies vs Gingersnaps: While molasses cookies and gingersnaps share similar flavors (molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves), the texture is very different. These cookies are soft and chewy throughout, while gingersnaps are crisp on the outside with just a slight chew inside. The ginger flavor is also more subtle in molasses cookies.
Step 1: Mix the Dough
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer (or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) to cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until smooth.
Add the molasses, oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix until combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Slowly add the flour and stir just until combined.
Don’t overmix once you add the flour. Stirring just until the flour disappears keeps the cookies tender. Overmixing can make them tough and dry.
Step 2: Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. This step is essential for thick, chewy cookies that hold their shape. The cold dough also makes it easier to roll into balls.
If you’re short on time, even 1 hour helps, but the full 2 hours (or overnight) gives you the best results.
Step 3: Shape and Coat
When the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a shallow bowl.
Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls (about 1.5 tablespoons each).
Roll each ball in the sugar until fully coated. The sugar coating gives these cookies their signature crackled top and slightly crisp exterior.
Place the dough balls on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown and the cookies are set around the edges. The centers will still look soft and slightly underbaked. This is exactly what you want.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay beautifully soft and chewy inside.
If you enjoy warmly spiced cookies like these, you might also love my oatmeal cookies with ginger and molasses or chewy oatmeal cranberry cookies for a fruity twist.
Recipe Variations
- For spicier cookies, add extra ginger. You can also stir in chopped crystallized ginger or use grated fresh gingerroot. The more ginger, the spicier the dough!
- For a smaller batch, cut all of the ingredients in half.
- Skip the sugar coating if you prefer. The granulated sugar gives the outside a slightly crisp texture (a hallmark of old fashioned molasses cookies), but the cookies are still delicious without it.
- Add mix-ins for a loaded cookie. Try white chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts. If you like white chocolate, my cranberry white chocolate chip cookies are another great option.
These cookies are amazing! I made them once to give as neighbor gifts but had to make them a second time because my daughters and I all wanted more for us. Thank you so much for sharing what is now a favorite cookie recipe!
– Keri
Storage and Freezing
To Store: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To Freeze Baked Cookies: Wrap cooled cookies tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
To Freeze the Dough: This recipe freezes beautifully as dough balls. Portion and roll in sugar, then arrange on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
To Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes molasses cookies chewy instead of crispy?
The combination of butter, oil, and molasses adds moisture to the dough, which creates that soft, chewy texture. Pulling the cookies from the oven while they still look slightly underbaked is also key. They firm up as they cool but stay tender inside.
Can I use blackstrap molasses?
I don’t recommend it. Blackstrap molasses has a bitter, almost metallic flavor that overpowers the cookies. Stick with unsulphured molasses (like Grandma’s brand) for the best results.
Why do I need to chill the dough?
Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours (or longer) helps the cookies hold their shape and bake up thick and chewy. It also allows the flavors to develop and makes the dough easier to roll into balls.
Can I make these cookies without a stand mixer?
Yes! A hand mixer works perfectly. You can also mix by hand with a sturdy wooden spoon, though it takes a bit more effort to cream the butter and sugar.
What’s the difference between molasses cookies and gingerbread cookies?
They share similar spices and flavors, but the texture is different. Molasses cookies are soft and chewy throughout, while gingerbread cookies (and gingersnaps) are typically crisp on the outside with less chew. Molasses cookies also have a more subtle ginger flavor.
More Holiday Cookies To Try
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Old Fashioned Chewy Molasses Cookies
Equipment
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- ½ cup molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until smooth.
- Add the molasses, oil, vanilla, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg and mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Slowly add the flour until just combined.
- Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to 2-3 days).
- When dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350°F. Place remaining 1 cup of sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and use a scoop to form the dough into round balls. Roll each ball of dough in the sugar. Place dough balls onto cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Bake for about 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies are just set and starting to brown on the edges. They will still be soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Use unsulphured molasses (like Grandma’s brand), not blackstrap. Blackstrap molasses is too bitter and will change the flavor of your cookies.
- Bring butter and eggs to room temperature before mixing for the smoothest dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Cold dough yields the thickest, chewiest cookies.
- Don’t overmix once you add the flour. Stir just until combined to keep cookies tender.
- Pull cookies from the oven early. They should look slightly underbaked in the center. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay soft and chewy.
- The sugar coating creates the crackled top and slightly crisp exterior. You can skip it, but it’s a hallmark of old fashioned molasses cookies.
- For spicier cookies, add more ginger or stir in chopped crystallized ginger.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freezer-friendly dough: Portion, roll in sugar, and freeze on a baking sheet. Transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to bake time.
Nutrition
Originally published in December, 2018, this post was updated in December, 2025.
I’ve never had a molasses cookie but I love baking with molasses. thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks so much, Jackie!
Chewy cookies with molasses are one of my favs! These look amazing!!
Thanks, Stacey! Mine, too! 🙂
These look amazing! I’m adding them to my holiday cookie list..yum!
Thanks so much, Erin! I hope you love them!
I LOVE your ideas for mix-ins!!!
Thanks, Danelle!
I have been searching for the perfect molasses cookie. Thank you! I am so excited to try it.
Awesome! You’re going to love these, Ashleigh! 🙂
These cookies are amazing! I made them once to give as neighbor gifts but had to make them a second time because my daughters and I all wanted more for us. Thank you so much for sharing what is now a favorite cookie recipe! (I”m not sure why I’m not able to select the number of stars, but I happily give it 5 stars.)
Awesome! Thank you so much, Keri!
Hi Blair!
This week I had a little extra time because I didn’t have to deal with the commute due to the coronavirus. I thought I’d try your Old Fashioned Chewy Molasses Cookies.-they are delicious, thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
Great idea, Kris! Now I want a batch of them, too! Those are definitely some of my favorite cookies. 🙂
One of my fondest childhood memories is of standing on the little stepstool in my grandma’s kitchen “helping” her make “Molasses Crinkles” which continued to be family tradition well into my adulthood. Sadly, though, she has passed on and I haven’t been able to locate all of her old recipes and have been hunting online for a replacement. This one seems to fit the bill judging by the images; I’ve seen recipes where the cookie is meant to be puffed up and cakey and ones where they are crunchy-I was looking for ones that are flat, round, chewy and have those distinctive crinkles all over-which yours appears to have. I am bookmarking this for later. 🙂
That’s wonderful, Ami! I hope that they bring back the great memories. 🙂
Ok. You saud bKing powder and baling soda..which one?
Hi, Joan! The recipe calls for baking soda. Sorry if there was any confusion. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
How many eggs?
Hi, Maddie! There’s a full recipe card at the bottom of the post with a list of all of the specific measurements for each ingredient. You’ll need 2 eggs. Hope that helps, and enjoy the cookies!
I made these once and they came out perfect. Then I made them a 2nd time and they came out totally different, they kind of puffed up. Any idea what went wrong?
Hi, Rachel! I have no idea what may have gone wrong the second time. It’s really hard for me to guess since I wasn’t there. If the recipe is measured, chilled and baked correctly, it should work perfectly. I would assume that maybe you accidentally mis-measured an ingredient? Sorry I can’t be more helpful. 🙂
Hi Blair- I am making the molasses cookies and am very excited for them to hurry up and chill!!! I did notice that my ginger powder was out of date so I grated some fresh ginger that I happened to have. Do you think they will turn out ok?
Hi, Gayle! I hope they turned out well! I imagine the fresh ginger should work fine — it would just add a more potent spicy ginger flavor to the cookies. 🙂
The ingredient list does not list eggs. I had the same question.
Hi, Maven! The eggs are included in the ingredient list second from the bottom (just above the flour). Hope that helps!
What amount of raisins and nuts would you use
Hi, Janet! I’d start with 1 cup of raisins and maybe 1/2 cup of nuts? Or you could add more nuts and go up to 1 cup. For a more subtle taste of the mix-ins, cut the raisins and nuts back to 1/2 cup each. 🙂
Finally found the perfect molasses cookie Thank you! These are awesome.
Yay! Thank you, Marjie. They’re a personal favorite here, too!