Easy homemade molasses cookies! These soft and chewy ginger molasses cookies don’t need to be chilled before baking. Perfect Christmas cookie recipe!
Out of all of the seasonal winter flavors, gingerbread is my favorite. I love the combination of the molasses and the warm spices in gingerbread. My mom always made gingerbread and molasses cookies around Christmas each year, and the smell of the gingerbread always takes me back.
And these really are the best soft molasses cookies! I make this recipe every year. The cookies are soft in the middle with just a little chew at the edges, and the dough doesn’t need to be chilled before baking, so it’s as quick and easy as it is tasty.
“Seriously my favorite cookie recipe! Super easy and yummy. I use double the cinnamon instead of ginger because I’m allergic and it’s still delicious.” – Grace
How to make molasses cookies
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325F.
Step 2: In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, butter, molasses, and egg until well-combined.
Step 3: Stir in remaining ingredients (dry ingredients) except granulated sugar.
Step 4: Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into 1 ½-inch balls. Dip tops into granulated sugar.
Step 5: On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls, sugared sides up, about 2 inches apart.
Step 6: Bake 10-15 minutes or just until set. The cookies will still look a little wet in the cracks, but the tops and edges should be set. The cookies will also be a little puffed up but will deflate as they cool.
Step 7: Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove cookies to cooling rack.
Recipe Tips!
- Butter temperature: You’ll need the butter to be at the correct temperature. Cool room temperature means that the butter is about 68F. It should be soft enough to dent when you press on it, but the stick of butter should still keep its shape.
- If the butter smooshes when you press on it, it’s too warm. Using butter that’s too warm will cause the cookies to bake out and give you flat, greasy cookies.
- Freezing: The baked and cooled cookies can be put in a freezer-safe container, placed in the freezer, and frozen for up to 1 month.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend using either mild or robust molasses. Blackstrap molasses will give the cookies a bitter flavor.
This dough doesn’t need to be chilled. However, if your butter, or your kitchen, is too warm, you may find that a quick chill in the fridge gives you thicker cookies.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for about 3-4 days when properly stored.
More easy, no chill Christmas cookie recipes!
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Soft Molasses Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup shortening
- ¼ cup butter at cool room temperature
- ¼ cup molasses not blackstrap
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- In large bowl, beat brown sugar, shortening, butter, molasses, and egg until well-combined.1 cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup shortening, ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup molasses, 1 large egg
- Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar.2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Shape dough by rounded tablespoonfuls into 1 ½-inch balls. Dip tops into granulated sugar.¼ cup granulated sugar
- On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls, sugared sides up, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 10-15 minutes or just until set. The cookies will still look a little wet in the cracks, but the tops and edges should be set. The cookies will also be a little puffed up but will deflate as they cool.
- Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove cookies to cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Butter: The butter should dent when you press on it but shouldn’t lose its shape. If the butter smooshes when you press on it, it’s too warm.
- Molasses: Mild or robust molasses will work. I don’t recommend blackstrap molasses as it has a bitter flavor.
- Salt: Or 1/4 teaspoon of table salt.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Adapted from Betty Crocker.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Shelly says
I don’t see how to make the icing.
Kate says
I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what icing you’re referring to.
Linda says
Your photo shows icing
Kate Dean says
Hi! I’m not sure which photo you’re referring to. Could you please tell me where you’re seeing iced cookies? The cookies pictured were rolled in sugar.
Jenny says
Hi Kate,
These sound wonderful! I was curious, can these be frozen once baked and cooled?
Thank You!
Kate says
Hi! Yes, the baked cookies freeze well.
Grace says
Seriously my favorite cookie recipe! Super easy and yummy. I use double the cinnamon instead of ginger because I’m allergic and it’s still delicious.
Kate says
Thank you!
Lori Wooden says
Very good! I was able to use my father in laws home grown molasses to make these. Sure wish he was here to enjoy them!
Kate says
How nice that you could incorporate something so special!
Kinzey says
It was unanimous, we all loved these molasses cookies.
Kate says
Thank you!
Sara says
This is my favorite molasses cookie recipe. It turns out perfect every time.
Kate says
Thank you so much!!
Lana says
My fav !
Kate says
Thank you!!
Denise Noble says
Can you use all butter in place of the shortening?
Kate says
Hi! Using all butter will cause the cookies to bake out more.
Laura says
These are great Christmas cookies. We loved them.
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for commenting!
Allison says
Absolutely perfect!! We’ve been on the quest for a favorite molasses cookie & this one wins hands down. The combo of butter & shortening is brilliant. Thank you so much for posting!
Kate says
Thank you so much! This is my favorite molasses cookie, and I love to hear that other people are enjoying it too. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Gen says
These are my new fave cookies! This is the easiest recipe and the cookies are so soft.
Kate says
Thanks! My family loves these cookies, and it’s great to hear that other people are enjoying them, too. =)
Madison says
Great cookie! We’ll eat this one year round.
Kate says
Thank you!
Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats says
I love that these are soft!! I definitely need to make these ??