Molasses Cookies
Indulge in the irresistible charm of our soft and chewy molasses cookies, where each bite offers a delightful blend of rich, deep molasses flavor and a perfectly tender texture. These homemade treats are a cozy embrace for your taste buds, perfect for those who cherish the warmth of classic, comforting flavors.
Molasses cookies originated in the colonial era. Molasses was a popular sweetener due to its affordability compared to refined sugar. These cookies have been a staple in American kitchens for centuries, often linked to early American cuisine.
Unlike refined sugar, molasses contains many vitamins and minerals, including iron, calcium, and magnesium. These nutrients make molasses cookies slightly more nutritious than their counterparts made with refined sugar.
These cookies are not crispy like gingerbread cookies or ginger snaps. They are soft, pillowy perfect.
Why should you make them?
- Easy to prepare: Molasses cookies are drop cookies, which makes them incredibly easy and good for both beginning bakers and seasoned cooks.
- Rich flavor: The deep, rich flavor of molasses is so unique. It adds a pleasurable change from refined sugar-based cookies.
- Tradition: These cookies are traditionally baked for the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Shelf Life: Molasses cookies have a long shelf life and freeze well for up to three months.
- Texture: These cookies are known for their soft and chewy texture that literally melts in your mouth.
What you need
- Flour: Use unbleached all-purpose flour for these cookies
- Leavening: Baking soda
- Salt: Regular table salt
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon
- Nutmeg: You can use preground nutmeg or a microplane to grind it off of the whole nutmeg seed.
- Cloves: Ground cloves
- Shortening: You can use vegetable shortening, which is traditional, or butter.
- Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar will give you a beautiful, dark cookie.
- Eggs: Whole, large eggs. Whisk the eggs before adding them to your stand mixer.
- Molasses: Blackstrap molasses is called for in this recipe.
- Sour Cream: This adds a creaminess to the cookie and is responsible for that ultra-soft texture.
How to make them
Step One:
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together.
Preheat oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
Cream together the butter and brown sugar.
Step Two:
Beat in the eggs and molasses.
Step Three:
Be sure to scrape the bowl often.
Step Four:
Add the sour cream and mix well.
Step Five:
Gradually stir in the flour mixture.
Step Six:
Drop heaping teaspoonsful of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Top each spoonful of dough with three raisins.
Bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes until puffy.
Cool on wire racks. Makes about four dozen cookies.
Serving Suggestions
These cookies are delicious with milk, coffee, or tea. Use them on your cookie plates or platters that you give to friends and family and on dessert charcuterie boards for a totally different texture and flavor profile.
Pro Tips for your success
- Preheat the oven: Be sure to preheat your oven for at least 10-15 minutes. Since the baking temperature on these cookies is on the high side, they can burn on the bottom. Carefully watch the first batch.
- Size of the cookies: Use a heaping teaspoon. Do not make the cookies too big. Again, since the cooking temperature is higher, they may not get done inside if they are too big.
- Quality ingredients: Use only unsulphured blackstrap molasses for a sweeter, cleaner flavor.
- Room temperature ingredients: As with all baking projects, use room temperature ingredients like butter and eggs. Room temperature ingredients will mix better.
- Don’t overmix: Be sure your wet ingredients are well combined. Scrape the bowl often to remove the butter from the bottom of the bowl. Gradually add the flour, but just run the mixer until the flour is incorporated. Overmixing can results in a tough texture.
- Chill the dough: If you’re cookies are flattening out and not staying puffy, chill the cookie dough in the fridge for about an hour. Then bake them.
- Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain their soft texture. A slice of bread in the container can help retain moisture. Store these cookies separately from more delicate flavored cookies. The spices and flavors can ruin more delicate cookies like shortbread.
- Cool the cookies: Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before taking them off of the sheet and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
How to store cookies
Storage: Cookies can be stored in a cookie jar for about a week. Place them in airtight containers and refrigerate for about ten days.
Freezing: Store in airtight containers, with waxed paper between layers so that the cookies don’t stick together. They will last about two months.
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Molasses cookies, with their rich flavors and exceptional aromas are a cherished, traditional holiday cookie. They are the perfect starter cookie for novice bakers but a favorite of seasoned professionals, too. Whip up a batch today.
Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 3½ cup sifted flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup shortening or unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup molasses
- ½ cup sour cream
- Raisins
Instructions
- Sift together flour, soda, salt and spices.3½ cup sifted flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- Cream together shortening and sugar in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed.½ cup shortening or unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar
- Beat in eggs and molasses.1 cup molasses, 2 eggs
- Add sour cream. Mix well.½ cup sour cream
- Gradually stir in sifted dry ingredients.
- Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
- Place 3 raisins on top of each dough ball.Raisins
- Bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, until set up and slightly golden at edges.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
- Preheat the oven: Be sure to preheat your oven for at least 10-15 minutes. Since the baking temperature on these cookies is on the high side, they can burn on the bottom. Carefully watch the first batch.
- Size of the cookies: Use a heaping teaspoon. Do not make the cookies too big. Again, since the cooking temperature is higher, they may not get done inside if they are too big.
- Quality ingredients: Use only unsulphured blackstrap molasses for a sweeter, cleaner flavor.
- Room temperature ingredients: As with all baking projects, use room temperature ingredients like butter and eggs. Room temperature ingredients will mix better.
- Don’t overmix: Be sure your wet ingredients are well combined. Scrape the bowl often to remove the butter from the bottom of the bowl. Gradually add the flour, but just run the mixer until the flour is incorporated. Overmixing can results in a tough texture.
- Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain their soft texture. A slice of bread in the container can help retain moisture. Store these cookies separately from more delicate flavored cookies. The spices and flavors can ruin more delicate cookies like shortbread.
- Cool the cookies: Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before taking them off of the sheet and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
