Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (2024)

By Robin Gagnon | Updated on

Articles may contain compensated links

Jump to Recipe

ThisMolasses Cookies recipebelongs in your recipe box. It is after all one of the most treasured of old fashioned Christmas cookies.
Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (1)

Molasses Cookies an Old Fashioned Christmas Cookie

As a child, I remember my mother making a lot of different old fashioned Christmas cookies and candies. My parents have always had a fondness for both antiques and local history. It sort of made sense that I would come home from school to a mother covered in flour, with an old cookbook in hand making batches of cookies.

This recipe for Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies is just the sort of thing she would make, especially since it doesn't call for butter. My parents had a tight budget, so if you ran out of something you made due, until your shopping trip. We lived in a rural area & it took a bit of time and gas to get to the grocery store.

The molasses cookies are crisp, akin to a ginger snap, but not a s pungent.

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (2)

How to Make Molasses Cookies

The full printable Molasses Cookies recipe can be found below.

Ingredients You Need

  • 1egglarge
  • cupoil
  • 1cupsugar
  • cupmolassesunsulphered
  • 1 ½teaspooncinnamon
  • 1 ½teaspoonground ginger
  • ½teaspoonnutmeg
  • ½teaspoonKosher salt
  • 2teaspoonbaking soda
  • 2 ¼cupsflourunbleached , but all-purpose is fine
  • sugar and cinnamon for rolling

Ingredient note: Most light oils are fine for these cookies. Light or classic olive oil (NOT extra virgin), avocado oil, vegetable, canola, or safflower. Sea salt is an equal substitute for the Kosher, if using iodized table salt you will use less (closer to ¼ tsp).

Method

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lining baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner for easy clean up. You can bake right on an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer.
  2. Next whisk together the egg, sugar and oil.
  3. Then mix in the molasses, spices, salt and baking soda. Of course we need lots of spices, to team up with the molasses and bring an authentic old fashioned flavor to the cookies.Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (3)
  4. Now add your four, mix well. You will end out with a stiff dough. The cookie dough is made stiff, so it can easily be rolled into balls.Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (4)
  5. Sprinkle your counter or a large shallow bowl with white sugar and cinnamon. Then shape the cookie by rolling one tablespoon sized balls of the dough on the sugar.
  6. Arrange the molasses cookie dough balls on liner or directly on baking sheets. They will flatten out and develop the traditional crinkled molasses cookie appearance while baking and cooling.

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (5)

More Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies!

  • Cherry Almond Cookies
  • Snowball Cookies Recipe
  • Double Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe
  • Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies
  • Lemon Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
  • Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (6)

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe

Molasses Cookies are an old fashioned cookie recipe, that belongs in every recipe box. Molasses cookies are the favorite Christmas cookie of Santa you know.

4.82 from 16 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: cookies

Cuisine: American

Keyword: molasses cookies, old fashioned christmas cookies, old fashioned molasses cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes minutes

Servings: 36

Calories: 100kcal

Author: Robin Gagnon

Equipment

  • large baking sheets

  • stand mixer (optional)

  • silicone baking sheet liner or parchment paper (optional)

Ingredients

  • 1 egg large
  • cup oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • cup molasses unsulphered
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 ¼ cups flour unbleached , but all-purpose is fine
  • sugar and cinnamon for rolling

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Beat egg in a large mixing bowl, then whisk in oil & sugar.

  • Add the molasses, spices, salt and baking soda, mix well.

  • Now, add the flour and mix well. It will make a stiff dough.

  • Sprinkle a rolling surface with sugar and a little cinnamon (use a shallow bowl if you prefer)

  • Roll 1 tablespoon size scoops of the dough into balls and coat in the cinnamon sugar.

  • Place on ungreased baking sheet, approximately 3" apart.

  • Bake 12-13 minutes, until golden brown and crinkled on top.

  • Cool and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 56mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (7)

Related Posts

  • Walnut Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookies Recipe

  • Sucanat Almond Shortbread Cookies

  • Monster Cookies Recipe

« Chicken Taco Bento with Free Printable Lunch Box Notes

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Greta says

    These are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly, and then the final step, I rolled them in Penzey Cinnamon/Sugar mix. They definitely satisfied my desire to smell Fall scents in the house...and my sweet tooth!

    Reply

    • Robin Gagnon says

      That sounds like an amazing addition to these cookies.

      Reply

  2. Lisa says

    I just made these, LOVE them, but I will double up on the spice! Rolled in sugar and cinnamon and they are beautiful and tasty!!

    Reply

  3. Gita Freed says

    I just found your recipe and can’t wait to bake these. Just one question - can I use gluten free flour (one of those 1:1 replacement ratios) instead? I have an elderly friend who loves home baked goods but can’t have gluten.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Robin Gagnon says

      Yes, that should be fine. I've heard cup4cup is better for more tender baked goods, but the king Arthur brand is a good all purpose choice.

      Reply

      • Gita Freed says

        Hi Robin, I just made these with the gluten free flour and they came out delicious! My friend is going to love them. Thank you!

        Reply

« Older Comments

Leave a Reply

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you add too much molasses to cookies? ›

Doubling up on molasses softened the cookies significantly.

Molasses is also extremely dark in color, so this batch of cookies turned out to be a deep brown.

Why didn t my molasses cookies crack? ›

Why don't my molasses cookies crack? Molasses cookie dough won't have those signature cracks on top if the dough is too wet. The cracks happen when the surface of the dough dries up. Rolling in sugar really helps this because the sugar binds the moisture and dries out the dough.

What is the best molasses for baking cookies? ›

Unsulfured. Choose unsulfured molasses when possible, since sulfur dioxide can leave an unpleasant, chemical-like aftertaste, according to Smith. “Unsulfured molasses is derived from processed mature sugar cane,” she said. “It's rich in flavor with a smoky depth.

Why are my molasses cookies hard? ›

Form balls and roll in sugar: Just like snickerdoodles these cookies are rolled in granulated sugar before baking. Bake soft molasses cookies on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. It's very important to not over bake the cookies or they will be hard and dry instead of soft and chewy.

How to tell when molasses cookies are done? ›

Easy to Notice Signs:
  1. Golden Brown Edges – Check the edges of the cookies for a golden brown colour. This indicates that the cookies have caramelized and are likely done. ...
  2. Set Centres – Gently touch the centre of a cookie. ...
  3. Light Cracking – Look for light cracks on the surface of the cookies.
Oct 18, 2023

What does too much molasses do? ›

Also, because people make molasses in a process called fermentation, it can cause digestive problems. Consuming large amounts may cause loose stools or diarrhea. People with irritable bowel syndrome or other forms of digestive discomfort may want to avoid this syrup.

How to get cracks in molasses cookies? ›

Roll each in granulated sugar and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 11–12 minutes or until edges appear set. If the tops aren't appearing cracked as pictured, remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently bang it on the counter 2–3x. This will help those warm cookies spread out and crack on top.

How do you keep molasses cookies from spreading? ›

Chill the dough.

I know — the extra chilling time is substantial, and very tempting to skip. But this particular dough, with all of its butter and molasses, really does need a thorough chilling to prevent the cookies from spreading.

Why did my molasses cookies come out flat? ›

OVEN IS TOO HOT

If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

What kind of molasses is Grandma's original? ›

Grandma's Molasses is made of the highest grade sugarcane molasses that is unsulfured and contains no preservatives, artificial flavors or artificial colors. It's the secret ingredient for baking and cooking. Grandma's Molasses is a nutritious alternative to refined sugar that is also Kosher and gluten free.

Which is better, sulphured or unsulphured molasses? ›

Molasses made from ripe sugar cane is called unsulfured molasses because it has no additives. If green, unripe sugarcane is used, it is treated with sulfur dioxide first to preserve it. It can leave a chemical taste in the mouth, so we recommend looking for unsulfured molasses whenever possible.

Is grandma's unsulphured molasses the same as blackstrap? ›

Unsulphured molasses can be light, dark or blackstrap, as long as it hasn't been treated with sulphur dioxide. Most commercially produced molasses is unsulphured.

Why are my molasses cookies spreading? ›

Excess Sugar and Fat

Measuring is key in baking. If your cookie contains excess sugar or fat, it will spread while baking. If your first batch of cookies spreads, try adding a few tablespoons of flour to help thicken the remaining dough.

Why are my molasses cookies bitter? ›

Avoid blackstrap molasses–it's too strong for this recipe and will make the cookies bitter.

How do you make cookies softer longer? ›

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

How do you neutralize molasses flavor? ›

Naturally acidic molasses may require the addition of baking soda to counteract it in some baked goods.

How does molasses affect baking? ›

Molasses serve several purposes in baked goods such as: Sweetening: contributing to sweetness, although with lower intensity than sucrose. Its sweetness decreases as color darkens. Flavor: providing a broad and complex range of flavors, from caramel to bitter notes.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Tish Haag

Last Updated:

Views: 6368

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (67 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tish Haag

Birthday: 1999-11-18

Address: 30256 Tara Expressway, Kutchburgh, VT 92892-0078

Phone: +4215847628708

Job: Internal Consulting Engineer

Hobby: Roller skating, Roller skating, Kayaking, Flying, Graffiti, Ghost hunting, scrapbook

Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.