Gourmet

Molasses Cookies

ByVon and Molly Wilson

November 18, 2022

4.4

(169)

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Grid of soft molasses cookies as seen from overhead atop marble surface.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Eliza Mozer

Active Time

10 minutes
Total Time

40 minutes

This recipe for soft and chewy molasses cookies comes from the “You Asked for It” section ofGourmet’sNovember 1995 issue. A reader requested the recipe after having tasted the cookies at Mocha Molly’s Coffee Saloon in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, which closed in 2006. The old-fashioned favorite has been taking Epi readers back ever since. The addition of vegetable shortening keeps the cookies moist and tender for days—a good quality in anyholiday cookie—while butter and a trio of spices (ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger) bolster the rich molasses flavor.

You could use a stand mixer or hand mixer to bring the cookie dough together, but as long as you remember to soften your butter to room temperature, you can easily make them with just a wooden spoon and a mixing bowl. The recipe instructs you to roll the dough balls in sugar before baking to give the finished cookies a sparkly sheen. But we also love to swap the finishing sugar out fordemerara or turbinado, which retain more molasses and have larger crystals than regular granulated sugar, and will bring extra flavor plus a bit of crunch to contrast the soft molasses cookie.

For more of our favoriteChristmas cookies, check out our classic icedsugar cookiesorgingerbread cookies. Or if you’re looking for ease, try our recipe for3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies.

Ingredients

Makes about 25 cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

2¼ tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground ginger

1¼ tsp. ground cloves

1¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened

½ cup vegetable shortening

3½ cups sugar, divided

½ cup unsulphured molasses

2 large eggs

Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F and lightly grease 2 large baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a large bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.
Step 3
In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, shortening, and 3 cups sugar until light and fluffy and beat in molasses. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients and combine well.
Step 4
In a small shallow bowl put remaining ½ cup sugar. Form dough into 2-inch balls and roll in sugar. On baking sheets arrange dough balls about 4 inches apart and flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
Step 5
Bake cookies in batches in middle of the oven 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. (Cookies should be soft.) Transfer cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool.

Editor’s note:This recipe was originally printed in the November 1995 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of ourbest cookie recipes→

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Reviews (169)

这将是我去秘方姜糖蜜cookies. Modifications I made : 1/2 brown 1/2 white sugar, upped the spices considerably, added freshly grated ginger to the dough and used a smaller scoop for a smaller cookie. I didn't read all the reviews before making them and agree the cookies are too sweet and next time I will reduce the sugar, something I do as a general rule anyway. But in all other respects this is an excellent cookie with perfect texture and taste. I did have some difficulty deciding when they were done. The recipe says to bake until they are puffed and golden. But the cookies are brown, what does "golden" mean? I happened to be making candied orange peel at the same time. It occurred to me that adding a bit of candied peel and then painting the baked cookie with the orange flavored syrup would be quite nice.
- Anonymous
- Cameron Park, CA
- 12/27/2022
Sparkling sugar is the way to go here. More crunch, sticks and doesn't disappear. I also chill the dough for easier handling and let it sit for a few minutes if iit becomes too cold to scoop. These are my husband's favorite cookies.
- DeeDee
- Southern California
- 12/17/2022
First time trying this recipe. Best ever. Followed to the tee with two exceptions - added Penzy's crystallized sugar bits and cut cooking time two minutes. Saved to my GO-TO recipe favorites. If you are going to have a cookie once in a while...might as well have a great one! Good old Bon Appetit.... I miss that magazine.
- graphicswest2
- Kennewick, WA
- 1/4/2015
After making adjustments suggested by other reviews - loved these. Adjustments made: 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, butter rather than shortening, 1/4 extra molasses, and roll in turbinado sugar
- Anonymous
- Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Area
- 12/4/2014
Perfect texture. Soft and chewy. YUM! In my oven, they took a couple minutes less to cook or maybe we just prefer them a little extra soft and gooey;)
- Seattlite
- Seattle,
- 12/1/2014
These are the best, but we do double the molasses and cut the sugar down to two cups.
- JETessendorf
- Upstate NY
- 11/24/2014
The best. I've made them for years, and recently tried different recipe (from Cooks Illustrated). These were so much better -- I'll never make another molasses cookie. These are perfect to bake and send to your kids/nieces/nephews in college --or for anyone else you love. They are flat, soft and chewy, with the slight extra crunch of sugar on the outside. For BIG 4-5" diameter cookies, use a 2" ice cream scoop. For more normal ( 2 1/2 to 3" diameter cookies use a 1" scoop. This time, I subbed 1 C. white sugar for brown, and also a Tbsp or so more molasses. I always use all butter.
- Anonymous
- Media, PA
- 10/5/2014
This one is FAR better than any other similar recipe on epicurious. My family requests these EVERY year.
- nholzman
- East Hampton, NY
- 12/23/2013
After making these cookies - I wondered if I would EVER make another cookie! My suggestions: 1) don't squash the cookies with the glass 2) use demarara sugar for rolling 3) use a cool cookie sheet so they don't spread out.
- anitapie
- Louisville, KY
- 12/7/2013
This is the best molasses cookie recipe on Epicurious. Don't be fooled by their "Molasses Crinkles" recipe. it can't compare. This one is the perfect combo of crisp exterior with chewy/moist interior. I could literally eat them a dozen at a time
- nholzman
- Arlington, VA
- 11/7/2013
Great recipe. I didn' have cloves and used all unsalted butter w/o shortening. Very rich, may try as others suggested and cut the amount of sugar. Still excellent as is though. My cookies ended up being massive and I had to cook them for 16 minutes.
- coyotepod
- Hersey, MI
- 7/2/2013
Definitely a winner! I've made these about a half dozen times and have found that adding 1 T. of espresso powder deepens and broadens the flavor greatly. They now taste more like my Norwegian grandmother's! As others have , I use 1 C. white and 1 C. brown sugar, 3/4 C. blackstrap molasses, increased the ginger to 2 T. the cloves to 2 t. and the salt to 3/4 t.
- Anonymous
- Milwaukee, WI
- 11/15/2012
This is the recipe that turned me on to epicurious reviews. *Always* read what other cooks have to say before trying the recipe. This is a "four fork" recipe when you cut the sugar in half. Thanks to all who recommended this!
- icook4her
- Fairfax, VT
- 12/25/2011
These were great, with a really intense flavor. I had to make them with all whole wheat flour cause that's all I had, but you can't even tell. I cut the sugar like everyone else and made them smaller. I topped them with a simple butter cream frosting like my mother-in-law does to her gingersnaps. And then I ate four of them.
- Anonymous
- Ann Arbor, MI
- 9/10/2011
Just made them for my daughter's "pioneer days" field trip -- very tasty with the changes made per other reviewers -- 1 c. sugar, 1/2 c. dark brown sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp more molasses. 12 1/2 minutes at 325 worked for me as well (doing the 2" cookies). I will definitely make them again -- the kids (even my very picky eater) LOVED them! Thanks to other reviewers for the suggestions!
- Anonymous
- rochester, mi
- 3/28/2011