Molasses Spice Cookies

Big and chewy molasses spice cookies! This recipe tastes like gingersnaps, but the cookies are thicker and chewier with lots of sweet, spiced flavor.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated April 01, 2024
Elise Bauer
Molasses Spice Cookies
Elise Bauer

Think gingersnap cookies, but bigger and chewy. Now you have molasses spice cookies, so good!

The Incredible Hulk of molasses cookies. Highly spiced with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, vanilla, and of course ginger, and sweetened with sugar and rich molasses, these are the best crinkle cookies, for holidays or anytime of the year.

Molasses Spice Cookies
Elise Bauer

This recipe for these cookies is barely adapted from Cook's Illustrated's Best Recipe Cookbook, and is one of our favorites! Here's a hint on preparation - don't reduce the amount of sugar, the cookies won't be chewy if you do (I found this out the hard way and had to make a second batch).

Molasses Spice Cookies

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Servings 18 servings
Yield 18 cookies

This recipe uses the scoop-and-level method to measure flour. Fluff the flour in the container, then use your measuring cup to gently scoop the flour and sweep off the excess with a straight edge, such as the back of a butter knife. For the best results, measure the flour this way or, better yet, weigh it with a kitchen scale.

Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours before baking isn't required, but doing so will further ensure thicker, chewier cookies.

Optional Glaze: When cookies have cooled, lay them out on a sheet of wax paper. Sift 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar and then whisk with 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Dip a spoon into the glaze and dribble over the cookies.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups (300g) all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool

  • 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed

  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup (70g) for rolling cookies

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/3 cup molasses

Method

  1. Whisk together the dry ingredients:

    Preheat the oven to 375°F.

    Vigorously whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice in a bowl and set aside.

  2. Mix the butter, sugar, and wet ingredients:

    Use an electric mixer and beat the butter for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes at medium speed.

    Add the egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

  3. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients:

    Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

    Simple Tip!

    If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours before proceeding. While this step is optional, it will yield slightly thicker, chewier cookies.

  4. Make the dough balls and roll them in sugar:

    Place the remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.

    Working with 2 tablespoons of dough each time, roll the dough into 1 3/4-inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

  5. Bake:

    Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack at 375°F, until the outer edges of the cookies begin to set and the centers are soft and puffy, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks.

    Do not overcook! The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
203 Calories
8g Fat
31g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 203
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 208mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 26mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 124mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.