Homemade soft molasses cookies with crackly tops are super chewy and perfectly spiced. They stay seriously soft for days—if they last that long—and are always a holiday favorite.
Molasses cookies have always been my top choice because they bring me right back to my childhood. I grew up helping my mom bake them. After rolling the dough in the sugar and watching them bake through the little oven window, my sweet reward was biting into a warm cookie fresh from the oven. In addition to the nostalgia, the soft texture paired with cozy molasses puts them above any other cookie.
Sorry, chocolate chip cookies, you don’t even compare.
Molasses Cookie Comparison
Since they’re a favorite, I have plenty of gingersnap/molasses cookie recipes on my website and in my cookbooks. Most stem from the same-ish recipe with the exception of the crisp variety. Let’s review what makes each one individually and undeniably delicious:
- Soft White Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies: Studded with white chocolate chips, these cookies are lusciously soft and mega chewy. You’ll love the combination of cozy spices and white chocolate.
- Ginger Pistachio Cookies: I add salty pistachios to my mom’s classic recipe. These ginger molasses cookies are soft, salty, sweet, and spiced. Find this recipe in Sally’s Cookie Addiction cookbook.
- Crisp Molasses Cookies: Another favorite! These are extra crisp. If you’re looking for a crunchy molasses cookie, this one’s for you—they actually snap when you break them!
- Chocolate Ginger Cookies: These are an elevated twist to our classic molasses cookies. You’ll appreciate the added cocoa flavor and how they are beautifully finished with dark chocolate and crystallized ginger.
- Gingerbread Blossoms: Think of this recipe as a new take on these holiday-favorite spiced soft molasses cookies, with the chocolatey appeal of peanut butter blossoms. They capture so many of the things we love this time of year—warm spice; cozy molasses; a soft, chewy texture; and a melty chocolate kiss in the center.
If I had to choose, I would always reach for my mom’s recipe that lives in Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook. Nothing compares to mom’s.
What Makes These Molasses Cookies Different?
Another molasses cookie recipe? Yes! These cookies are different from my other varieties and here’s why: they’re soft, crackly, and chewier than all the rest. I used my gingerbread blossoms recipe as a starting point. My goal was to produce a flatter, chewier cookie with the same amount of softness. To accomplish this, I used the same ingredients but slightly altered the ratios:
- Flour: I reduced the flour considerably to yield a flatter cookie.
- Baking Soda: To avoid a super flat and overly greasy cookie, I increased the baking soda. Need that lift!
- Spices: Same amount. This careful blend of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves is exactly what every molasses cookie needs!
- Butter, Brown Sugar, Egg, + Vanilla: Same amounts. Brown sugar is what helps produce the softest molasses cookie ever. (In fact, it’s the first thing I changed when making my crisp molasses cookies.)
- Molasses: Make sure you’re using unsulphured or dark molasses, but do not use blackstrap because it is too intense for these cookies.
Mission accomplished. These cookies are mega chewy, mega soft, and mega crackly!
Which Molasses Do I Use?
There are varying intensities of molasses on store shelves from lighter molasses to blackstrap molasses. Go for an unsulphured or dark molasses, also sold as “robust” molasses. Blackstrap molasses can be quite intense—I don’t bake with it too often.
I’m not working with any of these companies, but I prefer Grandma’s, Brer Rabbit, or Wholesome brands. Wholesome’s organic molasses is super dark, so it will make your cookies a little darker. Look how dark it makes my spiced gingerbread loaf. As opposed to the same recipe as a cake (gingerbread cake) made with Grandma’s brand. What a difference in color!
How to Make Soft Molasses Cookies
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Combine the wet ingredients together.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
- Chill cookie dough. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Roll cookie dough into balls. Use about 1 Tablespoon of dough per cookie.
- Generously roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar. For sparkle, of course!
- Bake. The cookies will puff up as they bake then gently sink back down. This is what creates those familiar crinkles and crackles we love. If your cookies aren’t cracking, gently bang the cookie sheet on the counter 2–3x which will help those warm cookies spread and crack on top. See recipe direction #5.
This is a wonderful make-ahead recipe because the cookies stay seriously soft for days (if they last that long!).
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Seriously Soft Molasses Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 30-32 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These seriously soft molasses cookies are the most tender and chewy gingersnap cookies around!
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Rolling
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated or coarse sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on high speed until creamy and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and beat until combined. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be slightly sticky. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour and up to 2–3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The cookies may not spread in the oven if the dough is that cold. Roll cookie dough, 1 Tablespoon each, into balls. 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. Return to the oven for 1 additional minute.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies will stay fresh covered at room temperature for 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. Unbaked cookie dough balls (before rolling in sugar) will freeze well for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, preheat the oven, then roll in granulated sugar. Bake as directed. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
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- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have made these cookies a few times and they turned out perfectly. However, today I’m not sure what happened but they are not soft & chewy. They are harder and crispier than usual. Why do you think this happened?
Hi Denyse, could your oven be running too hot this time? Did you make any changes to the recipe?
I love this recipe, I make it several times every year, but this amazon ad has made this recipe and website completely unusable. It took me 20 minutes just to get down to the bottom of this page to leave this comment, and even then the ad has popped up an additional 15 times. I guess the upshot is I’ve accidentally clicked on it in my frustration at least twice. I’m pro you making money off ad revenue, but make your sponsors test their code first so you don’t lose visitors.
Hi Anna, I’m so sorry for the trouble. That pop-up ad was not supposed to appear on the site (we do not allow ads to block content). We’ve flagged it with our ad team several times this morning already, and it should already be blocked. If you’re still seeing it, a quick refresh or trying a different browser usually clears it. Again, I’m really really sorry about the glitch. I appreciate your feedback and you letting us know.
Anna, I use the Brave search engine which blocks most ads. I rarely use Google due to the ads & tracking they utilize. Hope that helps : )
Mine are pretty thin and crispy on edge and a small chewy center. Hoping a slice of bread in the bag overnight will soften them up a bit.
The cookies are delicious! The only problems I ran into were that they spread out pretty thin and didn’t crackle at all.
I had my dough in the fridge overnight so I set it on the counter for 40ish minutes because after 30 it still seemed too stiff. Could that have been why the spread out so much?
Hi Natasha, thank you for giving these a try! If you had troubles with the cookies spreading, it sounds like your butter may have been a bit too warm. Here’s more about what room temperature butter really means, as well as our best tips to prevent cookies from spreading. Hope this is helpful!
Any thoughts about making these with GF flour? (Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1)
Hi Lee, we haven’t tested these with gluten free flour, but let us know if you do.
I’ve made these several times, and they turn out perfect every time. Follow the recipe exactly, including refrigerating at least an hour and tapping the cookie sheet on the counter a few times. To those who are saying they get too puffy, did you accidentally use baking powder instead of soda? I have done that accidentally with other baked goods, and it does not work well! Ha!
Just made the recioe, the cookies came out nicely, and are soft and looking great. The only issue I have is the sugar – they are so terribly sweet that they don’t taste much like anything but excesive sugar. Half or even a third of the original amount would be much better, will try that next time.
Sally, below on the molasses cookies blackstrap could be used as a substitute. Question…could or would you reduce the amount of the blackstrap molasses?
Thank you !
Hi Fran, some people find that the flavor of blackstrap molasses is too strong in these cookies, but you can use it if that’s all you can find. Use the same amount.
Delicious as your recipes always are. I did use the blackstrap molasses and reduced it just slightly. They still turned out really moist even with the slight reduction in liquid. The flavor of the blackstrap molasses is a bit over powering, will make again but with a different molasses.
Thank you Sally !
Wow. I would kiss you if I could! Ive never been able to make soft cookies of any kind and these came out perfect first try! I followed your instructions exactly except I had to bake em in my toaster oven but they still came out perfect! Took me awhile cuz I could only fit 8 cookies at a time but I made em just a bit less than 1tbs each and theyre adorable! Perfect amount of puffy, crinkle crackly and SOFT. You are amazing. Thank you so much for making this possible for me. I cant wait to try your other recipes!
These were so freaking good!
Mine puffed up and got crinkles. I did run out of ground ginger and had to swap for 8tsp of fresh and they still turned out really tasty.
100% will make these again
Do I have to use a glass bowl for the molasses cookies or is it ok to use my metal kitchaid mixer bowl? I know sometimes you can’t use metal so just verifying because your instructions say needs items a glass bowl
Metal is fine here, Ellie!
The cookies taste great but I just can’t get them to crinkle. They come out puffy. I chilled the dough for an hour. Any ideas on troubles shooting.
Hi Aide, The cracks and crinkles appear in the cookies after the cookies rise up in the oven, and then fall back down. Tapping the baking sheet on the counter can help too, as it helps deflate the cookies a bit. Were your cookies puffy in the oven, or did they just spread out?
They puffed up in the oven. I did try tapping the tray as instructed but it didn’t work and when taking out of oven they remained puffy.
The taste of the cookies are delicious!
My cookies did not get the signature crack in the top like the photo.
I wanted a chewy cookie with the warmth of gingerbread and this recipe did not disappoint! This recipe will be well used and loved for years to come.
These were fabulous! This is my new go to recipe for the holidays!! Thank you for sharing!
it doesn’t seem to matter what I do these cookies always come out of the oven puffy and beautiful and then immediately fall. They are then a thin chewy ginger snap instead of a soft molasses cookie. I have no idea how to fix this.
Also, it’s not my oven because I’ve moved and I still have the same problem.
Hi Amanda! The cookies may be slightly under-baked if they’re falling after removing from the oven. You can try baking for a minute or two longer to see if that helps!
Can I add the baking soda to 2 teaspoons of hot water to the wet ingredients?Instead of adding the baking soda to the flour and salt?
What could I use instead if I don’t have a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment?
I used a regular handheld mixer with regular mixers/beaters and mine turned out just fine. Ive also just mixed by hand on other recipes that call for a mixer. Just make sure you give it all you got and stick with it for the proper amount of time. Best wishes! \”/
Made these yesterday for the first time & they were so good.
Today I leveled them up with minced crystalized ginger & Turbinado sugar for the coating and they are absolutely to die for. FINALLY, a soft ginger/molasses cookie that’s JUST RIGHT.
I was looking for a recipe that would be similar to a cookie I buy at a local bakery, and these really hit the spot. They are super delicious and soft and so easy to make. I’ve made them multiple times since I first found the recipe a few months ago, and I plan to keep on making them! Highly recommend!
Awesome, so easy to make. I did cut back the ginger to 1tsp as hubby doesn’t like ginger too much,but he loves these.
I am wondering why specifically no black strap molasses? Thank you!
Hi Rebecca, some people find that the flavor of blackstrap molasses is too strong in these cookies, but you can use it if that’s all you can find.
I need to use salted butter for this recipe as it is all I have. I understand about decreasing 1/4 tsp salt per 8 tbsps butter. For this recipe, since I am using 12 tbsps of salted butter, should I just forgo the addition of salt (called for 1/4 tsp) completely?
Yes, Elizabeth – happy baking!
I had the same question thanks for asking
Can I roll into balls, coat them with the sugar, and leave in my refrigerator for a day or two before baking? Same question for your snickerdoodle recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Jamey, yes, you can, but the sugar coating may somewhat disappear/dissolve as they sit in the fridge. You can re-roll them in the coating before baking if that happens. Enjoy!
Is it better to freeze the dough or the baked cookie?
Hi Hazel, you can do either, but if you freeze the cookie dough then you can have freshly baked cookies whenever you want them! We have a tutorial on how to freeze cookie dough for all the details.
So fragrant and delicious!
I’m afraid mine are coming out too soft and wet. I’ve increased baking time and I’ve increased temperature and I’ve increased cooling time to no avail. Double checked ingredients and process. Not sure where I went wrong.
Hi Kimberly! Are you starting with proper room temperature butter (not too warm?). Softer butter can make the dough and cookies too soft.
Hi there! Just wondering if you recently made adjustments to your recipe? I wanted to forward it to a friend and some of the amounts and times are different. Thank you.
Hi Carrie! No updates have been made to this recipe recently.
Can raisins be added to this recipe?
We’re sure you could, Vanessa!
Hi, we accidentally bought a jar of blackstrap molasses for this. I’ve never baked with molasses before. Can it at all be used in this recipe, perhaps reduced in quantity, or diluted somehow?
Hi Henry, some people find that the flavor of blackstrap molasses is too strong in these cookies, but you can use it if that’s all you can find.
I normally have great success with SBA recipes but this one didn’t turn out as hoped. The flavor was great but the texture and form were off. Not chewy, a little cakey. Maybe too much baking soda? I varied the times a bit on each bake and tried the recommendation to give the pan a whack on the counter part way through but they were still off. I’ll move on to another recipe BUT we still gobbled them up in record time 🙂
This is good to know. The ingredients look like they should blend well together. Perhaps its your oven? Did you use air bake cookie sheets?