Chewy Molasses Cookies

Take a look around my blog and you’ll find so many cookies that are perfect for the holiday season. I especially love my Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies, Almond Rye Thumbprint Cookies and Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies.  This chewy molasses cookie recipe a fantastic addition to my growing collection of holiday cookie recipes. I know you’ll love it because: 

• They are quick and easy. All you need to do is bring the butter and egg to room temperature, make the ginger cookie dough, chill, roll the dough balls in sugar and bake! 
• You love a simple cookie recipe with lots of festive flavor and texture. This recipe for sweet and spicy molasses cookies uses over a tablespoon of ground warming spices like ginger, cinnamon and cloves. The spices are balanced out by the sweet, slightly smoky flavor of the molasses. With soft, chewy centers and crunchy, slightly toasted exteriors, they are a beautiful balance of textures. 

Dry ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt

Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, granulated sugar, unsulphured molasses, egg, and vanilla extract.

Cinnamon Sugar Ingredients: Gather ground ginger and granulated sugar.

These chewy molasses cookies are quick and easy to make. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these soft, buttery and spice filled cookies:

• All purpose flour: To make this pumpkin loaf gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill.
• Baking Soda: A double acting baking powder is the best substitute for baking soda. The final texture of the cookies will be different, but it will still be delicious. Use 3 teaspoons (1 tbsp) baking powder in place of the baking soda. 
• Ground Spices: Feel free to use 2-3 teaspoons of Pumpkin spice, chai spice or apple pie spice  in this recipe.
• Unsalted Butter: You can use the same amount of salted butter as written in the recipe, but omit the added salt. Use a vegan,  plant based butter or coconut oil if needed to make these molasses ginger cookies dairy free.
• Light Brown and Granulated Sugars: A blend of both sugars is what creates that old fashioned sour cream sugar cookie taste. This recipe hasn’t been tested using alternative sugars. However, I love using maple sugar as a refined sugar free option in my other cookie recipes. Maple sugar bakes very similarly to light brown sugar. 
• Egg:  This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs. However, you could use ¼  cup applesauce in place of the egg to make these vegan molasses cookies. 
• Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap for these cookies. If you must substitute, honey would work the best.

Grab your ingredients and let’s make the best chewy molasses cookies!

1. In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, ground spices and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until creamy and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
3. With the mixer on low, stream in the molasses. Turn up the speed to medium, beating until well combined. On low, beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the cookies from the fridge to sit out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop tablespoon sized balls of molasses cookie dough.
6. Make the spiced sugar in a small shallow bowl by whisking the sugar and ground ginger together until well combined. Roll the ball into the spiced sugar until well coated.
7. Place the molasses cookie balls on the parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set. Remove the cookie sheet to cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Remove the cookies from the warm cookie sheet to fully cool on the cooling rack.

• Make Ahead: Although this molasses cookie recipe is easy to make and comes together quickly, the cookie dough can easily be made ahead of time. To do this simply prepare the cookies according to the recipe directions through step 4  and decide which storage method meets your needs. 
• Freeze the cookie dough: Place the cookie dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet, place the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until the cookie dough is frozen. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place the cookie dough balls into a ziplock bag. These ginger molasses cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
• Thaw the cookie dough: Transfer your desired amount of frozen cookie dough balls onto a lined plate or baking sheet. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. Bring the cookie dough balls to room temperature before rolling in the cinnamon sugar and baking. 
• Store leftover cookie dough: Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
• To store baked cookies: These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

• Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the cookies to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in a soft, chewy and delicious cookie. 
• Don’t overmix the cookie dough: Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. 
• Chill the dough: Resting the dough in the fridge allows the flour to rehydrate, resulting in a chewier, soft cookie. The flavors also develop more fully after some chilling time. 
• Slightly under-bake the cookies: For cookies that are soft and chewy for days, the secret is to bake them until the edges are set and cracks have formed across the top of the cookie.