Soft, Chewy Molasses Cookies with Crisp Edges

I’ve been making these molasses cookies for almost 15 years now, and over the years I have perfected all my own tried-and-true methods for making them perfectly chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, with the perfect balance of sweet to spice.

The best ever, molasses cookies recipe.

I am confident I have mastered the best ever molasses cookie recipe (because everyone who eats them tells me I have). Below I am sharing all of my tricks to make sure you do, too! These are my husband’s favorite cookies, and they were his dad’s favorite cookies, too.

That is actually how I learned to make them, and over the past 15 years I have tweaked my process to get the best results. I’ve also learned quite a bit about baking in general in that time, which I have applied to this recipe and include in my tips and process below.

The combination of brown sugar and warm spices in this recipe makes cookies that are like an edible warm hug. While these are great any time of year, they are my family’s favorite holiday cookies and it’s become our tradition to make them every year at Christmas time. 

When you follow my easy steps and tips, you’ll bake chewy ginger molasses cookies with crisp edges that are perfect for the holiday season!

Ingredients for Molasses Cookies

Ready to make some addictive, chewy cookies? Get the full recipe with measurements and ingredients in the recipe card below. Don’t skip reading all my best tips for the best chewy molasses cookies below. Here is a summary of what you’ll need:

• Light brown sugar
• Vegetable oil
• Molasses
• Large Eggs
• All-purpose flour
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Granulated Sugar (white sugar)

How to Make Molasses Cookies

These old-fashioned cookies will be come a family tradition for you, just like they have for us. My simple recipe has 6 steps to cookie perfection:

1. Prep oven and pan. Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses, and egg.

3. Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. 
4. Combine all ingredients. Stir the dry mixture into the molasses mixture.

5. Form cookie dough balls. Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball, about the size of a golf ball. Roll the ball in granulated sugar (generously to create the signature crunchy sugar coating) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Repeat until you have 6 cookies on the baking sheet (2 rows of 3). Refrigerate dough between cooking batches so it stays firm enough to form balls.
6. Bake and cool. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a wire rack. 

Tips for the Best Molasses Cookies

When you follow these tips, you’ll have success making classic molasses cookies even if it’s your first time baking:

• Use fresh ingredients: Fresh ingredients make the best cookies. My father-in-law taught me this because it was his mom’s best baking tip.
• Measure flour properly: ​This is super important to achieve the right texture. Be sure to fluff the flour with a fork or whisk, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a butter knife (spoon and level method).
• Make cookie dough balls golf ball sized: This is really important so that when they spread, you end up with thick, chewy, soft molasses cookies with picture-perfect crackly tops.
• Alternate cookie sheets: You’re going to alternate two prepared baking sheets to make all of your cookies. When your first batch comes out of the oven, let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (this helps create the crispy edges and lets them finish cooking). While that is happening, use a separate large baking sheet to start your next batch. This also gives time for the cookie sheet to cool off in between batches. If you play the dough balls on a baking sheet that is too hot, they’ll spread too quickly and you won’t achieve the texture with a chewy center that we’re going for.

Storing Molasses Cookies

Store these cookies in an airtight container or ziploc bag at room temperature for up to a week. 

Freezing Molasses Cookies and Molasses Cookie Dough

The cookie dough can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. Once baked, the cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. 

To serve, thaw them overnight in the fridge and bring them to room temperature if preferred. Unbaked cookie dough balls (before coating in sugar) also freeze well for up to 3 months. 

When ready to bake, let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, preheat the oven, and roll them in granulated sugar.

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