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A stack of molasses cookies on a white plate.

Old-fashioned Molasses Cookie Recipe

Melissa Norris
Old-fashioned molasses cookies recipe straight from Great-Grandma's kitchen. This is an easy recipe for a delicious soft and chewy homemade cookie. Also called molasses crinkle cookies due to the way they crinkle on the top as they bake.
4.18 from 102 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 60 cookies (5 dozen)
Calories 56 kcal

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowls or stand mixer
  • Whisk or Spatula or stand mixer whisk and spatula attachments
  • Dough Whisk
  • Parchment Paper
  • Cookie Scoop or Tablespoon
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar divided
  • 1/4 cup molasses I like blackstrap
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and one cup sugar until creamy (reserve the ¼ cup sugar for rolling the cookie dough).
  • Add molasses and the egg and beat until well blended.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Add to molasses mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix; just blend until no more dry flour is visible.
  • Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. An hour is best.
  • Form dough into one-inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar and place two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until cookies have just set. Allow them to cool for one minute on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Video

Notes

Tips:
  • Don't skip the chill time, otherwise your cookies will be flat and crispy, not chewy and soft.
  • If your cookies are spreading out too much, chill the dough longer, or add extra flour (see notes in the blog post above).
  • To make Gingerbread, just reduce the butter to 1/2 cup and increase the molasses to 1/2 cup. Then, roll the dough out to 1/4-1/2 inch thick, cut out shapes (or score the dough if making a gingerbread house) and bake. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 56kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 0.5gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 26mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 71IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword blackstrap molasses cookie, molasses cookie recipe, old-fashioned molasses cookie
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