Description
These Bakery Style Molasses Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Rolled in granulated sugar and baked to perfection, these classic cookies are perfect for holiday treats or any time you crave a comforting spiced dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coating
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This step enhances the flavor and prevents excessive spreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape the Cookies: Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat, and place it on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between cookies.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look slightly soft and underbaked in the center when removed but will firm up as they cool.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- For stronger molasses flavor, you can use dark molasses, but it will make the cookies more intense and slightly less sweet.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- These cookies freeze well: freeze unbaked dough balls in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag; bake from frozen adding a couple minutes to baking time.
