I think my favorite holiday cookie might just be Soft Molasses Cookies. Soft, chewy, and bursting with warm holiday spices, these molasses cookies are everything you dream of in a holiday treat.
A delicate crackle on top gives way to a tender interior, rich with the deep, caramelized sweetness of molasses and a hint of ginger. This cookie recipe is like a warm hug on a cold winter's day.
I've been making molasses cookies with my mom at Christmas time for as long as I can remember. They have always been a favorite of my dad's. Then one year we started dipping them in white chocolate.
They're incredible on their own but soft molasses cookies are just that much tastier when dipped in white chocolate or almond bark. Add dark chocolate shavings, crushed candy cane or festive baking decorations after dipping. For a powdered sugar topping, try this Molasses Crinkle Cookie recipe!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cookies can be frozen, with or without the white chocolate. Perfect for making ahead of the busy holiday season!
- Mix up a variety of cookies by sprinkling on different toppings after dipping in chocolate.
- These soft Molasses cookies have similar taste to gingerbread cookies, without all the cutting and shaping.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar: The combo of brown and white sugar gives you a chewy but moist texture and robust flavor.
- Shortening: I use butter-flavored shortening in my soft molasses cookies recipes.
- Molasses: Molasses adds a sweet, robust, and undeniable flavor. Make sure you are not using blackstrap molasses. It has a less sweet more bitter taste.
- Cinnamon: A key holiday baking spice. Also used in these fun Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies!
- Spices: Cloves, ground ginger, and yes - dried mustard!
- Demerara Sugar: I roll the cookies in this before baking to give a crackly texture.
- White Chocolate: I love my molasses cookies dipped in white chocolate or vanilla almond bark, but this is optional.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Crush candy canes then sprinkle them on top of the white chocolate after dipping for a festive look. I like doing this to Hot Chocolate Cookies!
- Use vanilla almond bark in place of white chocolate when dipping the cookies.
- Unsalted butter can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio for the shortening however, make note that the cookies will spread a bit more.
- Shave dark chocolate and sprinkle it on top of the white chocolate after dipping.
- If you don't love large sugar granules on the outside of your soft molasses cookies, then roll them in brown sugar instead of Demerara sugar before baking.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Soft Molasses Cookies
Step 1: Cream shortening and sugar with a mixer.
Step 2: Add molasses and egg until fluffy.
Step 3: Whisk dry ingredients well in a separate bowl.
Step 4: Add dry to wet until just combined.
Step 5: After chilling, roll dough into balls and roll in sugar.
Step 6: Bake until set and crackly.
Step 7: After cooling, dip in white chocolate and peppermint.
Expert Baking Tips
- Don't skip the chilling step. This helps lessen spreading when baking. An important step in Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies too!
- Let the cookies cool completely before dipping them in white chocolate.
- Tap the Soft Molasses Cookies on the counter or the baking sheet several times before dipping them. This will help shake off any extra sugar so it doesn't get into the melted white chocolate. Keeping crumbs and sugar out of the melted chocolate will help keep your molasses cookies looking nice and clean.
- Let the cookies set briefly, about 30 seconds, before sprinkling on your toppings.
- Let cookies set completely after dipping them before transferring them.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! They freeze so well. You can freeze them before you dip them or after. Let them thaw out on the counter for about 15-20 minutes before you plan to eat them. Or just eat them frozen like I do!
Before freezing, double bag inside a Ziploc freezer bag then inside of an airtight container. Molasses cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months, just the same as Christmas Crack with Pretzels!
Make sure the cookies are completely cooled so they don't break. Gently tap off any excess sugar to keep your white chocolate clean. Place the cookie in the melted chocolate then pull the cookie toward yourself so the chocolate goes about ⅓ up the cookie. Coating the bottom of the cookie is not necessary. After dipping, place on parchment paper. Wait about 30 seconds before sprinkling any toppings onto the chocolate. This way they won't slide right off, but the chocolate will be wet enough to hold on to them.
These are so easy to store! You can freeze them either before or after dipping in chocolate, whichever you prefer. Otherwise, store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. They can be stored in a plastic resealable bag or airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.
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Soft Molasses Cookies
Equipment
- oven
- baking sheets
- stand mixer or electric mixer
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup shortening room temp
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temp
- ¼ cup molasses
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Rolling
- ½ cup Demerara sugar
Dip
- 10 oz white chocolate chips
Toppings (optional)
- 4 candy canes crushed
- 1 oz dark chocolate bar shaved
Instructions
Mixing the Wet Ingredients
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the shortening and both sugars on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy
- Add the egg and molasses and mix on low speed until combined then continue on medium speed for another 1-2 minutes until fluffy
Mixing the Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, dry mustard and salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed just until combined
Preparing the Cookies
- Form 2 inch cookie balls then roll them in the Demerara sugar and lay them on a baking sheet
- Chill the cookie balls for 30 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Bake the cookies at least 2 inches apart for 13-15 minutes
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the tray for 2 minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before dipping
Making the White Chocolate Dip
- Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler until smooth
- Alternatively, you can melt the white chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each time
- Once the cookies are cool, tap each cookie on a plate to knock off excess sugar. Dip the cookie about halfway into the white chocolate then set it on a sheet of parchment paper
- Sprinkle with crushed candy cane or dark chocolate shavings if desired
- Let the white chocolate set for about 1 hour. Enjoy!
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