Chewy Molasses Cookie Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Have you been looking for your Grandma's molasses cookie recipe? You know, the one that's soft but chewy, rolled in sugar with crackly tops, and filled with that spicy fall flavor? Well, look no further! Here's the recipe for that old-fashioned favorite, and I'll even show you how to make it!

Prep Time10

Cook Time12

Total Time22

Course: Cookie

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chewy molasses cookies, Grandma's molasses cookie recipe, molasses cookie recipe, soft molasses cookies

Servings: serving

Calories: 78kcal

Author: Mindee

Cost: 15

Ingredients

½ Cup Shortening
1 ½ Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
½ Cup Molasses just regular molasses (I use "Grandma's" brand)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Allspice
2 ¾ Cup Flour
Extra Sugar for rolling

Instructions

You will not need to preheat your oven at this point because this cookie dough needs to chill.
Cream the shortening, sugar, and molasses in a large bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Add the eggs and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients, the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking soda, and flour, at the same time.
Mix well.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour. The cookie dough may seem like it needs a lot more flour at this point, but don't worry, it doesn't.
After chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare your baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or spraying them lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Add ½ cup or so of sugar to a shallow dish like a pie plate to roll the dough balls through.
Scoop out dough with a #40 cookie scoop or by tablespoonfuls and roll them in sugar.
Place sugar-coated cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet.
Place the dough back in the fridge between batches. It's best to keep it chilled rather than allow it to become room temperature.
Bake them at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 10 minutes for soft cookies or 12 minutes for crispier cookies.
They will be puffy and just slightly browned on the edges when done.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Once cool, immediately put them in an airtight container or cookie jar to keep them soft.

Notes

Molasses - What kind of molasses you ask? You're going to want to use a medium or dark molasses. The light has a bit too mild of a flavor and blackstrap molasses is too strong and on the bitter side. That being said, if the light or blackstrap kinds are the ones you prefer, you can use them. Grandma's brand is my favorite.
Shortening - Many people prefer not to use shortening. I don't feel bad about using it once in a while, but people always ask, can I substitute butter for shortening in this recipe? The purpose of shortening in this recipe is to add a fat that will maintain the cookie structure so they don't spread and flatten as well as not interfere with the molasses flavor. Butter both alters the flavor result and causes them to spread too thin. You could; however, substitute a very solid coconut oil if you absolutely insist. The cookies may still spread a little thinner than the ideal, but it's a better alternative than butter.
Nutritional Disclaimer

Nutrition