Description
Grandma’s Irresistibly Soft Molasses Cookies are chewy, tender, and bursting with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. These cookies combine rich molasses and sugar for a perfect balance of sweetness and depth, making them an ideal treat for any occasion or holiday season.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for rolling)
- ¼ cup full-flavor molasses
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking and prepare for baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt. Stir well to evenly combine all the spices and leavening agent with the flour.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, molasses, and the large egg until the mixture is smooth and creamy. The molasses will give the dough a rich, dark color.
- Form the dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir with a spoon or mix with a hand mixer on low speed until the dough is uniform and soft. It will be slightly sticky but manageable.
- Shape the cookies: Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll each into a ball. Then roll each ball in additional granulated sugar to coat. Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies are set but still soft in the center. They may look slightly underbaked, but they will firm up as they cool.
- Cool and serve: Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This step ensures the cookies stay soft and chewy.
Notes
- For softer cookies, do not overbake; remove them when edges are set but centers still look a bit soft.
- Molasses can vary in flavor intensity; use full-flavor molasses for the richest taste.
- Using room temperature egg helps the dough come together more easily.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them soft for up to 5 days.
- You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients for extra flavor if desired.
