Description
Grandma’s super soft molasses cookies blend nostalgic warmth with rich, spicy sweetness from her cherished American farmhouse recipe. Comfort-packed cookies invite you to savor generations of baking tradition in one delightful, chewy bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (2.5 grams) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ¾ cup (180 milliliters) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) full-flavor molasses (such as Brer Rabbit)
Sweetening Ingredient:
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar (plus extra for rolling)
Instructions
- Whisk flour, cloves, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl, creating a fragrant dry mixture that will form the base of the cookies.
- Beat vegetable oil and granulated sugar in a mixer until the texture becomes smooth and slightly fluffy, creating a uniform wet foundation.
- Incorporate molasses and egg into the oil-sugar mixture, blending until the ingredients form a cohesive, glossy liquid.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture on low speed, stirring gently to prevent overmixing and maintain a delicate cookie texture.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the mixture to firm up for easier handling.
- Heat the oven to 375°F, positioning the rack just above the center. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Extract chilled dough and roll into 1-inch spheres, coating each ball generously with granulated sugar for a sparkling, crisp exterior.
- Arrange cookie balls on prepared sheets, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart to prevent merging during baking.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, watching for slightly set edges while maintaining soft centers. The cookies will initially puff up and then flatten during cooling.
- Rest cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Store in an airtight container, preserving their soft, chewy texture for up to one week at room temperature.
Notes
- Chilling the dough transforms ordinary cookie mixture into a texture-rich, melt-in-your-mouth experience that intensifies molasses depth and prevents excessive spreading.
- Rolling cookies in granulated sugar creates a delightful crackly exterior that adds beautiful sparkle and provides a gentle sweet crunch contrasting the soft interior.
- Careful mixing techniques ensure maximum softness, with minimal handling preventing gluten development.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg