The cookie you didn’t know you needed! These big, spicy, thin and crispy molasses cookies won’t win any beauty contests, but what they lack in looks, they make up for in seriously delicious flavour.
These molasses cookies aren’t the prettiest cookies on the block, but I just love their sweet and spicy taste and the crisp texture.
Mostly though, I love the way the butter and sugar in these cookies caramelizes as they cook, into something that just keeps me coming back to these cookies again and again.
Ingredient Notes
Molasses – I don’t recommend blackstrap molasses, as the flavour is just too strong. I generally use “Fancy” molasses, though cooking molasses may also work.
Step-by-Step Photos
- Mix in the molasses, then give the bowl a good scraping. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl under the paddle, where unmixed butter can hide.
- Cream together the butter and sugar. Creaming should be done at medium speed, about Speed 4-5 on a Kitchenaid mixer. Cream for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy, the add and beat in the egg.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and add to the dough.
- Mix in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
- Place dollops of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave lots of space between, as they will spread. I do 6 at a time on a half sheet pan.
- Bake 14-16 minutes. The cookies will puff while baking, but will deflate towards the end of the baking time. You’ll want to let them bake until they have mostly deflated in the oven. Let them sit on the baking sheet a couple of minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with subsequent batches.
Baker’s Notes
If you have a kitchen scale, I strongly suggest using the gram measurements for the butter and flour, for best accuracy. If you don’t have a scale, be sure you measure the flour using the spoon and level method.
These cookies are going to spread as they bake. On a half sheet pan, I cook only 6 at a time. Be sure to leave 3-4 inches between mounds of dough.
As for the baking time, you’ll need to experiment a bit with the first few batches. It will vary depending on your baking sheet, oven accuracy and how you like your cookies. I cook mine anywhere from 15-17 minutes. Subsequent batches that are baking on an already warm pan may need slightly less time n the oven.
These cookies are really soft right out of the oven, so they need to sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before you can safely move them to a cooling rack. They’ll continue cooking a wee bit as they sit on the baking sheet, so bear that in mind. They will crisp up more as they cool.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) Fancy molasses, not blackstrap
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 teaspoons (205 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled *see Note 1 below
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt, reduce to 1/4 tsp. if you used salted butter
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325° F. (not fan assisted) with rack in centre of oven and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. If necessary, scrape down the bowl to make sure the butter is all mixed in. Beat in the molasses briefly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt and ground cloves. With the mixer running, slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixture until completely incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into mounds, about 2 Tablespoons each and place on prepared cookie sheet. Space the cookies at least 3 to 4 inches apart, as they will spread! (I bake only 6 at a time on a half sheet pan.)
- Baking time will vary depending on your oven, weight of your baking sheet and how you like your cookies. Cookies will puff up as they bake, but will deflate considerably as they near the end of baking. You'll want to let them bake until they are mostly deflated and some degree of golden, which is typically 14-16 minutes. (The darker the cookie the crispier it will be). If you prefer a slightly chewier cookie, bake a minute or so less. Also note that 2nd and subsequent batches will bake more quickly as the baking pan is now warm. Check a couple of minutes earlier on those batches.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to sit on the baking sheet until they firm (about a minute or two) up enough to move to a cooling rack. Cookies will firm up more as they cool.
Notes
Adapted from a Christina Tosi recipe
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Hi. Please advise if and if so how much, the additional flour is for the increases in batch size and also the reduction increments for different batch sizes. Thank you so much. linda
Hi Linda, you can use the buttons in the top part of the Recipe Card. Clicking the “1/2X” button will halve the ingredients (and yield) for you automatically.
This recipe is fantastic! I added ground black pepper for a spicy kick! I’m now making these again for the third time this holiday season they were such a hit. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear, Sara! These are one of my favourite cookies. Thanks so much!