The Best Soft, Chewy Blackstrap Molasses Cookies Recipe

These soft, chewy molasses cookies use warm spices, a dark molasses, and a dash of love to create the perfect cookie that will soon be everyone in your families favorite cookie.  Often time we pull out this chewy cookie recipe right in time for the holiday season. These simple black strap molasses cookies may sound intimidating; but they are mild in flavor, soft in texture and are perfect for any Christmas cookie plate…And yes you will be able to achieve those perfect crackly tops,

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When you pop them in the oven, your kitchen immediately begins to smell like Christmas! This recipe is not only a season staple at the Flour Barn, it’s the cookie I bring to every family event. They go wonderfully with a cup of coffee (better than any biscotti!), taste amazing filled with buttercream, and last beautifully in that cute little snowman cookie jar on the counter. Best of all, if you follow a few simple tips, they are an easy, no fail cookie that will bring a little spice and pizzazz to your holidays for years to come!

Quick Tips for making the Best Molasses Cookies every time!

1. Cream your shortening, sugar, and molasses for at least 5 minutes. As you beat your shortening and sugars, you are incorporating air into your dough that will give your cookies a nice rise in the oven. This step is so important! And can be applied to most cookie recipes. When you first start mixing these three ingredients, you will notice that the color is dark from the molasses. Give it five minutes and you will notice that your batter becomes significantly lighter. This is a good indication that your mixture is well beaten and you’re ready to move on to the next step. I use my Kitchen Aid electric mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer or even a wooden spoon (although this might get a little tiring…)
2. Use blackstrap molasses for a stronger flavor and color. Any kind of molasses can be used in this recipe, and I’ve used them all. I’ve found that I prefer the cookies made with blackstrap molasses. If you have trouble finding this in your local grocery, “robust” molasses is similar.
3. Roll your dough balls TWICE in sugar before baking. For a little extra crunch, I like to double dip my cookie dough in the granulated sugar right before popping them in the oven. It seems like a little thing, but it makes a big difference, especially if you like a good crunch on the outside of your cookie, and a soft middle.

Rolling Your Cookies Out

At the bakery we started out by measuring each cookie by weight with a scale to ensure that they were all the same size.. However once we started to make a large volume of cookies, we realized that method was just not practical. That is when we got our favorite cookie scoop. We use the scoop by filling it up and scraping the top dough off. This means no heaping cookie scoop. We then roll our even-sized dough balls in sugar, and then in sugar again for that extra crunch.

How to Prepare ahead

These cookies can be baked at room temperature, unlike my Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe that I have you chill for at least an hour. I am sure the first time you make them you wont be able to resist popping a few in the oven to try, but what you can also do it make your dough and keep it in the fridge for several days. You also can freeze the dough. To freeze I would recommend scooping cookie dough balls onto your prepared cookie sheet, this means already sugared and everything. Then covering with plastic wrap and freezing like that. Then get your molasses cookie dough out and let come to room temperature before baking. It can be slightly cooler than room temp, but you just don’t want them to still be frozen in the middle.  These options are convenient for when you want freshly baked cookies for your guests, or for the Big Man himself…

Baking Molasses Cookies with Kids

Every year when I get the cookie jar down out of storage, my boys get so excited to make cookies and this is a great recipe to make with kids! Because we are using vegetable shortening instead of butter the cookies just tend to be more forgiving. The first step for making cookies with the kids is to release your expectations of perfection, which is so hard for me! I want perfectly round, even cookies with just the right amount of sugar. But depending on the ages of your helpers that may not be possible. I try to relax and let them shape the dough as suits them, spill some flour in the process, taste test as they see fit  It’s a tradition that we really love and it’s always a little sad when it’s time to store the cookie jar back in the attic!

Are you baking with your kids this season? Any tips or tricks? Does it make you a little crazy or do you have perfect patience?! We’d love to hear your stories!

Soft, Chewy Blackstrap Molasses Cookies Recipe

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients

  

• 200 grams 1 cup granulated sugar
• 142 grams 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 88 grams 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 260 grams 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• extra granulated sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the white sugar, vegetable shortening, and molasses. Cream together on medium speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture should lighten in color and look whipped.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in your egg. Mix for about another minute, until well blended.
• In a separate large bowl or medium bowl add your flour, baking soda, spices and salt and whisk until well combined.
• Add your dry ingredients to the mixer bowl (with your wet ingredients) and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl once.
• Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out the cookie dough and form it into a ball about the size of a ping pong ball. Roll it in granulated sugar and place on the cookie sheet.
• Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until they begin to crack on the top.
• Remove from oven on wire rack.
• Enjoy your soft Molasses cookies