chewy brown butter molasses cookies

Molasses Cookies are thick & chewy, with a crinkly exterior and crisp edges. They have incredible depth of flavor that comes from plenty of ginger, molasses, brown butter, and dark brown sugar. Dunk these in a quick maple glaze for a polished finish and watch them fly off the plate during the holiday season (or any time of year!)

this recipe

It wouldn’t be the Christmas season without a plate of cookies brimming with the flavors of molasses and ginger! These ones are perfectly chewy with a crisp crackly top and edges. And, they couldn’t be easier to make – let’s dive in!

Why you’ll love these Ginger Molasses Cookies:

• Thick & Chewy Cookies – These delicious cookies have the perfect chewy texture with crisp, crinkly edges! The addition of brown butter and dark brown sugar takes the flavors to another level.
• Easy Cookie Recipe – This recipe is made in one bowl with no mixer, and has a relatively quick chill time.
• Maple Glaze – Top the warm cookies with a silky maple glaze for a polished finish! These truly are the best molasses cookies you’ll ever taste.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found at the bottom of this post.

• Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
• All-purpose Flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
• Molasses – Don’t use blackstrap molasses – it’s quite bitter and people don’t typically bake with it. Dark molasses or unsulphured molasses are both fine. I typically buy the Brer Rabbit or Grandma’s brand. Brer Rabbit does make blackstrap, so be sure to double check the type on the bottle label. Molasses can be found in most grocery stores in the baking aisle.
• Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar beautifully enhances the flavors in these cookies – I highly recommend using it! It’s a wonderful addition to most cookie recipes in place of light brown sugar.
• Spices – Ground cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg perfectly enhance the flavor of these molasses cookies.

Ingredient Substitutions:

• Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free butter to make this recipe dairy-free.
• Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of these cookies but I’ve had readers say they’ve had good results using a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour in my cookie recipes.

How to Make Molasses Cookies:

Step 1: Brown the Butter. Brown your butter – it adds so much flavor and takes just 5 minutes!

Step 2: Make Cookie Dough. Whisk together the butter and molasses, Then whisk in the brown and white sugar, then the eggs, and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients just until a dough forms.

Step 3: Scoop & Chill Cookies. Scoop cookie dough balls that are 70 grams each (or you can make them smaller). Place in the freezer to chill for at least 30 minutes, or in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Step 4: Bake. Roll cookies in granulated sugar. Place 5-6 cookies on your prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake as directed in the recipe card below.

The cookies will look a bit puffy out of the oven, but will settle down to look like the other photos as they cool.

Step 5: Add the Maple Glaze. Make the glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla. Drizzle over the warm or cooled cookies.

Serving + Storing:

Once the molasses cookies are still warm, but cool enough to handle – dig in! Let cookies cool completely at room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Store cookies in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Unglazed cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. Use up the rest of your molasses with my Thick & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies or my Gingerbread Layer Cake.

Expert Success Tips:

• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

FAQs:

Recipe Variations:

• Brown Butter – If you’re short on time, you can simply melt the butter and skip the step of browning it. You’ll have delicious molasses cookies either way!
• Glaze – Feel free to skip the glaze if you aren’t into glazed cookies.

Special Tools:

• Baking Sheets – These are my favorite cookie sheets!
• Cookie Scoop – I like using a cookie scoop to help portion my dough, but I still recommend weighing it out with a kitchen scale for the most accuracy.
• Round Cutters – Round cutters are a baker’s best trick for getting your baked cookies perfectly round! Immediately place a round cutter around the outside of each cookie once baked and swirl the cookie within it to “scoot” them into perfect circles.

More Perfect Christmas Cookies to Love:

• Cinnamon Roll Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Frosted Sour Cream Cookies (chewy not cakey!)
• Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark
• Black Forest Chocolate Truffles
• Best Soft Gingerbread Cookies

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