Molasses Cookies are such a wonderful, delicious cookie and definitely my family’s favorite!
This traditional ginger cookie uses ground ginger, cinnamon and of course molasses!
Rolled in sugar and baked to golden perfection, these are a deliciously spicy treat perfect for the holidays, or in my house, any season!
What is a Molasses Cookie?
A Molasses Cookie is made with all the usual cookie ingredients such as sugar, flour, margarine, baking soda and salt. What makes this cookie special is the addition of ground cinnamon, ginger and of course molasses!
These delicate dough balls are rolled in sugar and baked to golden perfection.
The flavor is amazing and totally unmistakable!
What is Molasses?
Molasses are produced during the sugar-making process.
The result is a syrup like liquid used in many recipes.
There are different types of molasses, depending on the process and how much sugar has been extracted.
There are several different types of molasses. So what is the difference between these types of molasses?
- Light and Dark Molasses – Light molasses are sweet tasting and of course lighter in color because only a small amount of sugar has been extracted. Dark molasses are of course darker, thicker and less sweet because they are boiled a second time and more sugar is extracted.
- Blackstrap molasses – What is blackstrap molasses? It is the product of a third boiling. The result is darker in color, thicker and more bitter.
- “Unsulphured” or “Sulphured” molasses – Sulphur dioxide is sometimes added as a preservative to molasses and it will make molasses taste less sweet. For this reason “unsulphured” molasses are typically used in recipes because it is sweeter.
- Fancy molasses – this is a type of molasses is condensed from the juice of the sugar cane which makes it the most sweet. Most often used in baking.
- Cooking molasses – this a blend of both fancy and blackstrap molasses which produces a product that is both sweet and still has that great molasses flavor.
Are there health benefits to blackstrap molasses?
According to Healthline.com there are definitely benefits to adding blackstrap molasses to your diet.
- While it does contain sugar, it may be digested slower which helps stabalize blood sugar.
- It contains both calcium and magnesium which aids in building bones.
- A good source of iron and potassium and minerals.
These Molasses Cookies also have ground ginger as well as cinnamon which both have nutritional benefits!
Ginger is known to help remedy nausea while cinnamon can be used to combat a sore throat, bad breath and is also used in weight loss.
So these little cookies not only taste great, they are chock full of goodness as well!
I often get questions about making substitutions in recipes. Here are a few suggestions that will apply to these Molasses Cookies.
- Molasses – 1 cup of molasses can be replaced with 1 cup dark corn syrup, honey or maple syrup.
- Butter – you can interchange butter, margarine, shortening or even coconut oil in your recipes. Many people do prefer to use butter in their cookies because it is so flavorful, however coconut oil is becoming a very popular substitute as well.
- All purpose flour – you can always use cake flour of course, but if you decide to use whole wheat flour, you will need to use less. For 1 cup all purpose flour, use 3/4 cup whole wheat flour.
- Ginger or cinnamon – you can interchange ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg.
These Molasses Cookies are so easy, with just the right amount of spice, they are a fun and delicious cookie! Not only are they tasty, they are so beautiful and golden brown that they can make your mouth water just looking at them!
Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup margarine or shortening
- 1 cup white sugar
- ¼ cup molasses light or dark
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until smooth. Add egg and beat until fluffy.
- Stir in molasses until completely combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.
- Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture just until incorporated.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Gently roll in sugar and place on an un-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to cooling rack.
Notes
- Use room-temperature eggs and butter for easier blending and even baking.
- Sprinkle flour into measuring cup, then level off for the perfect amount of flour.
- Use a 1 ½” cookie scoop for evenly sized and perfectly round cookies!
- Do not overbake the cookies!
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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