Irresistibly Soft and Chewy: The Best Old-Fashioned Iced Molasses Cookies

Discover the ultimate recipe for soft and chewy Old-Fashioned Iced Molasses Cookies – a delightful blend of rich flavor and perfect texture that’s incredibly easy to make! These classic chewy molasses crinkle cookies are infused with the warm, inviting notes of ginger, butter, sugar, and a symphony of aromatic spices like allspice and cloves. Whether you’re preparing a small batch for a cozy evening or a large quantity for your annual holiday celebrations, these sweet cookies are guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser and vanish in no time!

For years, I embarked on a quest to find the quintessential molasses cookie recipe – one that could replicate the joyous experience of those glorious cookies I cherished from the mall’s cookie company. They were always substantial, wonderfully chewy ginger molasses cookies, generously adorned with a delicate drizzle of white icing. Each bite was pure bliss, making them my absolute favorite treat. That distinct flavor and texture lingered in my memory, a benchmark for all other molasses cookies.

While my website proudly features a variety of delightful ginger-infused cookies – from Karen’s gingerbread cookies and chewy brown butter gingersnaps to the sophisticated Regency ginger crisps, and even a unique gingerdoodle cookie recipe that cleverly merges the best of snickerdoodles and ginger cookies – none quite captured the magic of those iced mall cookies. Each of these recipes offers its own distinct deliciousness, truly, but I was on a dedicated mission for that specific nostalgic satisfaction. And I am thrilled to announce, dear friends, that my search has finally ended. I have found them! This recipe delivers precisely that perfect cookie.

The moment I discovered this recipe, I was instantly captivated. It’s incredibly easy to follow, and the cookies turn out wonderfully soft, with that perfect chewiness I longed for. The creamy icing is not merely an addition but a transformative element, elevating these already delicious cookies to an extraordinary level. The delicate yet distinct flavors of ginger and molasses shine beautifully through this crinkle cookie recipe, making every bite a truly memorable experience.

Why These Iced Molasses Cookies Are a Must-Try

This particular molasses cookie recipe stands out for several compelling reasons, making it a staple in any baker’s repertoire, especially during the festive season. Its perfect balance of simplicity and flavor ensures a truly rewarding baking experience and even more delightful eating.

• Effortlessly Easy: Forget complicated baking processes. These soft iced molasses cookies are incredibly simple to prepare, making them accessible even for novice bakers. The ingredients are straightforward and readily available, ensuring that you can whip up a batch of the best molasses cookies you’ve ever tasted with minimal fuss.
• Perfectly Sweetened: The judicious combination of rich molasses and granulated sugar ensures these cookies achieve an ideal sweetness. The deep, caramel-like notes of molasses are perfectly complemented by the bright sweetness of sugar, creating a harmonious flavor profile that is irresistible without being cloyingly sweet.
• The Ultimate Holiday Treat: With their warm, spiced flavors and festive appearance, these delicate cookies are absolutely perfect for Christmas and other holiday gatherings. They pair beautifully with other classic baked holiday treats and are sure to become a beloved tradition on your dessert table.
• Incredibly Chewy Texture: Prepare to be amazed by the incredible chewiness of these molasses crinkle cookies. Each bite offers a satisfying resilience that gives way to a tender interior, leaving you yearning for just one more. This signature chewy texture is what sets these cookies apart and makes them utterly addictive.
• Rich & Aromatic Flavor Profile: Beyond just sweet, these cookies are a celebration of warm spices. The prominent ginger, complemented by subtle notes of allspice and cloves, creates a depth of flavor that is both comforting and exhilarating, making them truly special.
• Beautiful Crinkle Appearance: The signature crinkled tops, enhanced by the sweet glaze, give these cookies a charming, rustic, and inviting appearance. They look as wonderful as they taste, perfect for gifting or displaying.

The Intriguing Origin of Molasses Cookies

The history of ginger molasses cookies is as rich and comforting as their flavor, tracing its roots back to the small, coastal town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. These classic treats were originally known as “Joe Froggers,” a name inspired by a local fisherman named Uncle Joe. Legend has it that Uncle Joe lived near a large frog pond and crafted a secret, utterly delicious molasses cookie recipe. These oversized, deeply flavored cookies were initially made to sustain the local fishermen during their long, cold days at sea, offering a dose of energy and warmth.

The fishermen, captivated by their taste, soon begged Uncle Joe to share his culinary secret. Eventually, the treasured recipe spread beyond Marblehead, capturing the hearts and palates of people across the country. These cookies became synonymous with traditional American baking, especially beloved in kitchens familiar with old-fashioned sweets. To this day, Joe Frogger cookies hold a special place in New England’s culinary heritage, still sold in bakeries throughout Massachusetts and regarded as cherished delicacies by many. They represent a taste of history, a connection to simpler times, and the enduring appeal of a well-crafted, hearty cookie.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Crafting these delightful molasses crinkle cookies requires a thoughtful selection of both dry and wet ingredients, each playing a crucial role in achieving that signature flavor and perfectly chewy texture. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need:

Dry Ingredients

Sugar: This recipe calls for two types of sugar to achieve both sweetness and a distinctive appearance. You’ll need regular white granulated sugar, which contributes to the cookie’s tenderness and helps create that beautiful crinkled surface when rolled. Additionally, confectioner’s sugar (also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar) is essential for creating the smooth, sweet, and perfectly drizzled icing that crowns these cookies.

All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of most baked goods, all-purpose flour provides the necessary structure for these cookies. It ensures they hold their shape while maintaining a tender, soft interior, creating the ideal chewy consistency without becoming overly dense.

Baking Soda: A vital leavening agent, baking soda is crucial for the cookies to rise properly and achieve their characteristic puffiness before settling into a crinkled form. Without baking soda, your cookies would remain disappointingly flat, lacking the airy texture that makes them so enjoyable.

Aromatic Spices: The heart and soul of these spiced molasses cookies lie in their warm, fragrant spice blend. You will need ground ginger for its distinct pungent warmth, ground allspice for its complex notes reminiscent of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and ground cloves for their intense, sweet, and somewhat peppery aroma. Together, these spices create a deeply aromatic and comforting flavor profile that is truly irresistible and perfectly captures the essence of an old-fashioned holiday cookie.

Wet Ingredients

Softened Salted Butter: Butter is key to achieving the soft, chewy texture and rich flavor of these cookies. Using softened salted butter adds a touch of savory balance to the sweetness and ensures it creams beautifully with the sugar. It’s crucial that the butter is at room temperature; otherwise, it won’t properly incorporate with the sugar, leading to a denser, less desirable cookie texture.

Egg White: Just one egg white plays a significant role in making these cookies wonderfully puffy and fluffy. It contributes to the cookie’s lift and creates a lighter texture, a hallmark of excellent molasses cookies.

Molasses: The namesake ingredient, molasses, is a thick, dark, and wonderfully syrupy byproduct of sugar refining, typically derived from crushed sugar cane or beets. In this recipe, it’s not just a sweetener but a flavor powerhouse, imparting a unique depth, a slightly smoky sweetness, and that unmistakable rich, old-fashioned character to the cookies. It also contributes to their moistness and chewy consistency.

Heavy Cream: A small amount of heavy cream is used to create the luscious, smooth, and perfectly sweet icing. When whisked with powdered sugar, it transforms into a glossy glaze that not only adds an extra layer of sweetness but also enhances the overall texture and visual appeal of the cookies.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Irresistible Molasses Cookies

Creating these delectable homemade molasses cookies is a straightforward and rewarding process. Follow these steps meticulously from start to finish to ensure you end up with the best, most perfectly balanced cookies. For precise measurements and detailed instructions, always refer to the recipe card below.

Cream the Butter and Sugar

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature for even baking, which is vital for the cookies’ texture. Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper; this prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.

In a large mixing bowl, using either a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, combine the softened butter with ½ cup of granulated sugar. Beat these ingredients together on medium speed until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and noticeably pale in color. This creaming process is crucial as it incorporates air into the butter, contributing to the cookies’ ultimate soft and chewy texture.

Incorporate Molasses and Egg White

Once the butter and sugar are perfectly creamed, add the egg white and the rich, dark molasses to the mixture. Continue to beat the ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined and the mixture is smooth. The molasses will give the dough a beautiful dark hue and impart its signature aroma.

Sift and Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground allspice. Sifting is important here to ensure there are no lumps and that the leavening agent and spices are evenly distributed, contributing to a consistent texture and flavor in every cookie. Gradually add this sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are just incorporated into the molasses mixture. Be careful not to overmix the dough, as overworking the gluten in the flour can lead to tough cookies.

Shape and Sugar-Coat the Dough

Once your dough is ready, divide it into 12 even portions. Roll each portion into a smooth, round ball. Then, roll each dough ball generously in a bowl of granulated sugar. This sugar coating is not just for extra sweetness; it plays a crucial role in creating the beautiful crinkled texture that these cookies are known for during baking. Finally, arrange the sugar-coated dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving ample space between each one to allow for spreading.

Bake to Perfection

Place the baking sheet into your preheated oven and bake the cookies for approximately 12 to 14 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the edges begin to turn a light golden brown. When you first remove them from the oven, the cookies will appear quite puffy, but don’t fret! As they cool, these charming molasses crinkle cookies will naturally flatten and develop their signature cracks across the surface, giving them their unique, rustic appeal.

It’s essential to allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before proceeding with the icing. While they are undeniably delicious warm straight from the oven, icing them too soon will cause the glaze to melt rather than set beautifully.

Prepare the Silky Icing

While your cookies are cooling, prepare the simple yet elegant icing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and heavy cream until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, with no lumps. The consistency should be pourable yet thick enough to cling to the cookies.

Next, artfully drizzle the prepared icing over the cooled molasses cookies. The icing will naturally settle into the beautiful cracks of the cookies, highlighting their unique texture. If you prefer a more even coat, you can gently use the back of a butter knife or a small offset spatula to spread the icing across the surface of each cookie.

Allow the icing to fully harden on the cookies before stacking or transferring them. This usually takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your environment. Once set, transfer your beautiful, sweet, and chewy crinkle cookies to an airtight container for storage. Then, simply enjoy every delightful bite of these incredible iced ginger molasses cookies!

The Secret Behind Molasses Cookie Cracks

The distinctive cracks that adorn the surface of these cookies are not just for aesthetics; they are a hallmark of a perfectly baked molasses crinkle cookie. This delightful cracking phenomenon is primarily due to a combination of factors related to the dough’s composition and the baking process.

Firstly, ensuring adequate leavening, primarily baking soda in this recipe, is crucial. As the cookies bake in a fully preheated oven, the leavening agent reacts with the acidic molasses, producing carbon dioxide gas. This gas causes the cookies to puff up rapidly. Simultaneously, the sugar coating on the outside of the dough balls begins to melt and set quickly, forming a slightly rigid crust. As the interior of the cookie continues to expand, this crust cracks, creating those characteristic fissures. The contrast between the rapidly expanding interior and the quickly setting exterior is what forms the beautiful cracks.

Additionally, avoiding overmixing the dough is key. Overmixing develops too much gluten, which can make the dough tough and less prone to cracking. A lightly mixed dough allows for a more tender texture and the desired crackled surface. So, for those perfect crinkles, remember proper leavening, a hot oven, and gentle mixing!

Expert Tips for the Best Molasses Cookies

To ensure your Old-Fashioned Iced Molasses Cookies turn out absolutely perfect every time, consider these helpful tips:

• Proper Storage: To maintain their incredible softness and chewiness, store any leftover iced molasses cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. If you prefer to extend their freshness, they can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week, though their texture might become slightly firmer.
• For a Puffier Cookie: If you desire a cookie with a bit more height and a softer, cakier interior, I highly recommend chilling the dough before baking. Place the covered dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or even overnight. This allows the ingredients to fully hydrate and the butter to firm up, resulting in less spread and a thicker, puffier cookie.
• Freezing for Future Enjoyment: These molasses cookies freeze exceptionally well, making them perfect for meal prep or enjoying later. You can freeze either the unbaked dough balls (rolled in sugar) or the baked, un-iced cookies. If freezing baked cookies, ensure they are completely cool, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to flash freeze for about an hour before transferring them to an airtight freezer-safe bag or container. Always defrost the cookies completely before applying the icing.
• Measure Flour Correctly: For consistent results, always measure your flour using the “spoon and level” method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level it off with a straight edge, rather than scooping directly from the bag, which can compact the flour and lead to too much flour in your recipe.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter and egg white are at room temperature. This allows them to cream together more easily and incorporate air more effectively, leading to a smoother, more homogenous dough and a better-textured cookie.

Love This Recipe? Don’t Forget to Pin It!

You absolutely won’t want to lose track of this incredible iced molasses cookie recipe – I guarantee it will become a new favorite! Make sure to save this delightful dessert to your holiday baking or general cookie Pinterest board. It’s the perfect way to keep this classic recipe handy for all your future baking adventures and ensure these delicious treats are always within reach!

More Irresistible Cookie Recipes You Will Adore!

Join me in celebrating #ChristmasCookies all week long! I’m delighted to share some of my personal favorite cookie recipes, and you’ll find even more fantastic creations from my blogger friends linked below. Get ready to fill your cookie jars!

• Old-Fashioned Spritz Cookies
• Kahlua Crinkles
• Pecan Butter Cookies
• Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Glazed Lemon Cookies
• Turtle Cookies
• Chocolate Sugar Kiss Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Molasses Cookies

Now, let’s get baking some truly chewy and delightful molasses cookies!

Thursday Christmas Cookie Recipes

• Chocolate Chip Cocoa Powder Cookies from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Cinnamon Cookies from Daily Dish Recipes
• Coconut Cookies from Magical Ingredients
• Cranberry Orange Cookies from Devour Dinner
• Old Fashioned Iced Molasses Cookies from An Affair from the Heart
• Gingerbread Biscotti from Kate’s Recipe Box
• Hot Chocolate Macarons from Jen Around the World
• Meltaway Cookies from Palatable Pastime
• Nastar Cookies from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Polish Cream Cheese Cookies from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Turtle Chocolate Chip Cookies from Blogghetti