These crispy molasses cookies, spiced with ginger and cinnnamon, will satisfy any cravings you may have for the flavors of fall and the upcoming holidays.
These cookies are so tasty. They will be calling your name to return to the cookie jar in the kitchen and have "just one more." I sure couldn't resist.
While these cookies are crisp, they are not shatteringly so, and they hold together when you take a bite. If you are planning to make cookies for shipping over the holidays, or to send to a college student for finals, these cookies would be ideal.
They are also great for making big batches and freezing in advance of the holidays, and they are thin enough but sturdy enough to use to make ice cream sandwiches.
Ingredients to Make Crispy Molasses Cookies:
Coconut Oil and Vegetable Shortening: These ingredients help give these cookies their crispiness. If you'd like a slightly softer cookie, or if you don't have coconut oil available, you can substitute unsalted butter for the coconut oil.
Sugar: Both for the cookie dough and for coating the cookies. For the coating sugar, you could use a demerara or turbinado sugar, or Sugar in the Raw for a more golden look. I used an organic golden cane sugar. It can be substituted one for white granulated sugar.
Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses. It is actually made from the sugar refining process. It's a thick and dark syrup and it is actually nutritious, containing vitamins and minerals. I used Grandma's Molasses.
If this is the first time you've used molasses in cookies, be sure to also try molasses ginger cookies (they are similar but softer and chewier), spiced chocolate molasses cookies, ginger amber ale cookies, homemade ginger snaps, and Pogens ginger snaps. You'll probably need another jar of molasses.
Spices: Ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves.
From your Pantry and Refrigerator: Unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and egg.
Process to Make these Molasses Cookies:
First, beat together the coconut oil, shortening, and sugar and then add the molasses and the egg.
Next, in another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and the spices. Add these ingredents to the wet ingredients and mix everything until it is smooth. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
When the dough is chilled, form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them granulated sugar. Place them on the baking sheets and bake them for about 11 to 13 minutes. You can re-use the parchment lined baking sheets after the pans have cooled.
Finally, let the cookies cool on the pans for five minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Equipment You May Need:
Rimmed baking Sheets: Also called half sheet pans.
Tablespoon cookie scoop: For portioning the cookie dough. Size 60.
Hand mixer: For mixing the wet ingredients. You could also use a dough whisk or balloon whisk.
Tips for Success:
I do not recommend changing the amount of sugar in the recipe. Sugar turns to liquid while baking and less sugar might prevent the cookies from flattening.
In addition, be sure to measure the flour very carefully, either by weighing the flour (preferred), or by fluffing the flour before spooning it into the measuring cup. Too much flour also might prevent the cookies from flattening.
Finally, be sure to watch the cookies carefully and remove them from the oven when they have just flattened and cracked but before the edges brown. If two or three of the cookies are not fully flattened, don't worry. They will likely flatten while cooling on the pan.
Storage:
Keep these cookies in an airtight container for up to a week or even two (if they last that long). You can also freeze them for up to three months.
Fall Flavors Recipes:
Welcome to #FallFlavorsWeek! We are sharing recipes featuring favorite fall flavors.
- Cranberry Cinnamon Roll Casserole by The Spiffy Cookie
- Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting by Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
- Apple Chai Scones by Blogghetti
- Ginger Spiced Pear Compote with Cranberries by Jolene's Recipe Journal (our host)
- Sicilian Eggplant Parmigiana by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Spiced Maple Toffee Apple Smoothie Bowl by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
- Pumpkin Bagels by Art of Natural Living
- Crispy Molasses Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Easy Peach Ginger Skillet Crisp by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Apple Gorgonzola Salad by Easy Recipes For One
- Kale and Kabocha Paratha by Magical Ingredients
Crispy Molasses Cookies
These crispy molasses cookies, spiced with ginger and cinnnamon, will satisfy any cravings you may have for the flavors of fall and the upcoming holidays.
Ingredients
- 53 grams (1/4 cup) coconut oil
- 92 grams (1/2 cup) vegetable shortening such as Crisco
- 198 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 85 grams (1/4 cup) unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 240 grams (2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teapoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teapoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for coating. (See ingredients section for other sugars you can use)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat together the coconut oil, shortening, and sugar until smooth. Add the molasses and egg, and briefly beat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add this mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon cookie scoop (#60), scoop the dough and form into 1-inch balls. Coat the balls in sugar and place them 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet, about 12 -13 balls per sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 11 to 13 minutes, one baking sheet at a time on the center rack, until the crack a on top and flatten, but are not browned on the edges. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan for five minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- You can reuse the baking sheet and parchment once the baking sheet has cooled completely.
Recipe adapted from Sift Magazine, Fall 2019. It was a magazine that was published by King Arthur for five years but no longer in print.
I visited KA Baking Co and got the absolute best molasses cookies from their bakery and I'm really hoping this is the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they were the same! I’ve been on such a molasses kick!
DeleteGinger Snaps just scream Fall to me. One of my favorite cookies. I always use Grandma's Molasses too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect fall treat!
ReplyDeleteCozy spices and molasses all baked into a delicious cookie!
ReplyDeleteThis looks and sounds delicious! This is definitely one thing that I am going to bake soon.
ReplyDeleteYes, I hear them calling my name right through the screen!
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious! I love molasses and always look for ways to use it that isn't gingerbread! These cookies look great.
ReplyDelete