Bakery Style Molasses Cookies: Soft, Chewy, and Perfectly Spiced

Bakery Style Molasses Cookies are the ultimate comfort cookie — thick, soft, chewy, and warmly spiced, with that signature crackled top you expect from a professional bakery. These cookies bring together deep molasses flavor, brown sugar richness, and classic spices to create a dessert that feels nostalgic yet timeless.

Unlike thin or crispy versions, bakery-style molasses cookies are known for their plush centers and slightly crisp edges. Each bite delivers bold spice flavor balanced by sweetness, making them just as perfect with a glass of milk as they are alongside coffee or tea.

These cookies shine year-round but feel especially at home during fall and winter. That said, once you taste their soft texture and rich flavor, you’ll find yourself baking them far beyond the holidays.

What Makes These Truly “Bakery Style”?

The difference between ordinary molasses cookies and bakery-style molasses cookies comes down to texture, size, and balance.

Bakery-style cookies are:

• Thick and generously sized
• Soft in the center, never dry
• Rolled in sugar for sparkle and crunch
• Deeply flavored with molasses and spices
• Perfectly crackled on top

This recipe achieves that by carefully balancing fat, sugar, and moisture while avoiding overbaking — the most common mistake with molasses cookies.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)

Instructions

1. Cream the Butter and Sugar
   In a large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add Wet Ingredients
   Mix in molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients
   In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
4. Make the Dough
   Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
5. Chill the Dough
   Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour. This step helps control spreading.
6. Preheat the Oven
   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Shape and Roll
   Scoop dough into large balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Roll each ball in granulated sugar.
8. Bake
   Place cookies 2½ inches apart and bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly underbaked.
9. Cool
   Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Bakery Style Molasses Cookies

Soft, thick, and chewy molasses cookies with warm spices and a crackled sugar top.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 32 minutes mins

Servings: 18 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 190

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 0.75 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 0.25 cup molasses
• 1 egg large
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp ground cloves
• 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
• 0.5 tsp salt

Equipment

• Mixing bowls
• Hand mixer
• Baking sheet
• Wire rack

Method

 

1. Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Whisk dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
4. Gradually combine wet and dry ingredients.
5. Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
6. Roll dough balls in sugar and place on baking sheet.
7. Bake until edges are set and centers are soft.

Notes

Slightly underbake for the softest bakery-style texture.

Tips for Perfect Molasses Cookies

• Don’t skip chilling — it ensures thick cookies
• Underbake slightly for soft centers
• Use fresh spices for bold flavor
• Roll generously in sugar for bakery sparkle
• Measure flour accurately to avoid dry cookies

Variations to Try

Extra Ginger Molasses Cookies
Add chopped crystallized ginger for more bite.

Chocolate-Dipped Molasses Cookies
Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate.

Orange-Spiced Molasses Cookies
Add orange zest for brightness.

Gluten-Free Version
Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with excellent results.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days
• Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months
• Freeze dough balls (unbaked) for easy baking later

These cookies actually soften even more after a day, making them ideal for gifting.

Why Molasses Cookies Never Go Out of Style

Molasses cookies have stood the test of time because they deliver warmth, comfort, and depth in every bite. Molasses adds moisture, color, and a subtle bitterness that balances sweetness and spice beautifully.

Bakery-style versions elevate this classic by focusing on texture — ensuring the cookies stay soft, thick, and indulgent.

Final Thoughts

Bakery Style Molasses Cookies are everything a great cookie should be: soft, chewy, richly spiced, and irresistibly comforting. Whether you’re baking for a holiday tray, gifting friends, or simply treating yourself, these cookies deliver bakery-quality results at home.

Once you bake them, they’re guaranteed to become a repeat favorite.