These soft molasses cookies with molasses frosting are tender, warmly spiced, and easy to make in about 1 hour. The cake-like cookies use unsulphured molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and a little hot water or buttermilk, then receive a thin, creamy molasses frosting once completely cool.
Each bite has deep caramel-like molasses flavor without the harsh bitterness of blackstrap molasses. The cookies stay soft because they are removed from the oven as soon as the centers set, making them a wonderful choice for holiday trays, church suppers, bake sales, and everyday coffee breaks.
Jump to RecipeWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
There is something especially comforting about a soft molasses cookie. Unlike crisp ginger snaps, this heritage-style version is plush, tender, and almost cake-like in the middle, with a gently chewy edge and a rich brown color.
The flavor is balanced rather than overpowering. Molasses brings deep sweetness, while cinnamon, ginger, and cloves add the familiar warmth associated with old-fashioned holiday baking.
The frosting makes these cookies feel special without requiring a complicated decorating technique. A thin swipe of molasses buttercream adds sweetness and reinforces the main flavor, but it still lets the tender cookie shine.
If your baking list includes several cookie textures, these are a lovely contrast to crisp or chunky treats. For another comforting homemade option, you might also enjoy our brown sugar butter cookies, which offer a buttery flavor with a different texture.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredient list is straightforward, but choosing the right molasses makes a meaningful difference. Use regular unsulphured molasses, such as Grandma’s Original, for a rounded, pleasantly bittersweet flavor.
- Butter or shortening: Softened unsalted butter gives a rich taste, while shortening creates a particularly soft, old-fashioned texture.
- Granulated sugar: This sweetens the dough and helps the butter or shortening become light during mixing.
- Molasses and eggs: Molasses supplies color and depth, while eggs add structure and moisture.
- Flour and baking soda: Four cups of all-purpose flour provide the framework, and baking soda helps the cookies puff.
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves create the classic warm profile. Small amounts of nutmeg or allspice may be used as optional variations, but they are not required.
- Hot water or buttermilk: This half-cup addition keeps the dough soft and contributes to the cake-like crumb.
- Frosting ingredients: Softened butter, molasses, vanilla, confectioners’ sugar, and a little milk create a spreadable finish.
Do not substitute blackstrap molasses here unless you specifically want a much stronger, more bitter result. Its flavor can overpower the spices and make the finished cookies taste harsh.
For a broader cookie assortment, pair this recipe with our soft cream cheese cookies. Their delicate richness works beautifully beside the darker, spiced flavor of molasses cookies.
How to Make It Step-by-Step
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare the baking sheets. Grease them lightly or line them with parchment so the soft dough releases easily after baking.
Step 2: Place the softened butter or shortening and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream them until the mixture looks light, then beat in the molasses and eggs until smooth and evenly combined.
Step 3: Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a separate bowl. Mixing the dry ingredients first distributes the leavening and spices throughout the flour.
Step 4: Add the dry mixture to the molasses mixture in portions, alternating with the hot water or buttermilk. Mix only until no obvious streaks of flour remain; overmixing can make the cookies less tender.
Step 5: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets. Leave about 2 inches between portions because the cookies need room to spread and puff without touching.
Step 6: Bake each tray for 8 to 10 minutes. The centers should look set but remain soft, so watch closely near the lower end of the baking time.
Step 7: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. They will continue to firm slightly from the residual heat, after which you can transfer them to a wire rack.
Step 8: Cool the cookies completely before frosting. Warm cookies will soften the frosting and may cause it to slide rather than remain in a neat, thin layer.
Step 9: Beat the softened butter and molasses together for the frosting, then add the vanilla. Gradually beat in 3 1/2 to 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar, alternating with 2 to 4 tablespoons of milk until the texture is smooth and spreadable.
Step 10: Frost each cooled cookie with a thin layer. For the easiest application, chill the cooled cookies for 10 to 15 minutes and adjust thick frosting with milk one teaspoon at a time.
For a chocolate option on the same dessert platter, try our chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. The contrast between chocolate chips and fragrant molasses makes a generous cookie tray feel varied without becoming fussy.
Pro Tips for Soft, Flavorful Cookies
The most important tip is to avoid overbaking. Take the cookies out as soon as the centers appear set but still soft; they firm as they cool, and an extra minute or two can remove the signature tender texture.
Use softened fat rather than melted fat. Soft butter or shortening creams properly with the sugar and helps produce an even, airy dough.
- Measure flour carefully: Spoon it into measuring cups and level the tops instead of packing the flour down.
- Keep the dough portions consistent: A rounded tablespoon helps the cookies bake at the same rate.
- Do not crowd the pans: About 2 inches of space allows each cookie to spread and puff.
- Cool before decorating: Frosting belongs on fully cool cookies for the cleanest finish.
- Adjust frosting gradually: Add milk one teaspoon at a time if the frosting is too thick, or add a little confectioners’ sugar if it becomes too loose.
Shortening is a useful variation when you want an especially soft, old-fashioned texture. Butter gives the cookies a richer dairy flavor, so either choice works according to the result you prefer.
For another crowd-pleasing bake-sale favorite, set these beside our chewy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. The nutty chocolate profile is a satisfying companion to the warm spice and molasses here.
Storage and Serving Suggestions
Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature once the frosting has set. If you need to stack them, place parchment between layers to protect the frosting.
They are delicious with coffee, black tea, chai, or a cold glass of milk. Because the cookie is soft and the frosting is rich, serving one or two at a time makes a simple afternoon snack feel like a proper treat.
For holiday gifting, let the frosting firm before packing the cookies in a sturdy container. Arrange them in a single layer when possible, or separate layers carefully with parchment.
These cookies also pair well with a more intensely chocolate dessert. Consider adding our double chocolate chip cookies to a festive platter for a bold contrast in color, flavor, and texture.
Soft Molasses Cookies with Molasses Frosting
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line baking sheets with parchment.
- Cream the softened butter or shortening and granulated sugar until light. Beat in the molasses and eggs until evenly blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- Add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture alternately with the hot water or buttermilk. Mix only until combined; the dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the centers are set but still soft. Remove the cookies promptly so they do not lose their tender texture.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack and cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat the softened butter and molasses together. Add the vanilla, then gradually add the confectioners' sugar, alternating with milk until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting over the completely cooled cookies. If desired, chill the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes first to make frosting easier.
Notes
Final Thoughts
Soft molasses cookies with molasses frosting are the kind of recipe that tastes as though it came from a well-loved family cookbook. The tender crumb, fragrant spices, and creamy molasses finish create a cookie that feels nostalgic while remaining simple enough for a weekday baking project.
Remember the essentials: choose unsulphured molasses, mix the dough only until combined, bake for 8 to 10 minutes, and wait until the cookies are completely cool before frosting. Those small details protect the soft texture and keep the frosting smooth.
With about 3 dozen cookies from one batch, there will be plenty to share at a gathering or tuck into a holiday tin. Make them when you want a warmly spiced dessert that is tender, inviting, and full of old-fashioned character.