Giant Molasses Cookies

Name: Giant Molasses Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 dozen.
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups butter, softened; 2 cups sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1/2 cup molasses; 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 4 teaspoons ground ginger; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup chopped pecans; 3/4 cup coarse sugar

My family always requests these soft molasses cookies. These chewy molasses cookies are also great for shipping as holiday gifts or to troops overseas. —Kristine Chayes, Smithtown, New York

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup coarse sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in pecans.
Shape into 2-in. balls and roll in coarse sugar. Place 2-1/2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 13-15 minutes or until tops are cracked. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Test Kitchen Tips

Molasses is a byproduct of refining cane or beets into sugar. Light and dark molasses are made from the first and second refining processes, respectively. Blackstrap, made from the third procedure, is the strongest, darkest and most intensely flavored of the three. Dark molasses works well in most recipes.

For easy cleanup, spritz the measuring cup with a little cooking spray before measuring the sticky molasses.

Check out more sweet and spicy cookies that are made with molasses.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 310 calories, 13g fat (7g saturated fat), 48mg cholesterol, 219mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate (27g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.

Originally published as Giant Ginger Cookies in Taste of Home November 2011

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Heidi

Mar 7, 2019

Best cookie recipe that I have ever tried. Results are exactly as stated in the recipe. Great taste and texture. Dough was easy to handle. The tip about using 1/4 cup scoop to measure was exactly what this baking dunce needed to succeed. I feel like an accomplished baker! This recipe is a keeper.
Patricia

Dec 22, 2018

I substitute. 1/2 cup candied ginger for the nuts. Really makes a difference.
nanasews42

Nov 26, 2018

Best recipe ever!
Sherry

Nov 26, 2018

I've made these twice now and they have been a big hit. I read some of the reviews, especially the one from the author, Kristine Chayes, and I followed her advice. I didn't add nuts (I didn't miss them in the final product), I used a 1/4 cup scoop and I didn't refrigerate the dough before baking. My oven took 15 minutes and they were done perfectly. I ended up only putting 9 on a cookie sheet at a time instead of 12 so they didn't run together. This recipe is going on the list of Christmas treats to make.
Ailene

Nov 20, 2018

If you only want to bake half the batch, should you freeze or refrigerate? Would be using within a week?
Tracey

Oct 24, 2018

These came out perfect. No need to refrigerate the dough. If your cookies came out flat it could be due to the temperature of your butter or even the brand of butter you used. Cheap butter has water added and will cause the texture of baked cookies to change. It could also mean that maybe you are the great baker you thought you were.
Kirstie

Dec 21, 2017

I though I wouldn’t like these because I only like chocolate cookies but they tasted amazing!
CoriFerguson

Dec 7, 2017

Incredibly good cookies. Makes a large batch so perfect for having and giving. The cookies bake up so nicely with a crispy edge/bottom and a soft center. I read the note from Kristine and I agree that baking them at a lower temp will yield a less crispy bottom, but we loved the crispy/soft texture combo, so I’ll continue to bake at 400. My scoop is not quite as large as a 2” ball so my baking time will be 14 min. Great cookie-thanks for sharing Kristine.
Tom

Nov 29, 2017

I first made these last Christmas season. They were amazing, soft and delicious! I like the fact that the recipe makes a lot of cookies, I just put the dough in the fridge and baked them up fresh as "needed" (read: as wanted). Based on the demand by my wife and kids to have them again this year, it looks like have now become a tradition! In fact, I'm making a batch with the grand-kids this weekend.
Lesley

Nov 29, 2017

These are the molasses cookies I've been searching for my whole life. They taste amazing and stay soft!!! Great dough right from the mixer. I just turned 47 on Sunday, so I've been looking for a while