The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
There’s something timeless about a bakery style molasses cookie. Thick, soft, warmly spiced, and rolled in sparkling sugar, these cookies feel like a hug in dessert form. With crackled tops, chewy centers, and a deep molasses flavor balanced by cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, this is the cookie that instantly transports you to a cozy bakery on a chilly day.
Unlike thin or crisp molasses cookies, bakery style molasses cookies are known for their height, softness, and irresistible chew. Each bite delivers warmth, richness, and just enough sweetness without being overpowering. They’re nostalgic yet indulgent, familiar yet elevated — exactly what a great bakery cookie should be.
This recipe is designed to deliver consistent bakery-quality results at home. Whether you’re baking for the holidays, filling your cookie jar for the week, or simply craving something cozy and comforting, these soft and chewy molasses cookies are guaranteed to become a favorite.
What Makes These Molasses Cookies “Bakery Style”?
Not all molasses cookies are created equal. What separates a bakery style molasses cookie from an average one comes down to a few key characteristics:
- Thickness: These cookies are tall and puffy, not flat
- Texture: Soft and chewy centers with lightly crisp edges
- Appearance: Crackled tops rolled in sugar
- Flavor: Deep molasses richness balanced with warm spices
This recipe uses the perfect ratio of fat, sugar, and flour to achieve that signature bakery texture. Brown sugar and molasses keep the cookies moist, while a careful mixing method ensures tenderness without spreading too much.
The Secret to Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies
The secret lies in moisture and balance. Molasses is naturally thick and hygroscopic, meaning it attracts and retains moisture. When paired with brown sugar and butter, it creates a cookie that stays soft for days.
Additionally:
- Baking soda reacts with molasses to help the cookies rise
- Chilling the dough prevents spreading
- Slight underbaking locks in chewiness
These small details make a big difference in the final result.
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses (unsulphured)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. - Cream butter and sugar
In a large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. - Add wet ingredients
Mix in molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated. - Combine wet and dry
Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until a soft dough forms. - Chill the dough
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This step is essential for thick cookies. - Preheat oven
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. - Shape and roll
Scoop dough into balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Roll generously in granulated sugar. - Bake
Place cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 9–11 minutes until edges are set and centers look slightly underbaked. - Cool
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
How to Get That Perfect Crackled Top
The signature crackle comes from rolling the dough balls generously in sugar and baking at the right temperature. As the cookies puff and spread slightly, the sugar coating cracks beautifully, revealing the rich molasses interior beneath.
For best results:
- Don’t flatten the dough
- Use room-temperature dough (not frozen)
- Bake just until cracks form
Flavor Profile: Warm, Deep, and Cozy
These cookies strike a perfect balance between sweet and spice. The molasses provides depth and richness, while cinnamon, ginger, and cloves add warmth without overpowering. Nutmeg adds subtle complexity, but can be omitted if desired.
The result is a cookie that tastes rich, comforting, and bakery-worthy — not overly sweet, not overly spicy.
Tips for Bakery-Perfect Results
- Use unsulphured molasses for the best flavor
- Do not overmix after adding flour
- Chill the dough — skipping this step leads to flat cookies
- Bake slightly underdone for maximum chewiness
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform size
Variations & Customizations
- Extra Chewy: Add 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- Spiced-Up: Increase ginger slightly for more warmth
- Orange Twist: Add 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Glazed: Drizzle with vanilla glaze once cooled
- Sandwich Cookies: Fill with cream cheese frosting
Serving Suggestions
Bakery style molasses cookies are incredibly versatile:
- With coffee or tea
- As part of a holiday cookie platter
- Paired with vanilla ice cream
- Gifted in cookie boxes
- Served warm with milk
They’re especially popular during fall and winter, but truly delicious year-round.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days
- Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months
- Freeze dough balls and bake straight from frozen (add 1–2 minutes)
These cookies stay soft longer than most thanks to the molasses.
Why These Cookies Are a Must-Bake
- Classic bakery look
- Soft and chewy texture
- Rich molasses flavor
- Easy to make
- Crowd-pleasing
Once you bake these, they’ll quickly earn a permanent spot in your recipe collection.
Final Thoughts
Bakery style molasses cookies (soft & chewy) are everything a great cookie should be — thick, tender, warmly spiced, and deeply comforting. With their crackled sugar tops and rich molasses flavor, they’re nostalgic yet indulgent, simple yet impressive.
If you’ve been searching for the perfect molasses cookie, this is it.
Bakery Style Molasses Cookies
Thick, soft, and chewy bakery style molasses cookies with crackled sugar tops and warm spices.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
- Mix in molasses, egg, and vanilla.
- Gradually add dry ingredients until dough forms.
- Chill dough for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll dough balls in sugar and place on baking sheet.
- Bake 9–11 minutes until crackled and set.
- Cool briefly, then transfer to wire rack.
Notes
Do not overbake for best chewy texture.
