These old-fashioned Amish molasses cookies are soft, chewy, and full of rich molasses flavor with a hint of warm spices. Rolled in sugar and baked until just set, they have that classic crackled top and tender texture that makes them hard to resist.
If you love chewy molasses cookies, this Amish recipe is simple, traditional, and made with basic pantry ingredients for a classic, homemade treat that never goes out of style.
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Why You'll Love These Amish Molasses Cookies
- Soft and chewy texture - Perfectly tender with that classic molasses cookie bite
- Old-fashioned flavor - Rich molasses and warm spices in every bite
- Simple pantry ingredients - Nothing fancy, just basic ingredients you likely already have
- Easy to make - No complicated steps, just mix, roll, and bake
- Perfect anytime - Great for holidays, cookie trays, or everyday baking
Ingredients & Why They Matter
- Butter + Shortening or Lard - Creates a soft, tender texture. (This combination gives the cookies a rich flavor while keeping them soft and traditional.)
- Brown sugar - Creamed with the fat to add sweetness, moisture, and a subtle caramel note. (Brown sugar helps make these cookies chewy.)
- Eggs - Bind the dough and contribute to a soft, tender center.
- Molasses - Gives these cookies their signature rich, deep flavor and dark color.
- All-purpose Flour - Forms the structure of the cookies.
- Spices: Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves - Give warmth and depth. Ginger gives a gentle, zesty warmth. Cinnamon provides the classic sweet-spice flavor. Cloves add aromatic depth. (Add more ginger to taste for deeper warmth; keep cloves mild to let molasses shine.)
- Salt - Balances sweetness and enhances the flavor of molasses and spices.
- Sugar for rolling (optional) - Creates a classic crackled top and adds a touch of extra sweetness.
About the Molasses
Not all molasses is created equal! For these old-fashioned Amish molasses cookies, I recommend a mild, light-tasting molasses like Brer Rabbit or Golden Barrel baking molasses. These have a smooth, sweet flavor that lets the molasses shine without being bitter or overpowering. (I haven't tried it, but my Amish recipe says you can also make these with sorghum molasses.)
Dark or robust blackstrap molasses is stronger and more bitter, which can mask the subtle warmth of the spices and change the traditional flavor of the cookies. Using a lighter molasses keeps the cookies soft, sweet, and perfectly balanced.
💡 Tip: You can use the same light molasses in other classic Amish recipes like:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make these cookies using all butter if you prefer. Keep in mind that cookies made with only butter may spread a bit more and won't stay soft as long. Using a combination of butter and lard or shortening gives the best balance of flavor, texture, and softness, but all butter will still give you great results.
Make sure not to overmix the dough and don't overbake. The edges should be set while the centers are still soft - they'll firm up as they cool.
For that classic crackled look, roll the dough balls in sugar before baking and bake just until the edges are set while the centers stay soft. Leaving the centers slightly underbaked helps the tops crackle as the cookies finish setting.
If you bake them too long, they may not crackle as well.
Another trick: remove the cookies from the oven while they're still soft, then gently tap or "bang" the baking pan on the counter. This helps create those beautiful crackled tops.
Yes! You can increase ginger up to 1 teaspoon for extra warmth. I like to keep the cloves mild so the rich molasses flavor still shines, but you could increase it a bit, as well as the cinnamon.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them soft for several days. For longer storage, you can freeze the baked cookies. Or freeze the unbaked dough balls for fresh cookies later.
These old-fashioned molasses cookies are perfect for holiday trays or everyday baking.
More Amish Cookie Recipes
- Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies
- Toffee Crunch Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Check out this collection of 38 Amish cookie recipes
These old-fashioned Amish molasses cookies taste just like Grandma's molasses cookies! Soft, chewy, and full of rich, comforting molasses flavor with warm spices in every bite, they're the perfect molasses cookies for any time of year. So grab your light molasses, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy a classic cookie that's sure to become a family favorite!
If you try this recipe, I'd love for you to leave a comment and star rating below, and don't forget to save it for later or share with friends. Want more molasses goodness? Check out my Molasses Crinkle Whoopie Pies, Gingersnap Cookies, or Shoofly Pie recipe for even more sweet molasses treats!
📖 Recipe Card
Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies (Amish Recipe)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks)
- ¾ cup shortening or lard
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup baking molasses (Brer Rabbit or Golden Barrel)
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Cream the fats and sugar until smooth.¾ cup shortening or lard, 1 ½ cups brown sugar, ¾ cup butter
- Add the eggs and molasses, mixing until combined.2 large eggs, ½ cup baking molasses (Brer Rabbit or Golden Barrel)
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, soda, and spices. Stir them in to form a soft dough mixing only to combine.4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Scoop the cookie dough into balls and roll them in sugar.
- Place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie.
- Bake for approx. 8-9 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Let cool briefly on the pan before transferring to a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- The spices are minimal in this molasses cookie recipe. If you prefer a deeper spice flavor, add up to 1 teaspoon ginger. You could also increase the cinnamon and cloves, but be careful not to overpower the molasses flavor.
- Rolling the dough in sugar is optional, but it gives the classic crackled top and a touch of extra sweetness.
- 💡 Pro Tip: Do not overbake! For extra soft molasses cookies, slightly underbake them and let them finish setting on the pan. Remove them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft - they'll firm up as they cool. This keeps the centers tender and chewy.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, or freeze the baked cookies or unbaked dough for longer storage.
- Nutrition is approximate.
Anna
Simple and delicious!
Noel Reale
Thank you much for the molasses cookie recipe! This is a favorite from childhood and this recipe is genuine. The cookies turned out fabulous. Thank you for sharing your recipes and your thoughts on your YouTube channel.
Keep going!!
Anna
Thank you for your feedback, and your support. It means a lot!