Drop Molasses Cookies

Grandma’s chewy molasses cookie recipe is one of our family favorites, a must have during the holiday season.

This Drop Molasses Cookie recipe was in Grandma R’s recipe box. Most of the recipes she added herself seem to be typed, while ones given to her are in the handwriting of whoever shared them with her. I love how organized and varied her collection is! I’ve found some real treasures.

Look how nice and neat these look! I finally got a cookie scoop and it makes all the difference!

The members of my Facebook Group Vintage Recipe Test and Share were extremely helpful in testing this recipe with me! I hope you will join us in this fun Facebook community! I share recipes that need to be tested there first, tips, and others post their favorites as well.

Maryellen made a batch and helped me finalize how much extra spices we thought this needed. Once we got that figured out she said “We absolutely loved them. Saving the recipe as they are sure to become a family favorite”. She also came up with the idea to roll them in a cinnamon sugar mixture! Really adds a wonderful flavor and makes these molasses cookies even prettier!

Susan had the brilliant idea to dip them in white chocolate and then top with sprinkles. This would be fun to do with children or just as a way to add a different flavor to these classic cookies.

Drop molasses cookies dipped in white chocolate and topped with green sprinkles.

Drop molasses cookie ingredients

This recipe calls for pretty standard cookie ingredients.

Molasses: My grocery store had two choices Grandma’s original or Blackstrap. I used Grandma’s original which is a light molasses. I would recommend light but if you try dark or blackstrap please let me know how it turns out.

If you want to know more about the different types of molasses and it’s uses check out this helpful article by The Spruce Eats.

Sugar: I used white since a recipe usually says to use brown if that’s what is intended. Brown sugar would be a delicious substitution in these, it really adds such a depth of flavor that goes well with molasses. I will be trying that the next time I make these cookies!

Shortening: I used the 1 Cup of shortening the recipe required. You could likely substitute butter or possibly margarine. Shortening helps baked goods be light and fluffy and that was definitely true for these cookies. If you use butter or margarine expect your cookies to be flatter and less chewy.

I’ve linked this Shortening vs Butter in Cookies article before but it’s a really interesting read. The author baked multiple batches of chocolate chip cookies changing out the fat and refrigeration time.

The one thing that I was unsure of was 2 teaspoons baking soda in 1/2 Cup hot water. I reached out the the Vintage Recipe Test & Share Facebook group and they quickly reassured me it’s simply put the baking soda in hot water and mix before adding to the cookies.

Tips for making the best drop molasses cookies

Add extra spices. For a more flavorful cookie I suggest adding an additional 1 teaspoon of both cinnamon and ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and adding a 1/4 teaspoon of cloves and allspice. Feel free to change that up to suit your preferences.

Roll the cookies in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. This makes them extra flavorful and looks really pretty.

Don’t tell Grandma but I just put all the ingredients in a big bowl then mixed with an electric mixer. The best way would be to first cream the sugar and shortening, then add the eggs. Separately mix together all dry ingredients. Mix all together adding the water and soda mixture last. Up to you! Be warned this is a big batch and if you do it like I did start out with your mixer on low!

How to store

These cookies lasted really well in a tightly sealed container. They stayed soft and chewy for around a week, my son gobbled them up before I could test them out any longer! Tightly sealed they should last up to 3 weeks.

Why I loe these cookies

Of course I love them because they came from Grandma R’s recipe box but, these really are a wonderful cookie. These drop molasses cookies have a perfect blend of spices that taste like the holidays! Soft and chewy they go well with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.