Indulgent Sourdough Molasses Cookies Recipe

Soft and chewy Sourdough Molasses cookies are delectable. My family loves these flavorful molasses cookies. And they use up your sourdough discard.

These cookies are perfect for the lunch box and after school treats. They will hold up well and are not too messy.

Molasses Cookies are chewy cookies that are soft in the center. These cookies use blackstrap molasses which gives them a rich and dark flavor profile. The addition of the sourdough discard helps the cookies puff up and maintain that chewy soft texture.

These cookies are easy to make. We go over some tips and tricks in this post for making the best sourdough molasses cookies.

Here are a few common questions we ran into about molasses cookies.

What Does Adding Molasses to Cookies do?

Molasses helps add moisture to cookies and will keep the texture of the cookies chewy. The molasses helps the proteins in the cookies spread evenly. Molasses is sometimes used as a substitute for sugar in baked goods. Molasses will make soft and chewy cookies that are full of moisture. For firm cookies that are dry its best to stick to sugar in the cookies and omit the Molasses.

Why Did Molasses Cookies not spread?

Molasses cookies that are not spreading is usually a result of cold dough. Warm dough will spread quickly and the cookies will overspread and become flat. Colder dough will keep the molasses cookies puffy and they will not spread. Too much flour in the cookies can also hinder the spreading process.

To keep Molasses cookies from overspreading, to chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking. If you want the cookies to spread a bit more, keep the dough room temperature before baking. Do not melt the fats or the cookies will spread and become flat and crispy.

Is Blackstrap Molasses good for Baking Cookies?

Blackstrap molasses can be used for baking cookies. Blackstrap molasses will give the cookies a rich and darker flavor profile. Blackstrap molasses has been boiled down and refined more than regular molasses. Blackstrap molasses tends to be inky black in color and slightly saltier in flavor. This molasses is rich and dark.

We use blackstrap molasses in the molasses cookies. If you want a lighter molasses flavor, you can use regular molasses for these cookies.

Are Ginger Snaps the same as Molasses Cookies?

Gingersnaps are not the same as Molasses cookies. Many people confuse the two cookies, but they are different recipes and two different cookies. Molasses cookies are soft and chewy and contain less ginger than gingersnap cookies. The traditional gingersnap cookies will have a hard exterior that snaps when the cookie is bit into.

More Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

Using up sourdough starter discard is a fun challenge. If you prefer to bake with your discard rather than throw in away. Here are a few more of our discard recipes.

Looking for more sourdough recipes? Check out our entire section on sourdough recipes.

Sourdough Molasses Cookie Recipe:

I’m a big fan of the traditional recipe for molasses cookies. The sourdough discard put a delicious twist on this recipe.

I’m a sourdough baker. I always have sourdough starter sitting around feeding and growing. It’s a wonderful addition to these cookies.

Sourdough Molasses Cookies Ingredients:

Unfed sourdough discard improves the texture of these cookies quite a bit in my opinion. And adds only a slightly more intense flavor.

The Starter:

The cookies pictured in this recipe post cam from two different batches. The ONLY difference in the recipe is the sourdough starter.

You control the outcome of your cookies appearance, texture and to some degree flavor with the starter.

TIP: Recently fed starter will add a milder flavor and puffiness to your cookies.

Unfed sourdough starter will have a grayish color. Using old and unfed starter will make a deeper flavored cookie that is also less cake like.

You’ll recognize a starving (weak) starter by its gray hooch sitting on top. And lack of bubbles in it.

Stir it up for a good sour starter and feed it. Using that in this recipe before it’s fed will definitely put some tang in your cookie.

The same is true for our sourdough peanut butter cookies. The starter makes a difference every time.

Adding sourdough starter to this recipe makes a chewy molasses cookies that is also fairly soft. The starter will help puff the cookie if it’s recently fed.

I also added baking powder. So now we have a crinkly soft chewy molasses cookie. If you prefer a LESS puffy cookie and have a recently fed starter eliminate the baking powder.

If you are looking to use up some sourdough discard give this recipe a try.

The Fats:

Let’s get it right out there on the table. Cookies are not health food. OK. Moving right along.

For this cookie recipe we swapped out the traditional shortening for coconut oil. Butter is also a great fat to use in this recipe.

Unfortunately the healthier oils like Avocado oil will destroy the structure of the cookie. It cannot hold up as a fat substitute for these molasses cookies.

TIP: DON’T melt the fats. softening means room temperature. NOT liquid. Or your cookies will be flat and crispy.

Shortening is always an option for you if you have it around. I put a note in the printable recipe card for you.

Visual Walkthrough:

Here are all the steps of mixing and forming these great sourdough discard cookies. Please also watch out video for a complete recipe demonstration.

Our printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post for you. Happy Baking!

TIP: Prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper or lay silicone mats on the sheets to prevent sticking. If you have neither grease the baking sheets.

Cool the cookies on wire racks and serve.

Storing Molasses Cookies:

These cookies will stay fresh several days in your airtight cookie jar. They need to be covered or they will dry out.

You can store them in a plastic bag in your fridge for longer fresh storage. (up to a week) Just keep the air away from them.

Freezing Molasses Cookies:

Short term:

• Stack the completely cooled cookies with parchment between the cookies to keep them from sticking together.
• Place the stacks in an airtight freezer container.
• Label with the Name of the recipe and date
• Store in freezer up to one month.

Longer freezing:

Wrap the stacks of cookies in plastic wrap tightly and then bag or box in freezer bags or containers. Or vacuum wrap the cookies. They will keep up to two months.

Defrost by setting on the counter at room temperature for quicker defrost. Or set them in the fridge for longer defrosting.

Your Printable Recipe Card:

Grandma’s cookie Recipe is from this Betty Crocker Recipe