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    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Published: Nov 28, 2022 by Sloane · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Soft Brown Butter Molasses Cookies

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    5 from 2 votes

    These soft brown butter molasses cookies are soft in the center with crisp, chewy edges, and full of brown butter and molasses flavors!

    molasses cookies stacked on white plate.

    These soft brown butter molasses cookies are the ideal holiday cookie. Warm spices, rich molasses & brown butter flavors, AND no rolling/cutting out. Just a simple scoop & bake cookie dough!

    Though there is some chill time and the extra step of making the brown butter, but trust me you don't want to skip it! It gives these cookies so much depth of flavor, you'll never want to eat an ordinary molasses cookie again! 

    For more Christmas cookie recipes, try Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies, Soft Gingerbread Cutout Cookies, and Salted Caramel Linzer Cookies. 

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love these soft molasses cookies:
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Expert Baking Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Baking in Grams
    • Other Christmas cookies you'll love
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Why you'll love these soft molasses cookies:

    • Brown Butter: Caramelizing butter brings out so much flavor and takes these cookies to whole other level!
    • Warm Spices: Warm, cozy spices are a must in any holiday cookie and they make these molasses cookies just that much more special. 
    • Rich Molasses: If you're a lover of molasses, these cookies do not disappoint! 

    Ingredient Notes

    ingredients for molasses cookies
    • All-Purpose Flour: You'll need about two cups of flour. Use high-quality, unbleached all-purpose flour.
    • Baking Soda: You'll need ½ teaspoon of baking soda. 
    • Spices: I used a combination of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. 
    • Brown Butter: You'll need 170g of brown butter, so start with a couple extra tablespoons to account for the water evaporation. Keep in mind that European-style butter has less water content, so if you're using American-style butter you might want to start with even more butter. 
    • Brown Sugar: For a more rich molasses flavor, use dark brown sugar, but you can also use light brown sugar. 
    • Granulated Sugar: You'll ¼ cup for the dough and another ¼ cup for rolling.
    • Molasses: You'll need 80g (or scant ¼ cup) of unsulphured molasses. 
    • Egg: You'll need one egg at room temperature. 

    See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

    Step by Step Instructions

    Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this brown butter molasses cookie recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

    brown butter in bowl.
    STEP 1
    molasses cookie dough in mixing bowl.
    STEP 2

    STEP 1: Make the brown butter. In a small saucepan, heat 204g (14 ½ tbsp) of unsalted butter over medium heat for several minutes, swirling to even out the color. The butter will be ready once the fat solids have separated and darkened, and the butter is an even medium amber color. Weigh out 170g (¾ cup) of the brown butter in a large bowl. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes until solid, yet soft.

    STEP 2: Make the cookie dough. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the soft brown butter and sugars together for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the molasses and beat until fully combined. Then, mix in the egg and vanilla. Lastly, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Chill the dough in the fridge for about one hour.

    cookie dough portioned on baking sheet.
    STEP 3
    cookie dough ball in bowl of sugar.
    STEP 4

    STEP 3: Portion the cookie dough. Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the cookie dough and place onto one baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes. 

    STEP 4: Bake. Roll each cookie dough ball in sugar, then place on a baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden on the edges. Cool completely on the baking sheet & enjoy!

    baked molasses cookies on baking sheet.

    Expert Baking Tips

    • Start with an extra couple tablespoons of butter, since water evaporates as it browns. Also, keep in mind that European-style butter has less water content, so if you're using American-style butter you might want to start with even more butter. 
    • Be sure to bring your brown butter back to a solid, yet soft state by placing in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
    • Do not skip the chill time of the cookie dough! 
    soft molasses cookie on white plate.

    Recipe FAQs

    How to brown butter:

    To brown the butter, in a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat for several minutes, swirling to even out the color. It will alternate between bubbling and foaming. The butter will be ready once the fat solids have separated and darkened, and the butter is an even medium amber color. It should take about 10 minutes, depending on the amount of butter you're using.

    Can I use regular butter instead of brown butter?

    Yes, you can use 170g (¾ cup) room temperature unsalted butter.

    Storage Tips:

    Store these cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies or raw portioned cookie dough for up to 3 months. 

    molasses cookie with bite taken out.
    molasses cookies in a pile on plate.

    Baking in Grams

    All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

    If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

    But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

    Happy baking! x

    stacked soft molasses cookies.

    Other Christmas cookies you'll love

    • chocolate chip toffee cookies on baking sheet.
      Brown Butter Milk Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
    • Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
    • gluten free peanut butter blossoms in a pile
      Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
    • apple pie cookies on parchment paper
      Spiced Apple Pie Cookies

    If you tried this recipe, I'd love to know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating & review below and post a picture (or video!) on Instagram and tag me so I can see your bakes! Not ready to make this recipe yet? Click the heart button on the right of your screen to save it for later 🙂

    📖 Recipe

    molasses cookies stacked on white plate
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save for LaterSaved!

    Soft Brown Butter Molasses Cookies

    These soft brown butter molasses cookies are soft in the center with crisp, chewy edges, and full of brown butter and molasses flavors!
    Prep Time 45 minutes mins
    Cook Time 12 minutes mins
    Total Time 57 minutes mins
    Servings13 large cookies
    Coursecookies
    CuisineAmerican
    AuthorSloane
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    Kitchen Scale
    Electric Mixer
    Cookie Scoop
    Baking Sheet

    Ingredients

    For the Molasses Cookies:

    • 170 g (¾ cup) brown butter, start with 204g or 14 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoon ginger
    • ¼ teaspoon cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon allspice
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 160 g (¾ cup) dark brown sugar
    • 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
    • 80 g (scant ¼ cup) unsulphured molasses
    • 1 egg, room temp
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    For Rolling:

    • 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar

    Instructions

    • Start by making the brown butter. In a small saucepan, heat 204g (14 ½ tbsp) of unsalted butter over medium heat for several minutes, swirling to even out the color. The butter will be ready once the fat solids have separated and darkened, and the butter is an even medium amber color.
    • Weigh out 170g (¾ cup) of the brown butter in a large bowl. If you are short a few grams, just add regular unsalted butter to make up the difference. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes until solid, yet soft.
    • Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the soft brown butter and sugars together for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. 
    • Add in the molasses and beat until fully combined.
    • Then, add in the egg and vanilla and beat until fully combined.
    • Lastly, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
    • Chill the dough in the fridge for about one hour.
    • Toward the end of the chill time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the cookie dough and place onto one baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes.
    • Roll each cookie dough ball in sugar, then place on a baking sheet about 3 inches apart.  
    • Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden on the edges.
    • Cool completely on the baking sheet & enjoy!

    Notes

    • Start with an extra couple tablespoons of butter, since water evaporates as it browns. Also, keep in mind that European-style butter has less water content, so if you're using American-style butter you might want to start with even more butter. 
    • Be sure to bring your brown butter back to a solid, yet soft state by placing in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
    • Do not skip the chill time of the cookie dough! 

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 346IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @sloanes.table on Instagram and write a star review below!

    More Easy Cookie Recipes

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Rhonda says

      September 21, 2023 at 10:52 am

      5 stars
      Oh my word…. This is a keeper!!! Super yum

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Sloane! Welcome to Sloane’s Table! I am a Dartmouth College alumna, professional baker, recipe developer, and food photographer. Here, you will find tried & true bakery-worthy recipes ranging from simple sweets to technical pastries.

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