Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies — Amply flavored with molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Chocolate is used three times! Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks are used, making these perfect for chocolate lovers!!
Chewy Chocolate Molasses Cookies
Molasses cookies are some of my all-time favorites and normally I’m a purist with them, preferring just the robustly-flavored cookies as is.
But I threw caution to the wind and added chocolate. Three times.
At first, I was going to just going to add a bit of cocoa powder to the cookie batter to round out and complement the molasses, but my hands had a mind of their own and reached for the bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
After the addition of chocolate chips, a Trader Joe’s 72 percent Pound Plus bar was staring back at me and I just had to slice some chunks from it.
When I made these New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies, I learned that I could really pump up the quantity of chocolate-per-cookie ratio and that it will somehow all hold. I put that chocolate theory into a dark and dreamy reality.
The combination of both semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate, in conjunction with the cocoa powder and molasses, gave the cookies such depth of flavor and the different types of chocolate created varied texture.
Chocolate chips are sweeter and tend to hold their shape better than the more bittersweet baking chocolate, which tends to melt and ooze.
These molasses chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy, thanks in part to a higher brown to granulated sugar ratio, which renders cookies softer, moister, and more intensely flavored. I also added a couple tablespoons of canola oil to the batter to keep the cookies soft.
Moist and puffy cookies with soft centers, chewy edges, robustly-flavored with rich molasses, warm ginger, fragrant cinnamon; and a trifecta of chocolate. When I see puddles of chocolate, I can’t help but to dig in.
They’re a perfect holiday cookie exchange cookie. Or to exchange with just yourself.
What’s in Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies?
To make these chewy molasses cookies loaded with chocolate chips and chunks, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Molasses
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Spices
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Bittersweet chocolate
How to Make Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe takes advantage of using melted butter, which means you don’t even need to dirty a mixer to make these.
Add the first 12 ingredients together, all at once to the bowl, many of which are spices, and stir. Then fold in flour, baking soda, chocolate chips and chocolate chunks, and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours, up to five days.
Because the butter is warm, and from stirring and working the dough, if you try to bake these without chilling the dough, chances are that the cookies will spread.
Before baking, I rolled each cookie through a cinnamon-sugar mixture, further boosting the spice quotient.
To achieve a crackled appearance on top of the cookies, and to expose some of the glorious chocolate that laid under the surface of these golden puffy nuggets, immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, I firmly but gently tapped each cookie with the back of a spoon. Whack-whack.
Because my cookie dough was well-chilled, the cookies stayed quite domed while baking and the tap-tap-tapping flattened them a bit and easily broke their warm surfaces, exposing glistening, shiny, luscious chocolate.
Allow the cookies to cool and firm up on the baking sheets for about five minutes so you don’t have a literal hot chocolate mess on your hands.
What Type of Molasses Should I Use?
I use unsulphered molasses in all my cooking and baking. Blackstrap molasses is too bitter for me to enjoy in desserts, and I would caution against using it in this recipe unless you prefer a bitter and very pungent bite. I don’t, but to each her own.
How to Store Molasses Cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips for Making Chocolate Molasses Cookies
If you don’t keep all the spices on hand, you can mix-and-match a bit based on what you have.
The spices used, including cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, are all used in significant enough quantities to really stand up to the powerful punch of molasses, and not become lost. Too often ginger and molasses cookies are a little lackluster so I made sure these are well-spiced and robustly flavored.
If you’re like me and normally double the cinnamon and ginger in recipes, before doing so, taste the batter because I’ve been mindful of that, but of course, season to taste.
Taste preferences for warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg are highly personal and the oomph of the batter is also dependent on the quality of the spices used.
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Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed (either light or dark)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsulphered molasses (not blackstrap, it's much more pungent and bitter; I use Grandma's Original
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour*, see note
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 6 ounces 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 5 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate or dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks (I use Trader Joe's 72% Pound Plus bar; use a favorite bold dark chocolate or chocolate bar)
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating for Rolling
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- To the slightly cooled butter (so you don't scramble the egg), add the egg, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, molasses, oil, vanilla, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and whisk vigorously to combine until batter is smooth and silky.
- Add the flour, baking, soda and stir to just incorporate; dough will be thick.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and chocolate baking chunks (I used nearly 6 ounces; using a total of 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips is okay if you don't have baking chocolate or a chocolate bar to chop).
- Cover mixing bowl or transfer batter to an airtight food storage container and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days, prior to baking.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line two baking trays with Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mats liners, parchment, or spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Make the Cinnamon-Sugar Coating: In a small bowl, combine about 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and stir to combine.
- Using a cookie scoop, form 2-ounce mounds of dough and roll each ball through the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on baking trays, spaced about 2 inches apart (I bake 8 to a tray).
- Allow cookies to bake in fairly domed-up, mounded, ball-like shapes. Bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until tops have just set, taking care not to overbake so they stay soft and chewy. Note - The cookies in the photos are baked for exactly 8 minutes, and they're soft with melted chocolate.
- Upon removing trays from oven, if cookies stayed domed while baking (likely they will) immediately give cookies a firm yet gentle tap or two with the back of a spoon to flatten them. This creates a crackled top appearance and exposes some of the melted chocolate chips and chunks.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes before moving them to a rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Christmas Cookies:
Soft & Chewy Molasses Gingerdoodles— These soft molasses cookies taste like a cross between chewy gingerbread cookies and crinkly snickerdoodles. An unbeatable holiday cookie recipe!
Molasses Crinkle Cookies — The richness and depth of the dark molasses, coupled with dark brown sugar and spices, make them some of my favorite cookies ever!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies — Between the molasses, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin pie spice extract that I used, these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies beautifully showcase the flavors of fall!
Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies— These pumpkin oatmeal cookies are bursting with chocolate chips in every bite! They’re thick, hearty, perfectly chewy, and not at all cakey.
Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies — Soft, chewy, loads of white chocolate, and so much pumpkin flavor!! A pinch of salt balances the sweet white chocolate for a salty-and-sweet treat!!
Chai Cookies — The chai spices give the cookies so much depth of flavor. Cozy, comfort-food cookies that warm you up inside!
Soft Butter Pecan Cookies — Buttery soft dough with big chunky pecans in every bite! Salty-and-sweet and so hard to resist!!
Averie, every post of yours makes me swoon but this one takes it to the next level. Wowee! I love soft molasses/gingersnap cookies and adding the many different kinds of chocolate is brilliant. Your photos as usual are stunning and I learned so many great tips from this post – namely the addition of canola oil and tapping the tops of the cookies to expose some of the melted chocolate. Fabulous!
Thanks for the kind words, Nancy! I am glad you learned things, i.e. the oil and the tapping. Both of those are semi new-to-me discoveries, too, and I was glad to share!
OMG Averie! I think I am saying that way to much on your blog, but seriously, these look so yummy. My absolute favorite cookie is molasses and pair that with chocolate, wow! I am totally making these and printing and pinning the recipe right now. I will let you know how they turn out when I make them.
Jackie
Thanks for the pin and please do LMK how they go! Don’t overbake! :)
These are absolutely drool-worthy – I love it! I’ll definitely be bookmarking these.
Unlike you, I’m totally a fan of Blackstrap, but I agree that it is pungent. I usually add it very carefully! You are so reading my mind here. I have that exact same chocolate bar in my pantry right now. Just waiting to be baked with…
And if you’re making them for others, you always have to be mindful of their tastes, too. I can get away with lots with my own family but certain things I season to the MAX with say cinnamon and I could never put that on a holiday platter :)
These look so awesome- yum!
that cinnamon sugar on the top just love. and i love molasses cookies..wonder if I can convince my mom to try this new recipe and deviate from our old reliable!
Well show her these pictures – maybe she’ll change her mind:)
Oh goodness this cookie looks like all sorts of A-MAZING!! I love soft and chewy cookies too…not a crunchy cookie type of gal.
Why did I read your post? Why??? I hate to say this, but I have all of the ingredients (even the Pounder Bar) and I’m off work tomorrow. I have time now to make the batter. This is to dangerous. Can I be trusted in my house alone tomorrow with a batch or two of these cookies? Probably not. Should I be sweet and bake a few of them at 4am to give to my Husband to take to work with him? After all, cookies taste best the day you make them. Dam you Averie!!! I don’t know if I should love you or hate you? Now I have to make two of your bread recipes, your cranberry bliss bars and now these cookies. Oh and didn’t you posted a vanilla doodle cookie too. Thats in my must make folder. I think I may have to dedicate a whole day to you!!!
You crack me up! Well, LMK what you make, and the good thing about my recipes is that they’re all SMALL or small-ish batches!
These look simply fabulous, awesome job! My nieces would make them disappear quick! :-)
I am obsessed with how crinkle-y these are Averie! They literally look perfect and I’m going to have to try your molasses cookie next time! I made my gingersnaps again over this past weekend and added chocolate chips, like the little thumbprint butterscotch version I made. SO good! Everything about your cookies today is spot on, Averie. The amount of brown sugar used, the plethora of spices, the generous cinnamon/sugar rolling, the chocolate threefold, and melty chocolate on top – these cookies are screaming christmas to me!! I’m intrigued by your newfound love of oil in cookie recipes because you’re right – you get the best out of both worlds using butter with a touch of oil. Buttery flavor, soft/moist qualities of cake in a cookie. Now I’m eager to try it! And your photos were easy to recognize on FG this morning. Pinning these – I’ve got to try them!
Thanks for the Pin! And the crinkly is from the tap-tap with the spoon at the very end after they come out of the oven. Because I felt like I had to *almost* over-flour them to get the dough to come together (pumpkin doughs are so tricky!) they stayed pretty domed while baking so I though, well, I can fix this! :)
Thanks for the fabulous comment. You totally get every.single.aspect of the whole recipe development b/c I know you go thru the same!
Soft cookies are always my fave. I also love molasses and ginger cookies. Such a good idea to taste the batter for the level of spice just like a savory recipe. Can’t believe I’ve never thought of that before.
Yes you ALWAYS have to taste the batter – especially in something like this, a spicy cookie. Everything from cake batter to muffin batter to jam before I seal it to bread dough – I taste it all! And every once in awhile I’ll bake something I havent baked in ages and then just randomly not taste it, and I pull it out of the oven a little…meh…because my spices weren’t quite on point. Sometimes 1/2 tsp cinnamon can totally change something from meh to YES! :)
YUM! These cookies look stunningly delicious. I love molasses but I would never imagine it paired well with chocolate.
It pairs SUPER well with chocolate! They are both robust and can both hold their own & stand up to each other!
It’s been a long standing tradition in my family to make Swedish Pepparkakor at Christmas time. It’s the closest cookie I can compare to gingersnaps! I will be posting a recipe after my kids make this year’s batch!
Now that’s a new recipe to me!
Oh man Averie! You’re killing me with these. Molasses cookies are my FAVORITE and with chocolate? To. Die. For.
I assumed when I saw these this morning on pinterest that they called for softened butter, if I’d read the ingredients then I totally would have made them immediately!
Girl I was the same way when I went to make these – I was in a hurry and didn’t want to cream or beat anything. And wanted to just get it DONE! So, I melted it.
But seriously, 10 to 12 secs in my micro for a stick of cold butter is the perfect solution. Just do that next time!
Oh my, oh my! Look at these cookies – I want 3 and a glass of milk right now! SIGH. Gorgeous job, Averie!
you have browned butter + vanilla beans — in one post! I need those!