These soft molasses cookies are an easy to make chewy gingerbread cookie with a ton of spices. It is topped with cream cheese frosting pipped to look like a gingerbread man.

Top view of molasses cookies.

These molasses cookies are perfect if you want a gingerbread cookie without having to roll out the dough. They have a lighter amount of molasses and all of the spices! The cream cheese frosting pairs so well with it too.
You can decorate the cookies to look like gingerbread man or you can frost the whole cookie.

Bite missing from cookie.

Tips for making the cookies

Here are my tips, so yours turns out like this recipe!

  • Tip 1: Make sure the flour is spooned and leveled. If you stick the measuring cup inside the flour, it can become compacted. This results in a cookie that doesn’t spread.
  • Tip 2: Don’t skip the chill time, this helps to reduce the spread and let the spices marinate in the dough. Also, use a large biscuit cutter to scoot the cookie to a perfect circle.
  • Tip 3: These cookies are perfect without the frosting, but the gingerbread men on top are just so cute! See my recipe video to see how I pipped the decoration.
Cookie dough in a bowl.
This will be a thicker dough.
Cookie dough ball rolled in sugar.
Make sure to roll the cookie dough balls in sugar because chilling in the fridge.
Cream cheese frosting in a bowl.
Separate out 1/4th of the frosting for the white decoration. The rest will be dyed brown before piping on top of the cookies.
Top view of baked cookies.
Once the cookies are baked, they have crisp edges and a soft center.
Cookies on a wire rack.

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For more gingerbread recipes, try my soft gingerbread men and gingerbread cupcakes.

Stack of two molasses cookies split in half.

Make sure to leave a star review if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.

Recipe Video

Top view of molasses cookies.
5 from 1 review

Soft Molasses Cookies

Stephanie Rutherford
These molasses cookies are soft gingerbread drop style cookies. They are topped with a cream cheese frosting piped to be a gingerbread man!
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Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 18 minutes
Servings: 18 large cookies

Ingredients
 
 

Molasses Cookies

  • 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp Ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup Dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup White granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup Molasses, I used grandma's. Don't use blackstrap
  • 1 Large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup White granulated sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 3/4 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 oz Cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups Powdered sugar , sifted
  • 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • Brown gel food dye, I use Americolor

Instructions
 

Molasses Cookies

  • In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.
    2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Baking soda, 1 tsp Salt, 2 tsp Ground cinnamon, 2 tsp Ground ginger, 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
  • In a large bowl using a mixer, beat the butter, dark brown sugar, and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. It will become pale and fluffy.
    1 cup Unsalted butter, 1 cup Dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup White granulated sugar
  • Add the vanilla, egg, and molasses and mix on medium until combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined.
    1/4 cup Molasses, 1 Large egg, 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Place the sugar in a bowl big enough to roll the cookie dough balls in, roll each cookie dough ball in the sugar.
    1/3 cup White granulated sugar
  • Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place all cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet and cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. Keep the cookie dough in the fridge while it preheats. Bake one sheet at a time, keep the rest of the cookie dough in the fridge while the cookies bake.
  • Bake for 14-16 minutes until the edges are set. I use a large biscuit cutter to scoot the cookies to a perfect circle.
  • Let the cookies sit on the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl using a mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Add in the cream cheese and mix on high speed for 1 minute.
    3/4 cup Unsalted butter, 4 oz Cream cheese
  • Add in the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix on low until combined and then mix on high until creamy.
    2 1/2 cups Powdered sugar, 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • Separate 1/4 of the frosting in a small bowl. The rest of the frosting, add brown gel food dye to color it brown. I used piping bags with Wilton tip 4 for the eyes and buttons and for the gingerbread men I used 1A. *If you make these into smaller cookies you will need smaller tips. ** See my video to see how I piped these.
    Brown gel food dye

Notes

Flour- Make sure flour is spooned and leveled or use a kitchen scale. Compacted flour can dry out the cookies and cause them not to spread
High altitude baking- Add an extra 2 TBSP of flour.
Pull out dairy ingredients 2 hours before baking.
Calories: 342kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 218mg, Potassium: 122mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 637IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 1mg
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