Chewy Iced Molasses Cookies

A close up top down shot of iced molasses cookies on a wire rack.

4.93 from 51 votes

These Chewy Iced Molasses Cookies have a fabulous soft and chewy texture and are filled with the classic holiday flavors of molasses, cinnamon, and ginger. Easy, festive, and delicious!

Prep Time15

Cook Time12

Chill Time1

Total Time1 27

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: dozen

Calories: 131kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

For the Cookies

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup butter softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup unsulphured mild-flavor molasses
1 egg

For the Icing

1 ½ cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons milk as needed

Instructions

For the Cookies

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and creamy. Add the molasses. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg.
Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, a little at a time, just until combined. Cover and chill the dough for about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough, then roll into 1-inch balls and place them about 2-inches inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a clean glass.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges of the cookies are set, being careful not to overbake. Cool on cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.

For the Icing

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk to a small bowl and stir until combined. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the icing reaches spreading consistency. Only add as much milk as needed for the icing to pour off the tip of a spoon and be easy to swirl around the top of the cookie. You don't want it so thin that it loses it's circular shape and rolls off the edges of the cookie.
Once cooled, spoon some of the icing on top of each cookie and spread out with the back of a spoon. Allow the icing to set for at least an hour before storing.

Video

Notes

Storage

It's important to allow iced cookies to rest at room temperature for at least an hour or more for the icing to set up before storing them. Then, store them in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper or wax paper separating the layers. Store at room temperature for 4 days or refrigerate for up to a week.

For longer storage, the baked cookies can be frozen before they are iced. Flash freeze them on a baking sheet for about an hour, or until frozen solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic storage bag, press out as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw the cookies completely before icing as directed in the recipe.

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