Soft and chewy brown sugared molasses cookies with lots of sweet white chocolate chips. One of my favorites!
If you know anything about me by now, you know I’m a crazy cookie lady. I mean, you know that I love molasses cookies. Remember these Caramel Molasses Cookies? Yeah, obsessed. Recipe #8 in my Christmas Cookie Palooza is bursting with robust molasses, bright ginger, brown sugar, and oodles of white chocolate.
Oodles. I like that word.
These white chocolate molasses cookies are the complete opposite of any hard, crunchy, crispy gingersnap recipe you are used to. They’re not snappy. Rather, they’re tender, pillow-y, lusciously soft, and chewy to the max. If you like molasses cookies as much as I do, this is a holiday cookie recipe you have to try. Look at all the pretty crinkles!
I’ve made these cookies for you before. Well, kind of. Two years ago I stuffed my soft gingersnap molasses cookies with white chocolate chips, sort of like little thumbprint cookies. I also stuffed them with chocolate chips and butterscotch morsels. The butterscotch variety is molasses cookie insanity! Like, bring-you-to-tears-tasty.
Told you I love molasses cookies.
These white chocolate molasses cookies are like the Christmas version of a chocolate chip cookie. The cookie dough is pretty standard—creaming butter and sugar together, adding molasses, egg, and vanilla. The dry ingredients? A piece of cake. A piece of gingerbread cake? I love gingerbread cake too, for the record. Besides the molasses and brown sugar, these cookies get their flavor from the ground ginger. Fragrant, flavorful ginger. Don’t leave that out! It’s a crucial ingredient.
Rather than making a thumbprint style molasses cookie like I’ve done in previous years, I simply mixed the white chocolate chips into the cookie dough. White chocolate and molasses pair so well together and every time I combine them, I wonder why I don’t bake with the two flavors more often. I’m tempted to make these gingerbread cupcakes and top them with this white chocolate buttercream frosting. If you try that, let me know.
What makes them so soft? All that butter and brown sugar. The only place white sugar is welcomed into this recipe is when you roll the cookie dough balls in it. A white sugar “dip” as I like to call it. Rolling and dipping makes it a fun recipe to bake with others. Like little bakers, friends, family, and all molasses lovers.
Don’t forget to chill the cookie dough! This step is so imperative. The cookies are thick and puffy because the cookie dough is baked when it’s cold. You want cold dough.
Remember, COLD dough. Got it? Cold. One more time… cold.
If it’s not all the pretty crinkles, bold flavor, or thick, puffy, soft centers you’ll love—it’s the chewy edges. That’s something I just love about all molasses cookies. They’re so chewy!
You will LOVE them.
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Soft-Baked White Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Yield: 20 large cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Soft and chewy brown sugared molasses cookies with lots of sweet white chocolate chips. One of my favorites!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Add the brown sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Beat well on high, scraping down the sides as needed again.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet on low speed. Once mixed, beat in the white chocolate chips on low speed until dispersed. Try to avoid overmixing. Cover dough tightly and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If you let it chill for longer than 6 hours, allow to sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Pour the granulated sugar into a bowl. Take 2 Tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball, then roll into the sugar. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until edges appear set. Remove from the oven and gently press the top of the cookie down with the back of a utensil or even use your fingers. You’re trying to obtain a crinkly top. Place back into the oven for 1 more minute. Cookies will be puffy and still appear very soft in the middle. That’s ok. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for ten minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days, in the refrigerator for 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Rolled cookie dough may be frozen up to three months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Keywords: soft white chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate chip molasses cookies
See more recipes with molasses. And for even more holiday baking inspiration, here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Can the cookies be 1tbsp balls rather than 2 tbsp?
You bet! Bake time will be shorter.
Can I make these with a gluten-free flour?
Hi Linda, we haven’t tested gluten free flour in these cookies but let us know if you do!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Absolutely!
I have made these cookies since 2014. They are one of the only cookies that I can successfully make. They truly have a special place in my heart.
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
So excited to try this recipe!
I was wondering if dark molasses are the syrup or the suger/powder?
★★★★★
Hi Jan, we use a liquid molasses. Enjoy!
I saw a caramel molasses cookie you mentioned on the link that brought me here. I cannot find that particular recipe now and wonder if you would share the link?
Hi Laura! We were no longer satisfied with the outcome of that older recipe, so we unpublished it. We still have it, so send us an email and we can forward it to you. sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com
Delicious cookies and the recipe worked perfectly. Love these!
★★★★★
These are delicious! Mine somehow looked even better than the recipe picture of that’s possible. Changed the recipe a bit to make it not too sweet and it was perfect. I did:
– only added 2 oz white choc
-added ~1/2 cup dried cranberries
-added ~1/2 cup pecans
– skipped rolling in sugar
– added ~1/2 tsp cardamom
And they were great. Maybe I would want a little more spice, but that’s a personal thing I always like extra. The molasses flavor comes through strong, and I just could not stop smelling this cookie dough it smelled so good. Will make these for the holidays!
★★★★★
These are SO GOOD and so pretty. I love it that any recipe I try from your site is always a winner, sweet or savory, cake or cookie, breads too. Thanks for making me look like a wizard in the kitchen.
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Followed your recipe to the tee!! Came out great and stayed puffy. Left them plain for a cancer fund raiser, since cancer patients like ginger while receiving chemotherapy. They will be donated and enjoyed!!! Great recipe.
★★★★★
These are the BEST cookies!!! So amazing!!!
Sally these cookies are amazing! I followed your instructions and you were right on!
At first looking at them baking, I thought they weren’t turning out because they really don’t change shape while in the oven. Did exactly what you said and I just love them!
Thanks for a new Christmas cookie to add to my repetoir.
Sally, I made these cookies last weekend and they were completely amazing, my almost 2-year-old toddler wanted to eat them all hahaha. I have published them in my blog, of course giving you the credits, and I will post them on Instagram too tagging you.
Thanks so much for all these great recipes! Kisses from Spain!
Hi Sally, thanks for the great recipe. Molasses ginger cookies are my husbands favorite. Just tried your recipe today and he said these were the best ever! I will try them with raisins next time since he is one of those people who almost prefers raisins over chocolate chips in cookies. Go figure! 🙂
Sally,
I’m planning my holiday baking starting next month. When freezing these after forming the cookie dough balls should we dip them in sugar before or after freezing? I’m afraid during the freeze/thaw process the sugar may ‘melt’ into the cookie and loose that wonderful sparkle quality. Thanks for always giving a make ahead option when a recipe allows for it. It makes holidays, events, etc., infinitely more manageable and less stressful. It feels so good to have something fresh baked without all the mess and time associated. You’re amazing!!
Hi Michelle! Way to begin planning ahead! I would roll the cookies into the sugar AFTER freezing for the very reason you listed.
Mine didn’t spread! They stayed in balls- what am I doing wrong???
Overmeasuring the flour, perhaps? Try reducing the amount by a couple Tablespoons. OR you can skip the chilling.
I just made these and they are flipping amazing!! Fluffy and chewy, and the white chocolate makes them creamy. Thanks again for a great recipe Sally!
Could these be baked into bars?
Absolutely! a 9×9 bake pan would be the best size. Unsure about a 9×13 and the baking times for either size pan.
These were my husband’s FAVORITE cookie I made for Christmas. He can’t decide if he likes these OR your White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodles more. He was super excited when my mom gave me your cookbook for Christmas and was caught sneeking a look at some of the recipes. 🙂 Thanks for all that you do!
Sally, I don’t know how this is possible, but these taste EXACTLY like Little Debbie oatmeal cookies to me. I know that you have a recipe for that on here, and I’ve made it before but I can’t remember them tasting like this. Those are great too, but these are awesome, mouth-watering, melting goodness!
I baked these and they were gone the next day! Looks like I will have to make another batch today! LOVE this recipe!
I just made these and they’re great! I used blackstrap molasses because that’s what I had (not sure if that’s different from dark molasses) and made 30 cookies, but I’d definitely shoot for 20 next time. These are so Christmasy and will be great to give to my friends at school this week, thanks Sally!