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This recipe for soft and chewy Bourbon Molasses Cookies is perfect for the holiday season! Made with brown sugar and festive spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and even a little black pepper! But it’s the bourbon and fresh orange zest that really make these cookies stand out from the rest!
Molasses Cookies
With Christmas just a few weeks away, I wanted to pop in and quickly share my recipe for chewy molasses cookies with you! These cookies are so festive and perfect for holiday celebrations or cookie parties. They taste just like the ginger molasses cookies we all know and love, but even better! Because they have a subtle bourbon flavor that’s to die for. I made a batch for a cookie swap last weekend and EVERYONE wanted the recipe. Even the women who don’t typically have bourbon in their home said they would buy a bottle just to make these cookies. That’s when I knew I needed to share them with you!!
Molasses Cookie Recipe
Molasses Cookie RecipeEven if you’re not a huge fan of bourbon, I encourage you to give these molasses cookies a try!
Because the bourbon isn’t overpowering and it actually gives the cookies a subtle caramel flavor. It’s so DELICIOUS! Oh, and don’t worry about getting buzzed off of these cookies. There’s only 3 tablespoons of bourbon in the recipe and most of the alcohol bakes out while the cookies are in the oven! Unfortunately I don’t have any suggestions for substituting the bourbon, so if you can’t consume it, I suggest making my soft and chewy gingersnaps instead.
Do I need to Chill the Dough?
Please note, the cookie dough for this recipe needs to chill for at least 4 hours!
Like most recipes for molasses cookies, this recipe requires you chill your dough. This is important to know in advance so you can plan ahead time wise. But don’t let the chill time get you down! Because this cookie dough can be chilled for up to 72 hours. And scooped and frozen for up to 2 months! Just add an extra minute or two onto the bake time when baking from a frozen state.
Bourbon Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 5 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 TINY pinch finely ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 and 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap variety)
- 3 Tablespoons bourbon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for rolling the cookie dough)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, black pepper, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add in the vanilla and orange zest and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the molasses and bourbon and beat until combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and beat until it’s evenly incorporated.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, and up to 3 days.
When ready to bake:
- Preheat oven to 350 (F). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- Roll the dough into 3 Tablespoon sized balls. Fill a small and shallow bowl with granulated sugar. Roll each ball in the sugar until it's completely coated. Place the sugar coated cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each ball for spreading.
- Bake, one tray at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed up and have begun to slightly crack on top. (They will crack more as they cool, so don’t over bake!)
- Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully transfer the cookies to a separate cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
- Serve cookies warm, or completely cool them and store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Cookies may also be frozen for up to 3 months.
I made these last Christmas and can’t wait to make again. The recipe makes a large amount for all your Christmas parties and open houses and they are beautiful on any tray and a delight to eat. Truly worth it! Thank you @bakerbynature for a new Christmas tradition!!
I made these one year & they were fabulous! I have made them every year since. They are THE BEST molasses cookies! My family loves them too. I don’t drink bourbon but have a bottle in my house just for these cookies lol.
Can you use bourbon extract instead of the alcohol?
Yes or add 3Tbs of molasse + the 1/2 cup! Cheer
These were amazing! Thanks very much for the recipe.
I love the flavor but am disappointed that they spread so thin. I chilled the dough overnight, watched my baking times but still thin not thick. Oh well, they taste lovely. Love the addition of bourbon.
Why can’t you use blackstrap molasses?
There’s a variety of reasons that your cookie could be spreading too thin. Sometimes what causes it is if your spooning your cookie dough onto a hot baking sheet, or if the baking sheet is overgreased. Do you use pinterest? One thing I recommend searching under keywords like ‘Cookie Science’ or ‘Cookie Chemistry.’ The reasons are fascinating and it will definitely help minimize cookie conundrums in the kitchen. 🙂
Try mixing your butter and sugar less. If over mixed, it will result in too much spreading.
Tried these cookies this past weekend. They are delicious. Slight undertone of the bourbon and orange zest. They have stayed moist for days. I rolled them in turbinado sugar and that gave them a nice crunch! Will definately make these again
These look so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Just made these! Very very good!
These look great. Do you really need the orange zest? I’m tired of running to the grocery store – ha!! Thanks!! Che-
Can I omit the liquod?
Just made/ate these. Delightfully yummy.