Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies
These molasses chocolate chip cookies are so soft and chewy they’ll soon become your favorite cookie ever! The intense flavor of molasses combines perfectly with dark chocolate chips. And the added molasses keeps these cookies perfectly tender for days.
I’m a big fan of molasses, so I’m not sure why I haven’t added them to my chocolate chip cookies before. Better late than never, that’s my motto! Chocolate chip cookies made with molasses take soft and tender to a new level. That’s why they’re my new favorites! Besides, any cookie infused with melty chocolate chips is high on my list. I prefer them fresh out of the oven (after a few minutes to cool, of course).
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Adding molasses to cookies boosts the moisture and tenderness factor, keeping them soft for days
- Using a flax egg acts as the perfect egg replacer, binding the cookies together perfectly
- Reserving chocolate chips to press into the top of each dough ball before baking means you’ll have bakery-style cookies that look as fabulous as they taste
Key Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Vegan Egg — I recommend a flax egg but you could substitute a chia egg
- Vegan Butter — My favorite store brand is Earth Balance, or you can make your own non-dairy butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar — Use dark or light or make this brown sugar alternative
- Molasses — Use unsulphured molasses for the richest flavor
- Apple cider vinegar
- Flour — I use all-purpose flour, but you could also use whole wheat pastry flour (different that whole wheat flour)
- Baking powder + baking soda — These two together keep the cookies soft and tender
- Pumpkin pie spice — I like using pumpkin pie spice because it combines the spices I’m looking for. If you don’t have any, you can make homemade pumpkin pie spice
- Salt
- Vegan Chocolate Chips — If. you’re not certain which ones to choose, this Dairy-free Chocolate Chips Guide can help
Here’s how to make this chocolate chip cookie recipe with molasses:
- Make the vegan egg — Prepare the flax egg and set it aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar — Use either a handheld or stand mixer on medium speed and beat the vegan butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until fluffy. Finally, add the molasses, vinegar, and flax egg and beat to combine.
- Mix Dry Ingredients — In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.
- Make the Cookie Dough — Pour the flour mixture in with the butter mixture and stir to combine. This is a thick dough. But if it’s crumbly, add a tablespoon of water and stir that in. Stir in most of the chocolate chips. Reserve some chocolate chips to place on the top of unbaked cookies.
- Drop & Bake — Drop by rounded spoonful about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Add more chocolate chips to the top of each cookie dough ball. Bake for 9–11 minutes. For chewier cookies, remove them at 9 minutes. For crispier cookies, leave them in the oven a few minutes longer.
Storage Tips
Store baked cookies in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can store them in the fridge for up to 8–10 days. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Brooke
These are now my offical favorite cookies! They seem like they’d be winter cookies because of the molasses, but they’re good all the time!
Here are even more vegan chocolate chip cookies to fall in love with:
Molasses is a thick, flavorful syrup from sugar cane. When added to cookies it creates a soft, moist consistency. In addition, molasses helps develop rich and complex flavors.
I recommend dark molasses, also referred to as unsulphured molasses. This is the best choice to add that bold, intense flavor that molasses contributes. It has an amber tone and a bright sweetness, whereas blackstrap molasses has an inky dark color and a bitter flavor that overpowers cookies.
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Ingredients
- 1 flax egg
- 1 cup vegan butter , softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ⅓ teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Linke a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the flax egg. Set aside.
- Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Use either a handheld or stand mixer on medium speed and beat until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until fluffy. Add the molasses, vinegar, and flax egg. Beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. Pour the flour mixture in with the butter mixture and stir to combine. This is a thick dough. But if it's crumbly, add a tablespoon of water and stir that in.
- Add most of the chocolate chips and stir until combined. Reserve some chocolate chips to place on the top of unbaked cookies.
- Drop by rounded spoonful about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Add more chocolate chips to the top of each cookie dough ball and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 9–11 minutes. If you prefer chewier cookies, remove them at 9 minutes. If you prefer crispier, cook for a few minutes longer.
- Once the cookies are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This post was originally published in 2020 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
Why use brown sugar? You’re using white sugar and molasses… the ingredients that make brown sugar.
You’re correct. You could bypass the brown sugar and add an additional tablespoon of molasses.
These are so good and did stay soft. After 9 mins they seemed under done but firmed up nicely when left on the sheet for a few mins and then cooled. The pumpkin pie spice gives them a nice rich depth. I used 1 C chips and 1/2 C pecans. I will make these again. Also, recipe made 52 cookies for me.
Hi Margie. So glad you liked these cookies! Love the idea of adding chopped pecans!
These are now my offical favorite cookies! They seem like they’d be winter cookies because of the molasses, but they’re good all the time!
I agree, Brooke. They’re the best all year long!
I had some molasses so I made these cookies and they’re so good!