Learn how to make Healthy Molasses Cookies that are soft, chewy, and delicious!
Affiliates note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My content may contain affiliate links to products and services. If you click through and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission. It does not affect the price you pay.
Table of Contents
Healthy Molasses Cookies
These deliciously soft and chewy cookies already have a good bit of nutrition, thanks to the wonderful addition of molasses. We further increase this cookie recipe’s healthiness by using whole grain flour and honey in place of white flour and refined sugars.
Choose the Flour for Your Molasses Cookies
Depending on where you are on your journey from processed foods to traditional foods, you can make these molasses cookies with whole wheat flour. However, if you have already started incorporating ancient grains into your baking, you can switch to making these cookies with Einkorn or Spelt flour.
If you’re new to using Einkorn in baking, check out the All About Einkorn Flour video where I share everything you need to know about this original ancient grain.
If you have branched out into baking with sprouted flours, these flours are perfect for this recipe too. You may be buying your sprouted flour right now, but if you would like to learn how to make your own sprouted flour, be sure to watch the How to Make Sprouted Flour video. I walk you through the whole process, step by step.
Order YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
Make Your Own Baking Ingredients
Did you know that you can make a lot of your ingredients homemade to use in your baking instead of buying them at the store? You can make your own Perpetual Vanilla Extract along with many other flavored extracts. Plus, you can make your own:
- How to Make Homemade Extracts – Flavored Extracts – Baking Basics
More Delicious Desserts
With Christmas just around the corner, you may enjoy making some of these wonderful sweet treats:
- How to Make Gingerbread Cake
- Italian Ricotta Christmas Cookies Recipe
- How to Make Healthy Cowboy Cookies
- Einkorn Apple Butter Cake – Einkorn Flour Recipe
Last Minute DIY Gifts
If you need some ideas for last-minute DIY gifts, watch my How to Make Homemade Traditional Foods Christmas Gifts video:
And be sure to watch the following videos where I show you how to create these healthy and tasty homemade gifts that make great Christmas presents or hostess gifts:
- Healthy Make Ahead Hot Chocolate Mix
- Marmalade Jam with Step-By-Step Guide To Water Bath Canning
- Healthy Powdered Coffee Creamer
- Make Ahead Noodle Soup Mix in a Jar
- Cream of Soup Mix
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy (Optional Paid) - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook (Optional Paid) - Get a printed book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!
Healthy Molasses Cookies
Equipment
- Half-sheet sized baking sheet
- Parchment paper, optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole wheat flour or whole grain flour Sprouted flour may also be used.
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground cloves
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- 1 tsp Ground allspice, optional
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 stick Butter, softened 1 stick butter = 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup Honey or maple syrup If you want to use a dry sweetener, such as Sucanat, coconut sugar, maple sugar, or date sugar, increase the amount to 1 cup.
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 cup Coarse sugar such as turbinado If you do not have a coarse sugar, you can substitute it with regular sugar.
Instructions
- Into a mesh strainer over a medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, all the spices, and salt. Shake everything through the strainer into the bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter, honey, and molasses until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, and beat till incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined and no streaks or flour are visible.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Once the dough is well chilled and firm to the touch, Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (If you do not have parchment paper, grease the baking sheet with butter.)
- Place the turbinado or other sugar in a small bowl.
- Roll a teaspoon full of cookie dough between the palm of your hands until it forms a 1-inch ball. Next, roll the cookie dough ball in the sugar and place the ball onto the baking sheet. (See video.)
- Continue rolling the dough into balls, rolling the balls in the sugar, and then placing the dough balls on the baking sheet until you have 12 dough balls on the baking sheet that are placed two inches apart.
- Using a flat-bottomed glass dipped in water, flatten each dough ball to 1/4-inch.
- Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of your preheated oven and bake the cookies until they crack on top, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- When done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a minute or two before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container. At room temperature, the cookies will stay fresh for about one week. Refrigerated, the cookies will stay fresh for about two weeks.
Video
Notes
Shop for items used in this blog post or video
Favorite Cookie Making Supplies
- 10-Piece Glass Bowl Set
- Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Spatula Spoon
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Favorite Aprons
Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide
- Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
- Visit my Shopping Guide page
Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman's, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!
Hi Mary!
Your instructions for dry sugar say increase to 1/2 cup. 1/2 is less than 3/4. Is it 1/2 cup more or typo? Thank you.
Hi Neha,
Thanks for your comment. Great catch! I accidentally mistyped, and I meant to say that if you want to use a dry sweetener, you can increase the amount to 1 cup. I updated the recipe to reflect the change.
Thanks again for letting me know. 🙂
Love and God bless,
Mary
Spectacular even without the sugar coating. I love how super soft they are. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Hi Janelle,
Thanks for the kind words! I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies.
Love and God bless,
Mary
These are delicious cookies. Everyone who ate the loved them. I made these for the 2nd time today for Christmas gifts.
Hi Dora,
Wow! That’s great. I’m so happy that you were able to make these as Christmas gifts!
Love and God bless,
Mary
The molasses cookies are outstanding! I made the dough yesterday and baked a few today. Thank you for such a lovely recipe, Miss Mary!