Description
These Disney Molasses Cookies are wonderfully soft, chewy, and bursting with warm holiday spices. Inspired by the famous Disney resort-style molasses cookies, this easy homemade recipe combines rich unsulphured molasses, sweet granulated sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to create irresistibly fragrant cookies with beautifully crackled tops. Rolled generously in sparkling sugar before baking, each cookie features delicately crisp edges and a tender, chewy center. Best of all, the canola oil-based dough requires no chilling, making these deliciously spiced treats perfect for Christmas cookie trays, holiday baking, homemade gifts, or enjoying with a warm cup of coffee or tea!
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Molasses Cookie Dough:
- 1 cup (240 ml) canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) regular unsulphured molasses (such as Grandma’s Molasses)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- For the Sparkling Sugar Coating:
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Line Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Mix Canola Oil and Granulated Sugar: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1 cup (240 ml) of canola oil and 1 3/4 cups (350 g) of granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 1–2 minutes until the oil and sugar are thoroughly blended into a uniform mixture.
- Incorporate Molasses and Egg: Add 1/3 cup (80 ml) of regular unsulphured molasses and the room-temperature egg to the oil and sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until everything is smooth, glossy, and uniform in color.
- Combine Dry Spice Blend: In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups (375 g) of all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of ground ginger, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves until the spices and leavening are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
- Form Cookie Dough: Gradually add the prepared dry spice mixture to the wet oil and molasses base, mixing on low speed just until a soft, pliable cookie dough forms. Avoid overmixing to maintain the tender, chewy texture. No refrigeration or dough chilling is needed for this recipe!
- Portion Dough Balls: Place the remaining 1/2 cup (100 g) of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of cookie dough per portion (~35 g each), then gently roll the portions between your palms into smooth balls approximately 2 inches in diameter.
- Roll in Sugar and Space on Sheets: Roll each molasses cookie dough ball generously in the granulated sugar until completely coated in a thick, sparkling sugar shell. Arrange the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving approximately 2 inches of space between them to allow for spreading during baking.
- Bake Until Crackled: Bake the molasses cookies at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes, or until they have spread and developed beautiful, deep crackled fissures across their sugary tops. The edges should be set while the centers still look slightly soft. Avoid overbaking to preserve their wonderfully chewy texture.
- Cool and Store: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the warm pans for 5 minutes so the centers can finish setting. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack and let them cool completely. Store the cooled molasses cookies in an airtight container to maintain their soft, chewy texture!
Notes
- Avoid Blackstrap Molasses: Always use regular unsulphured molasses, such as Grandma’s Molasses, rather than blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses has a much stronger, more bitter, salty, and concentrated flavor that can overpower the balanced sweetness and warm spice profile of these cookies.
- Do Not Chill the Dough: This Disney resort-inspired recipe relies on canola oil, which remains liquid at room temperature. Skipping refrigeration allows the cookie dough to spread evenly in the oven, producing the signature deeply crackled tops and soft, chewy centers.
- Pull Right at 10–12 Minutes: For maximum chewiness, remove the cookies from the oven when the tops are beautifully crackled and the edges are set, even if the centers still appear slightly soft. The residual heat from the baking sheets will finish setting the centers to chewy perfection.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 125mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 6mg