Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies
When I move to a new living space, everything is unfamiliar. Duh.
I walk into the closet instead of the bathroom. I reach for the dishwasher when I should be checking on the cookies in the oven. I stub my toes on the coffee table… a lot. The sound of the mailman dropping letters in the box is startling.
Soon enough… all of these new home quirks will settle and disappear.
I thought the best way to counteract the newness was to fill my new home with the smell of something entirely familiar: chocolate chip cookies.
It worked. I only stubbed my toe on the coffee table twice instead of thrice.
Ps…. Maybe this entire post was just an excuse to work the word ‘thrice’ onto my blog. Hmmm… think on that.
By now you probably know that I can’t leave well enough alone.
I wouldn’t just make plain old chocolate chip cookies and dump them in your lap.
See, I’m calling these Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies because I’ve made my own brown sugar and added a good, hearty load of dark, unsulphured molasses. It’s sexy. Seriously.
I also used melted butter (instead of the traditional softened butter) and bread flour (instead of all-purpose flour). This combination comes from Alton Brown. He knows a thing or two. The higher gluten content in bread flour helps keep the cookie in control. Buuuut… the loads of molasses keep this cookie well browned and fairly flat. Keep that in mind. These flat cookies.are.delicious.
Intermission…
I found this photo during my move last week. It was taken by my father in 1982. It seems to be the very beginning of food blogging.
End Intermission.
These slender little cookies bring loads of flavor. They’re deep. They’re caramely. They’re packed with dark chocolate chunks and topped with just a sprinkling of sea salt. What more do you want? Yeesh.
In the background there is my front door. I’ll give you the home (and kitchen) tour soon.
Chewy Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 3 dozen cookies
recipe adapted from Alton Brown
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon dark molasses, not blackstrap
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups dark chocolate chips or chunks
sea salt for sprinkling on top of cookies just before baking
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, mix the granulated sugar and molasses until no large molasses clumps remain. Look at that! You just made your own brown sugar!
Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the homemade brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill the dough for about 20 minutes, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Lightly sprinkle each dough ball with a few flecks of sea salt. It really brings out the chocolate flavor.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. I like these cookies to be just a bit under-done. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
171 Comments Add A Comment
Joy~
You are FREAKIN’ AMAZING!
We try one of your recipes at least once a week and we haven’t met a recipe we did not LOVE! Keep up the good work. We love, love, LOVE, these cookies!
I think it would also work if you mix the molasses with the melted butter (they’re both wet) and then mix in the white sugar, eggs etc.
Making these tonight for supper club. Wish me luck!
What do you think about using whole wheat flour in this recipe? It’s one of the ways I can convince my husband that having several dozen cookies in the house is OK.
hmmm… maybe white whole wheat. how’s that for compromise?
I made a batch the other night and they were fantastic. They were super chewy and we loved the sea salt finish. My cookies were a little flat, but I probably need to wait a little longer between batches to let my cookie sheet cool down a little more. This is my “go to” chocolate chip cookie recipe now. Thank you!!!
I don’t have enough cookie sheets either. I usually run a little cold water over the back of the sheet between batches – cool in 10-30 seconds = more cookies faster = yay!
These are beautiful and delicious cookies. I will never use store bought brown sugar for my chocolate chip cookies again. Thank God for Alton Brown and for you Joy! Everyone should make these cookies at least once. Has this recipe won any awards yet? Because it should.
I love homemade brown sugar! When I am not being lazy I prefer to use it. You are absolutely right about the bread flour and is my flour of choice in the kitchen. When I took a pastry class that was the flour we always had available to us. I have even made chocolate chip cookies with cake flour and that is nice as well. I have never sprinkled salt on top of my cookies, but will try soon.
Love the vintage blog photo! :o)
Regards,
Amanda
Thank you, Joy! Love your blog! Love your recipes! Right now I am waiting for the whole wheat sunflower seed bread to finish baking…smells so good! While waiting I decided to check out some of your other recipes. I had to laugh when I saw the old photo your dad took. I just used that same bowl to make the sunflower seed bread!
I have a batch in the oven right now! *Sniff, Sniff* They smell amazing!! Love your site, Joy!! Thank you for all of the beautiful pictures and fantastic recipes. We adore you!
Oh my goodness. I love these cookies. And I love you.
these cookies are the best thing i’ve ever made, period. i didn’t have kosher salt, so i used the regular stuff… as well as all purpose flour. i was afraid they might not be as good, but honestly… if they were any better i’d never fit in to my clothes again (which is looking like a strong possibility anyway).
I do an annual cookie party with my girlfriends and I made two batches of these for this year’s event. They were delicious! My husband loved them and they are perfectly chewy and delicious. I used full-flavored molasses and that worked well, but I’m also going to try it with mild molasses. Also, I have a friend who preferred these chocolate-chipless, so I’m going to tinker with the recipe by adding clove, cinnamon, and candied ginger. I think it will be a huge hit. Thank you!
Hi! just discovered your blog today whoah I’m in love!!!
Do you think using regular flour+store bought molasse (for now) would work, too?
thx :)
oh wait…. i have all the ingredients, except the bread flour…!!!
I have made these before and they were AMAZING, but I want to add a little something…do you think bacon would go well with this recipe?
I made these when I was home on a snow day. Big mistake! I ate 10 of them the day I made them, and I can’t stop eating them. Something about the molasses makes them melt in your mouth. And I used a coarser sugar and my husband asked what the crunchy stuff was in there, just sugar I said, just sugar. These cookies are like a sugar injection and then you crash and need your fix again. Highly recommended, but make them for a group, not just for yourself. My husband doesn’t even like cookies, so I guess I’ll have to eat them all myself!
Molasses in chocolate cookies! Who would of thought! Sounds so good.
These cookies came out incredible & everyone loved them!
Including the plumber who happened to come by right after I
was done with the first batch. I offered him a glass of milk with
the cookies and everything :) I know it sounds like a softcore porn,
but it really happened! and it’s all thanks to your recipe :)
I love your blog and i’d really appreciate it if you checked out mine:
twogirlsonepizza.blogspot.com
We just got started & hopefully it’ll be as awesome as yours one day :p
Joy,
These cookies are currently chilling in my fridge as I type this and suck on the wooden spoon I used to mix in those chocolate chips. This is absolute bliss. Thank you. A million times, thank you!
This is a super recipe! I’ve made it about five times now, and this time only had Blackstrap lying around. The cookies are equally tasty made with that, they are just a very chocolately brown. They look very burnt. However, they are super tasty! This recipe is always a hit and very easy to make – many thanks, Joy!
These cookies are my tiny little secret. Most of my baking I share generously but these…. Oh, these cookies. These cookies are just for me. They are so rich and caramelly and don’t even get me STARTED on how insane the sea salt makes me. The first time I made these I actually sprinkled sea salt on all other baked goods for the next 2 weeks.
It was not my best idea. They did not compare to these sweet and salty chocolatey cookies. Thanks for sharing Joy!
BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE EVER!
Oh my god! Molasses cookies AND anything chocolate are my husbands two fave treats, and by chance, chocolate chip cookies AND molasses (period) are my dad’s two favourite sweets. And to think, you have combined them into one perfect dessert! I am sooo making these this wkd when my parents come to visit. I am SO the favourite daughter :)
Hi Joy! I am definately going to try these. Is there a reason you use melted butter – something to do with properties of the bread flour? Thanks! Looking forward to hearing about your new project!
Ooo these cookies are AMAZING I have made them twice in the last week :D The 3rd batch I am making I left out about a 1/2 cup of flour and added a cup or so of oatmeal… about a cup of chocolate chips and about a cup of raisins and OH MY GOODNESS… OooWeee! It’s a must try <3
Amazing! Made them this weekend for Dad’s day and Dad almost didn’t get any. I’m going to make some more and hopefully share better ;) Thanks Joy!
These look incredible….I am having a massive craving, though, for straight-up molasses cookies…..think the recipe would be just as good without the chocolate?
no chocolate!? Well… yes, i suppose!
Ha! I understand. I have a six year old little boy who doesn’t like chocolate. Blessing and a curse, I guess. Thank you.
I tried these recently and they really are my new favorite chocolate chip cookies! Delicious!
My aunt has been making cookies like these for years. She lives in another state and anytime she comes and visits she brings the cookies. We have all been trying to get her to spill the beans on the recipe but she wont budge. She only released the secret that she uses Molasses. Well after google-ing choc chip cookies with molasses and finding this recipe by the wonderful Joy the Baker, I finally have a recipe that holds up to hers. Thanks for the amazing cookies, u are the best!
hello
i am trying to alter a recipe that is actually a healthier cookie I found from whole living-not that it is what anyone really wants is a healthier cookie-but at least I can put it in my daughter’s lunch and feel that it is worth something else good besides being tasty. they actually taste really great and have whole oats in them, some whole grain flour, almonds and no butter-just canola oil. I tried grape seed oil which seemed to work but not sure what it does to a cookie. so anyway, I want to make it a bit chewier and flatter and this recipe has inspired me. I am going to add an egg yolk, add a T of milk, melt the butter and let it cool a bit and then the question is the sugar. this recipe has brown rice syrup but I use maple syrup and it also has sugar in it and no brown sugar. I am wondering if I should replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar OR actually use healthier raw sugar and add this molasses? any ideas?
1 cup whole-wheat flour, spooned and leveled.
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled.
1/2 cup oat flour, spooned and leveled USED OATS.
1 teaspoon baking soda.
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1/2 cup canola oil USED GRAPE SEED.
1/2 cup brown-rice syrup USED MAPLE SYRUP.
1/2 cup granulated sugar.
1 large egg.
1 tablespoon water.
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 percent cacao), coarsely chopped.
1 cup natural almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped.