My healthy molasses cookies are made with coconut flour, healthy oils, and without refined sugar! They are super quick and simple to make, and come out perfectly chewy and delicious. This healthy molasses cookie recipe is a must make healthy cookie recipe!
For more healthy sweets recipes, make sure to try my Coconut Flour Cutouts, Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, and Sweet Potato Brownies!
My Healthy Molasses Cookies Recipe is:
- Super easy to make!
- Perfectly chewy
- Sweet and fragrant
- Flourless
- Refined Sugar Free
- Dairy Free
Molasses cookies are such a classic cookie recipe to make in the winter. Filled with warming and healing spices, these healthy flourless molasses cookies are perfect to make when the weather outside is frightful!
If you love making healthy desserts at home, make sure to read my Ultimate Guide on Making Healthy Easy Dessert Recipes featuring healthy cookie dough bars.
HEALTHY MOLASSES COOKIES INGREDIENTS
If you are looking for the classic chewy molasses cookie recipe, make sure to check out the bottom of this post right above the FAQ's section. I have included my mom's old fashioned molasses cookie recipe because sometimes you have to make it the old fashioned way!
But if you're here for a healthier treat, this is the blog for you! I love turning so many different kinds of treats into healthier for you goodies. If I can add so many good for you ingredients and it still tastes good, then why not?!
Healthy Molasses Cookies Ingredients you will need:
- 1 egg
- ½ cup almond butter or cashew butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, or pureed dates
- 2 ½ tablespoons black strap molasses
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- optional: sugar for rolling
ARE MOLASSES COOKIES GOOD FOR YOU?
As a Registered Dietitian and expert in Gut Health and Longevity, the short answer is no. Classic molasses cookies are made with refined white flour and refined white sugar, both of which raise your blood glucose and contribute to inflammation and early aging.
That is why I love to make molasses cookies in a healthier way! My cookies are refined sugar free and also refined flour free! There are multiple sweetener options for this recipe. I use coconut flour which does not spike glucose like refined flour does.
Can you eat a classic molasses cookie and still live a long healthy life? Yes absolutely! But, if you can make one that is just as good and much healthier for you, that's the option I'm going with every time.
CAN YOU MAKE MOLASSES COOKIES WITHOUT SUGAR?
Yes absolutely! In place of refined sugar, I used a couple different options like honey, maple syrup, and even pureed dates. They came out fragrant, chewy and delicious.. oh and perfectly cracked on top!
If you want a healthier option that is just a bit lighter by using coconut flour instead of white flour, you can still use dark brown sugar or coconut sugar. These two sweeteners are not as healthy as honey or dates, but they're better than bleached and refined white sugar.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY MOLASSES COOKIES
Healthy chewy molasses cookies are so easy to make and come together in minutes!
Step 1: Mix Your Healthy Molasses Cookie Dough
First, in a medium sized bowl sift together the wet ingredients.
The wet ingredients include:
- 1 egg
- ½ cup almond butter or cashew butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, or pureed dates
- 2 ½ tablespoons black strap molasses
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Mix until there are no chunks of almond butter left. Next, add the dry ingredients on top of the wet ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Mix the dry ingredients and molasses cookie spices into the wet ingredients until a dough comes together.
Step 2: Chill the molasses cookie dough
You can use a cookie scoop and scoop your molasses cookies right away if you want, but I find that molasses cookies get the best chewy texture and hold their shape better if the dough is chilled first.
Chill dough 30+ minutes in the fridge.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while the molasses cookie dough chills.
Step 3: Roll and Bake
Roll into 12 equal sized molasses cookie balls and then roll each cookie in sugar.
Bake on parchment paper in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Take molasses cookies out of the oven as soon as the tops crack! If you keep baking them too long they will get dry and more hard. Let the molasses cookies cool on the baking sheet before removing them to a serving plate.
STORAGE
HOW LONG CAN I STORE MOLASSES COOKIES FOR?
These can be stored at room temperature for 2 days. Or in the freezer up to a month. Keep in mind the longer they are stored the more they dry out.
If you are freezing molasses cookies, make sure to lay them flat on parchment paper and if you are layering them, layer parchment paper between cookie layers so they don't stick together.
You can also freeze pre-rolled molasses dough and thaw them out to bake them as you want!
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY BLACK STRAP MOLASSES COOKIES EVER
USE UNSULPHURED MOLASSES. Un-sulphured molasses is much sweeter than sulphured molasses. Sulphered molasses is molasses that has been treated with a preservative and is much less sweet.
USE BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES FOR THE GREATEST HEALTH BENEFITS. Although it is not as sweet as light molasses, you will get a very rich dark flavor and the most health benefits from blackstrap.
WARM ALMOND BUTTER TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE BEATING. Almond butter mixes best when it is at room temperature.
CHILL DOUGH BEFORE ROLLING. Chilling the dough helps them not only keep their form when they bake, but also get that nice cracked molasses cookie top.
LEAVE SPACE BETWEEN COOKIES. I like to bake 6 molasses cookies at a time. This ensures the heat gets around them and the cookies bake evenly.
VARIATIONS
Lightened up Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies. These healthier molasses cookies come from my moms old fashioned cookie recipe that she has been making my whole life! All I did was replace the flour with white whole wheat flour and I used ½ cup honey instead of ½ cup sugar.
Dry ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour or 1:1 gluten free flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon pink sea salt
Wet ingredients:
- ¾ cup organic unsalted grass fed butter
- ½ cup honey, date syrup or maple syrup
- ¼ cup black strap molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup raw cane sugar to roll them
Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another bowl. Then mix the wet molasses cookies ingredients into the dry until a dough forms. Refrigerate your molasses cookie dough in the fridge 30-60 minutes.
Roll in sugar and then place on a baking sheet and bake for 11-12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the tops crack.
Enjoy!
FAQ’S
Frequently asked questions about healthy blackstrap molasses cookies recipe.
IS MOLASSES DAIRY FREE?
Yes! Molasses does not contain dairy. Molasses is a byproduct when sugar is made. There is light molasses, dark molasses, and black strap molasses. I used blackstrap molasses in these cookies to get the greatest healthy benefits.
Blackstrap molasses has has the lowest sugar content of any sugar cane product. It contains potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, selenium.
Just 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses has about 20% of your daily need for iron!
WHAT DOES MOLASSES DO FOR COOKIES?
Blackstrap molasses is a rich dark sweetener that adds a ton of flavor and caramelization to your cookies. Molasses is a liquid, so it will give your baked goods a chewier texture.
DOES MOLASSES TASTE GOOD IN COOKIES?
Blackstrap molasses is delicious in cookies and gives a subtly sweet rich flavor. Molasses cookies are made even more delicious with warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
WHAT'S THE BEST MOLASSES FOR COOKIES?
For super sweet cookies, use light un-sulphered molasses. For the most nutritional benefit and the richest flavor, however, use blackstrap un-sulphered molasses.
WHY DIDN'T MY MOLASSES COOKIES RISE?
You might be using expired baking powder, or not enough baking powder.
You're going to love these Healthy Cookie Recipes next!
- Lemon Zucchini Cookies with Lemon Glaze
- Half Moon Cookies
- Healthy Macaroons
- Healthy Meringue Cookies
- Matcha Macarons with Mango Buttercream
- Almond Pulp Cookies Chocolate Dipped
- Healthy Lofthouse Cookies
- Healthy Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Healthy Coconut Flour Cutouts
If you try my Healthy Molasses Cookies Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!
The Best Healthy Molasses Cookies Recipe!
Equipment
- hand held beaters
- Parchment paper
- Baking tray
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
- 1 egg
- ½ cup almond butter or cashew butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, pureed dates, or maple syrup
- 2 ½ tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoon coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- optional raw cane sugar for rolling cookies in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.In a mixing bowl, mix together wet ingredients until completely combined.1 egg, ½ cup almond butter or cashew butter, ⅓ cup brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, pureed dates, or maple syrup, 2 ½ tablespoon molasses, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients on top of wet cookie ingredients and mix until a dough comes together.3 tablespoon coconut flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Roll cookie dough into balls and roll in sugar.
- Place on parchment paper lined baking tray.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes or just until the tops crack. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the cookie sheet. Remove from the sheet once cool and enjoy! Molasses cookies last 2 days at room temperature, or you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to a month. Make sure to layer parchment paper between layers of cookies if freezing so they don't stick together.
Tamera
These sound very yummy! Do you think that almond flour could be substituted for the white wheat flour?
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Hi Tamera! I haven't tried that yet-- but let me know how that turns out for you. Almond flour typically requires more of a binding agent (like egg), so I would first sub the almond flour 1:1 in here, and then if it seems that the cookies don't stay together very well, experiment with adding 1 small egg.
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I haven't tried these with almond flour, but you can start by switching out 1/2 cup of the white wheat flour at a time to see how they hold up. Chances are that if you sub all the wheat flour out, you will need an egg with the almond flour to help bind the cookies 🙂
Donna
"dairy-free" when butter is right there in the recipe... sigh
Rosemary
you can use plant based butter or coconut oil in this!