Oatmeal Molasses Cookies are the Holiday Cookie to End all Holiday Cookies

When it comes to cookies, I’m a chewy cookie lover through and through. I’m a big fan of a slightly crisp exterior with a chewy, gooey center for the ultimate play on texture. These old-fashioned oatmeal molasses cookies check all of my boxes.

These cookies come together easily, with no stand mixer or hand mixer required. All you need is a good mixing bowl, a whisk, and a spatula to mix the dough. They require a bit of time to chill in the fridge before baking, but that time plays a key role in developing their flavor and chewy texture. Bake a batch for an anytime treat or double the batch to add these easy oatmeal molasses cookies to your festive cookie boxes, like I plan to do this year.

An Ideal Make-Ahead Dough

Want to prep the dough ahead of time? Since these cookies require an hour of chilling time in the fridge anyway, this is an ideal make-ahead dough. Once the dough is mixed, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and either place it in a freezer bag or wrap it in aluminum foil. Keep the dough in the freezer for up to two months and let it thaw in the fridge.

Baking the cookies sooner? Store the dough in the fridge for up to one week.

Easy Variations

• A sugared top: Sprinkle a bit of granulated sugar on the cookies when they’re hot out of the oven. Alternatively, you could roll each ball of cookie dough in granulated sugar or a spiced sugar before baking for an all-over sparkly appearance. 
• Make it salty: A salty version of these cookies would be excellent. Make them with salted butter and sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt on top just before baking. 
• Brown the butter: Want even more rich, deep flavor? While melting the butter for the cookie dough, brown it along the way. Then, incorporate the melted browned butter just the same. 
• Add mix-ins: Raisins are a classic choice to add to this cookie dough. Other options? Incorporate chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or chopped pecans. Stir them into the dough before chilling and baking.
• Finish with a drizzle: Want to dress up your cookies? Make a simple powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over the top. You could also top them with melted semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate.