Soft on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, these nutty small batch Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies bring the flavors of the season to your holiday cookie tray.

When you think of Christmas cookies, what ingredients come to mind? I don’t know about you, but I can’t bake through the holidays without opening a jar (or two) of molasses; after all, it’s one of the main ingredients in gingerbread and molasses cookies.
For the past several years I’ve made chocolate gingersnap cookies to bring into work. This year, I wanted to go sans chocolate with small batch Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies. These soft nutty cookies with a slightly crisp exterior will spice up the holiday without needing any chocolate (says this chocoholic).

Every Christmas, I bake cookies for everyone, whether it’s exchanging with friends via snail mail, bringing them into work to share, or making them for
These spiced peanut butter cookies went to my coworkers, who gobbled them up within a day or two. One guy was hesitant because they had molasses, but one bite and he was a believer.

I have so much fun doing cookie exchanges, from selecting and baking the cookies to packaging and seeing people’s reactions. You can go very basic with clear plastic treat bags and some ribbon to decorated paper boxes and Christmas tins. Pretty much any retail store that sells Christmas decorations have some sort of packaging to help you out.
Hosting a Christmas party? Check out my tips on how to make the best Christmas cookie tray. You can include these peanut butter molasses cookies for a spiced non-chocolate treat.

Peanut Butter Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line one cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.
- In another large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, peanut butter, and butter until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk then beat in the molasses and vanilla.
- Gradually beat in the flour mixture until combined (if it seems crumbly, keep beating another minute or two until it forms a dough).
- Using a #40 cookie scoop or by hand, roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls then place on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm and tops crack a bit. Let cool 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack.
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