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Home » Gingersnaps and Spice Cookies

Molasses Coconut Chews

Modified: Jan 9, 2025 · Published: Mar 6, 2019 by Anna · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

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After I posted the Oatmeal Molasses Cookies recipe, my friend Beverly emailed to say she had a similar recipe called Molasses Coconut Chews. Molasses and coconut isn't an often used combo, so I was excited to try the recipe. It's adapted from an Old Sturbridge Village booklet called “Hot from the Oven”.

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Molasses Coconut Chews

Over the years Beverly has altered the recipe, so she included notes with her changes. It is worth mentioning, also, that Bev is a retired pastry chef. I've since made these with Bev's changes so they're different from the ones in the book.

molasses coconut chews

Texture and Flavor

These are sweet and chewy. I have made them with shortening, butter, and a butter and shortening combo with the usual outcomes. Shortening gives a better texture and butter adds flavor. Using half shortening and half butter gives you the best of both worlds. They don't have spices so you can really taste the molasses, and they're not overly sweet even with all that sugar.

Amount of Flour

The Old Sturbridge recipe originally called for 4 cups of flour. Bev reduced it to to 3 for thinner, chewier, cookies. I'm guessing the 4 cups of flour in the original recipe must have been bleached all-purpose that had been measured with a lighter hand because 3 cups of unbleached King Arthur weighing 400 grams worked fine. So if you have good strong flour, start with 3 cups or weigh 400 grams. You can add more flour if needed.

Giant 5-Inch Molasses Cookies

Here's one last photo.  I was able to make jumbo size cookies by doubling up the well chilled dough balls, pressing slightly and baking.  This worked well for 5 inch cookies.

Chewy jumbo 5-inch molasses cookie with coconut

Halving the Recipe

If you're curious about the molasses & coconut comb and want to try a half batch, the recipe halves easily. You can even quarter it and make it with 2 tablespoons of beaten egg.

Baking With Blackstrap

The other day I made a small batch of Molasses Coconut Chews with blackstrap molasses.  Some people say you can’t bake with blackstrap, but it depends on the recipe and possibly the brand of blackstrap. When I used it in this recipe (Plantation), the cookies were less sweet but still very good. But I recommend going with mild molasses if possible.  That being said, some recipes are built around blackstrap and in small amounts, it’s a great flavor enhancer for chocolate chip cookies. Some of the popular cookie chains use it.

  • Date Nut Bars aka Chinese Chews
  • Gluten-Free Charleston Chewies
  • Greenwich Village Brownies
  • Large Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies With Molasses
  • Travis House Cookies and Cornflake Macaroons

Recipe

Molasses Coconut Chews

Anna
Molasses Coconut Chews This recipe is from “Hot from the Oven”, an Old Sturbridge Village booklet, 1964. The old version of the recipe called for the higher measurements of flour, but we've had more success using the lower measurements. I recommend starting with the 3 cups.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 13 minutes mins
Total Time 23 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 32 cookies

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup white sugar (200 grams)
  • 1 cup brown sugar (200 grams)
  • 1 cup shortening or unsalted butter or mix the two (192 grams or 228 grams)
  • 2 large eggs beaten (104 grams)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup molasses (150 grams)
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (410 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (sweetened okay)

Instructions
 

  • With an electric mixer, beat the sugars and shortening (or butter) until creamy.
  • Add the beaten eggs, vanilla, and molasses. Beat well.
  • Sift (or just thoroughly stir) together the flour, soda, and salt, then stir into batter.Stir in coconut
  • Using a medium size cookie scoop, scoop out 33 to 36 balls of dough. Bake immediately or keep covered and chilled until ready to bake. If using butter, the cookies will have a better shape with chilled dough.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375*F.
  • Bake the cookies on a parchment lined (or greased) baking sheet for about 13 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Keyword Coconut Molasses, Molasses Cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

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Comments

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  1. Sue says

    March 07, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    I’m really intrigued by these and the other molasses cookies you recently posted. Thanks fir sharing!

  2. Anna says

    March 06, 2019 at 6:18 pm

    The butter version! I was worried the cookies would spread too much and that the shortening was crucial, but the butter version was just perfect. Definitely chill the dough if you use butter instead of shortening.

  3. Jen says

    March 06, 2019 at 4:58 pm

    These look like something I’d love. Did you prefer the butter or shortening version? Usually when says either/or, I’ll use half and half.

Peanut Butter Fudge Jumbles recipe baked in a 9-inch square Pampered Chef stoneware pan.

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