Molasses spice cookies with orange essence bring a bright citrus note to the dark, spiced classic. Orange zest is whizzed into the palm sugar for rolling and folded through the dough, so the warm ginger and cloves meet a proper hit of orange. Twenty-four soft, crackled cookies with a festive twist.
MAKES 24 COOKIES
Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) palm sugar, divided
2 teaspoons (10 ml) orange zest, fresh grated
2¼ cups almond flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons (75 ml) coconut oil, softened
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
½ cup light or blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon (5 ml) orange zest, fresh grated
Preparation
1.В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Process ⅔ cup palm sugar with 2 teaspoons (10 ml) grated fresh orange zest in a food processor for about 10 seconds. Spread orange zest mixture into a shallow dish for rolling. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, spices, pepper, and salt together.
2.В В In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil and ⅓ cup palm sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined (about 30 seconds). Beat in the molasses and orange zest until incorporated (about 30 seconds), scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
3.В В Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined (about 30 seconds). The dough will be soft.
4.В В Working with two tablespoons at a time, roll the dough into balls with wet hands, then coat with the palm sugar. Place balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about three inches apart.
5.В В Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown, and the centers are still soft and puffy (10 to 12 minutes), rotating each baking sheet halfway through baking. (The cookies will look raw between the cracks and seem underdone.)
6.В В Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Pro Tips
- Process the orange zest with the rolling sugar until fragrant — that releases the citrus oils into the crust so the orange is the first thing you taste.
- Fresh zest only. Bottled orange extract bakes into a flat, candy-like note that muddies the deep molasses flavour.
- The dough will be soft and sticky — roll the balls with wet hands and coat them well in the orange sugar before baking.
- Pull them at ten to twelve minutes while the centres still look slightly raw between the cracks; they firm up beautifully as they cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use lemon zest instead?
Yes, and it's just as good — lemon gives a sharper citrus edge while orange is rounder and sweeter against the molasses.
Do these taste strongly of orange?
Bright but balanced. The orange lifts the spices rather than dominating, and the molasses still carries the cookie's character.
How should I store them?
Airtight at room temperature for a week. The orange keeps them fragrant right through, and they're lovely with coffee days later.
Can I add a glaze?
A simple honey glaze brushed over the cooled cookies is lovely here — add a little extra orange zest to the glaze for double the citrus.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375°F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Process ⅔ cup palm sugar with 2 teaspoons grated fresh orange zest in a food processor for about 10 seconds.
- Spread orange zest mixture into a shallow dish for rolling.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, spices, pepper, and salt together. 2. В В In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil and ⅓ cup palm sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined.
- Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until combined (about 30 seconds).
- Beat in the molasses and orange zest until incorporated (about 30 seconds), scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. 3. В В Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined (about 30 seconds). The dough will be soft. 4. В В Working with two tablespoons at a time, roll the dough into balls with wet hands, then coat with the palm sugar.
- Place balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about three inches apart. 5. В В Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown, and the centers are still soft and puffy (10 to 12 minutes), rotating each baking sheet halfway through baking. (The cookies will look raw between the cracks and seem underdone.) 6. В В Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
