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I am so excited to show you these Dark Chocolate Molasses Cookies. They are a soft, spiced molasses cookie with dark chocolate and oozy butterscotch caramel candy. Close your eyes and imagine all of those flavours together and then create this recipe with me.

A flat lay shot shows freshly baked Dark Chocolate Molasses Cookies. They are on a wire cooling rack, on top of a wooden table. They have been decorated with a smear of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

A while ago I went to a beautiful cafe in Auckland that serves the most divine kai (food). There, in the cookie jar was a cookie, that was undeniably one of the best I have eaten. The label said it had toffee and dark chocolate and as soon as I ate it, I knew I had to recreate it. So here is my version with all the same flavours that I love!

More cookie recipes to try:

Do you prefer hānati (hazelnuts)? My Forerro Rocher Cookies make the perfect entertaining cookie. Or maybe you are looking for brighter flavours? Then try these Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Biscuits cookies.

Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.

Ingredient Tips for these Dark Chocolate Molasses Cookies:

A round wooden board sits on a table lined with a soft pink tablecloth. On the board is cookie ingredients placed in vintage bowls, spoons and jars. In view is flour, butter, eggs, spices, brown sugar, vanilla and molasses. In the background is flowers and a blue candle burning. Fairy lights are in the background.

Butter: I prefer salted pata (butter) because of the flavour but unsalted works.
Brown sugar: Adds a delicious caramel flavour and a softness to the cookies.
Molasses: Use molasses or mīere teiti (date syrup) in this recipe.
Eggs: I always use free-range hēki (eggs) but use what you have.
Spices: The spices in this pihikete (cookie) really compliment the dark chocolate, molasses and candy in the recipe.
Flour: Plain or high grade flour both work in this recipe.
Candy: Use Werther's originals buttercream candy with caramel filling for the best results. The unfilled ones work well too but crush them quite fine if you are using them because they are bit too hard on the teeth once they cool down.
Chocolate: Dark chocolate is delicious in this cookie but milk chocolate would also work.
Salt: If you are sprinkling the pihikete (cookies) with salt, use flaky salt. If you don't have any, cut down the ratio to a quarter teaspoon and use normal salt.

Expert Tips:

Take the time to whip the pata (butter) and huka (sugars) for the specified time. This will ensure a nice rise to the cookies and give the sugars time to dissolve into the butter.

Chill the cookie dough for 10 - 15 minutes if the mixture is too sticky when you are rolling the cookies. Do this instead of adding extra flour in to the mixture so the dough remains the correct consistency for perfect baked pihikete (cookies).

If the cookies are misshapen once they are baked, take a cookie cutter or large round object to reshape them. This needs to be done as soon as they are removed from the oven and must be done quickly before the cookies start to set.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DARK CHOCOALTE MOLASSES COOKIES:

Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.

A vintage bowl with a silver trim sits on top of a striped wooden board. In the bowl is butter, molasses, spices and sugar is being whipped by a white hand mixer. A jar of flour is in the background with a candle next to it.

1. Preheat the Oven:

Preheat the oven to 180 °C bake setting or 170 °C fan bake setting.

Line two flat trays with baking paper.

2. Whip the Butter, Sugar and Spices:

Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), huka hāura (brown sugar), marahihi (molasses) or mīere teiti (date syrup), wanira (vanilla), tote (salt), rau kikini whakauruuru (mixed spice), hinamona (cinnamon) and tinitia (ginger) in to a large bowl.

Tāwhiuwhiua (whip it) on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy in texture.

A vintage bowl with a silver trim sits on top of a striped wooden board. In the bowl is chocolate chunks and the molasses cookie dough that Naomi is stirring together with a knife. The chocolate chunks are plenty. A candle burns next to the bowl.

3. Mix in the Dry Ingredients:

Add the puehu parāoa (flour), pēkana paura (baking powder) and pēkana houra (baking soda). Whakaranuhia (mix to combine).

Add the rare (candy) to a mortar and pestle or a chopping board. Crush or chop them gently and then seperate the chunks of karamea (caramel) so it all distributes evenly in to the pihikete.

Add the rare (candy) to the ranunga pata (butter mixture).

Tapapahia te tiakarete (chop up the chocolate) in to chunks. Add it to the ranunga pata (butter mixture) and mix everything together.

4. Chill the Dough (Optional):

If your mixture is a bit too sticky to roll at this point, refrigerate for 10 minutes to thicken up. If it is fine, skip this step.

A black tray sits on top of a soft pink tablecloth, on the cloths sits a black baking tray lined with baking paper with unbaked dark chocolate molasses cookies balls.

5. Mould the Cookies:

Divide the ranunga (mixture) in to 24 balls and add 12 on to each prepared tray.

Gently press each pihikete (cookie) down with the palm of your hand so they are around 2 cm high.

A top shot shows freshly baked dark chocolate molasses cookies that are cooling on a wire cooling rack.

6. Bake the Dark Chocolate Molasses Cookies:

Bake each tray separately for 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven, if any of the caramel from the candy has oozed out of the biscuit, use a knife to stick it back on the pihikete (biscuits) while the karamea (caramel) is still tacky.

If they are bit of an odd shape, shape them with a round cookie cutter that is bigger than the cookies. Place the cutter around the hot cookie (straight from the oven), using a circular motion manipulate the cookies until they are round. The cookies need to be hot for this to work.

Pour yourself a glass milk and dunk these puppies in there...oh yeah and don't forget to share them!

A black wire cooling rack is on a wooden table with a soft pink cloth on it. On the rack is freshly baked dark chocolate molasses cookies that have been topped with melted chocolate that is still wet. A spoon is adding chocolate to one of the cookies. A vase with white and pink flowers are in the background.

7. Add an Optional Chocolate Topping:

Chop the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) in to small pieces and add it to a small pot or small bowl. Gently melt it over low heat on the stove or in the microwave in 10 second increments until just melted. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth.

Add a small dollop of the tiakarete kua rewaina (melted chocolate) on to each of the pihikete (biscuits).

Sprinkle a little of the flaky salt on to the tiakarete (chocolate) before it sets.

Allow them to set in the fridge for 15 minutes and enjoy!

An extreme close up shot of freshly baked dark chocolate molasses cookies is held up and is being broken by Naomi's hands to reveal the gooey chocolate that is topping the biscuit.

Storing the Dark Chocolate Molasses Cookies:

Store these in a sealed container in the fridge or in a cool cupboard. They will keep well like this for up to 5 days.

If you want to freshen them up, heat them gently in the microwave for 10 seconds.

There are so many more

Pihikete (Biscuit) Recipes

So take a walk on the wild side and see which recipe takes your fancy.

Browse all Biscuits

Naomi Toilalo is at the table laden with baking. There is lamingtons, lemon meringue pie, custard slice and cream buns. She is decorating a cake in front of her and smiling.

DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE?

It would be so awesome if you could please leave a review/comment by clicking the “leave a comment” section at the top of the page.

I love seeing you all make my creations, so send a whakaahua (photo) or kiriata (video) to my Instagram and show me what you made. Let me know if you have any pātai (questions) too, I would love to help.

Close up of dark chocolate molasses cookies are freshly baked and iced with dark chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

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