Lumberjacks Recipe (Ready in 60 Min)

A crowd-pleasing vegetarian built around dark molasses and rolled oats — roughly 60 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.

You'll mainly reach for oven and baking tray. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.

How to make it

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy, then beat in the dark molasses and the egg until smooth.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ground ginger and a pinch of salt into the bowl, add the oats, and stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and space them well apart on the trays, as they will spread, then flatten each one slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops have a cracked, spiced surface; the centres should still feel a little soft.
Leave the cookies on the trays for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

You'll use: Oven · Baking tray

Tips & common questions

How long does Lumberjacks take to make?

About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.

What can I use instead of butter?

Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.

Can I scale this recipe up or down?

Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.

Is Lumberjacks vegetarian?

Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.