Chewy Molasses Crinkle Cookies
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I look forward to these soft and chewy molasses crinkle cookies all year long! With brown sugar, warm spices, and a crunchy sugary coating, these cookies taste like Christmas. They’re one of my faves for holidays, cookie exchanges, and cozy winter nights!
Have I been living under a rock or does it seem like molasses cookies have been popping off lately?
I mean, I know they’re a classic cookie but I just feel like they’ve been all over my Instagram feed for the past few years. And don’t get me wrong, I get why. Along with cardamom gingerbread cookies and these gorgeous maple pecan sugar cookies, they’ve been one of my must-make holiday cookies ever since I was in pastry school. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Honestly, I always thought that I hated molasses until I learned how to make molasses cookies way back in pastry school. I experienced those chewy centers with the crunchy sugared edges and omg. Life-changing.
This recipe is by far my favorite molasses cookie ever. They’re super soft, have chewy centers, and the spice level is elite. Make these for all the holiday gatherings this year and then make them again. You’ll definitely want seconds. 😛
Unsulphured molasses
Make sure you’re looking for unsulphured molasses which is sweet, spicy, and adds moisture to the cookies. Blackstrap is super salty and will totally ruin these cookies! For the rest of the dough, you’ll need all purpose flour, baking soda, Morton’s Kosher salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, unsalted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and raw sugar.
Step-by-step directions
For super chewy cookies, make sure you chill the dough for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. Also, make sure you don’t over-bake the cookies or they will come out cake-y instead of chewy!
Crinkle tops
Don’t skip the sugar coating! There’s a lot of science that goes into making the tops of the cookies crinkle. But raw sugar is the secret trick! The raw sugar will help dry the outside of the cookie dough while the center stays nice and moist. That dry surface will make the cookies crinkle and look all pretty.
Make-ahead & store leftovers
To make these cookies in advance, just whip up the dough, cover the bowl, and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days. Then, when you’re ready to enjoy the cookies, scoop, roll, and bake. Stack any leftover cookies in airtight containers. Then, let them sit at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing instructions
You have a couple of options when it comes to freezing these old fashioned molasses cookies. You can either freeze the cookie dough balls or the baked cookies!
- Cookie dough – after the dough has chilled, roll the cookie dough balls and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Freeze the cookie dough balls for 1-2 hours until they’re solid. Pop them in a parchment-lined freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Bake frozen cookie dough – let the cookie dough balls warm at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Roll the cookie dough balls in raw sugar. Then, bake the cookies according to the directions. They may just need 1-2 more minutes since they’ll be extra cold!
- Baked cookies – place the baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag. Then, store the cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them defrost for about 1 hour before serving.
For the best results, I always recommend measuring ingredients with a kitchen scale! But, if you don’t have a scale, just make sure you’re measuring the flour properly. Fluff the flour with a whisk, scoop it into the measuring cups, and level it off without packing it in. Over-measuring the flour will make these cookies dry!
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Chewy Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 270 grams all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 114 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
- 150 grams dark brown sugar (3/4 cup, packed)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 115 milliliters unsulphured light molasses (1/3 cup)
- 100 grams raw sugar, for rolling (1/2 cup)
Equipment
- #40 cookie scoop (2 Tablespoons)
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, Kosher salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until it's very light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Then, add the molasses and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until the dough comes together. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and ensure there are no dry spots. Then, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Once the dough is chilled and you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Pour the raw sugar on a small plate.
- Using a #40 cookie scoop (2 Tablespoons), scoop the dough into about 24 balls. Using clean hands, roll each portion of dough into a smooth ball. Then, roll each cookie dough ball in the raw sugar. Place the cookie dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans (6 to a pan). Refrigerate any cookie dough balls that don't fit on the sheet pans.
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 8-9 minutes, flipping the pan halfway through, until the edges are set and the centers are still a bit shiny. (They may look raw in the center but they'll finish cooking as they cool). Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
