Molasses crinkle cookies are easy to make, super soft and chewy, and made with brown butter for a rich and warm spiced flavor. They are the perfect addition to your Christmas and holiday baking list!
These are the best molasses crinkle cookies!
After my brown butter snickerdoodles and brown butter iced oatmeal cookies were a hit with readers, I knew another cookie was in store!
These molasses cookies are soft and chewy and have the best warm spiced flavor of brown butter, ginger, and cinnamon.
After baking, every cookie has a beautiful crinkle top with a snow-like dusting of sugar. The white sugar gives them the best crispy outside while still being soft and chewy in the center.
For more Christmas cookie recipes, try Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies, Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies.
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why you'll love this recipe
- Chewy molasses cookies: These cookies are super chewy with soft centers!
- Crispy edges: Before baking, the cookies get rolled in sugar that when baked, gives these cookies the best crispy and crunchy edges.
- Crackly tops: Every cookie bakes with beautiful cracks on the tops of the cookies, making them super beautiful and perfect for showing off to everyone you know.
- Christmas cookies: I make this recipe every holiday season, they make the best addition to cookie boxes!
ingredient notes
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Molasses: I recommend using Grandma's Molasses, or any other kind of unsulphured molasses for the best flavor.
- Egg: This recipe calls for one whole egg plus an extra egg yolk which makes these molasses cookies extra chewy!
- Ginger: Ground ginger can be found in any grocery store in the spice aisle. I don't recommend using fresh or candied ginger.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon gives the cookie dough a delicious warm spiced flavor.
- Dark brown sugar: I prefer dark brown sugar for this recipe because it already has extra molasses in it, which helps give the cookie an extra oomph of flavor!
step-by-step instructions
Here's how to make this molasses cookie recipe. You will need a large mixing bowl and a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Before you start, line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. You will need two cookie sheets if you plan on baking all of them!
STEP ONE: Brown the butter. In a stainless steel pan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. The butter will start to bubble, pop, and foam. This is normal!
Stand by and stir it occasionally until the butter smells nutty and there are brown bits of butter solid at the bottom of the pan. Scrape the browned butter into the mixing bowl and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
STEP TWO: Whisk in the sugars. Whisk in the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar for one minute until it is combined well.
STEP THREE: Whisk in the wet ingredients. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined. Then whisk in the molasses.
STEP FOUR: Fold in the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger until just combined.
STEP FIVE: Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
STEP SIX: Scoop! Using a large (roughly 3 tablespoons) cookie scoop, scoop the dough, then roll each one in granulated sugar.
STEP SEVEN: Chill the dough. Place them onto a baking sheet and chill in the fridge again for 15 minutes.
STEP EIGHT: Bake! Before baking, roll them again in sugar, leaving a nice thick pile on top as shown in photo 8. Bake the cookies spaced at least 2 inches apart at 350 F/180 C for 10-11 minutes.
As soon as they come out of the oven, firmly rap the pan on the counter 1-2 times to flatten them out and give you deep crinkles. Let the tray of cookies cool completely on a wire rack before removing, then enjoy!
expert baking tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Baking with a scale is much more accurate than cup measurements. To convert this recipe, click the "metric" button next to the ingredients title on the recipe card.
- Baking times may vary: All ovens are different, and your cookies may bake quicker or take longer than the indicated baking time. I recommend checking on them occasionally!
- Top with extra sugar. In order to get the deep crinkles on top of the cookies, they must have an ample amount of sugar on top before baking. I'm not saying they need to have a mountain of sugar, but you shouldn't be able to see the dough through it. You can see in the photos above a visual of what it should look like.
- Bang the pan. After baking, immediately bang the pan on the counter 1-2 times. This will help the cookies spread a little bit more and create deep crinkles on top!
storage & freezing
- Room temperature: Store any leftover baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for 2-3 days!
- Freezer: Once the dough balls have been scooped and rolled in sugar, let them freeze on the tray until solid. Then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months!
faqs
It's likely you need to have more sugar on the top before baking. The sugar on top of the dough helps dry out the top layer before the rest of the cookie bakes, which is what causes those deep crinkles. Also, make sure to bang the pan on the counter after coming out of the oven which will also help get the crackle!
Yes! You can freeze the dough after scooping. They can be baked straight from the freezer and will bake with more soft and gooey centers.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour but would love to hear how it turns out if you do!
more cookie recipes to try
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below, I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you're there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Recipe 📖
Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp dark brown sugar packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 ¼ cups + 1 tsp all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a stainless steel pan, cook the butter over medium heat until browned. (In my kitchen it takes about 10-11 minutes). The butter will foam, crackle, and pop which is normal! Stand by and stir it occasionally. When there are brown bits of butter at the bottom of the pan and it smells nutty, scrape all of the butter into a mixing bowl and set it aside to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.14 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Then whisk in the sugar and dark brown sugar vigorously for 1 minute.¾ cup + 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Whisk in the molasses.¼ cup molasses
- Fold in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger until just combined.2 ¼ cups + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Then scoop the dough with a large 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll each one in granulated sugar. Place them on a lined baking tray and chill them in the fridge again for another 15 minutes.granulated sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Roll the dough balls again in granulated sugar, leaving a pile of sugar on the tops. Then bake them for 10-11 minutes or until the tops are puffy and starting to crack. Once you pull the pan from the oven, drop the tray on the counter 1-2 times. Sprinkle the tops with more granulated sugar if desired.
- Cool the pan on a wire cooling rack before removing, then enjoy!
The calorie information provided for the recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Lotus Brashear says
Very good and chewy cookie 🍪 😋 love the easy recipe can't believe that so little people are visiting these delicious foods
Liz A. says
Made these to gift this Christmas and my goodness they were a huge hit amongst friends and my coworkers absolutely raved about them!!!
Cambrea Gordon says
That makes me so happy! Thank you so much for the kind review Liz!
Meredith says
I’ve made these and your pumpkin cookies multiple times now and they are incredible! You’re recipes are perfection 😍
Gillian says
These turned out soo delicious!!
Cambrea Gordon says
Yay! Thanks Gillian! 🙂
Rozalyn G Vickery says
4.8 out of 5 stars really. The recipe is awesome. I tried it twice and learned a few tricks to make it purrrrfection:
1. weigh the ingredients
2. use half as much baking soda as listed
3. bake for 8/9 minutes when using convection
4. STORE IN AIR TIGHT CONTAINER and they will keep a perfect chewy goodness
Cambrea Gordon says
So glad to hear you enjoyed them Rozalyn! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
Darlene says
I made these and the are to die for. Crisp on the outside and Chewy and a little gooey on the inside. Very decadent.
Monique says
Delicious! They turned out so pretty, the first time I made them I didn't put enough sugar on the tops so I had crinkles but they weren't as deep as the photos. Second time I put more sugar on the top and they turned out perfect!