Soft & Chewy Molasses Crinkle Cookies Recipe with Warm Spices (Easy Holiday Cookies)
There’s something about the smell of molasses and warm spices baking that makes a kitchen feel like the holidays, no matter the date on the calendar. These molasses crinkle cookies have that cozy smell built right in, with a soft, chewy middle and a cracked sugar top that looks fancy but takes almost no effort.
They’re the classic cookie your grandma probably made, the kind that gets better as it sits in the cookie jar. A mix of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves gives them that deep, spiced flavor, and rolling the dough balls in sugar before baking is what creates those pretty white cracks.
This molasses crinkle cookies recipe chills quickly and bakes in under 15 minutes, so you can have a batch ready for a cookie swap, a holiday tray, or just a quiet afternoon with a cup of tea.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Soft, chewy centers with that classic cracked sugar top
- Warm, spiced molasses flavor in every bite
- Quick 30 minute chill, not an overnight wait
- One bowl and simple pantry ingredients
- Makes a big batch of 24 cookies, great for sharing
- Dough can be made up to 48 hours ahead
Ingredients
- Butter: 3/4 cup, room temperature
- Light brown sugar: 1 cup, packed
- Large egg: 1, room temperature
- Molasses: 1/4 cup
- All-purpose flour: 2 1/4 cups
- Baking soda: 2 tsp
- Cinnamon: 1 tsp
- Ground ginger: 1 tsp
- Cloves: 1/2 tsp
- Salt: 1/4 tsp
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup, for rolling
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Molasses: use regular molasses, not blackstrap, which can taste too bitter and strong.
- Butter: if it’s not softened, cut it into small pieces and microwave in 5 to 10 second bursts until just soft.
- Spices: don’t skip the cinnamon, ginger, or cloves, they’re what give these cookies their warm flavor.
- Coconut oil can replace the butter at the same amount for a similar soft texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and mix well.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt.
Step 3: Combine
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, until a soft dough forms.
Step 4: Chill the Dough
Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, up to 48 hours. Heat the oven to 350F.
Step 5: Roll and Arrange
Shape the dough into 1.5 inch balls, roll each in granulated sugar, and place them 3 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and golden and the centers still look a little underdone. Let the cookies rest on the sheet 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
Tips for the Best Results
- Use room temperature butter for the best creamy texture.
- Chill the dough the full 30 minutes, it keeps the cookies from spreading too thin.
- Pull the cookies while the centers still look soft, they firm up as they cool.
- Roll the dough balls generously in sugar for the prettiest cracks.
- Add a tablespoon of sprinkles to the sugar for a festive holiday look.
- Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off.
Variations and Add-ins
- Add 1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger for extra spice and chew.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted white chocolate.
- Use dark brown sugar instead of light for a deeper molasses flavor.
- Make them smaller for bite-sized cookies, and shorten the bake time by a minute or two.
- Swap the ground cloves for a pinch of allspice if that’s what you have on hand.
What to Serve With It
- A tall glass of cold milk
- Hot apple cider on a chilly day
- A holiday cookie tray with gingerbread crinkle cookies
- Coffee or chai tea
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two cookies
Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, add egg and molasses, mix well.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time, mix until a soft dough forms.
- Cover and chill dough at least 30 minutes, up to 48 hours. Heat oven to 350F.
- Shape into 1.5 inch balls, roll in granulated sugar, place 3 inches apart on parchment-lined sheet.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are set and centers still look slightly underdone.
- Rest on sheet 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
- Dough can be made up to 48 hours ahead, or frozen and baked straight from frozen with a couple extra minutes.
These molasses crinkle cookies are the kind of recipe that feels like it’s always been in the family, even on the first batch. Soft, spiced, and just sweet enough, they disappear fast off any cookie tray.
Make a double batch if you’re baking for a crowd, because these molasses crinkle cookies have a way of going quicker than you’d expect. I hope this one earns a permanent spot in your holiday baking lineup.
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