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Molasses Crinkle Cookies, AKA Molasses Crinkles, are soft, thick, spiced molasses cookies, covered in powdered sugar, and are delicious for the holidays or any day!

You’ll love these molasses cookies because they are soft and chewy and crinkle-y and sweet because they are coated in two types of sugar.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

If you love Cookie Recipes, you will love these little gems.

Loaded with flavors of molasses and ginger, as well as other earthy spices like cinnamon, these cookies are sweet and ginger-flavored like Gingersnaps but are soft, and covered in not one but two types of sugar, granulated and powdered.

If you are in the midst of your holiday baking, these Molasses Crinkles, are a delicious addition, and are easy to make.

Furthermore, these little cookies bring back such childhood memories for me when helping my sister with her holiday baking. These molasses cookies were a favorite at Christmastime, and we made them every Christmas for years now.

What Makes This Recipe Work

These Soft Ginger Molasses Crinkles use a tried and true recipe that has been tested over the years. In addition, I have included step by step photos in addition to the step by step instructions to make the preparation as easy and as clear as possible.

What Makes Cookies Crinkle?

There is actual science behind those cookie crinkles, as Cook’s Illustrated describes in detail in their excellent article. Because of the information in this article, I tweaked the recipe to coat the cookies in not only granulated sugar but with powdered sugar too in order to maximize the cracks or crinkles in the cookies. I think you will love the results!

How To Make Molasses Crinkle Cookies

You’ll need the following equipment, ingredients, and information to make these cookies.

Equipment

The affiliate links below will allow you to see the product on Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase one of the items, I will receive a very small commission on the product and does not increase the price.

KitchenAid Stand Mixer – A necessity for every baker.
Hand Mixer – Perfect if you don’t have a lot of counter space and can store it away when not using it.
Mixing Bowl Set from Amazon.com - A basic necessity when cooking or baking.
Cookie Sheet Set – A basic necessity that bakers and cooks use all the time.
Silpat – If you do a lot of baking, then this is a must.
Spatula – A basic necessity for every baker or cook.
Whisk from Amazon.com - The whisk is a necessary tool for use in making many recipes.
Measuring Cups from Amazon.com - Be sure to use the measuring cups designed for liquids for liquids only and not for dry ingredients for the most accurate measurement.
Measuring Spoons from Amazon.com - I keep several sets of measuring spoons on hand so I have them when I need them and they are not in the dishwasher.

Ingredients

Below I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions in case you don't have a specific ingredient on hand. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

Spices – You’ll need Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Cloves. These spices give the cookies that distinctive sweet ginger-cinnamon flavor that people love.
Molasses – This is a required ingredient and there are no substitutes. You’ll need unsulphured molasses, like this molasses brand (Amazon affiliate link.) I don’t recommend backstrap molasses because that flavor would be too strong for these cookies. (If you don’t have molasses, go to the store and pick it up, or make another type of cookie that doesn’t require it. Molasses give the cookies a that distinctive flavor and color that nothing else can. I tried making cookies without molasses and it just doesn’t work.)
All-Purpose Flour
Baking Soda
Salt
Unsalted Butter
Granulated Sugar – You’ll need to split the sugar between the cookie batter and for coating the outside of the cookies before baking.
Brown Sugar
Egg
Powdered Sugar – used to coat the outside of the cookies.

Directions

Combine the dry ingredients.
1. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and the spices above.
Mix the Wet Ingredients.
1. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
2. Pour in the molasses and mix until combined.
3. Add an egg and mix until combined and the batter is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, if needed.
Add the Dry Ingredients to the Wet Ingredients.
1. Add in about 1/3 of the flour mixture into the batter and mix until combined.
2. Then add in about 1/2 of the flour mixture into the batter and continue mixing until the flour is worked into the batter.
3. Add the remaining flour mixture into the batter until it has that cookie batter texture.
Refrigerate the Batter.
1. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour before baking. (Don’t skip this step if you want the crinkled look of the cookies.)
Roll the Batter Into Balls.
1. Using a cookie scoop, or using your hands, roll the dough into one-inch balls.
Coat The Cookies In 2 Types of Sugar.
1. In a small bowl add about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar.
2. In a separate small bowl add about 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
3. Roll the balls of cookie dough into the granulated sugar first and then the powdered sugar next, and place on a parchment-covered cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake The Cookies.
1. Bake the cookies in a preheated 350-degree F oven for approximate 10 to 12 minutes. (12 minutes worked perfectly for me, but ovens vary, so check it at 10 minutes.)
Cool The Cookies.
1. Let the cookies cool on a baking rack for about 10 minutes.
2. Then serve the cookies with milk.

Recipe Tips

Type of Molasses. Use real, unsulphured Molasses, but not back strap molasses, as that would be too strong.
Butter. I recommend using real butter and not margarine for the best results.
Use both Granulated and Powdered Sugars. In order to maximize the crinkles or cracks in the cookies, roll the cookies in both white sugar and powdered sugar.
Refrigerate Batter. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and it helps maximize the crinkles in the cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?
1. Yes! You can make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate if making the day before, or freeze the batter and bake at a later date.
How Do I Keep The Cookies From Spreading Too Much?
1. Refrigerate the batter for at least an hour before baking, and don’t flatten the cookie dough balls before baking.

More Cookie Recipes

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Why You’ll Love These Cookies

What Makes This Recipe Work

What Makes Cookies Crinkle?