Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Just like Grandma’s, these molasses crinkles are a tried-and-true family favorite. They have the nostalgic flavor you just can't buy in a store.
- This is one of my favorite cookie recipes for the holiday season—Christmas dinners, cookie exchanges, school parties, and more.
- Dark molasses (NOT blackstrap molasses) is the key to the warm, robust flavor we all know and love.
Old-fashioned, soft molasses cookies are made of sugar, spice, and everything nice!
These chewy cousins of gingersnap cookies are a Christmas-time family tradition that you'll crave all year 'round.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Roll the molasses cookie dough balls in raw turbinado sugar instead of white sugar to give each a satisfying crunch.
- The cayenne pepper is optional, but I highly recommend adding it or chipotle powder for a nice Southern kick!
- You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to round out the spice flavors.
- Chewy molasses cookies make great ice cream sandwiches. Or, slather 'em in cream cheese frosting, because why not?
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Cream together the shortening, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl. Mix in the egg and molasses.
- Stir the flour mixture into the creamed ingredients.
- Form the cookie dough into small balls, roll the dough balls in sugar, and bake your molasses crinkles.
🥫 How to store leftovers
These cookies ship well. Be sure to read How to Ship Cookies for ideas and tips.
Store these molasses crinkle cookies in an airtight container, or ziplock bag, at room temperature. They'll last several days.
You can freeze fully cooled, baked ginger molasses cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.
Set frozen cookies on the counter to thaw for a couple of hours before serving.
It just keeps getting better—you can even freeze unbaked molasses cookie dough to bake when guests pop in at the last minute!
Roll the cookie dough into small balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. Flash freeze until solid, about two or three hours.
Then, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls into a freezer bag and freeze for up to four months. You can bake the cookie dough balls straight out of the freezer or let them thaw to room temperature first—up to you!
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Blackstrap molasses is bitter and overpowering. So, stick with unsulphured dark molasses for the best molasses cookies ever.
- Creaming the sugar and butter takes longer than you might expect. Be sure to follow the recipe so it gets fluffy and light in color.
- Mix the cookie dough on low speed so you don’t activate the gluten in the all-purpose flour. That can make your cookies tougher!
- Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for easier cleanup.
- Use a cookie scoop to form the dough balls more easily. You can get your kids involved—they love this part.
👩🍳 FAQs
I recommend using Grandma’s Original Molasses or Brer Rabbit “Full Flavor” molasses. It is the star of this molasses cookie recipe, after all, so it pays to pick a good one!
No problem! You can actually make dark brown sugar in a jiffy. Just add one tablespoon of dark molasses to one cup of light brown sugar and stir it together with a fork.
No, I don’t recommend using pumpkin spice in place of the individual spices. It doesn’t contain enough of each spice to give molasses cookies the strong flavor everyone loves. Stick to the list of ingredients in my original recipe, and you won’t be disappointed!
Nope! However, if you want your cookies to be puffier and spread less in the oven, you’re welcome to refrigerate the cookie dough for an hour (or up to a full day) before you bake them.
Just make sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the dough into an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out in the fridge.
📚 Related recipes
- Try these Peanut Butter Molasses Crinkle Cookies for a nutty twist on the traditional recipe. They're unique and so flavorful.
- Craving cake instead of cookies? Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake will satisfy your desire for a sweet and spicy dessert, too.
- What’s better than gingerbread cookies? Homemade Gingerbread Donuts, of course! The lemon glaze is awesome, and the recipe is easy enough, even if it's your first time!
🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends
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I think the secret to the success of cookie making is a combination of 2 things. A really heavy cookie sheet and parchment paper.
📞 The last word
These molasses crinkle cookies are full of old-fashioned goodness.
There is something about a chewy, sweet, and spicy molasses cookie with an ice-cold glass of milk that makes the entire world a better place.
Or coffee. I can do this with coffee, too.
Give me a rainy day... some rumbly thunder... rain pattering against the glass... and a book.
I can tell you where I will be if at all possible — on my window seat with a plate of these cookies
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars!
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Molasses Crinkles
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ( I use a full teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder - optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable shortening , at room temperature
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- ½ cup grandmas molasses, (NOT black strap or barbados!)
- sugar for sugaring tops of cookies
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt in a large bowl until combined.
- Beat together shortening, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a handheld.
- Add egg and molasses, beating until combined.
- Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until combined.
- Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
- Roll 1 heaping teaspoon of dough into a 1-inch ball with wet hands, then dip 1 end of ball in sugar.
- Make more cookies in same manner, arranging them, sugared side up, 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until undersides are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes total.
- Cool on sheets 1 minute.,
- Transfer to racks to cool completely.
Notes
-
- Be SURE to get unsulfured molasses. Grandma's is the brand I use.
- Creaming the sugar and butter takes longer than you might expect. Be sure to follow the recipe so it gets fluffy and light in color. About 7 minutes.
-
- Mix the cookie dough on low speed so you don’t activate the gluten in the all-purpose flour. That can make your cookies tougher!
-
- Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for easier cleanup.
-
- Use a cookie scoop to form the dough balls more easily. You can get your kids involved—they love this part.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First Published March 11, 2010. Last updated October 21, 2023, for better images and improved readability
Renee says
Hi Marye,
I was wondering if I could use butter flavored Crisco in place of the vegetable shortening? The butter flavored Crisco is all I have...Thanks in advance
Renee
Sherri Rochester says
Probable my favorite cookie, too. It fights with Peanut Butter constantly but the butter undertone of the molasses wins most of the time. I wonder if the 2 can be combined?
Marye says
Sherri - try these - https://www.restlesschipotle.com/peanut-butter-molasses-cookies/
Sherri Rochester says
My favorite cookie ANY time of the year!
Linda says
Excellent recipe! Although they spread a bit more than I was hoping for, I can live with that. They were moist and chewy and one of the best molasses cookies I've had, other than your Molasses Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. The only change I made was to use KAF gluten free flour. Thank you - this recipe is a keeper!
Kali says
I've made these over a dozen times and yet I've never said THANK YOU for the recipe. These are my absolute favorite. Even the kids love them and look forward to them around the holidays especially. Thank you so much...this is a recipe that requires absolutely no tweaking...it's perfect. Merry Christmas ?
KatherineSpins says
These are crazy good - but the dough was really soft when I first made it. I set the bowl in the refrigerator for half an hour or so, and then formed the cookies with a cookie scoop. Less messy than making balls by hand, and the cookies are still nice and round.
maryeaudet says
Katherine, it IS a soft dough..but that is what makes it chewy..I am glad you made them work for you!