These chewy molasses crinkle cookies are soft on the inside but crisp on the outside. They are warmly spiced and have a rich, bold flavor from blackstrap molasses. They're perfect to bake for Christmas and the holidays!
These are the best molasses crinkle cookies! They're amazingly chewy and flavored with blackstrap molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and other warming spices.
These cookies are rolled in cane sugar and have gorgeous crackled tops. They're soft and chewy in the center, but the cane sugar gives them a perfectly crisp exterior and makes them sparkle in the light!
These will definitely become your new favorite cookies for the holidays or year round. For more cookie recipes, try olive oil sugar cookies, brown butter pecan chocolate chip cookies, almond spritz cookies, apricot filled thumbprint cookies, and chocolate chipless cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Chewy dark molasses cookies- The centers of the cookies are soft and chewy. The gingerbread flavor makes them perfect to share for Christmas.
- Crisp edges- The cookies are rolled in sugar before they are baked, making them extra crisp and crunchy when they come out of the oven.
- Crackled tops- Stunning cracks form on top of the cookies when baked, making them perfect to display at holiday parties.
- Allergy friendly- These cookies can be made traditionally or gluten free!
Ingredient Notes
Here are notes on the ingredients used. For quantities, see the recipe card below.
- Flour- I used Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour for this recipe. Regular all-purpose flour works too.
- Ginger- You can find ground ginger in the spice section of most grocery stores. I don't recommend using fresh, dried, or candied ginger.
- Cinnamon- Adding ground cinnamon and other spices to the cookie dough adds a warm flavor.
- Avocado oil- Avocado oil has a neutral taste, making it perfect for baking. You can use any mild oil, like grapeseed oil, melted and cooled coconut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
- Coconut sugar- This adds a rich, delicious flavor to the cookies. It tastes similar to brown sugar but doesn't add any extra moisture.
- Molasses- I used Plantation Blackstrap Molasses. Any dark unsulphured molasses will have the best flavor, but blackstrap is the most bitter (which I prefer).
Substitutions
- Any mild oil can be substituted for avocado oil.
- Demerara or turbinado sugar (raw cane sugar) can be used instead of coconut sugar.
Step by Step Instructions
Here's how to make the molasses crinkle cookies. You'll need 2 large mixing bowls, a whisk, a rubber spatula, and a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Line a 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper before you start and set aside.
STEP 1: Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil and coconut sugar together. Then add the molasses, vanilla extract, and egg. Whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes until everything is well combined.
STEP 2: Fold in the dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg together. Then add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and gently fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Repeat with the second half.
STEP 3: Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes or until the cookie dough is less sticky and easy to handle. While it is chilling, preheat the oven to 350F/180C and fill a small bowl with granulated sugar.
STEP 4: Scoop. Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop and roll each dough ball in granulated sugar.
STEP 5: Bake. Place 8 dough balls on each lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes. As soon as it comes out of the oven, bang the pan on the counter a couple times to encourage spreading and additional cracking.
Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool completely and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use a kitchen scale. Using a food scale ensures the most accurate measurements. I've included some important metric measurements in the recipe card below. If you don't have one, make sure to use the spoon and level method when measuring the flour.
- Don't skip the chill time! Letting the cookie dough chill makes it much easier to scoop and handle. It also allows all the flavors to meld together.
- Bake time may vary. Every oven is slightly different, so bake time will vary. I recommend checking on the cookies often as they bake. Check your oven with an oven thermometer if you have issues.
- Bang the pan. If you notice the cookies haven't spread much or don't have crinkles, rap the pan firmly on the counter immediately after taking it out of the oven. This encourages spreading and deeper cracks to form.
Additions and Variations
- Add a pinch of allspice for more warm, spicy flavor.
- Roll the cookie dough balls in coconut sugar, raw cane sugar, or powdered sugar for extra sweetness and the look of fresh snow.
- Add sprinkles for an extra festive look!
- Dip the cookies halfway in white chocolate or add a Hershey's kiss on top right after they finish baking to make molasses blossoms.
Storage and Freezing
- Room temperature- Leftover cookies will stay fresh for 3-4 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezer- Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them thaw completely before serving.
- Freezing cookie dough- Roll the dough balls in sugar and let them freeze completely on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Add a couple minutes on to the total bake time when you're ready to make them. I don't recommend freezing the dough in log form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately you can't substitute the egg. Make my eggless double chocolate chip cookies instead!
Chilling the dough is essential, so don't skip it! The dough is sticky and too hard to handle when it isn't chilled. Chilling also helps the flavors come together and helps the cookies get the crackled tops we want.
There are a few reasons why this could happen. Your baking soda could be expired, so check that first. Make sure to chill the dough before baking and roll in granulated sugar. Rolling the dough balls in sugar helps to draw moisture out, causing the cookies to crack.
You probably added too much flour. Make sure to measure it with a kitchen scale or use the spoon and level method. Gently spoon flour into a measuring cup and swipe the excess back into the bag with a butter knife.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Chewy Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup avocado oil
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup molasses dark or blackstrap
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour regular or gluten free
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the oil and coconut sugar together. Then add the molasses, vanilla, and egg. Whisk vigorously until everything is well combined.¾ cup avocado oil, 1 cup coconut sugar, ¼ cup molasses, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg together.2 ¼ cup all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Gently fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet with a rubber spatula until just combined. Repeat with the second half.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F and fill a small bowl with granulated sugar.Granulated sugar
- Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop, roll each ball in granulated sugar, and place them 1-2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until the middles are puffy and the edges are set. Bang the pan on the counter a couple times immediately after pulling out of the oven to encourage crackles.
- Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack and enjoy.
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