Description
Molasses Crinkle Cookies are soft, chewy treats bursting with warm spices like ginger and cinnamon, perfectly balanced by the rich sweetness of molasses. These classic cookies are coated in granulated sugar to create a delightful crinkled top and are quick to make, perfect for holiday baking or whenever you crave a comforting spiced cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Sugars
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it is hot enough to bake the cookies evenly and develop their characteristic texture.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and cinnamon until well combined to evenly distribute the spices and leavening agent.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a separate bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This helps incorporate air for a tender cookie.
- Add egg and molasses: Beat the large egg and unsulfured molasses into the butter and sugar mixture until fully combined, creating a smooth and sticky wet batter.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently just until combined, to avoid overmixing which can toughen the cookies.
- Shape and coat dough balls: Roll tablespoons of dough into balls and coat each generously with the granulated sugar. This coating creates the signature crinkled effect on top of the cookies.
- Bake the cookies: Place the sugar-coated dough balls on a lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until the tops crack slightly but the cookies remain soft inside.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack completely before serving to set their texture.
Notes
- For softer cookies, do not overbake; remove them once the edges are set and the tops crack.
- Ensure the butter is softened, not melted, for proper creaming with sugars.
- You can substitute light or dark brown sugar depending on the intensity of molasses flavor you prefer.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Optionally, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling to make dough easier to handle and to prevent spreading.
