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Molasses crinkle cookies are a favorite Christmas cookie recipe for good reason. These crinkle cookies have the taste of gingerbread with less hassle. They’re soft and chewy and the sugary top is absolutely irresistible!
I’ve been thinking about the whole holiday cookie decorating thing lately, and I have a public service announcement to make in that regard:
Boycott the consumption of gingerbread men; they’re too cute to eat. Make and consume molasses crinkle cookies instead!
It’s time for more holiday cookie recipes, and any self respecting holiday baker knows that you can’t bake molasses crinkle cookies without proper music.
In my world, holiday baking exists in months that end with a “y”. However, I suspect that you lean WAY more towards normal than I do, so your baking season either just kicked off or will shortly.
Are gingerbread cookies and molasses cookies the same?
Many of the same flavors that you’ll find in a gingerbread cookie are highlighted in molasses cookies, yet you’ll have none of the guilt associated with biting off the head off of a perfectly harmless gingerbread man. 😉
Imagine being the cause for poor Mrs. Gingerbread man having to explain to all the little ginger kidlets why daddy won’t be home for the holidays. For goodness sake people, think about this! That poor widow and her babies will all have to go to therapy for years, leading them to go broke and get evicted from the gingerbread house.
I don’t know about you, but I simply can’t deal with that much guilt.
Plus – molasses cookies are one less step of having to cut out the cookies and frost them. I’m all about making things easier.
However, molasses crinkle cookies are consumed with a guilt free conscience AND less work. We can feel good that we aren’t going to break up a family and cause little ginger children to wear gang colors and run loose on the streets.
What are crinkle cookies?
A crinkle is a homely looking cookie, often passed up by someone who has never had one.
The crinkly appearance of crinkle cookies appears due to the sugar that the dough has been rolled in melting during baking.
Molasses crinkle cookies are slightly spicy, chewy, and wonderful with a warm beverage of your choice. I suggest hot chocolate, but coffee, tea, or even a cold glass of milk is cookie dipping perfection.
RECIPE TIP: Be sure to have cold hands when forming these cookies. The dough is pretty sticky so it will helpful if your hands are not super warm!
How to make molasses crinkle cookies
This Christmas cookie recipe makes a tender, soft molasses cookie. I like my molasses cookies leaning more towards chewy than soft so we bake them a little extra longer for that reason.
So when you’re baking Christmas cookies this season, before you break out your gingerbread cookie cutters and royal icing, I’m encouraging you to think long and hard about the consequences of your actions and look at making your life easier.
PLEASE help Mr. Gingerbread, and so many needy others like him. Just say “no” to the gum drop buttons and make molasses crinkle cookies instead. The gingerbread family will thank you, your community will thank you, and most importantly, so will your stomach.
More Christmas cookie recipes:
After you bake the molasses crinkle cookies, try a few of these delicious Christmas cookie recipes:
- Low Carb Chocolate Crinkles
- Stained Glass Christmas Cookies
Please let me know in the comments below this post: What are your favorite Christmas cookie recipes?
Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Molasses crinkle cookies are a favorite Christmas cookie recipe. They taste like gingerbread, but they’re chewy and have a sugary top that is simply irresistible!
4.13 from 41 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Total Time 22 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 139 kcal
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar plus 1/2 cup for dipping
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 6 ounces unsalted butter softened but still cool
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup molasses
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 F (350 F for convection ovens)
Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.
In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add egg yolk and vanilla; beat until incorporated. Add molasses and beat until fully incorporated, scraping sides of bowl if necessary. Reduce speed to lowest setting, add flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. (Dough will be soft)
Scoop heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll ball in sugar and place onto prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, about 11 minutes.
Cool cookies on baking sheet 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
RECIPE TIP: Be sure to have cold hands when forming these cookies. The dough is pretty sticky so it will help if your hands are not super warm!
Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 122mgSugar: 11gVitamin A: 185IUCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
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