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These are my absolute favorite
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
Kali
🗝️ Key takeaways
- These molasses crinkles taste like the old-fashioned cookies you remember from family gatherings—warm, spicy, and nostalgic.
- They’re an ideal holiday cookie for cookie exchanges, school parties, or cozy evenings with milk or coffee.
- Use unsulphured dark molasses (not blackstrap) to get that rich, full molasses flavor.
Old-fashioned soft molasses cookies combine sugar, spice, and comforting familiarity. These chewy cousins of gingersnaps are a holiday staple many families make every year.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of ingredients. Full measurements are included in the printable recipe card further down the page.
📖 Variations
- Roll dough balls in raw turbinado sugar instead of white sugar for extra crunch.
- Add a pinch of cayenne or chipotle powder for a subtle, pleasant heat—optional but highly recommended.
- Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla extract to round out the spice flavors.
- Use the cookies for ice cream sandwiches or spread with cream cheese frosting for a festive treat.
🔪 Instructions
This is a brief overview. Full step-by-step directions are available in the recipe card below.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Cream the shortening, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and molasses.
- Mix the flour mixture into the creamed ingredients on low speed until just combined.
- Form dough into small balls, roll in sugar, and bake until the undersides are golden and cookies are set.
🥫 How to store leftovers
Store molasses crinkle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. They also freeze well.
To freeze baked cookies: cool completely, place in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving.
To freeze raw dough: roll dough into 1-inch balls, arrange on a lined baking sheet, flash freeze until firm (2–3 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag for up to four months. Bake from frozen or allow to thaw briefly before baking.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Avoid blackstrap molasses; it’s too bitter. Choose unsulphured dark molasses for the best flavor.
- Cream the sugar and fats until pale and fluffy—this can take longer than you expect but gives a lighter texture.
- Mix on low speed when adding flour to avoid activating gluten, which can make cookies tough.
- Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone for easy cleanup and even baking.
- Use a cookie scoop to form uniform dough balls; kids love helping with this step.
👩🍳 FAQs
Use unsulphured dark molasses (brands like Grandma’s Original or Brer Rabbit Full Flavor). It adds rich, balanced molasses flavor without the bitterness of blackstrap.
Make dark brown sugar by stirring 1 tablespoon of dark molasses into 1 cup of light brown sugar.
Pumpkin spice usually won’t provide the concentrated flavors needed. Stick with the recipe’s cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice for the best results.
Chilling isn’t necessary, but refrigerating the dough for an hour or up to a day will reduce spread and produce puffier cookies. Cover well to prevent drying.
📚 Related recipes
- Peanut Butter Molasses Crinkle Cookies — a nutty twist on the classic.
- Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake — a spiced cake version of the flavors you love.
- Homemade Gingerbread Donuts — soft, spiced donuts with an optional lemon glaze.
🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends
For reliable baking results, a heavy cookie sheet and good parchment paper make a big difference. They help cookies bake evenly and make cleanup simple.
📞 The last word
These molasses crinkle cookies are full of old-fashioned goodness—chewy, sweet, and warmly spiced. They pair beautifully with milk or coffee on a rainy afternoon.
Whether you keep them for a holiday tradition or bake them just because, they’re comforting and easy to love. If you enjoy the recipe, please leave a comment and a five-star rating.
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Molasses Crinkles
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾–1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or 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 unsulphured dark molasses (not blackstrap)
- Sugar for rolling tops of cookies
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt until combined.
- Beat shortening, butter, and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 6 minutes with a hand mixer).
- Add the egg and molasses, beating until combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Place oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- With wet hands, roll about 1 heaping teaspoon of dough into a 1-inch ball and dip one end in sugar.
- Arrange cookies, sugared side up, 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake 10–12 minutes, switching sheet positions halfway through, until undersides are golden brown.
- Cool on sheets 1 minute, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Freeze baked cookies or raw dough up to three months.
Tips:
- Use unsulphured molasses—Grandma’s is recommended.
- Cream the sugars and fats until light in color and fluffy; this may take about 7 minutes total.
- Mix dough on low speed when adding flour to avoid developing gluten.
- Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats and use a cookie scoop for uniform cookies.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated. Verify with your own calculator if needed for medical purposes.
First Published March 11, 2010. Last updated October 21, 2023, for better images and improved readability.
