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Molasses Cookies

Molasses cookies with deeply spiced flavor and sugar-sparkled, crinkled tops. Chill the dough so the centers bake soft and the edges come out crisp-chewy.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Chill 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 1 minute
Servings: 36 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 0.5 tsp cloves
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 0.75 lb unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.33 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For rolling
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the spiced dough
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, black pepper, and salt until evenly combined.
  2. Beat unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy, then add molasses, egg, and vanilla extract.
  3. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
Chill and prepare to bake
  1. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm it up.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
  3. Scoop dough into 1-1/2 tablespoon balls and roll generously in granulated sugar.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375°F until the tops are crinkled, with centers that still look underdone.
  2. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes so the cookies firm into chewy centers with crisp edges.

Notes

For the best crinkle tops, don’t overbake—pull them when the centers still look slightly underdone. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature. For a lighter option, swap half the butter with solid coconut oil for a more dairy-free cookie with similar spread.