Be sure to add this small batch of Molasses Crinkle Cookies to your Christmas cookie baking list! This is an easy recipe for soft and chewy molasses cookies flavored with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. The cookies are rolled in powdered sugar for a little extra sweetness, and that fresh snowfall look!
Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Let the cookie baking season begin! As such, it it only seems fitting for the first Christmas cookie recipe of the season to mimic my favorite cookie on the blog – the Chocolate Crinkles. These Molasses Crinkles represent everything I (you) love about the classic Chocolate Crinkle cookie:
- Soft and Chewy – From what I can gather, the classic Crinkle cookie is supposed to be soft and chewy. At least, that is what I am taking as the rule per the Chocolate Crinkle recipe in the Betty Crocker Cooky book!
- Crispy Edges – We have the best of all texture worlds in these Molasses Crinkle Cookies! I like to think of the texture of these cookies like a crusty edges of brownie with a little of the fudgy center.
- Rich Flavor – Whether it is chocolate or spiced molasses, there will be no guessing what flavors are in these Molasses Crinkles! Think of gingerbread, but with a more pronounced molasses flavor.
- Easy! – These cookies come together in about 10 minutes. While they do need time to chill, this gives you time to make up a different batch of cookies. How about a batch of Candy Cane Cookies – perfect for the holidays!
Small Batch Christmas Cookies
I love baking a small batch of cookies for Christmas. It gives me the opportunity to make many different cookies and not have thousands of cookie leftovers! Plus, small batches of cookies are great for cookie swaps.
This small batch of Molasses Crinkle Cookies will yield 8 cookies. However, the number of cookies you get from this recipe is totally dependent on how big you make your cookies. My go-to cookie scoop size is about 2 tablespoons – which will give you a standard size cookie. Though, you can certainly choose to go larger or smaller.
What You Need To Make Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Dark Brown Sugar – I recommend dark brown sugar to amplify the molasses flavor, and it makes the cookies chewy. Light brown sugar will also work.
- Molasses – My recommendation is unsulphured molasses because it has a lighter molasses flavor. Grandma’s Unsulphured Molasses is likely what you will find in your grocery.
- Egg Yolk
- Warm Water – The warm water helps to loosen and moisten the batter – because molasses is very thick!
- All-Purpose Flour
- Ginger, Cinnamon, and Cloves
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar – The powdered sugar is for rolling the cookies before they are baked.
Baking Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Wooden Spoon – This is a thick and sticky batter, and using a sturdy spoon to mix the dough – like a wooden spoon – will make mixing it much easier.
- Baking Sheet and Parchment Paper
- Cookie Scoop – I use a #40 cookie scoop – which is about a 2 tablespoon, medium cookie scoop.
Mixing Alternative – You could also use your stand mixer to make the cookie dough by using a smaller mixing bowl. I like to use a 3 quart mixing bowl that fits on my regular size stand mixer. The smaller bowl also works with the regular size attachments. A wonderful investment if you bake in small batches!
Tips For Making A Small Batch Of Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Ingredient Tips
- Use dark brown sugar – Brown sugar is made with molasses, and because we are making Molasses Crinkles, the dark brown sugar punctuates the molasses flavor. However, if you only have light brown sugar, that will work too.
- Unsulphured molasses is much lighter – There are a few varieties of molasses, and some that can be very bold and very strong. I find the unsulphured molasses – which is most common in the grocery – to still have a sweet flavor, without being too bold.
Preparing The Dough
- Use a wooden spoon to mix the dough – This is a thick and sticky bowl. Using a sturdy wooden spoon will help make mixing the batter easier.
- Or use your stand mixer with a smaller mixing bowl – You could also use your stand mixer with a smaller 3 quart mixing bowl. If you have a standard Kitchen Aid mixer, they make a 3 quart bowl that fits the mixer, as well as the attachments! I linked the bowl above in the Equipment Needed section.
- Chill the dough – Chilling the dough allows everything to firm up, and avoid the cookies spreading too much.
- Use a cookie scoop – Using a cookie scoop makes portioning the dough very easy. The number of cookies you yield from the dough will depend on the size of your cookie scoop. I use a medium cookie scoop – which is about 2 tablespoons.
- Double roll in the powdered sugar – It’s the holidays, so why not give the cookies a good coating of powdered sugar!
Baking the Cookies
- Watch the bake time – If you prefer a softer and chewier cookie, take the cookies out at the minimum time. If you prefer a crispier cookie, let them bake for 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- The middle of the cookies will look under baked – And this is what we want if you want a chewier and softer cookie.
Common Questions For Making Molasses Crinkle Cookies
I have not test it, but you can certainly try it and let me know! I do have a standard size batch recipe for Chocolate Crinkles on the blog – if you want to try chocolate instead.
It certainly should. Just keep in mind the cookies will turn out with a bolder flavor.
Yes, it will still work.
Because it is a small batch of dough, I find mixing by hand with a wooden spoon the most effective. Although, you could use your stand mixer with a smaller mixing bowl. See the Tips section above for details on that.
I say yes if you don’t want your cookies to spread too much. Chilling the dough allows the ingredients to set, and the dough to hydrate and develop flavor.
It is not. The cookies will still turn out soft and chewy, and likely with crackly tops.
You can and I would keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. I would say about 1 to 2 minutes longer if you prefer a crispier cookie.
The cookies will last about 3 to 5 days covered at room temperature. Beyond that, and they will likely start to get stale.
More Small Batch Cookie Recipes
- Healthier Thin Mint Cookies
- Marshmallow Sugar Cookies
- Small Batch Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (Small Batch)
- Small Batch Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Molasses Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses, unsulphured
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon warm water
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, molasses, and melted butter. Stir until smooth. Add the egg yolk and stir until fully incorporated. Then stir in the warm water.
- Sprinkle half of the the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir until no dry streaks remain. Note – The dough will be sticky and thick and using a wooden spoon will make mixing the ingredients easier.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a shallow dish, add the powdered sugar.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (I use a #40 cookie scoop), portion the dough into 8 equal dough balls. Roll the dough balls through the powdered sugar twice, and place on the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are set and firm. The middle of the cookies will appear as though they are under baked, and for a chewier cookie, this is ideal. For a crispier cookie, bake for 1 to 2 minutes longer.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, before transferring to the wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – The recipe is intended to be a small batch and only tested as a small batch. If you double the recipe to make a larger batch, let me know how it turns out!
- Freezing the Cookie Dough – I don’t recommend freezing this cookie dough. It is too sticky and contains too much moisture to freeze well.
- Freezing Baked Cookies – Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Either in a Tupperware, or gently placed in a Ziploc bag. Defrost the cookies at room temperature – may take 1 to 3 hours.
about the author ...
I'm Erin and I'm all about desserts - and a little bit of butter!
I've tested, written, and photographed hundreds of recipes on my website. Here you'll find the tastiest small batch gluten free and traditional desserts - all homemade, all simple, and all for you!
Thank you for these small batch recipes. The cookies came out very well with the chewy, soft, yet crispy-edge texture I love. I think when I make them again I might up the spice quotient and add black pepper and a bit of cocoa since I like a spicier cookie. All in all, though, very good!
Thanks so much Chris! I’ll have to try black pepper too – sounds delicious!
This is one of the best cookie recipes I’ve ever used! Clear instructions and I LOVED that it was small batch. I did not need 30 cookies for my small family. I will use this one over and over again for sure. They definitely didn’t turn out like the picture but that’s okay, the taste was perfection.
Thank you Kelsey – so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a wonderful holiday!
I increased x 6. It worked perfectly. Thanks!
Wonderful to hear – thank you Annie!
Your instructions are very clear and easy to understand.
This is especially helpful for the novice baker.
I would have very much appreciated if you had included measurements for 2x,3x,4x,.
There will never be a moment in time where I would bake 8 cookies.
It’s not worth the amount of work one needs to do to produce a batch.
Hi Lauren – Thanks for visiting the blog. This is a small batch baking blog and all my recipes are developed and tested as such. Happy Holidays!