Ginger & molasses crinkle cookies – An easy soft gingerbread cookie recipe rolled in sugar for those times you want a warm spice cookie without the effort of cutting and decorating traditional gingerbread men.

Molasses and Ginger Crinkle Cookies

I love a soft gingerbread cookie with those spicy notes of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. During the holidays we bake up several batches of them, sugar cookies, and German lebkuchen cookies. I’m sure you do too! It’s part of the holiday experience. Yet what about the rest of the year? That’s where these soft molasses and ginger crinkle cookies come in.

These ginger and molasses cookies are great year around. They also freeze really well, so you can make several batches at once and freeze them for them you are craving something sweet.

molasses crinkle cookies stacked on wooden board

But if you want to bake them for the holidays, the whole family will enjoy them. They make a great addition to a holiday cookie swap and they are good options if you want to mail them to friends or family. Here are some more ideas of homemade gifts you can mail.

Festivus Cookies

Did you ever watch the TV show Seinfeld? There was this holiday episode where they celebrated “Festivus.” Festivus was a secular holiday celebration that was an alternative to the commercialization of Christmas where you had a big meal with friends, aired your grievances, and had a stick wrapped in foil instead of a tree. The show coined it as “a holiday for the rest of us.” These easy gingerbread cookies are kinda like Festivus for me. They aren’t quite holiday cookies, but have all the flavors I think of them.

Which Sugar is Best for Crinkle Cookies

Many crinkle cookies call for the dough balls to be rolled in powdered sugar just before baking. Powdered or confectioners sugar gives cookies that crackled, snowy look without added any texture. You get sweet when you bite into the cookie. You can definitely use powdered sugar in any crinkle cookie recipe. Yet, give the granulated sugar a try. It calls a little crunch to the cookie as you bite into it and adds that sweet. Granulated sugar adds a really nice contrast to any soft, chewy cookie. Try it for yourself and see which you like better.

How to Make these Soft Molasses Cookies

This recipe makes three dozen cookies when using a 1 inch cookie dough scoop. The baked ginger and molasses crinkle cookies are about 2 inches wide.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3/4 cup softened butter, I use salted but unsalted is fine too
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup molasses
3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Cookie Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, 1 cup cane sugar, and 1 cup brown sugar until fluffy. With a stand mixer on level 3, this takes about 3 minutes. Beating this long whips air into the eggs and makes the cookies lighter and chewier.

3. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.

4. Add vanilla and molasses, beat to combine again.

5. In a second mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and ground spices.

6. Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until well combined.

7. Wet your hands a bit to repeat dough from sticking in this next step. Using a 1-inch cookie dough scoop or 2 spoons, scoop a tablespoon of dough and roll between your hands to form a dough ball.

8. Place the remaining ½ cup of granulated cane sugar in a plate or bowl. Add each dough ball and roll in the sugar.

9. Place the sugared dough balls on the prepared baking sheet.

10. Now they are ready to bake. Allow for at least 1 inch of space between cookies because they will spread slightly as they bake.

soft molasses crinkle cookies on baking sheet

11. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes. Cookies are done when you can press lightly on top and you don’t leave an impression.

12. Remove baking sheets from the oven and allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks to cool completely.

13. Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer.

What Do You Do if Cookies Harden?

Sometimes these ginger and molasses cookies will harden on day two or three, just like with Lekuchen. You can avoid that by adding a half an apple or a slice of bread to the storage container. Both will provide just enough moisture to bring the cookies back to their chewy texture. Just remember to remove the apple or bread after two days to repeat mold forming.

Yield: 36 cookies

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup molasses
3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, 1 cup cane sugar, and 1 cup brown sugar until fluffy. With a stand mixer on level 3, this takes about 3 minutes. Beating this long whips air into the eggs and makes the cookies lighter and chewier.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.
Add vanilla and molasses, beat to combine again.
In a second mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and ground spices.
Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until well combined.
Wet your hands a bit to repeat dough from sticking in this next step. Using a 1 inch cookie dough scoop or 2 spoons, scoop a tablespoon of dough and roll between your hands to form a dough ball.
Place remaining ½ cup of granulated cane sugar in a plate or bowl. Add each dough ball and roll in the sugar.
Place the sugared dough balls on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 11 to 12 minutes. Cookies are done when you can press lightly on top and you don’t leave an impression.
Remove baking sheets from the oven and allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Soft Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies with Ginger & Molasses