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Richly spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves these chewy Molasses Crinkles Cookies are perfect for fall baking. And they’re a lovely addition to a holiday cookie platter!
I once slept for 23 hours straight. It was crazy…I woke up and had lost almost a whole day of my life! A solid 6 hours is typically all my body needs to feel refreshed, but on that occasion there were special circumstances.
I was in undergrad school at the time and I had just come home for my first weekend. Apparently it had been a pretty rough semester! Or maybe my body was fighting something (hey, you never know).
But I think it was fall that made me do it, lol.
Fall, with its homey smells of burning leaves, apples, and cinnamon (and if you’re lucky, baking Molasses Cookies), and its crisp, cool weather is perfect for sleeping. And I’m not the only one who thinks so…
Scene on the Hudson (Rip Van Winkle) by James Hamilton, 1845; Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2nd Floor, South Wing.
Remember the story Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving? Rip, who lived in New York’s Catskill Mountains, ventured up the mountains seeking a little solitude one autumn day. He then encountered a strange, motley crew (who he later learns were the ghosts of Henry Hudson’s crew), drinks a bit of their liquor, and falls asleep for 20 years. Who’s to say whether it was the liquor or the fact autumn was in the air?
Anyway, it’s the first day of fall (in the northern hemisphere) and I wanted to share one of my favorite fall treats with you: Molasses Crinkle Cookies! Bake them up and you’ll really feel like autumn is in the air.
Are Molasses Cookies the Same as Gingersnaps?
Molasses Cookies (also called Molasses Crinkle Cookies) are not the same as Gingersnaps! Gingersnaps are typically crisp and small, while Molasses Cookies are usually chewy and large.
Molasses Crinkle Cookies Recipe
With their signature crinkly appearance, chewy texture, warm aromatic spices, and complex sweet molasses flavor, these cookies are completely irresistible.
This cookie dough is easy to make and similar to other drop cookie doughs (such as chocolate chip cookie dough). After mixing the dough, I like to let it chill briefly before rolling into balls, slightly flattening the cookie dough balls with a sugared glass, and baking.
Why Use Vegetable Shortening Instead of Butter in Cookies
When baking cookies, sometimes you’ll see a recipe that calls for a combination of butter and vegetable shortening. Butter is there for flavor and vegetable shortening is there for texture.
Because butter melts at a lower temperature than shortening, it yields a crisper cookie. Alternatively, vegetable shortening yields a chewy cookie.
Pro Tip: Using vegetable shortening helps give these Molasses Crinkles Cookies their soft, chewy texture.
More Spiced Cookie Recipes to Try:
- Chewy Cinnamon Pecan Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Apple Cinnamon Cookies
- Paleo Cinnamon Raisin Noatmeal Cookies
- Chai-Spiced Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Molasses Crinkles Cookies (Chewy Molasses Cookies)
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Butter
- Sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough until chilled (I stick it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 375F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Scoop the dough out with a 1 1/2 tablespoon measure and roll it into balls. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart (they will spread out quite a bit as they cook; I do 6 cookies per half sheet pan).
- Put a little bit of sugar in a shallow bowl. Grease the bottom of a glass with butter and dip it in the sugar. Flatten each ball of dough slightly, re-greasing and sugaring as necessary.
- Bake until they’re set along the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the trays once halfway through (be sure not to over-bake!). Cool for a couple minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooking. Bake the remaining dough the same way.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker’s recipe for Molasses Crinkles.
- Vegetable shortening helps give these cookies their soft, chewy texture, so don’t be tempted to replace it with butter here.
- Store these cookies covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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wondering if anyone has tried using coconut fat instead of shortening …
what a perfectly flat and flavorful cookie! i love the crinkle effect, and even though molasses isn’t my favorite, i never turn down a cookie. :)
These look so good. What i like about them is that they use vegetable shortening, which i know nothing about. I know that it makes great textured cookies and its great to have a recipe , thanks Faith
Those are very inspiring fall cookies. Alas I think fall is puting me in a hermit mood lol
23 hr…wow! These cookies do make me think of fall :)
I sincerely can’t say what I would appreciate more…Fall, my favourite season or lots more sleep…which I badly need to catch up on.
Those cookies have all the perfect ingredients…reminds me how long I haven’t used my ‘black strap’ molasse to make these sweets.
Happy belated 1st day of Fall.
Btw, Faith…loved the story that went with the cookie ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
These cookies look wonderful – and so perfect for fall. I can;t believe it’s fall already, but I just picked up some apple cider at the orchard and these cookies would be lovely with a mug of warm cider!
Smile. These are perfect for fall. I’d love to bake a batch and then curl up for a 20 hour nap! Thank you for sharing another delicious recipe, my friend. I hope you are having a bountiful Sunday–good food, good company. Much love from Austin and many blessings!
Ugh..I’m not looking forward to fall because it means winter is not far behind. Although, the faster we get through fall, the faster we can get through winter. Your molasses crinkles look lovely. I’d have to agree, great fall cookie. And 23 hours? Wow, that’s A LOT of sleep. I think 6 hours is the perfect amount for me.
Happy fall!! Beautiful painting too. Ah I just love these cookies. So perfect for the cloudy weather recently.
It’s so funny you mentioned the 23 hour sleep. I once did it too, in high school, for about 21 hours. Haha so I definitely understand!
My, you make these look tasty! And I don’t even like this type of cookie. Magic!
These look so perfect! This is my favorite kind of cookie—but I never make them. I know for sure mine wouldn’t look this perfect :)
23 hours!??! Oh my gosh! I hope someone checked in on you to be sure you were still breathing!
These look amazing, Faith. I love molasses…so rich and perfect for fall!
I love that you’ve shared these molasses crinkle cookies for a little inspiration for our fall baking, although I have to admit I baked a few cookies over our fairly cool summer. But now the serious cookie baking can begin and I can’t think of a better way to kick off the fall into the holidays baking season;-)
A perfect autumn afternoon snack ;-)
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one inspired to make cookies in this time of changing season :) I love the spices in this! 23 hours is a lot of sleep! I used to be able to easily sleep 12 hours during my college days.
The Hudson River Valley is a favorite destination in the fall. These cookies would be perfect to pack for the road.
Girl, if you can teach me how to sleep more than SIX hours…I’d love you (even more) forever. I’m impressed.
Also impressed with these cookies. Super comfort food!
this looks yum !! yes, the season ‘fall’ can make u fall asleep ;)
Cheers
Kalyani
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Molasses cookies are my “go to” cookie as soon as the weather gets cooler. These look wonderfully chewy and delicious. :)
That is cuh-razy! I imagine you were under a lot of stress from school but fall IS very relaxing. It’s my favorite season. These cookies sound really good and I think I might make them for my Dad, who loves gingerbread cookies so he’d like these too b/c I think they’re about the same thing.
Sometimes I feel like I’d love to sleep that long but don’t think I ever could. It might be nice to try though! Those cookies look so good and perfect for fall! I love molasses cookies!
23 hours? Thats nuts! I am a terrible sleeper. Its hard for me ever to get more than 8….now that I have the babe…I’m rocking about 5 a night. These cookies actually scream Christmas to me :) I think baking cookies always makes me think of christmas cookie exchanges. Delicious!
Wow I have managed on the odd occasion to sleep over 12 hours and I though I was doing well!! This recipe sounds very yummy. Diane
Wow that’s so long to sleep! Haha I think my max is 14 or 16 hours. These cookies look so good Faith. I love molasses.
Bet they’re chewy inside too, aren’t they? The old recipes are the best and this one looks so familiar I can taste the texture and flavor in my mind.
This will make for a great healthy snack to munch on anytime :)
USMasala
College will do that to you, LOL! Those cookies look amazing, your photo’s are fantastic. I’m always hungry when after I see your posts :)
I agree… a perfect cookie for fall. Don’t you love those old recipes? Nice to have a jar of these on the kitchen counter.
Beautiful and so perfect! What a wonderful treat.
Cheers,
Rosa
Obviously, you slept so long to make up these delicious cookies! It’s hard work! :)