Crisp molasses cookies boast wonderfully crunchy edges and tons of spice flavor. Made with extra molasses, these crispy cookies actually snap in half when you break them!
Molasses Cookie Comparison
Molasses cookies were an enormous part of my childhood. My mom and I baked her soft gingersnaps together nearly each DecemberโI even published her recipe in Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook. Over the years, I’ve shared many molasses cookie recipes on my website and in my cookbooks. Most stem from the same-ish recipe, so let’s review each:
- Soft Molasses Cookies: Super chewy with soft centers.
- Soft White Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies: Studded with white chocolate chips, these cookies are tender, lusciously soft, and mega chewy. You’ll love the combination of cozy spices and white chocolate.
- Soft Gingersnap Molasses Cookies: These flavorful cookies are fat and fluffy!
- Ginger Pistachio Cookies: I added salty pistachios to my mom’s classic recipe. These ginger molasses cookies are soft, salty, sweet, and wonderfully spiced. Find this recipe in Sally’s Cookie Addiction cookbook.
- Chocolate Ginger Cookies: These are an elevated twist to our classic molasses cookies. Youโll appreciate the added cocoa flavor and how they are beautifully finished with dark chocolate and crystalized ginger.
What Makes These Crisp Molasses Cookies Different?
It seems like we’ve done it all in the molasses cookie world. But my my my, we are so very mistaken. We’ve never ventured over to the other side. You know, the crunchy side. The under appreciated, mega traditional crisp molasses cookies. They snap when you break them in half, a drastic change from “slow bend” oatmeal scotchies.
But they’re not only snappy in texture. They’ve got some SUPER snappy flavor too! Deeply spiced, a big ol’ nod to my spiced gingerbread loaf. We’re talking lots of ground cloves and cinnamon, with a dose of ginger and lots of dark molasses. These cookies are exactly what I associate with Christmas and a tall glass of cold milk.
The Science Behind the Crispy Texture
What makes these molasses cookies crispy molasses cookies?
- Granulated Sugar: In today’s recipe, we use all granulated sugar in our cookie dough. Granulated sugar helps encourage spread and also creates a crispier cookie. Think about it: there’s no moisture in granulated sugar. Meaning there’s not much softness, no tenderness, etc. Unlike brown sugar, which creates a soft-baked texture in recipes like my chocolate chip cookies.
- Molasses: Adding a liquid (in this case, molasses) to the cookie dough weighs it down. This means that the cookies have that beautiful molasses flavor and come out a little thinner. Thinner cookies tend to be more crispy.
- Sugar for Rolling: Try rolling the cookie dough balls in a coarse sugar. I use half Sugar in the Raw and half regular granulated sugar for rolling. I like the larger granules with the more fine granules. The combination makes pretty cookies AND adds extra crunch.
- Bake Time: A few extra minutes in the oven produces a crispier edge.
How to Make Crisp Molasses Cookies
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Combine the wet ingredients.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients.
- Chill cookie dough. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Roll cookie dough into balls. Use about 1 Tablespoon of dough per cookie.
- Generously roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar. For sparkle, of course!
- Bake.
These cookies are fun to watch baking and cooling. They puff up in the oven, gently crack at the top, then slightly fall leaving valleys of crinkles. So much character in each cookie. ๐
Crisp molasses cookies are a wonderful make-ahead option for all your holiday baking. Why? The cookies get even crispier by the next day!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Snickerdoodles
- Rugelach
- Spritz Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Lace Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
And here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Print
Crisp Molasses Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
- Yield: about 30 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Crisp molasses cookies have perfect crispy edges and are packed with spice flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) unsulphured or dark molasses (do not use blackstrap; I prefer Grandma’s brand)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- for rolling: 2/3 cup granulated or coarse sugar*
Instructions
- Whiskย the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and saltย together. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat the two together until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla and beat on high until completely combined, about 2ย minutes.ย Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hourย in the refrigerator (and up to 2-3 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at leastย 30ย minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard and the cookies may not spread.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.ย (Always recommendedย for cookies.)ย Set aside.
- Roll balls of dough (about 1 scant Tablespoon of dough per cookie) into the granulated/coarse sugar. Place each ball 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 13ย minutes or until cracked on the top.
- Remove from the oven and allow toย cool on baking sheet for 5ย minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Allow to come to room temperature then continue with step 4. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls (not rolled in sugar) freeze well for up to 3 months. Roll frozen dough balls in the sugar and bake for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowlย |ย Whiskย | Electric Mixer (Handheldย orย Stand) |ย Baking Sheetsย |ย Silicone Baking Matsย orย Parchment Paperย |ย Cooling Rack
- Molasses: A couple brands I favorโGrandmaโs Robust Molasses, Grandmaโs Unsulphured Molasses, or Wholesome!โs Organic Molasses (this stuff is potent and delicious! Itโs what I used in these pictured cookies.)
- Sugar: I used 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and 1/3 cup of a coarse sugar, like Sugar in the Raw,ย for rolling. I liked the larger granules on these cookies! You can roll in ALL granulated sugar or ALL coarse sugar. Whichever you’d like.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These cookies are the absolute best molasses cookies. My husband is quite fussy about his cookies and this cookie got rave reviews from him. He likes a crisp cookie and this fits the bill! I do not roll the dough in sugar, just dip the tops as it can get too sugary for me. I tried both a granulated sugar and a coarser decorating sugar and we liked both. I rarely bake cookies anymore, but this one will be an exception!
These are THE BEST cookies Iโve ever had in my life, hands down. I made these as part of my Christmas cookie spread this year and they were by far the first ones gone- we actually ate all of them before our cookie boxes to friends and family even went out! My entire family said they were the best ginger cookies theyโve ever had and all asked for the recipe, and another batch. Iโve already remade them and they turned out perfect again! Seriously obsessed. Love all of Sallyโs recipes but there are the best one yet!
Hello! I’ve been making a different ginger cookie recipe for a few years now that never quite gets that *snap,* and whenever I’m in doubt, I go to your site! You’ve never left me down yet! I do have a question. I like to ice my gingersnaps with royal icing so I can decorate them for Christmas. Would that work on a cookie that’s been rolled on sugar? Should I skip the sugar or would that impact them in the oven too much? What would you advise? Thanks in advance!
Hi Rachel, we would skip the sugar coating if icing, no changes needed!
Hi Sally. I love these cookies and made them many times. I now would like to make ginger cookie cups with this recipe filled with cream cheese. Is it best to use this recipe or the soft molasses cookie recipe? Thanks a lot.
Hi Angelica, we haven’t tested it, but think the soft molasses cookie dough would make for a better cookie cup than this crisp molasses dough. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
do you have recommendations for incorporating fresh ginger? thanks!
Hi Alice, we havenโt tested it but you should be able to use fresh grated ginger. Just remember that fresh ginger isnโt as strong as ground dried ginger so you will need to use more, and you should grate it as finely as possible. Let us know what you try!
88 year old guy found this recipe last week, they came out incredible, gave some to friends and they wanted recipe also!
Trying the molasses cookies for the first time.
My husband loves this recipe but u can never get mine to crack. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Cindy, the cracks and crinkles appear in the cookies after the cookies rise up in the oven, and then fall back down. Tapping the baking sheet on the counter can help too, as it helps deflate the cookies a bit. Were your cookies puffy in the oven, or did they just spread out?
They didnโt really puff up much, just spread out.
Could I use whipped cream instead of butter?
Hi Tanay, we don’t recommend that substitution.
Can I make this cookie with out butter?
So delicious!! My son made these for me maybe two years ago and I could not stop thinking about them and finally got the recipe and made them this afternoon. 100% didnโt disappoint! Iโll be keeping this recipe
Love these. I add extra cinnamon and ginger but otherwise just like the recipe.
These are fab! I made the dough a day ahead, and let it sit for an hour out of the fridge before using. Cookies were perfect. A little soft in the middle and crisp on the edges. I’m going to make these for Christmas every year, thank you for the recipe ๐
I love all of your recipes Sally! These were delicious but it seemed that some butter leaked out as there was a slight glaze of butter on each cookie. What did I do wrong? Also, they never cracked and were very flat. I only chilled for one hour so maybe that was it?
Hi Tracie! It sounds like the butter you started with may have been a bit too warm. Here’s more details on proper room temperature butter!
Excellent recipe, but not exactly “crisp.” I was expecting something like ginger snaps. These have a slightly crisp bite, but then are chewy. Delicious. I tried adding a half-teaspoon of ground cardamom, and it was good. Next time I’m going to try a full teaspoon.
Just made these and they are delicious however they didnโt crack on top and I even gave the pan a smack when I removed from oven. Any ideas??
Fantastic recipe. If you like molasses cookies with a good chew, these are the ones. Perfection!
Hi Sally! My grandmother used to make molasses cookies that were rolled out and cut into shapes like gingerbread cookies – would this dough be able to be rolled out and cut? Just wondering! Thanks so much ๐
Hi Kelsey, this dough isn’t ideal for cut out shapes, but here is our gingerbread cookie recipe instead!
I made these for a friend for her birthday, she requested crispy spice cookies, I made the dough and chilled it as instructed, but made them a little bit bigger, pressed them down slightly and baked them at 325 for about 14 minutes. They did spread, but they looked exactly like I wanted them too. And they crisped up perfectly as they cooled. I normally follow a recipe exactly, but after years of reading your blog, I knew I could bake off just a few to see if the cookies did what I wanted it to do. Thank you again for a wonderful recipe.
The second time I made them I baked for an additional minute or so. Not exactly “crisp” (still delicious, though). I’m going to try baking for 15 minutes, to see what happens.
Great flavor and nice and crisp! My cookies spread out too much and ended up fairly thin. I live at 6,200 ft and I did not adjust any of the ingredients. I did refrigerate the dough for 3 hours. Any suggestions to keep the cookie dough from spreading so much?
Hi Cecilia, If they are thin from spreading too much, we recommend checking out this blog post on preventing cookies from spreading for lots of troubleshooting tips! I hope this helps!
Hi!Happy Holidays!Can I double this recipe?
Hi Kathy, doubling this cookie recipe should work just fine. Enjoy!
Does it have to be dark molasses?
Hi Mary, you can use whichever you prefer, knowing that the flavor profile will change a bit. We don’t recommend black strap molasses.
THESE ARE THE BEST MOLASSES COOKIES I HAVE EVER HAD! All of my friends agree! I’ve been looking for a spicy molasses cookie recipe for years. I will never use another recipe. Thank you Sally for consistently providing amazing recipes!
My husband loves gingersnaps and can no longer find his favorite brand. Now that I’ve got this recipe he’s once again a happy man!
I made these cookies for the first time and they were delicious! I gave some to my neighbor and she asked for the recipe
So happy to hear that these cookies were a hit, Mary!
My husband requested coffee dunker crisp cookies. I made this recipe, and he absolutely loves them. I even stored extra dough to bake a couple more days. I can’t recommend this enough!! It’s fantastic.
re: crisp molasses cookies
hi sally, can i freeze these cookies
Yes, absolutely! See recipe notes for freezing instructions.