Whole Wheat Molasses Cookies

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Made with whole wheat flour and butter instead of shortening, this recipe is a healthier twist on old fashioned molasses crinkle cookies. These warmly spiced cookies require no chilling and come out with the perfect soft and chewy texture!

A Healthy Twist on Grandma’s Molasses Crinkle Cookies

The molasses crinkles recipe on the back of the Grandma’s Molasses jar has been one of our family-favorite recipes since I was a little girl. Just the smell of these takes me right back!

The soft and chewy molasses cookies are perfectly flavored with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves without being overly spicy.

Even people who don’t typically like spiced molasses cookies often like these.

They are beautiful Christmas cookies with a topping of sparkly sugar. We also enjoy them in the fall or any time of the year.

Since I’ve been making freshly milled flour at home, I’ve been slowly changing my favorite baking recipes over to healthier whole grain versions.

Whole grain flour, especially freshly milled flour, has the bran, germ, and oils from the grain left intact for the most nutrition and flavor.

I find the texture of these cookies is similar to the white flour version. I actually enjoy the flavor the whole wheat flour brings to the cookie.

These days I also prefer to bake with no shortening. I use butter for these cookies instead.

You might also enjoy baking my whole wheat peanut butter cookies or wholegrain pizzelle cookies with spelt and buckwheat.

Baking Molasses Cookies With Whole Wheat Flour

You’ll notice that I call for a mix of mostly whole wheat pastry flour with just a little regular whole wheat flour. You can find these flours in the baking isle at the grocery store.

This combo of flours creates the best texture for a soft molasses cookie that isn’t dense or crumbly.

When I make my own flour, I’m milling mostly soft white wheat with a little hard wheat.

I weigh the wheat berries prior to milling to get the exact amount of flour I need. Then I run both kinds of wheat berries through the mill at the same time.

Tips for Making Whole Wheat Molasses Cookies

• This recipe is by weight so you can be sure to add exactly the right amount of flour. I think you’ll find that it’s so much easier to weigh the sticky molasses instead of measuring!
• Choose unsulphured molasses (like Grandma’s Molasses) instead of blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses is too flavorful and dark for this cookies.
• The sugar topping is optional. If I do roll in sugar, I only dip the tops of the cookies. I like to use unrefined cane sugar or course turbinado sugar.
• Don’t overbake the cookies. The edges will look set, but the centers will still seem a bit doughy when they first come out of the oven. The molasses cookies will be chewier right after they are baked and will soften as they sit.

How to Make Whole Wheat Molasses Cookies

Step 1 – Mix Dry Ingredients

Preheat your oven to 350°F with a rack set in the center. Prepare two half sheet pans with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.

You’ll start by whisking together the dry ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Reserve these dry ingredients for now.

Step 2 – Cream Butter and Brown Sugar

You can use a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the softened butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed.

It will take a minute or two to become nice and smooth.

Step 3 – Add Egg, Molasses, and Dry Ingredients

Next, add in the egg and molasses. Then mix again until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula when needed.

Finally, add in the reserved dry ingredients and mix on low speed until incorporated.

Step 4 – Bake

Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies. Dip the tops of the cookies dough balls in sugar, if you so desire.

Then space them evenly on the baking trays, no more than 12 to a pan. Bake for about 8 minutes.

Take them out when the edges look set. The centers will still look quite soft right when they come out of the oven.

Let them cool on the tray for a couple of minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

How to Store Whole Wheat Molasses Cookies

They will store well at room temperate in an airtight container for up to a week. They also freeze very well if you want to make extra for another time.

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