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Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

Pumpkin molasses cookies with deep spiced flavor and classic crinkled tops, baked at 375°F until crisp at the edges and soft in the center. The chilled dough and quick rolling in granulated sugar create a lightly sparkly finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes
Servings: 28 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 2.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 0.5 tsp cloves
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp molasses
  • 0.25 cup pumpkin puree (blotted very dry)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Rolling
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line baking sheets. Make sure the sheets are ready before the dough is mixed (visual cue: sheets on the counter, oven at temperature).
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Blot the pumpkin puree very dry, then whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, black pepper, and salt in a bowl. Keep whisking until the spices are evenly distributed (visual cue: uniform tan-brown dry mix).
Mix wet ingredients
  1. Beat the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar until smooth, then beat in the egg, molasses, blotted pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Stop when the batter looks glossy and evenly combined (visual cue: no streaks of molasses or pumpkin).
Combine and chill
  1. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined, then refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Chilling helps the dough scoop cleanly (visual cue: thicker, slightly firm dough).
Shape, roll, and bake
  1. Scoop 1-1/2 tablespoon balls of dough and roll them in granulated sugar. Roll until well coated (visual cue: sugar sparkle on the dark brown dough balls).
  2. Bake at 375°F for 9-11 minutes until the cookies are crinkled, crisping at the edges. Do not overbake so the centers stay soft and chewy (visual cue: crinkled tops with set edges, slightly underbaked centers).

Notes

Pro tip: blotting the pumpkin puree very dry prevents a cakey texture and helps the cookies crinkle instead of spreading. Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. For a dietary swap, use a plant-based butter that measures like butter in the same amount to keep the texture.