Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
These ginger crinkle cookies are perfect for gifting, adding to cookie exchange boxes, or simply enjoying with a hot cup of cocoa or coffee while your favorite Christmas movie plays.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Whisk
- Cookie scoop
- Baking sheets
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Rolling:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Step 1 — Prep your workspace & oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and position racks in the center.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Measure out all ingredients and set them nearby (mise en place makes this so much easier).
- Pro tip: Give your baking sheets a quick shake after lining them to make sure the parchment lies flat — it prevents uneven baking.
Step 2 — Mix the dry ingredients (the spice base)
- In a medium bowl, add the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk everything together until evenly distributed and the spices are blended into the flour.
- Pro tip: Whisk continuously to prevent lumps and to make sure every cookie gets the same warm spice flavor.
Step 3 — Cream the butter and sugar (the fluffy base)
- In a large bowl, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Add the softened butter and brown sugar.
- Beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture is lighter in color and has a soft, pillowy texture.
- Scrape the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Add the molasses and mix briefly until the dough is smooth and glossy.
- Pro tip: Don’t use melted butter here — softened (but still solid) butter creates that tender, slightly cakey chew we love.
Step 4 — Bring wet and dry together
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, mixing just until there are no visible streaks of flour.
- Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together — overworking will make the cookies tough.
- Use a spatula to fold once or twice and scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
- Pro tip: If the dough looks a touch sticky, that’s fine — chilling will firm it up.
Step 5 — Chill the dough (don’t skip this)
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the dough into an airtight container. Chill in the fridge for 1–2 hours, or for best flavor and texture, overnight.
- If you’re short on time, pop the dough in the freezer for 20–30 minutes until it’s scoopable but not frozen solid.
- Pro tip: Chilling relaxes the gluten and firms the fat so the cookies puff and crack into beautiful crinkles instead of spreading flat.
Step 6 — Shape and sugar-coat the cookies
- Scoop dough with a medium cookie scoop (about 1 to 1¼-inch balls). You should get evenly sized cookies this way.
- Roll each ball lightly in the granulated sugar, then roll it generously in the powdered sugar so each ball is well coated.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart — they’ll spread a bit and the powdered sugar will crack attractively.
- Pro tip: Double-coating — granulated first, then powdered — gives a lovely texture and helps the powdered sugar form a thicker, whiter crinkle.
Step 7 — Bake until crinkled perfection
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes. Look for set edges and puffed centers — the cracks will appear as the cookies expand.
- Rotate the baking sheet halfway through if your oven has hot spots.
- The centers should still look slightly soft; they’ll finish setting as they cool.
- Pro tip: Avoid overbaking — the cookies continue to set after you remove them from the oven, and slightly underdone centers make for the best soft, chewy texture.
Step 8 — Cool and finish
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 4–5 minutes after removing from the oven so they firm up without breaking.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This prevents condensation from making the bottoms soggy.
- Pro tip: If you want a dustier finish, once cooled, lightly sift a touch more powdered sugar over the tops.
Step 9 — Storing & make-ahead options
- Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Place layers between parchment if stacking.
- To freeze baked cookies: flash-freeze on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- To freeze dough: scoop balls onto a baking sheet, freeze until hard, then store in a bag. Bake from frozen — add a minute or two to the bake time.
- Pro tip: Chilled dough balls are perfect for spontaneous holiday baking — pop them straight into the oven for fresh ginger crinkle cookies whenever you want.
Notes
Nutritional Value (per cookie, approximate):
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Sugars: 12 g
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 90 mg