Best Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies Recipe | Make Ahead Holiday Treats
The smell of ginger and cinnamon baking in the oven is one of my favorite parts of December. These gingerbread crinkle cookies bring that cozy spice smell into a soft, chewy cookie with a cracked sugar coating that looks like it just fell into a light snow.
They have all the warm flavor of a classic gingerbread cookie, but no rolling pin or cookie cutters needed. You just scoop, roll in sugar, and bake.
This gingerbread crinkle cookies recipe does need a short chill in the fridge, but the active time is only about 10 minutes. The rest is just mixing, scooping, and watching your kitchen fill up with that cozy spiced smell, which makes these gingerbread crinkles an easy favorite for any holiday cookie plate.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Warm, spiced gingerbread flavor in every bite
- Soft and chewy with a pretty cracked sugar top
- No rolling pin or cookie cutters required
- Simple pantry spices, no fancy ingredients
- Freezes well, so you can make a batch ahead
- Makes about 18 to 20 cookies, perfect for sharing
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: ¾ cup, softened
- Brown sugar: 1 cup, packed
- Large egg: 1, at room temperature
- Molasses: ¼ cup
- All-purpose flour: 2½ cups
- Baking soda: 2 tsp
- Nutmeg: 1 tsp
- Ground ginger: 1 tsp
- Cinnamon: 1 tsp
- Powdered sugar: 1 cup, for rolling
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Molasses: Regular unsulphured molasses works best here. Blackstrap molasses is more bitter, so stick with regular for the classic flavor.
- Butter: Use softened, not melted, butter. It should leave a slight indent when you press it, not feel greasy or runny.
- Spices: Feel free to add a pinch of ground cloves along with the ginger and cinnamon for an even deeper gingerbread flavor.
- Eggs: A room temperature egg blends in more smoothly. If yours is cold, set it in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes first.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the butter and brown sugar together until fully combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
Step 2: Add the Egg and Molasses
Add the egg and molasses and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
Step 3: Mix in the Spices
Add the baking soda, nutmeg, ground ginger, and cinnamon, and mix until combined.
Step 4: Add the Flour
Mix in the flour one third at a time on low speed, stopping as soon as each addition is incorporated. Scrape down the bowl so no flour pockets are left behind.
Step 5: Chill the Dough
Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours. This makes the dough much easier to scoop and roll.
Step 6: Roll the Dough Balls
Heat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the chilled dough into balls and roll each one in powdered sugar until fully coated. Keep the rest of the dough chilled while you work.
Step 7: Bake the Cookies
Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the cookies have puffed and cracked but still look soft in the center.
Step 8: Cool
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips for the Best Results
- Don’t skip the chill time. It keeps the dough from spreading too much in the oven.
- Bake one test cookie first to get a feel for your oven’s exact timing.
- Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking so the cookies bake evenly.
- Let baking sheets cool between batches so the dough doesn’t spread too fast.
- Avoid overmixing once the flour goes in, since this can make the cookies tough.
Variations and Add-ins
- Extra spice: Add a pinch of ground cloves or allspice for a deeper gingerbread flavor.
- White chocolate drizzle: Drizzle melted white chocolate over the cooled cookies for a festive touch.
- Crystallized ginger: Fold in a couple tablespoons of finely chopped crystallized ginger for little bursts of spice.
- Chai spiced: Swap in a store-bought chai spice blend in place of the individual spices for a different warm flavor.
What to Serve With It
- A mug of hot chocolate or chai tea
- A cold glass of milk
- A holiday cookie tray with red velvet crinkle cookies
- Vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two cookies
- A cup of coffee on a cold afternoon
Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Beat the butter and brown sugar until combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and molasses and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon.
- Add the flour one third at a time on low speed, mixing just until incorporated.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
- Heat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough into balls and coat each in powdered sugar.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until puffed and cracked but still soft in the center.
- Cool on the baking sheet a few minutes, then move to a wire rack.
Notes
- Bake one test cookie first to dial in your oven’s exact timing before baking the full batch.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Let baking sheets cool completely between batches so the dough doesn’t spread too fast.
Conclusion
These gingerbread crinkle cookies are proof that a few warm spices and a little chill time can turn simple pantry ingredients into something that feels like a holiday tradition. The cracked sugar top makes them look just as good as they taste.
Since the dough freezes well, this is a great one to make ahead and bake fresh whenever you need a cookie plate in a hurry. I hope these gingerbread crinkles make it onto your holiday baking list this year.
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