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Soft and Spiced Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

Soft and Spiced Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

These perfectly soft, chewy crinkle cookies are bursting with classic gingerbread spices and coated in a double layer of sugar for a beautiful cracked holiday finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Calories: 110
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Ground Ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients and Fat
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar for the dough
  • 1 Large Egg room temperature
  • 1/4 cup Unsulfured Molasses Do not use Blackstrap molasses, as it is too strong.
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Coating
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar for rolling
  • 1 cup Confectioners' Sugar (Powdered Sugar) for rolling

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
  • Large Baking Sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Small Cookie Scoop (1 tablespoon size)

Method
 

Dough Preparation
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set the dry mixture aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a large bowl and a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  3. Beat in the egg until just combined. Add the molasses and vanilla extract and beat on low speed until fully incorporated. The mixture may look slightly separated at this stage, which is normal.
  4. Gradually add the reserved dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough once the flour is added. The finished dough will be thick and sticky.
  5. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, or preferably overnight. Chilling is necessary to allow the spices to bloom and to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Baking and Coating
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Place the 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a separate, slightly deeper bowl.
  2. Scoop the chilled dough using a small cookie scoop or roll into 1-inch balls (approximately 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie). First, roll the ball gently in the bowl of granulated sugar. Second, immediately transfer the ball and roll it generously in the confectioners' sugar. Ensure the dough ball is completely coated with a thick layer of powdered sugar.
  3. Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies will spread and develop the distinct crinkle pattern, and the centers should look soft but set. Do not overbake.
  4. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

For the best crinkles, make sure the powdered sugar coating is very thick—if the coating is too thin, it will absorb into the dough during baking and the crinkle effect will be minimal. If you don't want to bake all the cookies at once, the chilled dough balls (pre-coated) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the cook time.