Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

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By: Jill Mills Updated: Dec 3, 2024

These Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies are the ultimate holiday treat! Soft, chewy, and packed with the classic flavors of molasses and warm spices, they’re everything you love about gingerbread in cookie form. Rolled in powdered sugar before baking, they get that signature crinkled look that’s as adorable as it is festive. 

Homemade Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

I love gingerbread-flavored everything because it’s festive and reminds me of Christmas. These gingerbread crinkle cookies are an easy, show stopping recipe that you will want to try. They have a little chew to them while also remaining soft and tender. Many gingerbread cookie recipes tend to have a little crunch so I like how different these are. My kids love helping to make these, too. It’s become a tradition because we enjoy baking together — especially at Christmas time!

Why You’ll Love These Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

• Crowd favorite. Make these cookies for family, a party, or even as cookie exchange gifts to hand out to friends for the holidays. Everyone that I have shared these cookies or the recipe with loves them. They’re a hit!
• Great to make ahead. Since you have to chill/freeze the dough, it’s easy to make it a few hours ahead of time and bake it when you’re ready. I like the freedom to make the dough when I need to so I can focus on the baking.
• Perfect for beginners. It’s a simple cookie recipe even if you aren’t an experienced baker. The steps are easy to follow and don’t require any obscure ingredients or equipment.

What You’ll Need

The ingredients below are easy to find all year! Gingerbread is a classic holiday staple but you may make these whenever you like. Items like molasses are always available in the baking aisle!

• Flour: I use all-purpose flour for this recipe to keep it simple. I haven’t tried it with another variety but feel free to try a gluten-free blend if you are on a gluten-free diet.
• Sugars: I add dark brown sugar to the cookie dough and a combination of white granulated and powdered sugar to get the crinkle effect on the outside.
• Baking soda: I use baking soda to help the cookies rise and have a soft center.
• Spices: To get the classic gingerbread flavor, I use ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. These warm flavors pair perfectly with the molasses and brown sugar. I add salt as well to balance the sweetness.
• Butter: The butter must be cold and cut into small cubes. It will be cut into the dry ingredients before the wet ingredients are added to create the dough.
• Molasses: I love the rich, deep flavor of molasses. It’s an essential ingredient in any tasty gingerbread recipe. 
• Milk: To get the perfect texture, a splash of milk is great. It helps the dough become perfectly smooth without adding too much moisture.

How to Make Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

Here are the instructions on how to make, chill, and bake these ginger crinkle cookies. It’s the perfect recipe to prepare ahead of a holiday party or special occasion.

• Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and spices in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the butter. Put the pieces of butter into the flour mixture and mix until coarse crumbs form.
• Add molasses and milk. Gradually mix in molasses and milk until combined and the dough is moistened.

• Divide the dough. Transfer the cookie dough to a clean surface and divide it in half.
• Wrap it. Place each dough ball tightly in plastic wrap. 
• Freeze. Put it in the freezer until firm (about 30-60 minutes).
• Prep the oven and baking sheets. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

• Roll into balls. Divide and roll into 2-inch cookie dough balls.
• Dip in both sugars. Roll each cookie ball in the white sugar and then in powdered sugar. Put it on the prepared pan. Repeat until all the cookies are prepped.
• Bake. Put the pan in the oven and bake the cookies for about 12 minutes.
• Cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes and then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Proper Storage

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Freeze them in a resealable bag for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature before enjoying them.

More Gingerbread Recipes to Try

• Gingerbread Fudge
• Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
• Gingerbread Poke Cake
• Gingerbread Man Cookies
• White Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles
• Gingerbread Loaf with Cinnamon Frosting

5 from 1 vote

Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

These soft Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies are a great from-scratch recipe for the holiday season. They have the signature flavor of molasses and warm spices and are then coated in powdered sugar for an adorable crinkled look.

Servings: 24 cookies

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 12 minutes mins

Total: 22 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 3 Cups flour
• ▢ 3/4 Cup dark brown sugar packed
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (3/4 cup) softened, but still cool, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• ▢ 3/4 Cup molasses
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons whole milk
• ▢ 1/2 Cup sugar in a bowl
• ▢ 1/2 Cup powdered sugar in a bowl

Instructions

• Using an electric mixer on low-speed stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt until combined.
• Stop the mixer and add the butter pieces. Mix at medium-low speed until the mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal.
• Reduce the speed to low. With the mixer running, gradually add the molasses and milk.
• Mix until the dough is evenly moistened
• Increase the speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Transfer the dough onto a work surface. Divide the dough in half.
• Shape each half of the dough into two balls.
• Wrap each dough ball the in plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
• Or your second option is that you can refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove the cookie dough from the fridge.
• Begin rolling the dough into individual 2- inch balls in diameter. Do not overwork the dough as it will get too warm. (If the dough becomes warm rewrap it in the plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator until it is chilled.)
• Roll each dough ball in the sugar until coated. Now transfer the ball to the confectioners’ sugar and roll again until coated evenly.
• Put the coated dough balls 1-inch apart on the parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until they are set in the centers. Be sure to not over bake them.
• Remove the cookies from the oven. Allow them to cool on the sheets for 2 minutes.
• Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely (to room temperature).

Last Step:

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Notes

• Store gingerbread crinkle cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. The cookies can be stored for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

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