Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies (Bakery-Crackled & Chewy)

Chewy-cracked gingerbread cookies in ~35 minutes, cozy spice, sugar-dusted tops, perfect for cookie exchanges.

Deep molasses warmth meets snowy sugar crinkles for the ultimate Christmas cookie-plate win.

Why You’ll Love It

• Crinkle Cookies Christmas ready: dramatic cracks + powdered-sugar “snow” for instant holiday vibes.
• Chewy centers, crisp rims: balances the soft bite people love with a light edge snap.
• Big gingerbread flavor: molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves tuned for crowd-pleasing spice.
• Quick, dependable spread: a short chill (optional) keeps shape while still crinkling beautifully.
• Cookie Exchange Cookie Ideas: scales easily; stays soft for days; ships well.

Ingredients — notes only

Dry:

• All-purpose flour (measured by weight for consistent crinkles).
• Baking soda + a touch of baking powder for lift and “crackle.”
• Fine salt to balance sweetness.
• Ground ginger (the star), cinnamon, cloves, pinch nutmeg.

Wet:

• Unsalted butter, softened (flavor + structure).
• Dark brown sugar (chew) + a little white sugar (crisp).
• Unsulphured molasses for classic gingerbread depth.
• Egg + extra yolk for plush centers; vanilla.

Coating:

• Granulated sugar (first coat) + powdered sugar (second coat) = bold snowy crinkles.

Step-by-Step

1. Prep Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 light-colored sheet pans with parchment.
2. Whisk dry 2¼ cups (270 g) flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp ginger, 1¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp cloves, pinch nutmeg.
3. Cream ½ cup (113 g) butter with ¾ cup dark brown sugar + ¼ cup white sugar until fluffy, 1–2 min.
4. Wet in Beat in ⅓ cup molasses, 1 large egg + 1 yolk, 1 tsp vanilla until glossy.
5. Combine Fold dry into wet just to disappear. Dough should be soft but scoopable. Optional: chill 15–20 min for tidier crinkles.
6. Coat Scoop 1½ Tbsp balls. Roll in granulated sugar, then heavily in powdered sugar.
7. Bake 9–11 min until puffed with cracked tops; edges set, centers still soft.
8. Set Cool on pan 5 min (carryover finishes), then rack. Dust with a pinch more powdered sugar if needed.

Doneness cues: tops split with clear white gaps, edges matte, centers just set but soft.

Pro Tips

• Double sugar coat (granulated → powdered) for bold “snowy” contrast.
• Weigh flour (270 g) to prevent dry, non-crinkly cookies.
• Warm vs. cool pans: rotate pans; let hot pans cool to avoid overspread.
• Bigger cracks: bake from room-temp dough; for tidier edges, quick-chill 15 min.
• Spice bloom: rub spices with brown sugar before creaming for a deeper aroma.

Variations

• Gingerbread Crackle Cookies (extra spice): +½ tsp ginger; add ½ tsp orange zest.
• Crispy Gingerbread Cookies Recipe: skip extra yolk; bake 1–2 min longer for more snap.
• Gingerbread Cake Cookies (softer): add 2 Tbsp sour cream and +¼ tsp baking powder.
• Spice Drop Cookies: fold in ½ cup finely chopped spice gumdrops (freeze them 10 min first).
• Chocolate-dipped: half-dip cooled cookies in melted dark chocolate; sprinkle crushed candy cane.

How to Serve

Pile on a tray with clementines and candy canes; leave a few with milk for Santa Baking; or sandwich two cookies with vanilla buttercream.

Make Ahead & Storage

• Dough balls: freeze up to 2 months; bake from frozen at 350°F, +1–2 min.
• Baked cookies: airtight 4–5 days room temp; freeze up to 1 month.
• Revive softness: 8–10 sec in the microwave or 3–4 min at 300°F.

FAQs

Why didn’t my cookies crack?
Coating too light, dough too cold, or over-floured. Double-coat in sugars, weigh flour, and bake from room-temp dough.

Can I use blackstrap molasses?
It’s too bitter; use regular unsulphured molasses for balanced sweetness.

Do I have to chill the dough?
No, but a 15–20 min chill tidies edges without hurting crinkles.

How do I make them spicier?
Add ¼–½ tsp extra ginger and a pinch of black pepper.

Simple Nutrition (estimate per cookie, 24 cookies)

Calories	Carbs	Protein	Fat	Sugar	Sodium
140	21g	2g	6g	12g	95mg
Estimates only; varies by brands and cookie size.