Soft Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies (Printable Version)

Soft, spiced gingerbread cookies with a festive crinkle appearance and powdered sugar coating—perfect for holidays.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking soda
03 - 2 tsp ground ginger
04 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 tsp ground cloves
06 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
07 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
09 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
10 - 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ For Rolling

13 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
14 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar

# How To Make:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
02 - Beat butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
03 - Add molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until smooth and fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
05 - Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up for easier handling.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of chilled dough and roll each into a smooth ball.
08 - Roll each ball first in granulated sugar, then generously coat in powdered sugar until completely covered.
09 - Place the sugar-coated balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
10 - Bake for 10–12 minutes until cookies are set but still slightly soft in the center.
11 - Let cookies rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crinkle tops make them look like you spent hours on something actually quite simple
  • That crackle of powdered sugar against chewy gingerbread is basically winter happiness in cookie form
02 -
  • Chilling the dough is mandatory, otherwise the cookies spread too thin and you lose that signature crackle
  • The double sugar coating creates the crinkle effect as the dough expands and the powdered sugar splits apart
03 -
  • Warm the molasses slightly in the microwave for 10 seconds, it measures easier and incorporates more smoothly
  • Let the cookies cool completely before storing, otherwise the steam makes the powdered sugar melt into a glaze

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