Chocolate gingerbread-spiced crinkle cookies with dark chocolate centers and a contrasting snowy powdered-sugar crackle.
The melted chocolate dough is soft when first mixed and needs time to become scoopable.
These are chocolate cookies with gingerbread spices and no molasses. Nutrition counts the full sugar-coating allowance although some remains in the bowl. Larger portions need different baking times.
Chocolate Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
Per tray: 10–12 minutes · 4 trays of about 18 small cookies
Allow 214 minutes: 30 hands-on, 120 chilling, 44 for all baking trays, 20 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Heatproof bowl or small saucepan
- Mixing bowl and whisk
- Teaspoon-size cookie scoop
- Two 13 × 18-inch pans and parchment
- Sugar-coating bowl and cooling rack
- US measures and kitchen scale
Chocolate gingerbread-spiced crinkle cookies with dark chocolate centers and a contrasting snowy powdered-sugar crackle.
Ingredients
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Coating
Instructions
Mix
- Melt and coolMelt butter with chocolate gently, stirring until smooth. Cool to lukewarm before adding eggs.
- Combine the doughWhisk sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and spices separately, then stir in until no dry pockets remain.
Chill
- Make it scoopableCover and refrigerate at least 2 hours until firm enough to portion. Soft batter-like dough firms during chilling; do not add extra flour.
Shape
- Coat the small ballsHeat to 325°F (165°C) conventional, or 300°F fan. Make about 72 heaping-teaspoon portions, roughly 11–12 g each. Roll generously in confectioners sugar and place 1 1/2 inches apart on lined pans.
Bake
- Open the cracksBake one tray at a time 10–12 minutes until cracked with set edges; centers remain tender. Keep unused dough chilled and cool the pans between batches.
Cool
- Protect the sugar finishRest 5 minutes on the pan, then cool on a rack about 15 minutes. Seal airtight only once completely cold.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Allow the full chill
The melted chocolate dough is soft when first mixed and needs time to become scoopable.
Coat generously
A thick layer of confectioners sugar creates the visible white contrast as the cookie expands.
Keep them small
The timing is for teaspoon-size portions. Bake a first tray before changing the scoop size.
Storage & Make-Ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 3–4 days | Cool completely, then store airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Wrap dough tightly. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze portions airtight; thaw covered in the refrigerator before baking. |
| Cooked freezing | Up to 2 months | For the best white crust, freeze uncoated dough portions rather than finished coated cookies; condensation can soften the sugar finish. |
| Restoration | Before serving | Warm undecorated cookies briefly at 300°F for 3–5 minutes if desired; cool before decorating. |
Notes
- These are chocolate cookies with gingerbread spices and no molasses. Nutrition counts the full sugar-coating allowance although some remains in the bowl. Larger portions need different baking times.
Nutrition
Approximate values per serving calculated from generic ingredient weights and the stated yield; excludes optional decoration and unused bench flour. Brands, sizing and actual yield change these estimates.
RECIPE REVIEWEDGINGERBREADGINGERBREAD COOKIES
Frequently Asked Questions
A few helpful answers before you bake.
Why is the fresh dough runny?
It contains melted chocolate and butter. Refrigeration firms it; do not correct it by adding extra flour.
Can I use a tablespoon scoop?
The stated 10–12-minute timing is for smaller teaspoon portions. Larger cookies need a separate doneness check.
Do they contain molasses?
No. They combine bittersweet chocolate with ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
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