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    Home » Holiday Recipes

    Ginger Crinkle Cookies

    November 20, 2021 by Chenée Lewis

    839 shares
    pin on soft ginger cookies

    Best old fashioned ginger crinkle cookies recipe! These chewy ginger crackles are the best soft ginger cookies! And we’re making these gingerbread crinkle cookies with cake mix!

    If you like this spicy ginger crinkle cookies recipe, try my Brownie Mix Cookies with White Chocolate, Cherries and Pistachios, my Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies, or my Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies with Cinnamon Sugar!

    ginger crinkle cookies stacked
    Ginger Crinkle Cookies Recipe
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    *This post contains affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure for details*.

    Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies Recipe

    These cookies have all the flavors you expect from classic soft ginger Cookes -- molasses, ginger, and other spices, all coated in a lovely crinkle layer of powdered sugar. But that's not the best part! These cookies are SO easy because they're made with cake mix! Yes, the base for this old fashioned ginger crinkle cookies recipe is a boxed spice cake mix!

    What causes cookies to crinkle?

    The question is: Why do gingerbread cookies crack? Well, the crinkle comes from the outside of the cookie setting and hardening in the oven before the inside. So as the inside of the cookie bakes and expands, it creates cracks and separations in the outside of the cookie.

    This process is furthered by the addition of powdered sugar before baking. Powdered sugar draws out some of the moisture from the outer layer of the cookie, emphasizing the crinkle effect even more! That's how we get those beautiful crinkly tops on these molasses ginger crinkle cookies!

    ginger crinkle cookies - oil and other ingredients
    Soft Ginger Cookies Ingredients

    What are ginger cookies made of?

    • spice cake mix - to make this recipe super easy, we'll make our gingerbread crinkle cookies with cake mix! I used a 15.25-oz Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix. We'll just be using the dry mix, not a prepared cake batter.
    • all-purpose flour - we're adding some flour to thicken up the batter a bit.
    • vegetable oil - the secret to moist ginger crinkle cookies! Oil keeps these cookies soft and chewy.
    • eggs - give a little lift and richness to our cookies.
    • molasses - you'll need unsulphured molasses for this old fashioned ginger crinkle cookies recipe -- I used Grandma's Original Molasses.
    • cinnamon and ginger - we're boosting the spice flavors a bit to give these cookies the classic, spicy gingerbread flavor!
    • powdered sugar - we'll coat our ginger molasses crinkle cookies with powdered sugar before they bake to create that stunning crinkle effect!

    Equipment

    This is a one-bowl and wooden spoon recipe! You don't need an electric mixer, or even a whisk! These ginger crinkle cookies come together so easily so it's the perfect low-key holiday cookie for beginners! Here are a few more tools you might need:

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    Why don't my ginger cookies crackle on the top?

    The most likely reason for your cookies not crackling is that your oven isn't hot enough. You can use an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven temperature and make sure it's fully hot before baking your chewy ginger crackles!

    Why are my crinkle cookies flat?

    There could be a couple of reasons for flat ginger crinkle cookies. First, your dough may not have been sufficiently chilled. Make sure you chill the dough for at least an hour before scooping. Also, you may have not added enough flour -- I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour to make sure that that the measurement is accurate.

    gingerbread crinkle cookies stacked
    Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies with Cake Mix

    Molasses Ginger Crinkle Cookies Tips and F.A.Q.

    Fully chill your dough before shaping.

    The cold dough will help you form round cookie balls, and will keep the powdered sugar from melting into the dough. I'd recommend chilling your dough at least 1 hour.

    Press cookie dough balls firmly into powdered sugar.

    The method I use is to roll the dough ball into the sugar, pressing down firmly to allow the sugar to stick. This is better than simply tossing the dough with the sugar. Then you can allow the excess sugar to fall off before you place the dough ball on your baking sheet, so that you don't end up with clumps of powdered sugar on your finished cookies.

    soft ginger cookies shot from above

    Use the right kind of molasses!

    This is so important. Molasses can vary in sweetness, consistency, and ingredients. For this recipe you need mild unsulphured molasses. Unsulphured molasses is sweeter and doesn't contain preservatives, and comes in mild, dark, and blackstrap varieties. I prefer mild unsulphured molasses for baking because it offers less bitterness, so for this recipe I recommend Grandma's Original Molasses or something similar.

    Should gingerbread cookies be crunchy?

    These molasses ginger crinkle cookies should be soft and chewy!

    How do I store these gingerbread crinkle cookies?

    You can keep these in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, or freeze them for up to 2 months!

    Ginger Crinkle Cookies stacked
    Old Fashioned Ginger Crinkle Cookies

    If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!

    More Christmas Cookie Recipes You'll Love

    • Peppermint White Chocolate Sugar Cookies
    • No Chill Gingerbread Cookies with Stout and Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
    • No Spread Sugar Cookies
    • Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies with Cinnamon Sugar
    • Lemon Curd Cookies
    • Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
    ginger crinkle cookies stacked

    Ginger Crinkle Cookies

    Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Best ginger crinkle cookies recipe! These chewy ginger crackles are the best soft ginger cookies! And we’re making these gingerbread crinkle cookies with cake mix!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 14 minutes
    Total Time: 24 minutes
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine :American
    Servings: 36 cookies
    Calories: 83kcal
    Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

    Equipment you may need

    • ¾ sheet baking pan
    • silicone baking mat
    • parchment paper
    • mixing bowls
    • wooden spoon
    • measuring cups and spoons
    • cooling rack
    • plastic wrap

    Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses - you'll want mild/light unsulphured molasses
    • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 15.25-oz spice cake mix
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour - (32 grams)
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 cup powdered sugar - for rolling

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
    • Mix together all ingredients other than powdered sugar in a large bowl with a mixing spoon, until fully combined.
      ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 15.25-oz spice cake mix, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs
    • Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
    • Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll into powdered sugar, pressing down to get the powdere sugar to stick to all sides of the dough ball.
      1 cup powdered sugar
    • Place dough balls 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
    • Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Video

    https://cheneetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/gingercookiesreel.mp4

    Notes

    Molasses type: Molasses can vary in sweetness, consistency, and ingredients. For this recipe you need mild unsulphured molasses. Unsulphured molasses is sweeter and doesn't contain preservatives, and comes in mild, dark, and blackstrap varieties. I prefer mild unsulphured molasses for this recipe because it offers less bitterness, and we're not adding sugar. So for this recipe I recommend Grandma's Original Molasses or something similar.
    Storage and Freezing: You can keep these in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature, or freeze them for up to 2 months!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 83 kcal | Carbohydrates: 16 g | Protein: 1 g | Fat: 3 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 10 mg | Sodium: 94 mg | Potassium: 57 mg | Sugar: 10 g | Calcium: 31 mg
    Nutrition Disclaimer
    Tags: best ginger crinkle cookies, cake mix crinkle cookies, chewy ginger crackles, christmas crinkle cookies, crinkle cookies with cake mix, crinkle molasses cookies, easy ginger cookies, ginger christmas cookies, ginger crinkle cookies, ginger crinkle cookies oil, Ginger crinkle cookies recipe, Ginger molasses crinkle cookies, ginger spice cookies, gingerbread crinkle cookies, gingerbread crinkle cookies ginger crinkle cookies, gingerbread crinkle cookies with cake mix, molasses ginger crinkle cookies, old fashioned ginger crinkle cookies, soft ginger cookies, spicy ginger crinkle cookies recipe
    Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can't wait to see (and share) your results! Follow me on Instagram at @chenee_today and tag #cheneetoday!

    Save these gingerbread crinkle cookies to Pinterest!

    pin on soft ginger cookies
    Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies Pin

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    839 shares

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    1. Victoria

      August 01, 2022 at 8:14 am

      5 stars
      I made these to bring to a friend's house and they were a big hit! I did add diced crystalized ginger to the cookies, but then my friend and I are suckers for ginger! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        August 01, 2022 at 10:50 pm

        Yum!! What a great idea! So glad you liked them 🙂

        Reply
    2. Colleen McMillen

      December 24, 2021 at 12:48 pm

      These turned out perfectly! I will definitely make them again!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        March 17, 2022 at 11:47 pm

        Good to hear! Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Jazz

      December 01, 2021 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      These were the perfect cookies to start the Christmas season with! So easy to make and we were able to make it a family project with music on in the kitchen and everything. Will be making them again--thanks!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 01, 2021 at 2:55 pm

        Thank you! Sounds like a lovely festive baking session!

        Reply
    4. Britney Brown

      November 23, 2021 at 12:45 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was so much fun to make! The cookies are so good, I love the texture and the taste, so perfect for the holidays!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 03, 2021 at 1:05 am

        Thank you! They're definitely a favorite Christmas cookie of mine!

        Reply
    5. Taneisha

      November 22, 2021 at 9:28 pm

      5 stars
      I've never made cookies with cake mix, and I'm so happy this was the recipe I decided to try it out with! So delicious and so easy with the perfect blend of spices! Thanks so much for a great recipe!!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 23, 2021 at 12:15 am

        So glad you liked them! Thanks!

        Reply
    6. Lilly

      November 22, 2021 at 3:00 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for sharing this recipe along with the video! My niece and I had so much fun making these cookies together! We had even more fun eating them-- they were so tasty!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 03, 2021 at 1:00 am

        Glad that you both liked them!

        Reply
    7. Crystal DaCruz

      November 22, 2021 at 9:52 am

      5 stars
      Wow! What a fantastic recipe! My whole family loved these cookies!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 03, 2021 at 1:00 am

        Thank you! I love these cookies!

        Reply
    8. Robin

      November 22, 2021 at 2:22 am

      5 stars
      These cookies are as gorgeous as they are easy to make. Simple perfection!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 23, 2021 at 12:19 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    9. Erique

      November 20, 2021 at 9:28 pm

      5 stars
      I am so glad I am came across this amazing cookie recipes and I love the ginger in them. Please know that this cookies are now a house favorite.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 03, 2021 at 1:03 am

        Wonderful! They're a favorite in my house too!

        Reply
    10. Marta

      November 17, 2021 at 9:30 pm

      5 stars
      My cookies came out perfectly crinkled, but the taste and the texture are what really won me over. I'm so glad you explained which molasses to pick up because I sure was about to buy blackstrap!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 20, 2021 at 6:02 pm

        Thanks! So glad you liked them!

        Reply
    11. Stephanie

      November 17, 2021 at 8:31 pm

      5 stars
      These ginger cookies are so delicious and super simple to make. My family gobbled these up and requested more for this weekend!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 20, 2021 at 6:02 pm

        Thanks! I love how easy these are!

        Reply
    12. Andrea Metlika

      December 24, 2020 at 7:47 pm

      5 stars
      We love crinkle cookies and these ginger ones sound amazing! deliciousness!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 6:07 am

        Thanks! They're such a treat 🙂

        Reply
    13. Jesse

      December 24, 2020 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      I love how easy it is to make these amazing ginger crinkle cookies. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 6:07 am

        Cake mix makes them so easy! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Priya Lakshminarayan

      December 24, 2020 at 7:17 pm

      5 stars
      Wow they look stunning! Making them tonight

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        January 04, 2021 at 6:07 am

        Awesome! I hope you enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    15. Jen

      December 24, 2020 at 6:36 pm

      5 stars
      I was looking for a last minute cookie to make for Christmas. I loved that this used a cake mix. So perfect (and tasty!).

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 24, 2020 at 6:50 pm

        I'm glad you liked it! ?

        Reply
    16. Liz

      December 24, 2020 at 5:36 pm

      5 stars
      I never knew how cookies came out crinkled like that! These cookies sound do delish, can't wait to make them!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        December 24, 2020 at 6:01 pm

        thanks! I hope you enjoy them! 🙂

        Reply

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    About Chenée

    I’m Chenée (kinda rhymes with “today”) and I love all types of baking! But my favorite recipes are ones that are quick and easy, and still yield impressive results. The ones you can't help but make again and again! That's what I share here, and I hope I can make your baking life a little easier along the way. MORE ABOUT CHENÉE >>

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