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These gingerbread crinkle cookies are a holiday must-try – with warm spices, molasses, and brown sugar – they’re soft and chewy inside, with a sweet, sugar crinkle crust.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Crinkle cookies (like these chocolate crinkle cookies) and vegan gingerbread cookies are unsurprising favorites for holiday parties, cookie trays, and holiday gifting. These gingerbread crinkle cookies are soft and chewy with a sweet, slightly crisp, powdered sugar crinkle coating, and classic gingerbread flavors (molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon). They taste like Christmas!
Even better, they’re easy to prepare with simple ingredients for everyone to enjoy. Just mix, chill, roll, coat, and bake to crackly perfection. Perfect for any holiday occasion.
Ginger lovers may also love these triple ginger vegan cookies and gingerbread oatmeal cookies. You might also enjoy these easy snowball cookies, easy muddy buddies, or these 24 must-try vegan Christmas cookies,
Ingredient Notes
Please refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and substitutes.
- Molasses: This is key to signature gingerbread flavor. Use unsulphured molasses. I use dark molasses, though light/mild molasses works in a pinch (Grandma’s Molasses is great!). Avoid blackstrap molasses as it’s too bitter.
What Could I Add?
- Flavor boosters: Try a pinch of cardamom, black pepper (to enhance ‘spice’), or espresso powder (to enhance molasses flavor), one lemon/orange zest, and/or 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Mix-ins: Try chopped crystallized ginger, dairy-free chocolate chips/chunks, toasted nuts/ seeds (walnuts, pecans, pepitas), dried cranberries/raisins, shredded coconut, etc.
- Glaze topping: Drizzle or dip the ginger molasses crinkle cookies with a simple vanilla or molasses glaze (refer to this pupmkin spice glaze or 3-ingredient lemon glaze on how to make your own!)
How to Make Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger powder, and clove powder.
Step 2: Dice the vegan butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to ‘cut’ it into the dry ingredients to a wet sand texture.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk the plant-based milk, applesauce, and molasses until the latter dissolves.
Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix until a thick dough. Shape into a ball, place back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 5 hours, or overnight.
Step 5: When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator while preheating the oven to 350°F/177°C. Also, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Divide the dough into 2-tbsp portions, roll into balls, coat thoroughly in powdered sugar, and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges set, and the cookies puff up and crack. Cool the ginger crinkle cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy!
FAQs
Yes! It’s important for texture and to avoid the cookies spreading when baked.
Since these gingerbread crinkle cookies are fairly moist, this can happen. To reduce it, roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar before the powdered sugar.
Yes – chill it for up to 2 days or scoop into balls, roll in powdered sugar, and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes.
I wouldn’t recommend it, as it has a far more pungent, bitter flavor.
Sure! Simply adjust the baking time accordingly (i.e., 1 tbsp dough takes around 10-12 minutes).
Pro Recipe Tips
- Don’t use too much flour: When measuring by cups, it’s important to fluff it up in its bag, spoon it into the cup, and level with the back of a knife to avoid using too much.
- Chill the dough: To prevent spreading, for easier handling, and chewier cookies.
- Coat generously: To ensure a cold crinkle effect. To avoid it melting, coat with granulated sugar first.
- Cool on the tray slightly: So they don’t fall apart when moved.
Storage Instructions
Store: In an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for 5-7 days, separated by layers of parchment/wax paper.
Freeze: Flash freeze not touching until solid, then transfer to a Ziplock/Stasher for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature (the powdered sugar dissolves).
More Vegan Holiday Cookie Recipes
Vegan Desserts
Soft Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
Vegan Desserts
Vegan Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies
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Vegan Desserts
Easy Snowball Cookies [Various Flavors]
Vegan Desserts
Easy Vegan Snickerdoodles
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Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies (Eggless!)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons of ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon of clove powder
- ¾ cup of vegan butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup of plant-based milk
- ¼ cup of applesauce
- 3 tablespoons of unsulphured molasses
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger powder, and clove powder. Mix well and set aside.
- Dice the vegan butter and add it to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the vegan butter into the flour mixture until it has a wet, sandy texture. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the plant-based milk, applesauce, and molasses. Mix until the molasses is fully dissolved.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until fully combined to form a thick dough. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball, then place it back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough into your hands and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar until heavily coated. Carefully place it on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring the powdered sugar stays on the cookie. Repeat this process until all the dough is used, adding more powdered sugar to the bowl if needed. Leave at least 2 inches of space between each cookie on the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 15 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool slightly for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely for at least 30 minutes.
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Notes
- Don’t use too much flour: When measuring by cups, it’s important to fluff it up in its bag, spoon it into the cup, and level with the back of a knife to avoid using too much.
- Chill the dough: To prevent spreading, for easier handling, and chewier cookies.
- Coat generously: To ensure a cold crinkle effect. To avoid it melting, coat with granulated sugar first.
- Cool on the tray slightly: So they don’t fall apart when moved.
These gingerbread cookies are the best!