These chewy gingerbread sprinkle cookies are seriously SO CHEWY and soft and come together super quickly. They have all the delicious warm and toasty flavor of classic gingerbread cookies, but they're much easier to make and decorate!
what are gingerbread sprinkle cookies?
These cookies were inspired by my stacked Christmas sprinkle cookies recipe. I figured if we used the same idea of rolling cookie dough around in sprinkles (but for gingerbread cookies) then it would skip the need for decorating! I love gingerbread cookies - and decorating them is it's own kind of fun - but this is a lazier version that I think is just as fun and delicious!
These cookies feature a super chewy drop cookie dough that's then rolled in different festive sprinkles and baked into chewy perfection. The dough whips up super easily and there's no chill time required!
how to make chewy gingerbread sprinkle cookies
1. Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.
2.Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy.
3. Whisk in the egg, molasses, and vanilla to combine.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients until you have a streak free cookie dough.
5. Portion the cookie dough and roll in sprinkles.
6. Arrange on your baking sheet then bake until spread out.
7. Cool for a few minutes on the tray then transfer onto a wire rack and cool completely before enjoying!
best sprinkles for gingerbread cookies
I absolutely love rolling cookies in nonpareil sprinkles because they give the cookies such a deliciously crisp crust. That being said, I know a lot of people aren't huge fans of how hard those sprinkles can be, so here are some equally delicious alternatives for toppings:
- cinnamon sugar: For more of a snickerdoodle vibe! Mix together about ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon then roll each cookie in this mixture before baking.
- Sparkling sugar: I rolled some of my cookies in this! It adds a nice sparkle and crunch (and kind of looks like snow!) You can use any color you'd like - I personally just used plain white.
- Other sprinkles: Instead of nonpareils, you could use jimmies or quin sprinkles instead. They bake up a bit softer and more buttery, so they're a bit easier to eat.
- Nothing: These cookies are perfectly delicious as is. So if you'd rather just enjoy them plain, go for it!
- Iced gingerbread cookies: If you don't roll the cookies in anything, you can also dip, drizzle, or pipe the cooled cookies with some simple powdered sugar icing or glaze or royal icing. You could also make some vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting for more billowy decorations!
Each option will give the cookies their own unique look and texture! If you're not sure which one to choose, you can bake up a little test batch of smaller cookies each rolled in a different coating and see which one you like the most.
more tips
- Measuring the flour: To ensure the cookies spread out perfectly and bake up to the right chewy texture, it's important to measure the flour correctly. The best and most accurate way to measure is by using a scale, but if you are using cups, do not scoop the measuring cup directly into the bag of flour. This can pack in extra weight and make the cookies dry and brittle! Instead, lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup then use a flat utensil to level off any excess.
- Room temperature ingredients: For the dough to whip up smoothly, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Using cold ingredients can lead to a lumpy batter, with chunks of butter that will melt unpredictably. This can cause the cookies to bake up greasy and overspread!
- Baking and cooling: Watch out for overbaked cookies or they can end up dry and hard. Cookies can overbake even after coming out of the oven from the residual heat of the baking pan, so make sure to move them once they've cooled slightly to ensure they don't continue drying out on the tray. About 5 minutes of cooling on the baking pan should be the perfect amount of time - don't try to move them before then or they may break apart when they're still warm and soft.
- Fixing misshapen cookies: If your cookies have a few wonky looking edges, you can push them back in and reshape them using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass. Simply run the cutter or cup around the edges of the cookie right when they come out of the oven. This needs to be done when they're still super fresh from the oven because they will harden up as they cool and will not be easy to reshape at that point.
freezing and make ahead
This cookie dough freezes beautifully, so you can make some now and freeze until you're ready to bake them off! I recommend just freezing the plain dough (no sprinkles) because the sprinkles can bleed and lose their color when it comes time to defrost them.
To freeze, whip up the dough normally and then use a large cookie scoop to scoop out portions onto a parchment lined baking sheet. The scoops of cookie dough can be super close together but shouldn't be touching on the baking sheet.
Transfer the baking sheet filled with cookie dough into your freezer and freeze for about 1 hour or until solid. Once solid, lift the cookie dough balls off the parchment lined tray and arrange them in a freezer bag in one even layer. Don't stack the cookie dough or they may give you trouble later on when you try to separate them. Push out as much air as you can from the bag then keep stored in the freezer until ready to use.
To defrost and bake, take out however many cookie dough balls you plan on baking and arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Pop the frozen cookie dough balls into the fridge and let them defrost overnight. Once defrosted, set them out at room temperature for about 1 hour to soften slightly before rolling in sprinkles and baking normally.
check out these other recipes!
• Melting Snowman Cookies
• Giant Sugar Cookie Cake
• Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Chewy Maple Brown Sugar Cookies
Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.
Print
Chewy Gingerbread Sprinkle Cookies
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 cookies (approx.)
Description
These chewy gingerbread sprinkle cookies are seriously SO CHEWY and soft and come together super quickly. They have all the delicious warm and toasty flavor of classic gingerbread cookies, but they're much easier to make and decorate!
Ingredients
- 2 & ½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground all-spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60mL) unsulphered molasses
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (120g) Christmas colored sprinkles (you may need more or less depending on the size of the sprinkles you used)*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, all-spice, cloves, baking soda, and salt to combine. Set aside.
- 2 & ½ cups (325g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground all-spice, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a wooden spoon by hand, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar, ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- Whisk in the egg, molasses, and vanilla.
- 1 large egg, ¼ cup (60mL) unsulphered molasses, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients in and fold everything together until you have a streak free cookie dough.
- Add sprinkles to a wide plate or bowl.
- ¾ cup (120g) Christmas colored sprinkles
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out a ball of cookie dough and drop it into the bowl of sprinkles. Roll it around to coat all sides. The dough will be a bit sticky but if it's too sticky to work with, pop it into the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes or until firm enough to work with.
- Place the sprinkle coated dough onto your parchment lined baking sheet, and repeat the process of rolling cookie dough balls in sprinkles until all the dough is used up. Make sure to leave at least 3 inches of space between each ball of dough on the baking sheet to give them room to spread out as they bake.
- Bake the cookies in batches in the center of your preheated oven for 11 to 14 minutes or until the bottom edges are a slightly darker brown color and the surface of the cookies no longer appears wet.
- Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you plan on using the same baking sheet to bake the next round of cookies, make sure the pan cools completely to room temperature before using.
Notes
* I used a mix of red, white, and green nonpareils sprinkles for most of the cookies, then rolled some of the cookies in coarse sparkling sugar and regular granulated sugar. You can use any of these to roll the cookies in or you can also use jimmies or quin sprinkles if you prefer!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Bake Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Cookies
Enjoy!
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