Description
These bakery-style Gingerbread White Chocolate Cookies are big, chewy, soft, and slightly gooey, with warm gingerbread spices and plenty of sweet white chocolate chips. Made with molasses, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cold butter, these festive cookies are perfect for Christmas baking.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (219 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (use 1 1/2 teaspoons for a stronger ginger flavor)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), cold and cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (158 grams), preferably dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon molasses (15 ml), not blackstrap molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks (180 grams)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is combined and no large lumps of butter remain.
- Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Stir a few times by hand, then mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing.
- Turn off the mixer and stir in the white chocolate chips or chunks.
- Scoop the dough into large balls, using about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dough per cookie. Each dough ball should weigh approximately 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams).
- Place the dough balls on a plate and cover. Freeze for at least 30 minutes, or transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
- Arrange the frozen, firm dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2–3 inches apart. Keep the dough cold and bake one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack.
- Bake for 14–17 minutes, or until the tops look set and small cracks begin to form. The centers may still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool further.
- For perfectly round cookies, place a large mug around each cookie while it is still hot and on the baking sheet. Gently swirl the mug around the cookie to shape the edges into a neat circle.
- Serve warm or let cool completely before storing.
Notes
- Doubling the recipe: You can double the ingredients to make a larger batch. Use a sufficiently large mixing bowl.
- Measure the flour accurately: Whisk the flour first, then spoon it into a measuring cup and level it off. Weighing 219 grams provides the most accurate result. Too much flour can make the cookies dry.
- Stronger ginger flavor: Increase the ground ginger to 1 1/2 teaspoons if you prefer a more pronounced gingerbread taste.
- Smaller cookies: Use about 1 1/2–2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 8–11 minutes. Smaller cookies do not need to be frozen first.
- Make ahead: Freeze the shaped dough balls for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen without thawing.
- Storage: Store baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They are especially delicious when freshly baked.
- Molasses: Use regular molasses rather than blackstrap molasses for the intended sweetness and flavor.
- Nutrition: Nutrition information is estimated per cookie, assuming the recipe makes 8 large cookies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American