Chocolate Ginger Crinkle Cookies

These chocolate ginger crinkle cookies are a pleasing riff on a familiar (and easy!) Christmas standby. Chunks of crystallized ginger and dark chocolate make for a rather grown-up experience of a childhood classic.

Recipe by David Leite

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 7 1/2 ounces bittersweet, dark, or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• Confectioners’ sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, and cinnamon.
2. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the butter and 3 ounces of the chopped chocolate. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 1 1/2 inches of simmering water (ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water) and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth.

   ☞ TESTER TIP: For convenience, you can also melt this mixture in the microwave. Heat in 20-second intervals, stirring periodically until completely melted and smooth.

3. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let it cool for about 10 minutes. This ensures the mixture is not too hot before adding the eggs.
4. Stir the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar into the cooled melted chocolate mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well until smooth after each addition. Finally, stir in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
5. Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the remaining 4 1/2 ounces of chopped chocolate and the finely chopped crystallized ginger. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally, overnight. Chilling is crucial for proper crinkle formation.
6. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
7. Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, shape it into walnut-sized balls. Roll each ball generously in confectioners’ sugar until completely coated. Arrange the coated dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (If your kitchen is warm and the dough becomes too soft to handle, return it to the refrigerator until firm again.)
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies have spread beautifully and the tops are visibly cracked. The centers should still be slightly soft, ensuring a fudgy texture.
9. Allow the chocolate-ginger crinkle cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes before carefully transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. This helps them firm up without breaking. Once fully cooled, store the crinkle cookies in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to several days.

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Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

Chiyo Ueyama

This cookie recipe is incredibly straightforward, making it perfect for novice bakers looking to explore beyond traditional chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies. The convenience of melting chocolate in the microwave is a definite plus! Flavor-wise, subtlety is key. As the rich chocolate melts, you’ll appreciate the added depth from the dark brown sugar and a hint of cinnamon. It’s truly delightful how the bits of crystallized ginger then shyly emerge, releasing their fragrant warmth to complete the experience.

Leanne Abe

Everyone who tried these chocolate crinkle cookies was initially surprised by the candied ginger, and then equally surprised by how much they adored the unique combination! I particularly enjoyed the extra chocolate pieces folded into the dough and how the cookies maintained their delightful softness. The deep chocolate flavor, thanks to both the cocoa and melted chocolate, truly stands out.

Cindi Kruth

I prepared this dough and baked the cookies the following day, and the result was a batch of lovely little crinkle cookies with an interesting ginger twist. Perhaps the ginger was a bit strong for my personal preference, as mine had a pretty potent kick, but overall, it’s a great combination of chocolate and ginger.

Julie Dreyfoos

These crinkle cookies are truly a mouthful of flavor! The initial taste is ginger, which then gracefully finishes with the rich notes of chocolate. These will definitely be a go-to recipe for the upcoming holidays, promising a delightful treat for everyone.

Allison Parker

Imagine snowy, crackly caps of white contrasting with a dark, spicy chocolate decadence – it’s hard to conceive of a better (or easier) recipe to immerse yourself in the holiday spirit. These dramatic cookies artfully build upon the traditional crinkle cookie, retaining all the visual appeal and the delightful crispy-gooey texture of the original, while infusing it with the festive warmth of gingerbread. The double dose of both ground and crystallized ginger adds profound depth and an utterly irresistible deliciousness to the chocolate base; trust me, you won’t be able to stop at just one.

I fully intend to bake these repeatedly throughout this season, and they are undoubtedly destined for my holiday baker’s gift boxes. However, don’t fall into the trap of thinking they’re exclusively for winter – you’ll find yourself wanting to bake these remarkable cookies all year long!

Jean Moats

These crinkle cookies are absolutely delicious. They’re incredibly easy to make and an absolute joy to eat. I’m particularly fond of the chocolate and ginger combination – it’s a winner! I will definitely be keeping this recipe and making these cookies again and again.

Susan Hillery

This cookie truly deserves a spot in the “Cookie Hall of Fame”! The combination of chocolate and ginger is consistently a winning one, and this cookie proves it beyond a doubt. The rich chocolate, ginger, and cinnamon dough is beautifully studded with chopped chocolate pieces and vibrant crystallized ginger, which truly intensifies and reinforces the cookie’s unique flavor. Plus, they are simply beautiful to behold!

Kim Graham

Fresh out of the oven, these crinkle cookies are wonderfully gooey. However, if you possess the patience to allow them to cool completely, you’ll be magnificently rewarded with a dark, deeply fudgy treat. The ginger flavor is subtle, yet it adds a delightful hint of warming spice that perfectly complements the rich chocolate.

Steve Taylor

This was an excellent recipe, yielding some of the best cookies I’ve had in recent memory. Initially, I was concerned that the cookies might be overly gingery for my taste. However, by strictly adhering to the recipe, the chocolate and ginger achieved a perfect, harmonious balance that was truly enjoyable.

Jeremy Schweitzer

In my opinion, this creative take on the traditional crinkle cookie actually surpasses the original! My only slight reservation is regarding the intensity of the ginger flavor – these cookies almost require a warning: “Don’t eat me if you don’t absolutely adore ginger!” However, the cinnamon beautifully enhances both the chocolate and ginger, and I truly appreciate the generous pieces of chocolate and candied ginger distributed throughout the dough, providing wonderful textural surprises.

Elsa M. Jacobson

This is a truly appealing variation on a holiday standard! These chocolate ginger-snappy crinkle cookies disappeared in, quite literally, a snap – all 40 of them! They weren’t overly sweet, and as my friend Graham cleverly remarked after his first bite, “You could easily eat more than just one… In my book, cookies are meant to be eaten en masse!” Interestingly, the ginger proved to be a delightful surprise; my taste-testing friends readily identified the chocolate but consistently struggled to pinpoint the double ginger as chocolate’s spicy, warming partner, making for a fun and intriguing flavor experience.