Gingerbread Crinkles
10 December 2025 –
A McGee Family Favorite
In this holiday edition of Around the Table, Shea turns one of her most-loved treats—her classic chocolate crinkle cookies—into a festive gingerbread version that’s every bit as soft, chewy, and crinkly as the original. Warmly spiced with ginger and molasses, they bring that unmistakable “Christmas is here” feeling the moment you pull them from the oven.
These are the cookies everyone reaches for first: nostalgic, a little sparkly from their sugar coating, and full of gingerbread goodness. They strike that perfect holiday balance—easy enough to whip up on a weeknight, but special enough for cookie swaps, gifting, or sneaking straight off the sheet pan. Shea’s family takes their cookies seriously, and this one instantly earns its spot in the lineup with reliable crinkles, soft centers, and a flavor that tastes like December. Simple, festive, and guaranteed to disappear fast, they’re the kind of treat that becomes a yearly tradition.
See the recipe below and watch the full webisode here.
Ingredients
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, scooped, and leveled
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1-¾ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1-¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Method
01
Add the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and molasses to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute until combined. The mixture will look a bit grainy and separated.
02
Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Mix on medium speed for at least 3 minutes, scraping the paddle and sides of the bowl about halfway through, until the mixture looks whipped and smooth. Add the milk and mix for another 10 to 20 seconds until combined.
03
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix, starting at low speed and slowly increasing to medium, until barely combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
04
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then line two 18 x 13-inch sheet pans with parchment and set aside.
05
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon–sized balls. Roll each dough ball first in granulated sugar, and then in powdered sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans and immediately transfer to the oven.
06
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies have cracked and the edges are set. The cookies will be soft when you take them out of the oven, and the exterior will crisp slightly as they cool.
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