The Best Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
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Chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies are perfectly spiced, fudgy in the center, and have crunchy sugared edges. These cookies are quick, seriously easy, and look gorgeous in a cookie box. They’re a huge crowd-pleaser around the holidays. You definitely need to add them to your ‘to bake’ list!
It’s been snowing and snowing in Reno which means I’ve been baking and baking and paying the neighbor kids to shovel my driveway which is the ultimate form of self-care in case you’re wondering. I’m feeling really optimistic that I might even have my first white Christmas after almost 10 years living in Northern Nevada. Cross your fingers for me!
Anyways, I’m determined to really immerse myself in Christmas for the next 10 days starting with these cookies! Sure, I didn’t get around to the gorgeous piped mini gingerbread cookies I say I’ll make every year.
But these are an amazing (quicker) alternative. I unapologetically ate six of these cookies right out of the oven and I’d do it again. This recipe is based off the classic gingerbread cookie I developed when I was in pastry school. But I also wanted just a hint of chocolate. Not a full-on chocolate flavor but like, halfway there. Oh and of course we needed that raw sugar coating for prettiness and crunch.
And as an added bonus, they look stunning in a cookie box along with stamped cardamom gingerbread cookies and chewy mocha crinkle cookies.
Dutch process cocoa powder
Dutch process cocoa powder is key in this recipe because it gives these cookies an intense chocolate flavor and gorgeous reddish-brown hue. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder will make the cookies dry and crumbly.
You also need all purpose flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, Morton’s Kosher salt, unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, raw sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and unsulphured molasses. Don’t use blackstrap, it’ll be too bitter!
If you like a little extra texture in your cookies, I did test this recipe with chocolate chips. I personally like them without chunks but of course, they’re super delicious either way! Try adding a 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chunks for extra chocolatey flavor.
How to bake
Don’t let the dough get too warm when you’re rolling the cookie dough balls. They need to be cold or they’ll spread out too much.
Chill the dough
Don’t skip chilling the dough! When the dough is freshly-made, it’s very sticky and hard to roll. Let the cookie dough chill for at least one hour (or overnight) to get the proper texture and chewiness. Trust me, it makes scooping and rolling the cookies so much easier!
If you chill the dough overnight, it might be too hard to scoop. Just let it warm up for 30 minutes or so!
Store & freeze the cookies
- Store – place the leftovers in an airtight container. Leave them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze baked cookies – place the cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container. Separate each layer with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freeze the dough – roll the chilled dough into balls and place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Freeze for 1-2 hours until they’re solid. Then, place the cookie dough balls in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for 1-2 hours before you roll the cookie dough balls in sugar and bake.
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The Best Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
- 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar, for rolling
Equipment
- #40 cookie scoop (1 ounce/2 Tablespoons)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, Kosher salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until it's very light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Then, mix in the molasses until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Sift the the flour-cocoa mixture into to the wet ingredients and mix just until the dough comes together. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and ensure there are no dry spots. If you're adding chocolate chips, fold them into the dough. Then, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Once the dough is chilled and you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Evenly pour the Turbinado sugar on a plate.
- Using a #40 scoop (2 Tablespoons), scoop the dough into about 20 balls. Using your palms, shape each portion of dough into a smooth ball. Then, roll each ball in the Turbinado sugar. Place the cookie dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Refrigerate any cookie dough balls that don't fit on the sheet pans.
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 10-11 minutes, flipping the pan halfway through, until the edges are set and the centers are still a bit shiny. (They may look raw in the center but they'll finish cooking as they cool). Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Tastes delicious but my cookies did not spread or get the beautiful wrinkles seen here. Could my dough have been too cold?
Hi Lindsay, yes sounds like the dough may have been a bit too cold. Try letting it warm up for a bit (15-30 minutes). If the cookies aren’t spreading by the 6 minute mark, remove the pan from the oven and use oven mitts to grip the sides of the pan and firmly “bang” the bottom of the cookie sheet against a counter (or other hard surface) 2-3 times. This will also help them crinkle and spread out a bit!