I have to tell you, I made these easy gingerbread thumbprint cookies in just minutes–which is why I call these one of the best Christmas cookie recipes of all time. They’re seriously tasty and perfectly firm.
Think I might have to bake another batch here soon, because they’re definitely mouthwateringly good.
Looking for a GF option? Try our gluten free peanut butter thumbprint cookies.
EASY Gingerbread thumbprint COOKIEs RECIPE
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS EASY Gingerbread thumbprint COOKIE RECIPE
- 3/4 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 3/4 C packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 C molasses
- 1 large egg
- 3 C flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp all spice spice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 24 Ghirardelli milk chocolate melting wafers
- 1 container of white sanding sugar
HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY gingerbread thumbprint COOKIE RECIPE
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees then line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, kosher salt and baking soda.
Cream the butter and powder sugar together.
Add-in in the molasses, egg and vanilla until well combined.Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 1/3 increments, mixing between each increment until the dough is well combined.
Place your white sanding sugar in a small bowl.
Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough out and roll into a bowl.
Roll the ball of dough in the white sanding sugar and place the cookie onto the cookie sheet.
Repeat until the cookie sheet is full with cookie dough balls spaced 2-inches apart.With your thumb, the back of a teaspoon or a small spoon, make an indent into the center of each cookie dough ball. Bake cookies in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
Remove cookies from oven and remove to a wire rack. While the cookies are cooling, but before they have cooled completely, place a Ghirardelli milk chocolate wafer into the indent in the center of each cookie.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before enjoying!
If you love these we have gingerbread turtle cookies you might love too!!
HOW LONG DO Gingerbread COOKIES LAST?
If you just leave the cookies in an airtight container on your counter, they will last for about 3-5 days. Definitely make use of an airtight container, though, because if you don’t, the cookies will dry out and be hard.
So, airtight container, yeah?
And, if you’d like them to last a bit longer, you can put them in the refrigerator, and they’ll stay good for 8-12 days. But be aware the heating and cooling chocolates can sometimes give them a chalky exterior. Which I hate.
So, make sure you use an airtight container, that’s my best advice.
CAN Thumbprint COOKIES BE FROZEN?
No. Nope. Don’t do it. The chocolate will surely do the whole chalky thing and you’ll be really disappointed. But the batter can be frozen with no problem.
So, if you can hold yourself back from baking the full batch, you can freeze the cookie dough for up to 3-5 months. When you’re ready for a snack, you can defrost it in the fridge for 12 hours and then bake your cookies to perfection!
WHAT TO DO WHEN Thumbprint COOKIES ARE FLAT?
Oh, your cookies came out flat? That’s too bad. Good news, though? I have a handful of tips to troubleshoot your flat cookies:
- The butter wasn’t room temperature, but was melted. You have to use room temp butter.
- The oven was too hot. If you didn’t set the oven to a higher temperature than the recipe called for, your oven might need to be calibrated.
- The oven was cold. Yeah, if your oven wasn’t fully preheated or never reached the required temperature, the cookies might not have risen. So, again, if you didn’t pop your cookies in the oven too early, then you might need to calibrate it.
- You used really old baking soda. Did you know baking soda can go “flat”? Yeah, it totally can! So, be sure your baking soda is no more than 6-months old and has been stored in an airtight container.
Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies
I have to tell you, I made these easy gingerbread thumbprint cookies in just minutes--which is why I call these one of the best Christmas cookies of all time.
Ingredients
- 3/4 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 3/4 C packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 C molasses
- 1 large egg
- 3 C flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp all spice spice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 24 Ghirardelli milk chocolate melting wafers
- 1 container of white sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees then line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, kosher salt and baking soda.
- Cream the butter and powder sugar together.
- Add-in in the molasses, egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 1/3 increments, mixing between each increment until the dough is well combined.
- Place your white sanding sugar in a small bowl.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough out and roll into a bowl.
- Roll the ball of dough in the white sanding sugar and place the cookie onto the cookie sheet.
- Repeat until the cookie sheet is full with cookie dough balls spaced 2-inches apart.
- With your thumb, the back of a teaspoon or a small spoon, make an indent into the center of each cookie dough ball.
- Bake cookies in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven and remove to a wire rack.
- While the cookies are cooling, but before they have cooled completely, place a Ghirardelli milk chocolate wafer into the indent in the center of each cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before enjoying!
Recommended Products
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Ice Cream Scoop - 3 Piece Stainless Steel. Ideal For Scoop And Drop Cookie Dough Or Cake Pops (Small,Medium,Large) by GLLEEN -
KITCHENATICS 100% Stainless Steel Wire Cooling and Roasting Rack Fits Small Quarter Sheet Size Baking Pan, Oven Safe, Commercial Quality, Heavy Duty for Cooking, Roasting, Drying, Grilling (8.5”X12”) -
Plantation Blackstrap Molasses, Unsulfured, 31 oz
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 328Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 218mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 2gSugar: 25gProtein: 4g
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