Sourdough Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

Sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies are a delectable fusion of tangy sourdough starter and warm, spicy gingerbread flavors. These soft, chewy sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies boast a delightful crackled surface, which is just a little bit crunchy, made by rolling each cookie dough ball in powdered sugar before they are baked.

They have the perfect balance of spice and make the perfect holiday cookie (although I love making these at any time of the year!). Why not try them for your next cookie exchange?

Like all sourdough cookies, you can use either active sourdough starter or sourdough discard, which is handy because you're going to want to make a double batch of these!

If you love making sourdough cookies, check out this collection of sourdough discard cookie recipes - you'll find recipes for sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough thumbprint cookies and of course this traditional sourdough gingerbread cookie recipe, as well as these fermented sourdough pfeffernusse cookies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe!

Classic Gingerbread Flavor - these soft and chewy cookies are full of warm spices, molasses flavors and everything you love about classic gingerbread cookies, with a crinkly, crackly twist ... and no need for cookie cutters! They are sure to be a family favorite. 

Fermented Cookies - These soft gingerbread crinkle cookies made with sourdough starter need to be refrigerated so that the dough can firm up. This fridge time gives your sourdough starter time to work it's sourdough magic and ferment the dough. The cookie dough can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Tips for The Best Sourdough Crinkle Cookies

Here are five tips to make the best sourdough crinkle cookies with irresistibly crackly tops. You might also like to check out these sourdough chocolate crinkle cookies.

Chill the Dough - The dough must be chilled after mixing. This is even more important when using sourdough starter as it gives the starter time to ferment the dough. Chilled dough is much easier to roll into ball, and it helps the cookies maintain their shape and develop those iconic cracks during baking.

Use a Cookie Scoop - A good quality cookie scoop is essential for creating these cookies. The cold dough means that you'll need something very sturdy to scoop it up without bending. A cookie scoop also helps to keep the balls to a uniform size. My dough balls in this recipe are 30g each.

Roll in Powdered Sugar - Before baking, roll the cookie dough balls generously in powdered sugar. The sugar coating not only adds a sweet touch but also creates a textured surface that crinkles as the cookies expand during baking. Be sure to coat the dough evenly. Use twice as much powdered sugar as you think you need!

Proper Spacing - Leave enough space between the sourdough cookie dough balls on the baking sheet. Typically, 2 inches of space should suffice. This allows the cookies to spread and crack without merging into one another.

Monitor Baking Time - Be vigilant about the baking time, as overbaking can lead to hard cookies. Bake just until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft. The residual heat will continue to cook the cookies after you remove them from the oven, so it's crucial not to overbake.

By following these tips and techniques, you can create delicious sourdough crinkle cookies with perfectly crackly tops and a chewy interiors.

How To Make Sourdough Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

These sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies are really easy to make! Probably the hardest thing to do is wait for the cookie dough to ferment in the fridge! 

I love getting the kids to help with these ones too ... they love rolling the balls of dough and dunking them in the powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar). It looks a little bit like snow!

Making the Cookie Dough

In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until well combined. The brown sugar should be mostly dissolved at this point. You can just use a whisk for this if you want to keep things simple.

Now, to the butter and sugar mixture, add the egg, molasses and sourdough starter. Whisk the wet ingredients together until the batter is light and fluffy.

Now, add the dry ingredients - cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, baking soda and all purpose flour and stir to create a thick cookie dough. The dough will be a bit wetter than a regular cookie dough.

Cover the bowl of cookie dough with a plastic food cover and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours. This dough can be left in the fridge overnight to ferment with no issues.

When You're Ready to Bake

Preheat the oven to 200C (390F). Prepare two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop large balls of dough and roll them into balls. Roll the balls into the powdered sugar until they are completely coated.

Place the sugar-coated balls onto the prepared baking trays. You want to leave a space between each dough ball as they do spread out.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 200C (390F) or until they are crinkly and just set in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for around 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How To Store + Freeze

These delicious, chewy sourdough gingerbread crinkle cookies are best stored in an airtight container. I find that they store best in a glass jar or cookie tin. If you need to layer them, I find putting a piece of parchment paper between each layer of cookies is a good idea and stops them from becoming too soft.

These sourdough crinkle cookies freeze really well. The best time to freeze them are once they've been rolled in powdered sugar. Snap freeze them on a baking tray before transferring them to a zip loc bag.

When you're ready to bake, place the frozen cookie balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake them from frozen. Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

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