I love ginger-spiced treats – and if you love ginger too, you will love these Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies! Bite into one of these delicious treats, and be delighted as the sugar crusted coating gives way to a tender cookie beneath. These soft, chewy cookies have a deep gingerbread flavour highlighted with a hint of orange that makes them absolutely irresistible.
Whether it’s Banana Gingerbread with Ginger Icing, Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins or even my Triple Ginger Pound Cake, I always enjoy a piece of something gingery as a treat with a cup of tea or coffee – especially these Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies! They are by far the favourite cookie around our house at Christmas, although I generally start making them about October and don’t stop until the early days of spring.
I’ve been making these Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies for over ten years now. My husband takes them to work, my son shares them with friends and I’m often asked to bring them to holiday parties. They are perfect with a glass of milk or a hot drink. Some folks even like them with a wee nip of whiskey!
Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies – Top Tips For Making These Yummy Treats
Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies really are very easy to make, and you’d be amazed how quickly the dough rolls up into little balls. I timed myself this year, and it only takes 7 minutes per batch! Do leave time for the dough to chill before rolling if you can though. It’s so much easier if you do! Also, be sure not to over-bake the cookies. If you do they will get too crunchy. It’s not a disaster, but I really think they are nicer with softer centres.
This recipe makes about 36 cookies. If you want more cookies, make them in separate batches. The cookies do not turn out the same if you double the recipe. As Ina Garten says, not all baking recipes double well.
One of the things I love about these yummy Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies is how well they keep in a sealed container at room temperature. You can definitely make them a few days ahead of time. However they also taste really nice warm from the oven! They make the house smell amazing while they are baking too.
Speaking of baking, be careful not to over-bake these beauties! If you do, they will turn out quite flat and crispy. Of course you can still eat them, but they will not have that gorgeous, pillowy, crinkle texture. I always set the timer for 8 minutes to start with. The cookies are done when they have spread and risen a little, and the tops are beginning to crack. They will continue to cook a little and the tops will crack a bit more as they rest on the baking sheet before you remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Can Orange Gingerbread Crinkles Be Dairy-Free?
Simply substitute plant based spread for the butter to make this recipe dairy-free. I made several dairy-free batches of this recipe for Christmas in 2023 and they were all delicious.
Can These Cookies Be Made Gluten-Free?
This recipe is not gluten-free. I have tried to do a straight swap the regular flour for Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour but the cookies taste quite dry and grainy. I am going to have another attempt, and perhaps adjust the liquid. However for the moment, I am sorry but I do not have a gluten-free version of this recipe.
Can I Use Black Treacle Instead of Molasses?
Molasses and treacle are similar products, however they are slightly different. That said, you can use black treacle in place of molasses in this recipe.
Recently, on discovering the molasses I planned to use for this recipe had gone off, I used black treacle instead. While I felt the flavour was different, no one else seemed to notice and the cookies were delicious nonetheless.
How Long Will The Cookies Keep?
Although these cookies normally disappear very quickly, they will keep for up to 7 days in a sealed container at room temperature.
Easy to make and even easier to eat, these Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies are seriously addictive and are sure to become a family favourite round your house too!
Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies – Printable Recipe
Orange Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter substitute plant based butter or spread to make the cookies dairy free
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar this is for rolling the cookies in before baking
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg
- the grated rind of one orange
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cream the butter, brown sugar and ½ cup white sugar together in an electric mixer.
- Beat in the molasses and the egg and then add the orange rind.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt together and then stir into the wet ingredients. Blend thoroughly but don’t over-mix.
- Put the ¼ cup white sugar in a small open bowl.
- Roll the cookie mixture into small balls and roll each ball in the sugar.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheets, leaving a bit of space between each cookie for them to spread just a bit.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the cookies will become very crisp. The cookies are done when they have spread and risen a little, and the tops are beginning to crack.
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let the cookies sit for about five minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 4 or 5 days.
Notes
did you make this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
No wonder, April, you get asked to make those pretty Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies. I will head right now to the recipe. The cookies do sound so so good.
Thank you, Hadia! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do 🙂
These look & sound AMAZING!!! My family will adore them!
Thanks for sharing at Funtastic Friday!
Thank you so much, Chris 🙂
Delicious cookies April it has all the festive flavors.
Thank you so much, Swathi!
Hi April,
Your Orange Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies look delicious and just know they will be perfect for the holidays. I really wish I had a couple right now to go with my afternoon tea. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great day.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
I’m so glad you like them, Miz Helen! Hope you have a lovely week!
These sound just perfect for holidays. Love how you added oranges. Oranges and ginger goes perfectly together. Sharing the recipe. Happy Holidays!
Thank you so much, Natalie, and thank you for sharing too. Happy Holidays!
The crinkle on these cookies make them look so inviting and delicious! I also adore the combination of gingerbread and orange flavors. Yum!
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Thank you, Luci!
These are really beautiful cookies! I want to reach into the screen and grab a few!
Thank you, Lisa!
Looks perfect for the holidays! Thank you so much! Beautiful pictures! Cannot wait to try this recipe.
Thank you so much, Elaine! Happy Holidays!
Beautiful cookies! Combining some of my favorite flavours (I’ll be adding an orange cookie to the linkup when I post Thursday). Perfect with tea!
Thank you so much, Jean 🙂
They sound so delicious and they look perfectly crinkled!
Thank you, Kat! I love how easy they are to make 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing at #Over the Moon. We look forward to seeing what you’ll share with us next week.
Thank you so much, Shelley! I always enjoy Over the Moon.
Hi April, I’m on the second steam of your Christmas Pudding recipe in prep to serve today. I am wondering if that’s a packed 1/2 cup of brown sugar in your orange ginger crinkles? Thanks, Greg.
Wonderful, Greg! I hope you all enjoyed the pudding 🙂 Did you serve it with brandy custard, or brandy butter, or something else? Yes, you can use a packed ½ cup of brown sugar in the orange ginger crinkles, but I must admit I do pack it lightly now I am a bit more concerned with sugar content 🙂
Hi April, the pudding (pardon me, as I haven’t quite picked up on the abbreviated lingo, “Christmas pud?”) was very well received at my holiday potluck. I think it was most of the guest’s first experience, though they were familiar with the term “plum pudding” or “figgy pudding”. I did follow in steeped tradition and flambe it with some brandy and serve it with Bird’s custard. It might have made it on Facebook as the phone cameras were out as I prepared it for serving – I had to dose it a second time for the flame to catch. It was a huge success as I introduced my friends to another culture’s holiday tradition, and they liked it!
The orange ginger crinkles were another huge success today at my cookie exchange. I was fortunate to not have over baked so I produced the desired crunchy outside and chewy interior combo texture plus the molasses, ginger, and orange flavors were perfectly balanced. Thanks for your blog!
Hi Greg, I’m so pleased both recipes were a success! Bird’s Custard is always my husband’s first choice for accompanying Christmas pudding 🙂 We do call it Christmas pud for short, but not all the time 😉 Although if a Brit is asking ‘what’s for dessert’ year round, you will often hear “What’s for pud?” because any dessert is referred to as ‘pudding’. British English is nothing if not confusing!! (I grew up in Canada.) Anyway, I really appreciate you letting me know how you got on. It’s lovely to get feedback 🙂 Thank you so much. Wishing you and yours a very Happy Christmas!
These look yummy April. Such beautiful photos 🙂
Thanks for sharing at Welcome To The Weekend Blog Hop.
Thank you, Claire. I took the most recent ones (the first and last photos in the post) on my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I can’t get over how fantastic the camera is!
Your cookies look great, I love they are crinkle and I bet very soft! I will be making cookie dough recipes ahead of Christmas week to bake fresh and will include your recipe to share with my family!
Pinned to share!
Thank you for stopping by to share on #ohmyheartsiegirl #omhgff this week. Hope to see you again soon!
Happy Holidays!
Thank you so much, Karren. I hope you and your family enjoy the cookies as much as we all do! Thank you for pinning too. Happy Holidays!
be nice if these reviews were of people that actually MADE & TASTED them instead of “they LOOK delicious from the pictures! Yes they do but baking REVIEWS are suppose to be of the BAKING not the pictures of same. It does an injustice to the recipies!
I’m sorry, Dana, I don’t have a reviews section on my blog, just a comments section, and I like it that way. There are no rules for my comments section (except for folks to be polite), and I always appreciate a comment on how things I’ve made look as photography is something I am working on. (I’m a good home cook, not a photographer 😉 ) If you look further down, you will see a comment from Greg talking about his success with the cookies (as well as his success with my Christmas pudding recipe). I’ve had a lot of positive comments for these cookies on social media as well, most recently this weekend, and the reviews of these cookies on Pinterest are good. My friends and neighbours love them. I can’t guarantee how you will feel about them if you make them as I don’t know your tastes, but I know this is a cookie that is a big part of our holiday season every year. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Can I use light mollasses?
I haven’t tried light molasses in this recipe, Carolyn, but I am pretty sure it would work. It might alter the flavour just slightly, in that it might not be as ‘deep’ and rich. I can’t be a hundred percent sure, having not tested it, but I think it would be worth a try. If you do try it, please let me know how it goes.
Hi April
I added an extra 1/4 cup of sugar. (Not sure if it was needed). They turned out great! I even doubled the recipe. My husband loved them plus I took some to work & guys loved them, especially the boss, he had about six!
Hi Carolyn, I’m so glad the cookies were such a success! I’m really glad the lighter molasses worked. Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
I just finished making the orange ginger cookies and they are perfect. Will have to make another batch as these ones won’t make it till Christmas.
I’m so pleased you like them as much as we do, Susan! I’m about to make some more today! Thank you for your lovely comment. Merry Christmas!
I can’t wait to give these a try!
Thank you, Helen!
Any results or suggestions for making a vegan version of the orange ginger crinkle? So, no dairy and no eggs is what I mean in this recipe as I always need to double-check on nutrition restrictions. Thanks and happy holidays.
I’ve never tried a vegan version of this recipe, Greg. You could try a plant based “butter” or spread to replace the butter. I have heard of replacing an egg with 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water. I must stress though I have never tried either so I can’t guarantee how the recipe will turn out. If you do try it, please let me know how you get on. I’m sorry not to be more help. Happy Holidays!
I just made 3.5 dozen cookies from this recipe, and SISTER! They are the absolute best! I live in Colorado, and cookies at this altitude are sketchy. I hope these stay chewy. I used fresh orange peel and fresh ginger grated… what a brilliant flavor. And they are pretty with the white sugar glistening. Thanks so much
LeeAnna at not afraid of color
Thank you so much, LeeAnna! I am so glad you love them too. In my experience they do stay chewy, so fingers crossed they will do the same at your altitude. I like the idea of using the fresh grated ginger – lovely!
Crinkle cookies are so fun and festive. I’ve been really tempted to do some baking with orange flavor lately.
I love how orange adds something special to baked recipes, Alexandra! I also like what it does to chocolate…
I’ve pinned this to make some time. I love a chewy ginger cookie and the addition of orange sounds perfect.
Thank you, Valerie! Happy New Year!
I made these this weekend and while they taste amazing, they came out of the oven as flat as a ginger snap…but still chewy. I followed the recipe exactly, so not sure why they aren’t more fluffy and crinkled. Any thoughts?
Thanks
Hi Steve, It could be that the cookies over-baked a little. The centres of the cookies are softer (and therefore fluffier) if they are cooked less. Oven temperatures vary radically over time and if your oven is running a little hot it could just be that the cookies baked a little faster than normal. If you make the cookies again, perhaps set the timer for just seven minutes. See how the cookies look at that point and watch them really carefully from there. It’s okay if they are not in the oven for the whole ten minutes. My late Mom used to suggest setting the oven 25 degrees cooler too – so 325°F in this case. My only other thought is that the weather can sometimes affect baking as well, particularly if there is a lot of dampness in the air – but I think that is less likely than issues with the oven temperature or cooking time. I hope this helps and I am sorry you were disappointed!
I have made this recipe 4 times and first and last time have been unsuccessful. The cookies are completely flat.
I have chilled the batter and even the round balls before baking. What have I done wrong? Flour and baking soda are active and the butter was room temp. I think it is when I doubled the recipe. Is that possible?
So upset with throwing out a double batch because I cannot use these in our cookie exchange boxes.
Oh my goodness, Janet, I am so sorry! I’m particularly perplexed as you had difficulties the first and last time you made them, which means you had two successful batches.
It could be that the cookies over-baked a little. They will go flat if they are over-baked. Oven temperatures and oven types vary radically and it’s impossible to cover every make and model of an oven with a recipe…
If your oven is running a little hot it could just be that the cookies baked a little faster than normal. By the fourth batch (if indeed you made them one after the other), the oven would definitely be very hot…
If you make the cookies again, perhaps set the timer for just seven minutes. See how the cookies look at that point and watch them really carefully from there. It’s okay if they are not in the oven for the whole ten minutes.
My late Mom always set her oven temperature 25 degrees cooler too when she made any cookie recipe, although I do not always do that but you might want to try it.
I hope this helps. My friends and family make these cookies every Christmas, and I’ve had very positive feedback from readers on the whole, so I am very sorry you had two disappointing batches out of four. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Very similar to snickerdoodles cookies
They are, Karen. 🙂 There’s just a slightly deeper flavour to these cookies because of the molasses and the extra ginger. I hope you enjoy them!
hi, what is the average amount of cookies achieved and do they freeze well?
Hi Danette, I usually get 3 dozen cookies from this recipe. It’s best not to double the recipe if you need more as it turns out better made in individual batches. I’m sorry, I have yet to try freezing them. I will have to do that next time.
You don’t say how many cookies the recipe yields
I’m sorry, Dawn, I thought I had. It makes about 36 cookies.
How many cookies does this recipe make
It makes about 36 cookies, Deb, depending on the size that you make them.
Can you tell me how many cookies a batch makes? How much do I use for each cookie?
It makes about 36 cookies, depending on the size that you make them. I recommend rolling the mixture into small balls. For me, that is about 2 teaspoons of dough to each cookie, but I measure by eye, not with a measuring spoon.
Made these today. The first batch that came out of the oven weren’t very pretty and a little underdone. Should have left them in a little longer. The rest of them turned out great! I’ll probably use a little less orange zest next time (maybe half) but they are delicious as is too. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Thank you so much for letting me know, Sherri! I’m so glad they turned out alright in the end. The first batch of anything is often an experiment – a bit like the first pancake! I am so pleased you enjoyed the cookies 🙂
Can these orange gingerbread cookies be frozen. They look amazing. I want to be able to travel with them before Xmas thanks, Caroline
I’m sorry, I have never frozen them, Caroline. They always seem to disappear straight away! I must make a batch and try freezing them to see how it goes.
This sounds delicious. When the recipe says “the grated rind,” is it really all the outer orange zest and white pith from the entire orange? I want to make sure it’s not supposed to be just the outer zest.
Thank you, Phil! I recommend you just use the outer orange zest 🙂 Sadly the white pith can be quite bitter.
Love your recipe! These cookies are gourmet! I have made a similar recipe for years, but the addition of the orange zest makes them super special! I tweaked a couple of things (I usually do). I creamed the orange zest with the butter and sugars, completely infusing the flavor. Also, not a huge fan of cinnamon so I only added 1 tsp of that, 1\4 tsp of cloves and 1\4 tsp of salt. My hubs and I do like a crispy cookie, so I baked them for 15 minutes and to my surprise, they were still a touch soft in the middle! Thanks for posting your recipe.
Thank you so much, Cynthia, I’m so pleased you enjoyed them! I love how we all add our own twist to things, and it sounds like they turned out beautifully! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
I just finished making these!! My grandson is allergic to eggs so I replaced the egg with 1/4 cup of all natural unsweetened applesauce. I cannot tell you how yummy delicious these cookies are!!
For everyone out there that has egg allergies use applesauce instead! You won’t regret it!
April thank you for this delicious recipe I will use it many times through the holiday season and in the future! Love it ~ Bon appétit!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Paula! I am so glad the cookies turned out so well for you, and that the cookies will become part of your family’s holiday celebrations. That makes me so happy 🙂
Thank you also for sharing about using applesauce to replace the egg. I am so glad to know that works, and I really appreciate you letting me and other readers know!
Made these cookies twice now as we loved them and couldn’t stop eating them the first time I made them. I wanted more for Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe. They not only taste good but they look nice too.
I’m so glad you like them, Deanna! We find them hard to resist as well!! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
I have made molasses cookies for years & wanted to try this recipe. So Fantastic!! I doubled recipe but lessened to 4c flour and 3 teas of baking soda. They ROLLED perfectly, baked wonderfully and dropped down just enough to make it semi flat but CHEWY!!!
I am so pleased you liked the recipe, Cindy! I haven’t had good results doubling the recipe but your adjustments clearly made it work beautifully. Thank you so much for sharing what you did, and for the lovely, positive feedback 🙂
This is an absolute perfect gingerbread cookie!! The only thing I added was a red cinnamon drop in the middle before I baked them! SO YUMMY!
I am so glad you love them, Pam! Thank you so much for letting me know. What a great idea to add a red cinnamon drop! We can’t get them here in the UK very easily, but next time I can get them , I will give that a try 🙂
Hi can I freeze these cookies please ?
Hi Suzanne,
I have yet to have enough left over to freeze so I have never tried, but in theory it should work. It may affect the texture though. So many folks have asked that I’m going to make a batch over Christmas and keep some aside specifically to try freezing them.
I made these with my nieces and nephew and they loved it! Getting them to roll the cookies in sugar was the perfect sort of baking for them, and they loved the end results – as did everyone else! A really great festive recipe!
Thank you, Hilary! I am so glad you all had fun making them – and that you all enjoyed eating them too. Thank you for letting me know. Merry Christmas!
I thought the pictures of these looked absolutely gorgeous! It and the recipe made me want to try making these for the holidays. It’s only my 2nd time making molasses cookies, so I was a bit anxious, especially since the 1st recipe didn’t turn out well. I’m very happy that these cookies came out great! Made my house smell amazing! They’re crinkly and crunchy on the outside with a lovely chewy middle! I did add a bit of diced crystallized ginger. The spices and orange peel meld so beautifully together!
I am so pleased you liked the cookies so much, Jamie. Thank you for your lovely comment! I like the idea of adding the crystallized ginger – that would really make them extra special.
Just made these and they are the best cookies. The orange zest makes them divine!
My sisters loved them.
I’m so pleased you all enjoyed them, Nena! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
I just made these cookies for my family and they are delicious! I was craving an orange gingerbread type cookie and stumbled upon this recipe. The texture is soft and fluffy, the flavor is just like gingerbread with a subtle taste of orange. I didn’t have ground cloves so I used 1/8 teaspoon of allspice instead but worked great
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Linnea! Thank you so much for your lovely comment, and for letting me know about the allspice too 🙂
We really enjoyed this! I took some liberties with the recipe, and it still turned out exactly like the images, which is quite amazing to me. I used fresh ginger because I find the ground dried ginger always disappointing. I skipped the clove and cinnamon and instead ground 6 northern spicebush berries. I added homemade vanilla made with vodka and vanilla beans. And I used a duck egg instead of a chicken egg. A recipe that can survive these kinds of modifications is a keeper!!! Thanks!!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed the recipe, Michaela! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 Spicebush berries are new to me, but I understand the flavour is similar to allspice which sounds delicious. Your homemade vanilla sounds lovely too. Thank you again for your kind words.
These look so delicious! I’m ready to start baking!
Thank you so much, Helen! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. I’m excited for Christmas baking too!
Made these yesterday for an event this afternoon. Perfect combination of crunch as you bite into them and a soft interior. I also made a gluten/dairy free version using the same measurements; a different texture from the originals, but still taste good.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Hilary! I’m glad you liked them gluten and dairy free too. I had good results from a gluten/dairy free version as well – in fact they were the ones we had at Christmas 🙂
Both versions were extremely popular and a couple of people asked for the recipe, so I pointed them in this direction! 🙂
Thank you so much, Hilary! I really appreciate that. I’m so glad they were a success 🙂