Bakery Gingerbread White Chocolate Cookies Recipe
These Bakery Gingerbread White Chocolate Cookies combine the warm spices of gingerbread with sweet bursts of creamy white chocolate chips. Perfectly soft and chewy with a hint of molasses, these cookies capture the nostalgic flavors of the holiday season with a rich texture and delightful aroma. They are easy to prepare, with a chilling step to enhance the flavor and texture, baked to golden perfection for a classic bakery-style treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: About 18-20 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (209 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (use 1 1/2 teaspoons for a stronger ginger flavor)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), cold, cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (158 grams), dark preferred
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon molasses (15 ml), NOT blackstrap
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (180 grams) or chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well mixed. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate large bowl, beat the cold unsalted butter with the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and you no longer see lumps of butter.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mixture until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Start by stirring a few times by hand to bring the dough together, then use a mixer on low speed to ensure even mixing.
- Stir in White Chocolate Chips: Turn off the mixer and fold the white chocolate chips gently into the dough using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Form Dough Balls: Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, form dough balls using about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dough each. Place them on a plate or tray and cover.
- Freeze Dough Balls: Freeze the dough balls for at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours. This step helps improve texture and flavor development.
- Preheat Oven: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Arrange Dough on Sheets: Place the chilled dough balls spaced about 3 to 3.5 inches (5-7 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Do not let the dough warm up before baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time in the middle rack of the oven for approximately 14-17 minutes, or until the cookie tops appear just set and slightly firm.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for at least 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Freezing the dough balls before baking is essential to prevent spreading and to develop the rich gingerbread flavor.
- You can substitute white chocolate chips with chunks or other types of chocolate depending on preference.
- For a stronger ginger flavor, increase the ground ginger to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- Use unsalted butter to better control the saltiness in the cookie dough.
- Do not let the dough warm before baking to maintain the cookie shape and texture.
Keywords: Gingerbread cookies, White chocolate cookies, Holiday cookies, Spiced cookies, Soft chewy cookies
