If you're a fan of the nostalgic flavor of gingerbread but craving something a little different this Christmas season, then these white chocolate gingerbread cookies are sure to become a new holiday favorite!
These cookies have the classic warm spices of gingerbread—cinnamon, ginger, and cloves—but have the soft, chewy texture of a bakery-style cookie. Plus, the white chocolate chips add a creamy texture that pairs beautifully with the deep flavors of molasses and warm spices. They’re ideal for cookie exchanges, Christmas parties, or just a sweet treat to enjoy at home this holiday season!
How to Make White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Step 1: Make the Dough
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and lining three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside while you prepare the dough.
Next, slice your cold salted butter into small, ¼-inch cubes. (This will make it easier to mix the cold butter in with the sugar, while also maintaining its cold temperature.) Add the cubed butter and light brown sugar to your stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for about 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes smooth with no remaining chunks of butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and fine sea salt. Then set it aside for now.
Once your butter and sugar mixture is smooth, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until fully combined, which should take about 2 minutes. Again, scrape down the sides halfway through to make sure everything is incorporated.
Now, slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer on the lowest speed. When the flour is nearly mixed in, toss in the white chocolate chips and give it one last quick mix. Be careful not to overmix the dough—this helps keep the cookies soft and chewy!
Step 2: Shape the Cookies
Roll your dough into 18 evenly-sized balls. Pour the granulated sugar into a small bowl and roll each ball of dough in the sugar, coating them completely.
Arrange six balls of dough on each prepared baking sheet, spacing them out evenly. Press about 5-6 additional white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie dough ball. Adding extra chocolate chips on top gives the cookies that bakery-style look, but is completely optional.
Step 3: Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies one baking sheet at a time for 9-11 minutes, or until the surface just starts to crack. These cookies will have a slightly golden edge and be soft in the center. Make sure to bake your cookies on the bottom rack of the oven so that the white chocolate doesn't burn. (They will brown a bit, but that's okay!) If you prefer perfectly round cookies, here’s your chance to round them out: As soon as they come out of the oven, gently press the edges of each cookie with a large round cookie cutter or a spoon. Just be sure to do this within the first minute of removing the cookies from the oven before they set.
Step 4: Enjoy!
Once your cookies have cooled for a few minutes on the baking sheet, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. But honestly, I won’t judge if you sneak a warm cookie right away. They’re that good.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container, and they should stay good for a few days. They will last longer if stored in the refrigerator, but keep in mind that they taste best at room temperature.
Pro Tips for Perfect White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
- Cold butter is key: Cold butter helps maintain the dough’s structure, keeping the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. Don’t skip this step!
- Roll in sugar for extra sweetness: Rolling the dough balls in granulated sugar before baking gives the cookies a beautiful, sparkly finish and adds a bit of extra sweetness.
- Press the cookies into shape: To get perfectly round cookies, use a round cookie cutter or spoon to gently press the edges right after they come out of the oven. This is an easy way to make sure your cookies look as good as they taste!
- Don’t overmix: When you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, be careful not to overmix the dough. Mix on your standing mixer's lowest speed, and turn it off as soon as the flour is fully incorporated
If you're looking for more cookie inspiration, be sure to check out my other cookie recipes that I love making during the holiday season:
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you try out these white chocolate gingerbread cookies, I’d LOVE to hear about it. You can leave a comment below the recipe. Or if you post a picture on Instagram, be sure to tag me! Getting any feedback on my recipes is both rewarding AND helpful as I write and edit recipes in the future.
Now get baking, and enjoy!
White Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 cup cold salted butter, sliced in ¼ inch cubes
- 1 ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 ½ cup white chocolate chips (I prefer Ghirardelli), plus extra for on top
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Slice the salted butter (1 c) into small, ¼ inch cubes. Add the cubed butter to a standing mixer, along with the light brown sugar (1 ½ c). Mix on medium speed for about 4-5 minutes, until there aren't any chunks of butter and the mixture is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour (3 ⅓ c), baking soda (2 tsp), cornstarch (2 tsp), ground cinnamon (1 ¼ tsp), ground ginger (1 ¼ tsp), ground cloves (½ tsp), and fine sea salt (½ tsp). Set aside.
- Add the eggs (2) and the vanilla extract (2 tsp) to the standing mixer, then mix on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through to get an even mix.
- Add the whisked dry ingredients to the standing mixer, and mix on the slowest speed. Before the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, add the white chocolate chips (1 ½ c). Stop the standing mixer as soon as the flour has been incorporated in to prevent overmixing.
- Roll the dough into 18 balls, and add the granulated sugar to a small bowl. Roll each ball of cookie dough in the granulated sugar, coating them completely.
- Place 6 balls of cookie dough on each parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spreading them out evenly.
- Press additional white chocolate chips into the top of each ball of cookie dough.
- Bake each baking sheet individually, for about 9-11 minutes each, until the surface just barely starts to crack. Feel free to round out the edges of each cookie using either a round cookie cutter or a spoon when they come out of the oven.*
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