Chocolate Gingerbread Crinkles {Cake Mix Cookies}
Chocolate gingerbread crinkle cookies are made with just a few simple pantry ingredients, and one of them is a boxed chocolate cake mix! These cake mix cookies just may become on of your favorite easy cookie recipes!
Wait. What?!
Yes. I used a boxed cake mix. Please don’t judge.
I’m guessing that some of you have your jaws to the floor right now, shaking your head at the thought of a formally trained chef using a convenience product that’s loaded with unnecessary and unwanted chemicals. That’s perfectly okay. It’s a fact that I bake from scratch 99 percent of the time these days. But that wasn’t always the case.
When I first started culinary school, I used convenience boxed mixes a lot. My 4th of July patriotic cupcakes are from a boxed mix and the strawberry banana cupcakes recipe uses one, too. The convenience is too good to pass up, especially for a busy college student.
Cake mix cookies often lack flavor, but doctoring up a cake mix with extra flavor is easy. The reason this recipe is made with a mix is because it’s not actually my recipe.
This chocolate gingerbread crinkle cookies recipe comes from Amy, at Amy’s Cooking Adventures.
She and I are swapping holiday cookie recipes as part of the 3rd Annual Christmas Cookie Recipe Swap, hosted by my sweet friend Julie, from White Lights on Wednesday.
Julie had some help from great co-hosts, too!
When Amy sent me her favorite Christmas cookie recipe, for Colorful Crinkle Cookies, I got excited, because I love crinkle cookies! You may remember that I made a low carb version of crinkles a couple of weeks ago.
After the excitement, I read the recipe and suddenly got a bit nervous, because as pretty as they are (and they’re stunning… take a look!), Amy’s recipe calls for a boxed cake mix, Cool Whip, and artificial food coloring. I’ve stopped using all of those items at one point or another over the past 2 years.
I didn’t want to stray from her recipe too much though, so I used a boxed cake mix and Cool Whip for this recipe. Unfortunately, food coloring makes me so sick that I simply can’t eat it anymore, so I adapted the recipe to be flavored after one of my favorite Christmas cookies, gingerbread.
Overall, I think I did a pretty decent job of adapting the recipe to my needs. These cookies are moist, chewy, and packed with the flavors of chocolate gingerbread. Then they’re rolled in powdered sugar and baked, just as any good crinkle cookie should be.
It doesn’t get easier than a cake mix cookie. Enjoy these chocolate gingerbread crinkles!
Chocolate Gingerbread Crinkles
Ingredients
- 1 box Devil's Food chocolate cake mix
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 8 ounces whipped topping such as Cool Whip, or use 4 oz heavy cream to whip your own
- 3 Tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Place the cake, egg, whipped topping, molasses, and all spices into a large bowl. With a large spoon, stir together the ingredients until mixed completely. The batter will be very thick and sticky.
- Place the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Using a small, 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, drop balls of batter into the powdered sugar, one by one. Carefully roll each ball through the powdered sugar, so it is covered completely. Place the coated dough onto the prepared cookie sheets at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
Nutrition
I made these to see if I should include them in the Christmas cookie madness this year. My family LOVED them so they are in! I had to laugh when you said not to “judge” you because this recipe uses a cake mix. What I love about cake mix cookies is that they definitely taste made from scratch and you get a nice big batch of cookies too. Thank you so much for posting this delicious recipe.
Your sweet comment truly made my day, Lisa! I’m so glad to know that you loved the cookie recipe as much as I do, and THANKS for the no judgement zone on my cake mix cookie recipe. Shortcuts are a wonderful thing 🙂
Thanks so much for helping me with my recipe. I made crinkle cookies last year, no gingerbread, and although they were a hot, they were just a little too chocolatey, not enough holiday. So when i decided to twist gingerbread, I got scared and needed to reaffirm myself that this was indeed a cookie.
I’m so glad that you were able to achieve the success of gingerbread crinkle cookies! 🙂
Thanks so much for allowing me to feature your recipe in my round-up of 60 Ultimate Cookie Exchange Recipes! Happy Holidays, Becca!
Great recipe! These look very yummy!!!
Absolutely perfect. Classic, beautiful, and they look absolutely delicious.
You’re so sweet, Jess… thank you!
They look great Becca, great idea to adapt to your dietary needs, it’s what cooking all about!
On your travels to David’s stop by here and drop some off as well please.
These are beautiful Becca! Love crinkle cookies and love the gingerbread twist!!!
Appreciate your comment, Chris. I say we take these gingerbread crinkles for a ride over to David’s place and crash them on top of his eggnog ice cream! 🙂
Hahaha! Becca and Chris crashing into my house with cookies? I think that could be a dream come true! Eggnog ice cream all around!! (And if someone could wear a Santa suit to the party, then that would make me really happy. Don’t worry…the other one can be Rudolph. I mean, someone has to guide Santa to my place after all. Hehe)
These cookies look delicious, Becca…just sayin’. I’d be happy if a batch of them came crashing through my roof. Although I would prefer if they just came down my chimney instead.
These look wonderful!
Thanks so much, Liz!