Get my Latest Recipes sent to your inbox:

Four Spice Crackles

4.5 from 9 votes

Recipe by Danelle

Jump to recipe

Start Cooking

Share this recipe


FOUR SPICE CRACKLES — Chewy, gingersnap style cookies with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Perfect for the holiday season!


Four Spice Crackles

Sugar and spice and everything nice, that’s what these Four Spice Crackles are made of.  If you only make one cookie this holiday season, it should be this one!

These cookies are one of our all-time favorites, and one of the first recipes I ever shared on this blog. I still get compliments on them all these years later.

Great recipe. I loved them and so did everyone I shared them with. Thanks! ~ Susan

As delicious as they are, I always hesitate to make them at Christmas time, thinking such a simple cookie can’t compete with all the other fancy offerings that show up during the holidays.

But I couldn’t be more wrong. Just this year, my 17 year-old declared they were still his favorite, out of all the holiday treats I make.

They’re kind of my favorite holiday cookie too. Loaded with holiday spices like cinnamon and cloves, and rolled in coarse sugar for some festive sparkle, this is the kind of cookie that’s always going to be a classic at Christmas time.

Four Spice Crackles

These gingersnap-like cookies are loved by kids and adults of all ages.  I think it must be the wonderful gingerbread-like aroma. Or the perfectly chewy texture.

YOU HAVE TO STOP! We made these yesterday to see how they were before making them to send in a care package. Like cookies need a trial run right? I could not stop at just one.

Neither could my kids which is why they were ALL gone this morning. They are delicious and smell like heaven. ~ Megan

For the softest cookies, make them big and bake them for about 8 minutes.  If you like a crispy gingersnap, make them a smaller or bake them longer.

I recommend removing them from the oven as soon as the tops start to crack. You definitely don’t want to overbake these cookies. And if you can’t find the coarse, sparkling sugar, regular sugar will work just fine.


Be sure to save this Four Spice Crackles recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.


Four Spice Crackles


Here’s what you’ll need to make Four Spice Crackle Cookies


  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Eggs
  • Molasses
  • Flour
  • Baking soda
  • Spices: salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg
  • Sparkling sugar (optional)
Four Spice Crackle Cookies

Four Spice Crackle Cookies

Chewy, gingersnap style cookies with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Perfect for the holiday season!
4.45 from 9 votes
Print Pin Save
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 dozen
Calories: 142kcal
Author: Danelle

Ingredients 

  • 1 1/2 cups butter softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Additional sugar or sanding sugar about 1 cup for coating cookies

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses.
  • Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and spices; gradually add to creamed mixture.
  • Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes, or until dough is easy to handle.
  • Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar.
  • Place 2 inches apart on lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheets.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned and cracked on top. Cool one minute before removing to wire racks.

Video

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 154mg | Sugar: 11g
Tried this recipe?Tag @letsdish on Instagram

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT FOUR SPICE CRACKLE COOKIES

I made these last night. I only had 2/3 cups of butter, so I reduced everything by a little bit. It worked and they are super tasty……they were soft and chewy. We love them!! ~ Bubbly Bunny

If you love this recipe, you might also like:

More Delicious Holiday Cookies

8 comments

  • Heather

    Would this dough work for gingerbread men? I’d like a dough I can roll out and cut. Thanks.

  • Great recipe. I loved them and so did everyone I shared them with. Thanks!

  • BubblyBunny

    I made these last night. I only had 2/3 cups of butter, so I reduced everything by a little bit. It worked and they are super tastey. Mine didn’t crackle like yours but they were soft and chewy. We love them!! ๐Ÿ˜€

  • Heather M

    I made these and they didn’t come out like yours ๐Ÿ™ They were yummy but they weren’t fluffy or crackly. I think the problem might be that I put 3 eggs in by accident? Oh well, they were still yummy!

  • Elizabeth

    YUM

  • i have been a terrible blogger buddy- but i am back again with merry mondays! hope you will join and hope all is well with you! these would be the perfect addition… as well as that cream cheese dip… woooow!

  • Margaret aka: Fact Woman

    These look so good. I am going to make these for Christmas this year. You should link them up to http://buttercreamlane.blogspot.com/2009/11/25-days-of-christmas-cookie-recipes_27.html . It’s a collection of cookie recipes for Christmas.

  • YOU HAVE TO STOP! This blog is singlehandedly making me fat{ter}. We made these yesterday to see how they were before making them to send in a care package for Matt. Like cookies need a trial run right? At first glance I thought these cookies were named Crackles because of the way the crack while baking. Not so. It is because they are addicting like CRACK! I could not stop at just one {neither could my kids which is why they were ALL gone this morning}. They are delicious and smell like heaven…

4.45 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

Leave your comment

Recipe Rating




photo of Danelle, author of Let's Dish

Hello! Iโ€™m Danelle. Thanks for visiting.

At Let's Dish, I'm bringing a taste of uptown foodie to real-life, everyday meals! Here, I share my favorite recipes that make mealtime easy.
More About Me