Hello friends! I recently made some gingerbread cookies flavored with garam masala in place of the usual spice blend. The resulting garam masala gingerbread cookies were so magical – warm and slightly spicy – that I had to share them with you! If you’re looking for a different spin on gingerbread, I can’t recommend these enough.
Like all of my favorite recipes, these cookies only require one bowl and minimal chill time. Rolling them in granulated sugar makes them perfectly sparkly and festive! If you’re looking to mix it up, you could also roll the cookie dough balls in sprinkles or colored sugar. To get a beautiful crackly top, don’t forget to bang your cookie sheets after baking. Really slam that sheet down on the counter – use this as an opportunity to release all your frustration from the week!
A note before getting started – there are lots of different types of garam masala and some are better suited to desserts than others. The one I used in this recipe is a blend my dad brought me from India. It’s made of the following spices: black pepper, cumin, clove, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, bay leaf, star anise, long pepper, lichen, and dry ginger. It smells primarily of anise and nutmeg, and is noticeably less savory than the other garam masala blend I use on veggies and meat. I don’t recommend using a savory garam masala for this recipe! If you’re unable to find a sweet garam masala blend, try making your own! This recipe is similar to the blend I use.
The Quick Look
| Components | Source/Adapted From | |
| 1 | Garam Masala Gingerbread | Lanibakes |
Garam Masala Gingerbread
Ingredients
- 280 grams all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt omit if using blackstrap molasses
- 1 large egg
- 113 grams unsalted butter melted
- 67 grams granulated sugar + extra sugar for rolling
- 55 grams dark brown sugar
- 107 grams molasses I use blackstrap and it works well – just remember to omit the salt
- 1 teaspoon sweet garam masala
Instructions
- Whisk egg, butter, granulated sugar, molasses, brown sugar, and garam masala in a medium bowl.
- Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder and salt (if using).
- Mix in the flour and stir with a rubber spatula just until the flour disappears.
- Cover the dough and chill the dough for at least 30 min or up to 12 hrs.
- Preheat your oven to 375F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Scoop the dough into 12 balls, each about 2 tablespoons.
- Roll each dough ball in granulated sugar and place on the baking sheets. You should be able to fit 6 dough balls per sheet.
- Bake cookies for 5 minutes and then rotate the baking sheets. Bake another 5 minutes. The cookies will puffed, cracked, and just set around edges.
- Remove the pans from the oven and bang them down against the counter HARD to cause the cookies to fall – this will form nice cracking! (Warn your housemates before doing this if you want to avoid scaring the pants off of them, like I often do to my partner)
- Let cookies cool fully on baking sheets before moving them.