Gingerbread Drops
Submitted by drgnldy50
Gingerbread drop cookies are soft, cake-like spice cookies sweetened with molasses and brown sugar, studded with raisins. A wholesome wheat germ-boosted twist on classic holiday cookies.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
15 minREADY
35 minGingerbread drops are the soft, cake-like cousin of crisp gingerbread cookies. The buttermilk in the batter is what gives them their tender, almost muffin-top texture instead of the snappy crunch of cut-out gingerbread. Drop them by the spoonful onto a sheet, bake for 12 minutes, and you have 48 lightly spiced cookies that disappear from the cooling rack faster than you can pull more out of the oven.
The wheat germ is an unusual addition that adds nutty depth and a small fiber boost without changing the cookie identity. A half cup tucked into the dry ingredients gives a slightly heartier crumb that holds up against the moist molasses base.
Vegetable oil instead of butter is the smart structural choice here. Oil keeps these drops moist for days at room temperature, while butter cookies dry out within 24 hours. The trade-off is no buttery flavor, but the molasses and spices carry the cookie just fine.
Ground ginger at one teaspoon is a gentle warmth, not a fiery hit. If you like more bite, double it. Cinnamon brings the second-wave warmth and ties the spice profile together.
Pro Tips
- Pack the brown sugar firmly when measuring. Loose brown sugar gives less sweetness and the cookies turn out flat.
- Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (not heaping). The cookies spread and any larger and they’ll merge on the sheet.
- Pull from the oven when just lightly browned. Overbaked gingerbread drops go from soft to dry in under a minute.
- Store in a sealed container with a slice of bread to keep them moist for up to a week.
Variations
- Add a pinch of ground cloves or allspice for a deeper holiday spice profile.
- Substitute dried cranberries or chopped dates for the raisins.
- Drizzle cooled cookies with a quick lemon glaze (powdered sugar plus lemon juice) for a brighter finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃); coat 2 cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
Beat the egg, brown sugar, molasses and oil with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add the buttermilk and beat again.
Add the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt; beat until well mixed.
Stir the raisins into the batter.
Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.
Cool on wire racks.
Repeat until all of the cookies are baked.
Comments
Question, Can you use another half cup flour instead of wheat germ, does anyone know or have tried it.
You certainly can. Wheat germ here is mainly for health benefits. So if you make the recipe with all flour, it will most definitely work. Hope this helps, and happy baking :)