Y’all, we just took two of the most iconic holiday flavors — warm, spiced gingerbread and tart cranberry — and turned them into the most adorable, festive cookies you’ve ever seen. These Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies with Cranberry Sauce are basically little bites of Christmas magic. We’re talking soft, chewy gingerbread cookies loaded with all those cozy spices like cinnamon, ginger, and molasses, with a little jewel-like dollop of homemade cranberry sauce right in the center. They look like they belong in a fancy bakery window but are totally doable at home, and the combo of spicy-sweet cookie with tart cranberry is absolutely addictive. Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, gifting, or just eating while binge-watching Christmas movies on the couch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic gingerbread meets holiday cranberry in cookie form
- Those little cranberry centers are gorgeous and delicious
- Soft, chewy texture that’s not too cake-like
- Make-ahead friendly for holiday baking marathons
- Perfect for cookie exchanges and gift boxes
- That combo of warm spices and tart fruit is perfection
- Way more interesting than plain sugar cookies
The Good Stuff You’ll Need
For the Gingerbread Cookies:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cranberry Filling:
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For Rolling (Optional):
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
For Finishing:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Extra orange zest for garnish
- Candied ginger pieces (optional but fancy)
Let’s Do This
Step 1: Make That Cranberry Sauce First
In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and mixture thickens.
Mash gently with a fork to break up large pieces.
Let cool completely — it will thicken more as it cools.
Store in the fridge while you make the cookies.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Squad
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Set aside — the spice blend should smell incredible right now.
Step 3: Cream That Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
This incorporates air for a tender cookie texture.
Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla until well combined.
The mixture might look a little curdled — that’s totally normal.
Step 4: Combine Everything
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.
Don’t overmix or your cookies will be tough.
The dough will be soft and slightly sticky — that’s perfect!
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
Step 5: Prep for Baking
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
If rolling in cinnamon sugar, mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl.
Step 6: Shape Those Cookies
Scoop dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon each).
Roll in cinnamon sugar if desired, or leave plain.
Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Use your thumb (or the back of a small spoon) to make a deep indentation in each cookie center.
Really press down — the indentation needs to be deep enough to hold the filling!
Step 7: Bake to Perfection
Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone.
They’ll firm up as they cool — don’t overbake or they’ll be hard.
Remove from oven and immediately re-press the indentations if they puffed up during baking.
Step 8: Fill and Finish
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Once completely cool, spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of cranberry sauce into each thumbprint.
Don’t overfill or it will spill over the edges.
Let the filling set for about 30 minutes.
Dust lightly with powdered sugar and garnish with orange zest if desired.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with hot cocoa, mulled wine, or eggnog for peak holiday vibes.
Pack in decorative tins or boxes for holiday gifts.
Perfect for cookie swaps — they’re unique and always a hit.
Store at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer.
Switch It Up
Different Filling: Try raspberry jam, apricot preserves, or lemon curd.
White Chocolate Drizzle: Drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled cookies.
Extra Spice: Add 1/4 tsp cardamom or allspice for more complexity.
Chocolate Version: Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to make chocolate gingerbread cookies.
Glazed: Brush cookies with a simple powdered sugar glaze instead of dusting.
Make-Ahead Magic
Cookie dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for 3 months.
Cranberry sauce keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Baked unfilled cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.
Filled cookies keep at room temperature for 5 days or can be frozen for 1 month.
Questions People Actually Ask
Q: Can I use store-bought cranberry sauce? A: You can, but homemade is so much better and not that hard! Jellied canned sauce is too sweet and doesn’t have the right texture.
Q: My thumbprints keep filling in during baking — help! A: Make deeper indentations and re-press them immediately when they come out of the oven while still hot.
Q: Can I make these without molasses? A: Molasses gives gingerbread its signature flavor and chewy texture. You could try honey, but they won’t taste like traditional gingerbread.
Q: My cookies are too hard — what went wrong? A: Probably overbaked. They should look slightly underdone when you take them out. They firm up as they cool.
Q: Can I use ground cranberries instead of making sauce? A: The sauce works better because it’s already cooked down and sweetened. Raw cranberries would be too tart.
Q: How do I store these cookies? A: In an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Layer between parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Print
Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies with Cranberry Sauce
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 36–40 cookies 1x
Description
Y’all, we just took two of the most iconic holiday flavors — warm, spiced gingerbread and tart cranberry — and turned them into the most adorable, festive cookies you’ve ever seen. These Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies with Cranberry Sauce are basically little bites of Christmas magic. We’re talking soft, chewy gingerbread cookies loaded with all those cozy spices like cinnamon, ginger, and molasses, with a little jewel-like dollop of homemade cranberry sauce right in the center. They look like they belong in a fancy bakery window but are totally doable at home, and the combo of spicy-sweet cookie with tart cranberry is absolutely addictive. Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, gifting, or just eating while binge-watching Christmas movies on the couch.
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cookies:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cranberry Filling:
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For Rolling (Optional):
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
For Finishing:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Extra orange zest for garnish
- Candied ginger pieces (optional but fancy)
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and mixture thickens.
Mash gently with a fork to break up large pieces.
Let cool completely — it will thicken more as it cools.
Store in the fridge while you make the cookies.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Set aside — the spice blend should smell incredible right now.
In a large bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
This incorporates air for a tender cookie texture.
Beat in egg, molasses, and vanilla until well combined.
The mixture might look a little curdled — that’s totally normal.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined.
Don’t overmix or your cookies will be tough.
The dough will be soft and slightly sticky — that’s perfect!
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
If rolling in cinnamon sugar, mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl.
Scoop dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon each).
Roll in cinnamon sugar if desired, or leave plain.
Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Use your thumb (or the back of a small spoon) to make a deep indentation in each cookie center.
Really press down — the indentation needs to be deep enough to hold the filling!
Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone.
They’ll firm up as they cool — don’t overbake or they’ll be hard.
Remove from oven and immediately re-press the indentations if they puffed up during baking.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Once completely cool, spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of cranberry sauce into each thumbprint.
Don’t overfill or it will spill over the edges.
Let the filling set for about 30 minutes.
Dust lightly with powdered sugar and garnish with orange zest if desired.
Notes
Serve with hot cocoa, mulled wine, or eggnog for peak holiday vibes.
Pack in decorative tins or boxes for holiday gifts.
Perfect for cookie swaps — they’re unique and always a hit.
Store at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: ~75 kcal
- Carbohydrates: ~12g
- Protein: ~1g