These cozy ginger madeleines are a classic French cookie infused with fresh ginger and dipped in your favorite type of chocolate. The edges are crisp and buttery and the middles are light and fluffy. Making this madeleines recipe is simple when you follow our detailed, step by step instructions. Although wonderful to enjoy all year long, these chocolate dipped madeleines will make a beautiful addition to your Christmas dessert tray.
Madeleines are perfect any time of year. They are so easily adaptable and one of my favorite cookies to customize for the seasons. The batter is so easy to make and these little treats come out perfect every time.
This recipe was inspired by my Gingerbread Sandwich Cookie recipe. If you love madeleines as much as I do, be sure to check out our Orange Almond Madeleines too.
In This Post:
Ingredients:
- butter, melted and cooled
- eggs, at room temperature
- fresh ginger, a smaller piece to make about 2 teaspoons of grated ginger
- spices - ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves
- molasses - I like to use a blackstrap molasses for this recipe
- vanilla extract
- granulated sugar - I prefer a fine, traditional granulated sugar for this recipe - I find it mixes well with the eggs
- flour - I used all-purpose flour for this batch but we have made these gluten free and they come out delicious every time. Simply swap the flour for 1 cup of your favorite gluten free flour blend.
For the Glaze and Chocolate Dip:
- milk
- fresh ginger, a smaller piece to make about 2 teaspoons of grated ginger
- vanilla
- powdered sugar - for the ginger glaze
- chocolate for dipping - my go to chocolate for dipping is Ghiradelli - they make special discs for melting and dipping and are available in milk, dark and white (link)
See the recipe card for exact quantities and detailed instructions. You can print the recipe from the recipe card too!
How to Make the Madeleines
1. Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Turn the mixer off and add the grated fresh ginger, molasses and vanilla to the egg combination.
3. Mix on low until well combined.
4. Turn the mixer off and add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture. Stir on low until the dry ingredients are just mixed in.
5. Keep the mixer on low and slowly pour in the melted, cooled butter.
6. Fold batter by hand until everything is just combined. Be careful not to over mix the batter. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to two days.
7. Once your batter is nice and cold, butter your Madeleine pan and move to the freezer for 5-10 minutes so that the pan gets nice and cold. Preheat your oven to 350°.
8. Once the pan is cold, scoop the chilled batter into the cold Madeleine pan. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes.
Pro Tip: buttering your Madeleine pan guarantees crisp, buttery edges. I like to use this pastry brush from le creuset for buttering the pan.
9. Move baked madeleines to a cooling rack. Mix up the glaze and dip each Madeleine in the ginger glaze. Allow the glaze to dry.
10. Once the glaze has set, melt your chocolate in a microwave safe dish. Dip each Madeleine in chocolate. Garnish with sprinkles or sugar if desired. Allow chocolate to cool completely.
Substitutions
- Gluten Free - you can swap the all-purpose flour for your favorite 1:1 gluten free flour mix - I've had good luck with Bob's Red Mill One to One Gluten Free Flour and King Arthur Cup for Cup Baking Mix. Use one cup of the flour alternative in place of the one cup of flour.
- Melting Chocolate - regular chocolate chips that you have around the house work well if you don't have the melting wafers - just add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and melt it along with the chocolate to achieve a smooth, chocolate glaze for your Madeleines.
Variations
- Choose your Own Chocolate Adventure - dip your cookies in dark, milk or white chocolate. Feeling really wild? Try using all three!!
- Switch up the Sprinkles and Make it Fun! - try using diced, crystallized ginger, sanding sugar, sprinkles, colored sugar or a dusting of freshly ground nutmeg.
- No Molasses - if you're not a fan of molasses, you can simply omit it and you will have a lighter, less sweet, ginger Madeleine
- Gluten Free - it's easy to make your favorite Madeleines gluten free using our easy to follow recipe.
Looking for another idea for Christmas Madeleines? Be sure to check out our recipe for Eggnog Madeleines too!
Recipe FAQs
Can you Bake Madeleines Without a Madeleine Pan?
If you don't have one, I recommend buttering a standard muffin pan and baking one tablespoon of batter in each cup. Make sure to use lots of butter so that they easily pop out of the pan.
A Note About the Madeleine Pan:
It's really tricky to make madeleines without a Madeleine pan. I recommend you order one - you will use it all the time once you get into making madeleines. They are not very expensive and the little shell shape is just beautiful. Having the right pan really makes baking madeleines so much fun!
Storage
Store madeleines in an airtight container. Good for 2-3 days.
You can store the finished batter in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and bake your cookies when you are ready for fresh madeleines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Fill a Madeleine Tray?
I love to use a tablespoon cookie scoop to fill the chilled Madeleine pan. They are so easy to use and you'll always have the perfect amount of batter in each shell. Some people prefer to use a pastry bag which works well too. Simply fill the bag with batter and pipe about a tabelespoon of batter into each vessel of the pan.
Do You Have to Refrigerate Madeleines?
Store baked madeleines at room temperature, in an airtight container. It is a good idea to always chill the cookie batter for at least one hour before baking. This improves the overall structure of the little cookies. Chilling both the batter and the buttered Madeleine pan are the best tricks for achieving those crispy, buttery edges and the nice little hump in the middle.
Why Do My Madeleines Have Holes in Them?
Madeleines form small holes on the surface where the air that you created when beating the eggs and sugar together, escapes from the little cakes. The result is the small holes that you will sometimes see on the surface. I notice this more with gluten free flours than with all-purpose flours. Luckily, you present the finished madeleines with the shell side up and no one will even see those little holes.
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Chocolate Dipped Ginger Madeleines (made with fresh ginger)
Equipment
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Madeleine Pan
- cookie scoop
- glass measuring cup
- citrus zester
- pastry brush
- cooling rack
- parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Madeleines
- ½ cup +1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled (save 1 tablespoon for buttering the pan)
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 pinch sea salt
For the Ginger Glaze
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated and strained
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla
For the Chocolate Dip
- 1 cup chocolate wafers melted
- sprinkles or coarse sugar for decorating
Instructions
For the Batter
- In a large glass measuring cup, melt ½ cup of butter (save the extra tablespoon for later)
- In a small bowl, combine the flour with the ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
- Using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on high until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and add molasses, grated fresh ginger and vanilla. Mix on low until just combined. Stop the mixer.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture. Stir on low until the flour is just combined.
- Keeping your mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the melted, cooled butter. Stir until the butter is mostly mixed in. Stop the mixer and fold the batter by hand 3-4 times until the butter is well mixed together. Be careful not to overmix.
- Cover batter with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Batter can be saved overnight or for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
Time to Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°. Use a pastry brush and the remainder of the melted butter to butter your Madeleine pan. Transfer the pan to the freezer while the oven warms up.
- Once the oven is preheated, remove the cold pan from the freezer. Use your tablespoon cookie scoop (or two spoons) to add about 1 tablespoon of batter to each opening in the pan.
- Bake the madeleines for 10-12 minutes. Begin checking for doneness at 10 minutes. The edges should be a darker brown and the middles should bounce back when you poke them.
- Move baked madeleines to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Then transfer them out of the pan to the cooling rack to cool completely.
Glazing the Madeleines
- Grate 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger and run through a mesh strainer. You want just the juice here, not the actual pulp of the ginger.
- In a small bowl combine the ginger juice, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Whisk until well combined.
- Dip each cooled Madeleine into the fresh ginger glaze. Move back to the cooling rack and allow the glaze to solidify. I like to keep a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack for this part - this makes for an easy clean up.
For the Chocolate Dip
- Use a large glass measuring cup to melt 1 cup of chocolate melting wafers. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time. Stir after each 30 second cycle. Warm chocolate until it is smooth and ready for dipping.
- Dip each Madeleine half way in the chocolate. Move to a piece of parchment paper to cool. You can sprinkle the chocolate right away with your favorite holiday sprinkles or sugar if desired.
- Once the chocolate has hardened, move cookies to a serving tray or airtight container for storage. Madeleines stay fresh at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Britt says
These madeleines were incredible. Perfect crispy edges and amazing texture. The fresh ginger glaze was just right and my favorite part. I wasn't sure I would like the white chocolate, but it made them even better!
Maple and Thyme says
So glad you liked the recipe!!! ❤️