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Gingerbread Madeleines

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Dec 30, 2024
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What happens when you combine sweet and spicy gingerbread with a classic French cookie-like cake? You get a gingerbread madeleine! We’re not sure why it took us so long to create this scrumptious cookie, but now we are so glad we did.

But is it really a cookie? Or is it a cake? Interestingly, the traditional madeleine is a sponge-based cake baked into the traditional madeleine shell mold. They are tender and light with a slightly crispy exterior.

Gingerbread shares the same fate as the madeleine by identifying itself in dense cakes to crisp cookies. What ties gingerbread desserts together is the flavor combination of ginger, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Sometimes allspice is an added spice, and honey, brown sugar, and even maple syrup serves as the sweetener in gingerbread.

When we baked our version of gingerbread into madeleine molds we got the perfect blend of gingerbread cake with a bit of the soft cookie texture we crave in gingerbread cookies. To finish these off, we dipped the rounded tops in melted white baking chips and tossed a few holiday sprinkles on each one to dress them up.

By starting with Betty CrockerÔ Super Moist™ Vanilla Cake Mix and using pumpkin pie spice, we’ve streamlined the recipe. Grab the molasses jar to get the rich flavor that gingerbread is known for. Just as in traditional madeleines, real butter is one of the keys to these tender and flavorful little cakes.

How to Make Gingerbread Madeleines

It is always a good idea to read through the recipe and assemble ingredients before starting. If you only have one madeleine pan, plan for the baking to take a bit more time to allow time to cool, and regrease the pan between batches. The recipe below gives all the details, but here is a summary.

Grease the Madeleine Molds

After turning on the oven, grease the madeleine molds with shortening, or spray with cooking spray. We tested with flouring the molds too, but in the nonstick pan we used for testing, this was not necessary. If your pans are not nonstick, flouring may be a good idea.

Mix the Batter

It is a one-bowl, one-step mixing method with an electric mixer. Melted butter makes it easy to incorporate all the ingredients. Be sure to scrape around the inside of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you mix so everything is combined evenly.

Fill the Molds

Fill each mold with a bit more than 1 measuring tablespoonful of batter. No need to spread the batter in the molds. The batter will fill the molds as it bakes.

Bake and Cool

Begin checking if the madeleines are done at the beginning of the bake range. Especially if you are using a dark pan, the madeleines may bake quickly. The exterior of the cakes will be dry and spring back when touched lightly. Cool in the pan 1 minute to help the cakes set a bit. The madeleines may release from the pan when the pan is turned upside down, or carefully remove with a thin spatula. Place design side up on the cooling rack.

Dip and Decorate

Melt the white baking chips in a small bowl. We use the microwave on High for only 45 seconds before stirring. This may be all you need if you have a powerful microwave. If not, microwave in additional interval of only 10 to 15 seconds to prevent burning. Dip tops of shells in the melted chips. Immediately sprinkle with holiday decors before the white chips set up. Let set on cooling rack until the coating is set, which is about 15 minutes.

Ingredients in Gingerbread Madeleines

All the ingredients may already be in your kitchen pantry and refrigerator.

Cake Mix: We start with a vanilla-flavored cake mix to bring tenderness and sweetness to the madeleines. No need to measure sugar, flour, vanilla, and leavening when you start with the mix. Either the French vanilla or the vanilla cake mix works well.

Molasses: This flavorful sweetener is a by-product of refining sugar beets or sugar cane into white sugar. It is thick and syrupy. Measure it in a liquid measuring cup. If you spray the measuring cup lightly with nonstick spray before adding the molasses, it is easier to scrape it out of the cup and into the mixing bowl.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: Is actually a blend of spices made up of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Different brands may not have each of the spices and will vary in the ratio of the spices. Find one you like for pumpkin pie, and it will work well in this recipe, too.

Other Basics: Melted butter makes the batter easy to mix. We tested this with salted butter because it is what most people have in their kitchens and it has a longer shelf life, but unsalted would work, too. We also test all our recipes with large eggs; they are the most common and work well for this recipe. And although we call for melted white baking chips, you could use white candy coating as well.

More Gingerbread Ideas

If you love the flavor of gingerbread in cake and cookies, look below for a few other unique ways to enjoy this flavor.

Gingerbread Men Cookies is a traditional recipe for rolled and cutout cookies. Explore your cookie cutter collection to form boys, girls, dogs, or sleds. Keep them classic by decorating with creamy white frosting.

Gingerbread Cupcakes recipe adds a fabulous cream cheese frosting to gingerbread-flavored cupcakes for a perfect pairing. Start with a cake batter made with Gold MedalÔ flour and add a dose of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. The cream cheese frosting has a hint of cinnamon and vanilla to complement the cupcakes.

Gingerbread Cookie Cocktail creates a dynamic cocktail with a fresh gingerroot and molasses-based simple syrup. Once shaken with vodka, half-and-half, and coffee liqueur, serve it straight up in a martini glass. Cheers!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute something else for pumpkin pie spice?

We tested this recipe with pumpkin pie spice, but you can substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or allspice. In a pinch, use equal amounts of ground ginger and ground cinnamon. You can also increase the amount of spice by 1/2 teaspoon if you prefer more spice in the madeleines.

What is the best madeleine pan and where can I get the pans?

Today’s madeleine pans come in a variety of forms and materials. Traditional pans were steel without a nonstick coating but now it is more common to find nonstick-coated aluminum pans. And there are flexible silicone pans as well. For the home baker, the number of shells per pan may range from as few as 8 to as many as 20 per pan.

Madeleine pans are more common than they once were, but you aren’t likely to find them in a big box store. Check out specialty kitchenware stores or look at online options. As with many kitchen supplies, costs vary depending on the material, but you should be able to find a pan for under $20.

Do you have any tips for melting the chips?

The microwave is ideal for melting white baking chips, but patience and attention is important. After microwaving for the first 45 seconds, be sure to stir thoroughly. Then microwave only 10 or 15 seconds longer and stir again. The chips will melt as the mixture is stirred. Chips may need an additional 10 seconds, but only do so after stirring thoroughly. Check out our guide for additional tips on melting chocolate chips.

Gingerbread Madeleines

  • Prep Time 40 min
  • Total 2 hr 5 min
  • Servings 30
  • Ingredients 8
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Ingredients

Madeleines

Decoration

  • 1 cup white baking chips
  • Assorted nonpareils, decors, sprinkles, and shots decorating decors

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 30 madeleine molds with shortening, or spray with baking spray.
  • Step 
    2
    In large bowl, beat all Madeleines ingredients on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl occasionally.
  • Step 
    3
    Spoon a generous 1 tablespoonful batter into center of each madeleine mold. (If using one pan, refrigerate remaining batter while first pan bakes. Cool pan, and regrease before using again).
  • Step 
    4
    Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Cool 5 minutes; remove from mold with small metal spatula to cooling rack. Cool at least 30 minutes.
  • Step 
    5
    In small microwavable bowl, heat white baking chips uncovered on High 45 seconds; stir. If needed, heat in additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
  • Step 
    6
    Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. For each madeleine, dip scalloped end into melted chips; sprinkle with decors. Let stand about 15 minutes or until set. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze up to 1 month.

Nutrition

100 Calories
3g Total Fat
1g Protein
16g Total Carbohydrate
10g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Madeleine
Calories
100
Calories from Fat
30
Total Fat
3g
5%
Saturated Fat
2g
11%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
10mg
3%
Sodium
110mg
5%
Potassium
60mg
2%
Total Carbohydrate
16g
5%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
10g
Protein
1g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
0%
0%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
4%
4%
Iron
2%
2%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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