Christmas Gingerbread Madeleines

Quick Summary: Christmas Gingerbread madeleines, or spiced madeleines, are a holiday twist on classic madeleines and a great, delicious alternative to gingerbread houses. Made with fragrant spices, rich brown sugar, and a dash of dark rum, they will fill your home with holiday cheer.

Whether Gingerbread cookies are arranged into a Christmas tree garland, French Gingerbread, or gorgeous Gingerbread Pavlova, they make gingerbread fun.

And these little bites make great edible holiday gifts and additions to a holiday cookie box.

What are madeleines?

Madeleines are small, shell-shaped French sponge cakes, traditionally baked in a scallop-shaped mold and known for the little bump, or hump, that rises on top.

Made with a simple butter-rich batter, they sit somewhere between a cookie and a tiny cake. This gingerbread version keeps the classic buttery, cakey crumb but adds warm holiday spices for a festive twist.

What spices are in gingerbread madeleines?

The spice blend is what gives these madeleines their gingerbread character. This recipe uses ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, roughly in a ratio of 4 parts ginger, 4 parts cinnamon, 2 parts nutmeg, and 1 part cloves.

You can deepen the flavor with a pinch of ground coriander (no more than ½ teaspoon) or a little ground black pepper (no more than ⅛ teaspoon), or simply swap the whole blend for 1 teaspoon of store-bought gingerbread spice.

If mixing your own, keep it to no more than four spices at once so the flavor stays balanced rather than muddy.

What tools do you need to make madeleines?

The one essential tool is a madeleine pan, which gives these cakes their signature shell shape. A metal (nonstick) pan browns the edges beautifully but needs to be greased and floured before each batch.

A silicone mold does not need greasing and releases easily by pushing each cavity from the bottom. Beyond the pan, you only need mixing bowls, a hand whisk or electric mixer, a flour sifter, and a piping bag or a spoon for neatly filling the cavities.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Large eggs at room temperature
• Golden brown sugar: You can replace it with dark brown sugar, light brown muscovado sugar, dark brown muscovado sugar, or French Vergeoise sugar.
• Unsalted butter melted and cooled to 120°F (50°C).
• All-purpose flour
• Acacia honey: You can substitute another neutral-flavored honey.
• Baking powder is a leavening agent.
• Spice blend: Use a mix of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Experiment with spices by adding or replacing some with ground coriander (no more than ½ teaspoon), ground pepper (no more than ⅛ teaspoon), or using 1 teaspoon McCormick gingerbread spice instead of the recipe's spice mix. Don't use more than 4 spices at once when mixing your own.
• Dark rum: Omit this ingredient to make the recipe kid-friendly.

How to make gingerbread madeleines

Step 1: Place eggs (at room temperature), sugar, and honey in a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand whisk.

Step 2: In the second bowl, sift all-purpose flour with baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with a flour sifter. Add the dry ingredients to the main mixture and whisk to combine.

Step 3: Add the melted and cooled butter to 120°F (50°C) and whisk again. Add the dark rum and mix.

Step 4: Cover the batter with plastic wrap, keeping it in contact, and refrigerate overnight.

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Butter the cavities of a madeleine mold with softened butter. Dust the mold with flour, then tap off the excess. If using a silicone mold, there is no need to grease it. Read more about how to bake with silicone molds.

Step 6: Fill the cavities to three-fourths full using a pastry bag or a spoon.

Step 7: Bake madeleines at 425°F (220°C) for 3 minutes. Then, switch off the oven for 7 to 8 minutes. The madeleines will get that famous bump or hump on top. Then, set the oven to 320°F (160°C) and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 8: Remove the madeleines from the oven and cool them in the mold for 5 minutes. Turn the mold over and hit it hard: the madeleines will come by themselves. If using a silicone mold, remove them one by one, pushing each cavity from the bottom.

Step 9: Place the madeleines on the side, still in the mold (not on a cooling rack), so they cool. Repeat the same procedure to bake the second batch of madeleines.

Expert Tips

1. Learn all the tips and tricks for making perfect French madeleines in this comprehensive guide. Read all the secrets about the madeleine hump.
2. To ensure perfect madeleines, cool your madeleine pan between batches. Grease and flour the metal mold before each batch.
3. Serve madeleines warm, right from the oven, or within one hour after baking. Enjoy them with a cup of Earl Grey tea, coffee, French hot chocolate, or a glass of Christmas champagne.

Storing and freezing

Store gingerbread madeleines in an airtight container. A BPA-free, microwave-safe Tupperware plastic box or a large glass jar will also work. Keep your madeleines at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Freeze madeleines in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months, though they may lose a little of their flavor over time. To thaw, bring them to room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.

Recipe FAQ

What are gingerbread madeleines?
Gingerbread madeleines are a festive twist on classic French madeleines, flavored with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, plus brown sugar and a dash of dark rum. They are often called spiced madeleines or Christmas madeleines.

What are the best ingredients for gingerbread madeleines?
The best ingredients are room-temperature eggs, golden brown sugar (or muscovado for deeper flavor), honey, all-purpose flour, baking powder, high-quality butter, and warm spices. Muscovado sugar and browned butter add extra richness if you want a more intense gingerbread taste.

How do you make madeleines moist?
Moist madeleines rely on good butter, which is why they are called madeleines pur beurre in French. Using high-quality butter and not overbaking keeps them tender inside with a delicate, cakey crumb.

Why do you chill the madeleine batter?
Chilling the batter, ideally overnight, firms up the butter and creates the temperature shock in the oven that produces the signature bump or hump on top of the madeleines.

Do you need to refrigerate madeleines?
The batter should be refrigerated to form the hump, but baked madeleines do not need refrigeration. Store them at room temperature in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

Can you make gingerbread madeleines ahead of time?
Yes. You can prepare the batter and chill it overnight, then bake it fresh when needed. Baked madeleines are best the day they are made, but they keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container and freeze well.

Love madeleines? Try these next!

• Classic French madeleines
• Lemon poppy seed madeleines
• Raspberry madeleines
• Or read more about all things madeleines

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was originally published on December 11, 2020. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.