Sink Your Teeth Into Big and Soft Ginger Cookies

Without knowing it, without ever intentionally setting things this way in my mind, I seem to have added a new baking routine at home:

Vertical image of a pile of cookies with a crackled surface coated with a thin layer of sugar, with text on the top and bottom of the image in orange and white.

To make a weekly cookie recipe.

It started innocently enough this past summer with peach cookies that tasted like little cobblers, and then aromatic lavender cookies. But then things started happening so fast: chocolate chip, rosemary shortbread, and crunchy, nutty biscotti.

I can’t stop.

I’m sure there’s some sort of hidden meaning behind this, some call to my past – maybe it’s a sign that I miss my grandma, who taught me to make cookies. Or that I miss my childhood, which is when we baked together. Maybe it’s both.

Vertical image of cookies scattered on a white tray next to a white towel, a whisk, and cinnamon sticks and powder.

But in all honesty, I think it’s simpler than that: cookies just taste really, really good.

No offense, grandma.

Cookies demonstrate the best of kitchen magic. The alchemy of ingredients is something that will always amaze me: put together a bunch of unrelated things, and come out with something all its own, a new creation.

I mean, have you tasted flour? Anyone up for a nice tablespoon of unsalted butter for breakfast? How about a raw egg in a glass?

Vertical image of a white plate with two rows of cookies with cracks on top and granulated sugar.

But put all these things together, with a few alterations of flavor each time, and you have these can’t-eat-just-one treats that everyone loves.

This week, it’s a ginger cookie. A big, soft, and chewy ginger cookie.

You won’t have to buy or make your own candied ginger, which was my intention when making this easy recipe. And I promise it’s fast – the whole process takes less than an hour.

Vertical image of a stack of three cookies on a white tray.

They are also so pretty! The crystallized granulated sugar that covers them just before baking provides a pretty shimmer on top of the beautiful crackled surface of each one.

And if you’re one of those people who never liked gingersnaps (too crunchy, maybe?), these are the solution: all of the flavor, with none of the hardness.

Vertical top-down image of assorted light brown baked goods on a white tray with cinnamon.

Big. Soft. Sweet. Perfect.

And if you’re still not interested, don’t worry. I’m sure there will be another cookie recipe to come, and another after that, and another one soon to follow.

Vertical close-up image of a stack of crackled dark brown cookies coated in sugar.

See? I’m unstoppable. Enjoy my latest obsession, with the recipe below.

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Horizontal image of light brown cookies scattered on a white board next to cinnamon sticks and a whisk.

Big Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies


  • Author: Shanna Mallon
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 1 dozen cookies 1x

Description

Not a huge fan of crunchy gingersnaps? If you prefer something on the softer side, make a batch of our soft and chewy ginger cookies.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup molasses

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, either in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter on low speed for 30 seconds.
  4. Gradually add 1 cup sugar to the butter, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  5. Add the egg and molasses, and beat well on medium speed to create a smooth mixture.
  6. Add the dry mixture to the egg mixture. Beat at low speed until a thick, soft dough forms. Do not overmix. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  7. Place the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Shape the dough into large balls 2 inches in diameter. Roll each ball of dough in the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each ball.
  8. Bake for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be puffy and will still be very soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and let stand on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Baked Goods

Keywords: cookie, ginger

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Mix Dry Ingredients

Horizontal image of a white bowl filled with a flour and spice mixture next to a whisk, on a gray cloth with fringe and cinnamon sticks in soft focus in the background.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside as you are preparing the dough.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.

Having trouble keeping your spices organized, especially with the arrival of holiday baking season? Consider buying a spice rack to keep them all in order!

Step 2 – Mix Wet Ingredients

Horizontal image of a white bowl filled with a dark brown wet dough next to a bowl of eggs, on a gray cloth with a fringed edge.

In a large mixing bowl, either in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer (either will work!), beat the softened unsalted butter on low speed for 30 seconds. This will help to further soften and aerate the butter, making it easier to mix in the sugar.

Gradually add the sugar to the butter, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and molasses and beat well at medium speed to create a smooth, thick mixture. It should look homogeneous.

Step 3 – Add Dry Mixture to Wet Mixture

Horizontal image of a white bowl filled with dark brown dough on top of a gray cloth with fringe, with a whisk and cinnamon sticks on a white surface in the background.

Add the dry mixture into the egg mixture. Beat at low speed until a thick, soft dough forms. It will look dark from the molasses.

Do not overmix! Overmixing will cause the final product to be tough and a little too chewy.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes, to re-chill the butter and slightly stiffen the dough to help with shaping in the next step.

Step 4 – Shape Dough

Horizontal image of a metal scoop filled with dark brown dough, with a white bowl containing more of the mixture beside cinnamon sticks and a whisk in the background.

Shape the dough into large, 2-inch balls. Using a cookie scooper with a 2-inch diameter will be very helpful in forming each one equally and evenly.

Step 5 – Coat in Sugar

Horizontal image of a bowl of sugar with a dough ball on top, coated in the mixture.

Place the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a clean bowl.

Horizontal image of a metal baking tray lined with a silicone mat with sugar-coated dough balls on top.

After forming each ball, roll each one in the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about two inches between each ball to accommodate any spreading.

Step 6 – Bake

Horizontal image of a tray lined with a silicone mat with six light brown baked treats on top.

Immediately bake for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be puffy and will still be very soft to the touch. They may look raw, but they will definitely continue to cook and set as they cool on the pan. Mark my words!

Remove from the oven, and leave on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Horizontal image of light brown cookies scattered on a white board next to whole cinnamon sticks, scattered powdered warming spice, and a whisk.

Serve and enjoy!

A Necessary Balance for Your Holiday Baking

Crunchiness is a typical texture of holiday baked goods that we all know and love.

We can’t get enough of crispy, buttery sugar cookies, gingerbread men decorated with hardened royal icing, and all those stick-to-your-teeth candy canes.

Vertical image of a baked good with a large bite taken out of it on a white tray, with more in the background and foreground, and scattered whole and ground spices.

Too much for you? Balance out the crunch with this soft and chewy treat this year.

You’ll adore the ease of sinking your teeth into one of these super soft and chewy ginger cookies, mixed with the delectable warming spices you crave throughout the fall and winter holiday season.

If you need more gingery ideas for your baking, try any of our favorites below:

Want another soft and chewy ginger cookie, but looking for something a bit healthier? Try our recipe for cookies made with buckwheat flour.

What do you prefer? Thin and crispy, or these soft and chewy options? Let’s see which one reigns supreme in the comment section below.

Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on September 24, 2008. Last updated: December 13, 2022 at 13:14 pm. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

16 thoughts on “Sink Your Teeth Into Big and Soft Ginger Cookies”

  1. I just told my brother Monday night that I was craving ginger cookies. How weird is that? I saw poptarts in the grocery store that were gingerbread flavored, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I totally laughed out loud when I pulled up your site today, which made the poor fifth graders in my class look over at me and ask me if I was on messenger. 🙂 I totally never talk on messenger when I’m supposed to be teaching so I don’t know where they got that from.

    Reply
  2. ginger cookies? big and soft? i am so in! i’m still eating the sugar cookies i baked last week but these will have to be join my to be made list. like you, i seem to bake up a batch every week!

    Reply
  3. Joanna: LOL! I love your comment, both because the image of a classroom of elementary kids giggling at their teacher and because of the whole ginger thing. You have to make the cookies!

    Lan: I’m glad to have a fellow cookie fanatic. 🙂

    Reply
  4. I love ginger cookies! I’m really excited about fall flavors now (despite my last blueberry cake post) and want to try these out. And big and soft are the magic words when it comes to cookies. I admire that you’ve been able to stick to your rules. I’ve been somewhat less successful but I will try and discipline myself. I know it’s important to be regular in blogging. I’m glad I stumbled onto here! I will be back! 🙂

    Reply
  5. This looks like a delicious ginger cookie! And, I’ve developed a thing for molasses lately, so I’m wishing I had some of these in front of me right now.

    Reply
  6. Alejandra: Oh, I know! Fall flavors are the best. I’ve been craving a pumpkin soup for a few days now, and I’m hoping to find some inspiration at an orchard in the next few weeks. Thanks for visiting!

    lisa: You should make these! They’re so fast and easy. Really.

    Reply
  7. I made the cookies and gave them to some friends/neighbors. I was good and only ate one to “test” them. No lie, one of my friends actually said “Wow, these taste like fall!” I assume that was a compliment since he said it in a positive voice. 🙂 He actually knows what fall is like being originally from New England instead of stupid Texas.

    Reply
  8. Camille: molasses and brown sugar are very similar when baking, so I’d imagine yours are just like these! Yum, right?

    Joanna: That is AWESOME. Success!

    Reply
  9. Made for my wife who enjoys ginger molasses cookies, more so when October comes around. She thinks these are great. Now I’m trying to convince her to try a batch with reduced sugar and butter 🙂 She has been clear not to mess with this recipe!! It’s really good.

    Reply
  10. I usually modify recipes to make them healthier. NOT THESE. They are worth the sugar and butter!! After 9 minutes, they were perfect. I actually made them for my spouse but she now has to share when I make a batch. Merci beaucoup!!

    Reply
    • Yes! We’re so excited that you have a new fall tradition! We love these cookies, and can’t wait to make them again, too.

      Reply

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