Ultimate Ginger Cookie Recipe

This Ultimate Ginger Cookie Recipe earns its title by packing a triple-threat punch of ground ginger, fresh spices, and chewy nuggets of crystallized ginger. Bound with molasses and dark brown sugar, these cookies bake up with a spectacular crackled surface and a deep, spicy heat that warms you from the inside out.

Jump to Recipe

Ultimate Ginger Cookie Ingredients

The Spiced Flour Blend:

• 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour: The base structure.
• The Spice Cabinet: A robust mix of 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger.
• 1 tsp Baking Soda: Reacts with the acidic molasses to create the rise and crackle.
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt: Enhances the spices.

The Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar: Lightly packed. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses than light, essential for color and moisture.
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil: Unlike butter, oil ensures the cookie stays incredibly moist and chewy for days.
• 1/3 cup Unsulfured Molasses: The signature ingredient for gingerbread flavor.
• 1 Extra-Large Egg: Room temperature, to bind the dough.

The “Ultimate” Mix-In:

• 1 1/4 cups Chopped Crystallized Ginger: (6 ounces). These sweet-hot candied chunks provide a chewy texture and intense ginger heat.
• Granulated Sugar: For rolling the dough balls to create a crystalline crust.

How To Make Ultimate Ginger Cookies

1. Sift the Dry Mix: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two sheet pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger, and salt. Then, use your hands to combine the mixture thoroughly to ensure the spices are evenly distributed.
2. The Long Beat: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dark brown sugar, vegetable oil, and molasses. Beat on medium speed for exactly 5 minutes. Crucial Step: This extended beating time aerates the heavy molasses mixture, replacing the creaming method usually done with butter.
3. Add Egg: Turn the mixer to low speed. Add the room temperature egg and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute until glossy and smooth.
4. Combine: With the mixer on low, slowly add the sifted dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes until a dark, stiff dough forms.
5. Add Texture: Add the chopped crystallized ginger and mix until just combined.
6. Roll and Coat: Scoop the dough using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop. Roll the dough between your hands into 1 3/4-inch balls. Slightly flatten each ball with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie into a bowl of granulated sugar to coat generously.
7. Bake: Place the sugar-coated disks on the prepared sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies should look crackled on top but still feel soft to the touch.
8. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes to set, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe Tips

• Oil vs. Butter: Do not swap the oil for butter. The oil is what gives these cookies their signature dense, chewy texture that doesn’t dry out. Butter contains water and would create a crispier, flatter cookie.
• Chopping Ginger: Crystallized ginger is sticky. To chop it easily, spray your knife blade with a little non-stick cooking spray or toss the ginger pieces in a little flour before chopping.
• Sifting is Mandatory: Spices (especially ground cloves and ginger) tend to clump in the jar. Sifting ensures you don’t bite into a bitter pocket of pure spice.
• The “Crack”: The beautiful crinkles on top happen because the surface dries out faster than the interior rises. Coating them in sugar helps emphasize these fissures.

What To Serve With Ginger Cookies

• Lemon Tea: The citrus acidity cuts through the heavy molasses flavor.
• Vanilla Ice Cream: A spicy ginger cookie makes the best ice cream sandwich base.
• Brandy: An adult pairing for a winter evening.
• Hard Cheese: Surprisingly, a slice of sharp cheddar or aged gouda pairs well with the spice.

How To Store Ultimate Ginger Cookies

• Room Temperature: These cookies are famous for their shelf life. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week; they often taste better and softer on day two.
• Freeze: Freeze the baked cookies in freezer bags for up to 3 months.
• Dough: You can roll the balls (without sugar) and freeze the raw dough. Roll in sugar just before baking (add 2 minutes to bake time).

Ultimate Ginger Cookie Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Fat: 5g
• Carbohydrates: 32g
• Sugar: 22g
• Protein: 2g

Nutrition information is estimated per cookie.

FAQs