Soft Chewy Ginger Cookies are a family favorite cookie recipe and the perfect Christmas cookie recipe for cookie trays and gift plates!
Soft and chewy spice spiked cookie with crisp sugar coated exterior. These small cookies are packed with flavor, delicious and super addicting!
Soft molasses ginger cookies
Ginger cookies were not something that I grew up eating. In fact, gingerbread houses and crispy gingerbread men were the only ginger sweets I knew.
The first time I ever tasted Chewy Ginger Cookies was my wedding day. You know how they suggest wearing a new favorite perfume on your big day so you will always associate it with the happiness you felt at that moment? Well, it’s true. These cookies made this 4 month pregnant bride so incredibly happy and just the smell of their spicy sweet goodness does the same to me now.
For my wedding I asked guests to share favorite recipes with their RSVPs. I love cooking, traditions, and passing information down through generations and I am so thrilled that I incorporated these passions of mine into my wedding. I cherish the recipes I received from my loved ones.
A great aunt returned her RSVP with a magazine clipped recipe for Ginger Cookies attached. This wonderful woman came to my wedding with the cutest little box of ginger cookies for me… I ate each and every one while getting ready.. hey don’t judge, I was 4 months pregnant remember?
And now they’re my absolute favorite cookie recipe. Similar to Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies they are spicy little cookies are crackled on top, crisp on the outside, soft in the center, and pure deliciousness.
And because they stay soft and chewy at room temperature for days they are a perfect addition to your Christmas cookie recipes!
Ingredients
- Shortening– making cookies without butter and with shortening instead makes for tender cookies that stay soft for an extended amount of time. You may substitute butter or coconut oil but the ginger cookies will not be as soft.
- Granulated sugar – to sweeten the cookies and also to add a sparkly sugar coating.
- Large eggs
- Dark molasses – has a malty rich flavor and deep dark color that makes these ginger cookies chewy and helps them stay chewy at room temperature for days.
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground ginger – or substitute fresh ginger to make ginger cookies with fresh ginger.
- Cinnamon
- Ground cloves
What type of molasses to use in baking?
Molasses is a by product of the sugar making process. And there are different types of molasses grades determined by which point of the process the molasses was made.
Dark molasses has a malty rich flavor and deep dark color that makes these ginger cookies chewy and helps them stay chewy at room temperature for days. Light molasses may be used in baking to help keep baked goods soft and chewy but dark molasses is best for ginger cookies because of its rich malty flavor. Do not substitute blackstrap molasses as it’s much more bitter. Also avoid sulphured molasses as the sulphur is used as a preservative and gives it a very pronounced chemical flavor.
Step by step instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Cream shortening and sugar in a large bowl. Then beat in eggs and molasses.
- Combine flour, soda, salt and spices and blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture.
- Shape into small balls and roll in sugar. Use a ½″ scoop to make bite-sized cookies. If using a large 1″ scoop or a spoon increase cooking time by 1 minute.
- Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake 6 minutes. Cookies will still be very soft and look under cooked after 6 minutes.
- To make ginger cookies chewy do not overbake and transfer immediately to cooling racks after removing from oven. Left in the oven for too long or allowing to cool on hot baking sheets rather than transferring to cooling racks will make for hard cookies rather than soft and chewy cookies.
- Serve as is or top with icing.
- Enjoy!
How to decorate?
This ginger cookie recipe is so delicious as is with only a dusting of granulated sugar. But you can also get creative and make iced ginger cookies with a simple powdered sugar icing.
How to serve?
Serve Chewy Ginger Cookies with a glass of cold milk, hot tea, coffee, buttered rum or even eggnog!
Yield
This recipe yields 80 small cookies. You can either increase the cookie size or half the recipe to make a smaller yield.
How to store
Stored at room temperature Chewy Ginger Cookies will stay soft and chewy for up to five days uncovered. Cover and stored in an airtight container these cookies will stay soft even longer.
Chewy Ginger Cookies may also be frozen for up to 3 months. To defrost allow to sit at room temperature for several hours.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups shortening
- 2 cups granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup dark unsulphured molasses
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons dried ginger
- 2 teaspoons dried cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Cream together shortening and sugar.
- Beat in egg and molasses.
- Combine flour, soda, salt and spices; blend into creamed mixture.
- Shape into balls using a ½″ scoop.
- Roll in sugar.
- Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake 6 minutes and immediately remove to cooling racks.
- Don’t overbake; cookies should be slightly soft when removed from oven.
Notes
Nutrition
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