Soft, Chewy Ginger Cookies

Eliza Cross
by Eliza Cross
36 Cookies
27 min

Old-fashioned ginger cookies are studded with sweet, spicy candied ginger for a burst of flavor in every bite.


For me, these cookies are everything I need to survive a pandemic. They’re comforting, and they remind me of the wonderful homemade cookies our mom bakes.


They have a soft, chewy texture, with a happy little crunch when you bite into them. Accompanied by a cold glass of milk or a cup of afternoon tea, they’re pure bliss!


Two ingredients elevate this ginger cookie from classic to sublime. The first is chopped candied ginger, which gives each bite a sweet, spicy jolt. The second ingredient is molasses, which adds old-fashioned richness and sweetness.


If you don’t have candied ginger, just omit it and your cookies will still be yummy. For this batch, I only put candied ginger in half the cookies because my son prefers the plain version. 


Shall we get cooking?


Begin by blending the butter, molasses and egg in one bowl and whisking the flour, baking soda, spices and salt in another bowl.


Combine the two mixtures and stir until they gradually come together.


I use my hands to bring the mixture together into a smooth dough. Then it’s time to form the dough in walnut-sized balls and roll in granulated sugar.


Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand as you arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.


After baking for 10 to 12 minutes, cool to room temperature on a wire rack.


Enjoy!

Soft, Chewy Ginger Cookies
Recipe details
  • 36  Cookies
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 12 Minutes Total time: 27 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses (or substitute regular molasses)
  • 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses (or substitute regular molasses)
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
  • granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix the brown sugar, butter, egg and molasses together in a medium bowl until well-blended.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and stir until well blended. Add the chopped crystallized ginger and mix well. The mixture will be somewhat sticky and can be refrigerated for a little while, but it’s not necessary.
Using a dining teaspoon, shape the dough in walnut-sized balls (try to get a few pieces of candied ginger in each) and roll in granulated sugar. Arrange on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart and sprinkle with a little more sugar, if desired.
Bake just until edges are done, tops are crackly, and centers are still soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. (For chewy cookies, don’t overcook.) Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Tips
  • You can also make larger cookies, using a dining tablespoon to measure and shape the dough approximately the size of golf balls. After arranging the balls on the baking sheet, flatten them a little with your fingers so they’ll spread more easily when they bake. Sprinkle the tops with a little more sugar to replace the sugar that came off on your fingers, and then bake as usual. You’ll get about 18 oversized cookies from this recipe.
Eliza Cross
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Comments
  • Jeri Jeri on Dec 04, 2020

    I have been looking for a nice chewy gingerbread cookie recipe for years. So glad I finally found it!!! Thank you!

    • Eliza Cross Eliza Cross on Dec 06, 2020

      Thank you so much for your sweet words, Jeri. So glad you like the recipe!

  • Kathe Pierce Hansell Kathe Pierce Hansell on Apr 27, 2024

    I absolutely love soft ginger cookies. They’re my all time favorite. I made the recipe, but haven’t figured out what I did wrong. They spread like crazy & by the time they cooled off they ended up like ginger snaps. I’ve never been a fan of ginger snaps, so I’m hoping you can help me figure out what I did wrong.

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