These ginger cookies with fresh ginger are, in my opinion, one of the best versions of the chewy molasses cookie out there. This is one of my favourite types of cookie – boasting crispy edges and a delightfully chewy interior. I’ve also included some of my favourite warm spices and a hearty amount of fresh ginger to make a cookie perfect for the holiday season – or, really, any time of year.
So if you’re like me and don’t think that ground ginger is gingery enough or are simply looking to incorporate an excess of the root into a delicious dessert, then this recipe is sure to be a hit.
The great news is that the dough can be made in advance and even frozen so you can bake cookies whenever you may want them – even if you don’t have time to make an entire batch from scratch!
This recipe is easy and pays dividends in texture and flavour, and you’re sure to love these spiced chewy ginger cookies as much as I do!
How to Make Soft Ginger Cookies with Fresh Ginger
This is a pretty straightforward cookie recipe that isn’t particularly complicated, but you will need either a hand mixer or a stand mixer to put it together. I tend to use a stand mixer, but if all you have is a hand mixer, this absolutely isn’t a problem.
So to start out, we’re going to mix together our dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together your flour, some baking soda, salt and your warm spices. I use an array of different spices because I think they complement the cookies well.
I include the classics of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove, however, I also like to throw in a bit of floral cardamom and some freshly ground black pepper for an additional little kick – it’s a similar spice blend I put in my gingerbread cookie recipe. The final spice may seem odd, but I promise that it’s very well at home with everything else.
Whisk the dry ingredients together and set them aside until they’re needed.
Now, I also recommend grating your fresh ginger in advance to mixing, so then you can quickly add everything to the bowl when you’re assembling your dough.
Though in recipes like my chickpea curry, I say it’s not necessary to peel ginger, I do recommend peeling here because I think the peel is a bit too woody to end up in your cookies.
You want a full 2 tablespoons of grated fresh ginger – this amounts to about 50 grams of whole ginger.
Next, it’s time to cream together your butter and brown sugar. Particularly if you’re using a hand mixer, it’s essential that your butter is at room temperature before you start – take it out of the fridge (along with your eggs) about an hour before you plan to start baking!
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add your butter and your dark brown sugar. Mix on low just to incorporate and then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Then, turn your mixer to medium-high speed and cream the butter and sugar until it’s aerated and pale in colour – this will be about 2 minutes (it may be less if you’re using a stand mixer or more if you’re using a hand mixer). Make sure you’re periodically scraping down the bowl to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
Once you’ve reached this stage, add your room-temperature eggs, some molasses (make sure to use the unsulphured kind and not blackstrap – the latter has too strong of a flavour!), your grated ginger and some vanilla extract.
Mix this all together on medium speed until everything is smooth – it may end up looking kind of curdled at first, but this is normal! Just mix until it looks relatively cohesive.
Then, go ahead and scrape down the sides of your bowl and add your dry ingredients. On low speed (to avoid a massive flour plume!), mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. You can even finish combining with a spatula if you want to avoid overmixing your cookies.
Once the flour is incorporated, divide the dough into two and cover both batches with plastic. Put them into the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to a few days – this will help firm up the dough before rolling out.
After your dough is sufficiently chilled, it’s time to get rolling! Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F, line some baking sheets with parchment and put some granulated sugar in a small dish for rolling the dough balls into.
Then, portion out the dough into 25g pieces and roll them into spheres in your hands. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar and then place it on the baking sheet – ensuring there is at least 5cm (2in) of space between each cookie.
If you want to freeze the cookie dough – now is the time to do it. Put the baking sheets in the freezer and freeze until the dough balls are solid.
Then you can transfer them to an airtight container. Afterwards, you can bake them directly from frozen – just add about 2 minutes extra onto the bake time!
After you’ve portioned your cookies, transfer them to the oven and bake for bout 8 minutes – you’ll notice they will look dry and slightly crisp around the edges but still very soft in the middle. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
These cookies are perfect around the holiday season and make great gifts, perhaps with popcorn balls, peanut brittle or even homemade chocolate fudge!
Spiced Molasses Ginger Cookies with Fresh Ginger
Ingredients
- 400 g (3 cup) flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking/bi-carb soda
- 3 g (½ tsp) coarse sea salt (see note 1)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg freshly ground
- ¼ tsp black pepper finely ground
- 200 g (1 cup) dark brown sugar packed
- 150 g (10 tbsp) unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 100 g (⅓ cups) unsulphured molasses
- 2 tbsp ginger peeled and grated (from about 50g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar for rolling the cookies
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, clove, nutmeg and pepper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, add the butter and brown sugar. Mix together on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, turn mixer to medium-high and cream together until the mixture is pale and aerated, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the eggs, molasses, ginger and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Divide the dough into two portions and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and scoop into 25g (about 1oz) sized balls. Use your palms to roll each piece of dough into a spherical shape and then roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets, ensuring there is at least 5cm (2in) of space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies, one baking sheet at a time, for about 8-10 minutes or until dry and crisp around the edges but still very soft in the middle. Cool the cookies on a rack before eating.
Notes
- Use the weight measurement of salt rather than the volumetric measurement if at all possible. Different brands and types of salt can vary, so going by weight is going to be the most consistent option.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
And that’s how you make this ginger cookie recipe with fresh ginger! They’re super easy and super satisfying – I’m sure you’re going to love them!
Do you want to make fresh ginger cookies? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
