I am in love. With these soft and chewy ginger spice cookies.
These are the kind of cookie that you need in your cookie jar. And if you don’t have a cookie jar, it’s the type of cookie you should buy one for. I didn’t even know I was a ginger-spice-molasses type person until I ate these. I looked at the recipe and it looked pretty basic so I was trying to think of something to snazz them up. I thought about sandwiching them with cream cheese frosting, adding orange zest, dipping them in white chocolate etc. But that all changed when I took a bite of a cookie warm out of the oven and I knew that these little beauties needed to stay exactly like they were. Some ginger cookies are soft, some are puffy and cakey. These are are chewy. They’re a little on the thinner side and they crisp just around the edges and then get soft and perfectly chewy in the middle. My kind of cookie.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Butter-flavored shortening – The switch to shortening is intentional here, even though I usually prefer real butter. In this recipe it’s the best way to get that perfect chew, hold the cookie’s shape, and deliver the texture that makes these cookies so irresistible. That said, feel free to swap in butter; many readers in the comments have reported success with half butter and half shortening or even all butter. Just be aware that any changes mean the finished cookie may not have the same texture.
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Molasses – Use regular unsulphered molasses like Grandma’s brand here. Avoid blackstrap, as it’s too bitter for baking. You’ll find molasses in the baking aisle of your grocery store, often near corn syrup and other sweeteners.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Salt
How to Make Ginger Spice Cookies
- Cream your shortening and sugar together for a couple of minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add your molasses and your egg and then mix until combined.
- While the egg/sugar mixture is mixing, whisk together your dry ingredients. Then add them to your creamed shortening mixture.
- Using a standard-sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough and then roll the dough ball in sugar. Then place it on baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough. If desired, you can use a flat-bottomed cup or mug to gently press them down.
- Bake. They will puff up a bit while baking and then flatten out when they cool. Perfect for stacking, packing, and snacking.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 5-7 days for best results.
- I know I said they shouldn’t be messed with, but the one thing these cookies are practically begging for is to be turned into ice cream sandwiches. Under cook them just a bit and then smoosh them with pumpkin ice cream, or homemade vanilla with cinnamon would be awesome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Layer cooled cookies between parchment paper in a freezer safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Set out at room temperature for about 20 minutes to thaw and enjoy!
Yes, just adjust the baking time. For smaller cookies, check on them around 7-8 minutes. For larger cookies, check at 10-12 minutes.
Sure! Rolling in turbinado or raw sugar adds some crunch and sparkle. Sanding sugar is great for the holidays. You could even add cinnamon to granulated sugar for some extra spice.
Ginger Spice Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter-flavored Crisco
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 cups flour lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners. Set aside.
- Combine sugar and shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the egg and molasses and beat until completely incorporated.
- While the sugar mixture is mixing, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add them to the creamed shortening mixture and mix until combined.
- Using a standard cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls and roll in sugar. Place 12 dough balls on each cookie sheet. If desired, use a flat-bottomed glass or mug to gently flatten the dough.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set around the edges and you start to see crackling on the top. Be sure not to overbake! Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the baking sheets.
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 5-7 days for best results.
- I know I said they shouldn’t be messed with, but the one thing these cookies are practically begging for is to be turned into ice cream sandwiches. Under cook them just a bit and then smoosh them with pumpkin ice cream, or homemade vanilla with cinnamon would be awesome.
Nutrition
Questions & Reviews
I have made these delicious cookies 4 times now. The first two batches, the cookies were fluffy. The second two batches were flat. I used the same ingredients, so i am not sure what happened…any thoughts???
I just made these and slathered them with pumpkin spice cream cheese. Oh. My. Goodness. They were incredible and will be the perfect treat for pumpkin carving tonight… If any make it that long! Thank ladies!
I made these just now for our church social and can’t wait to here how they like them! I just ate two and they were the best ginger/molasses type cookies I’ve ever made.
My recipe made exactly 4 1/2 dozen with one batch! Didn’t know if you still needed the yeild! 🙂
I”ve made this recipe for years w/ the exception of oil instead of crisco (which is what I usually use in cookies). The oil doesn’t make them flat and I LOVE these at Christmas time. Thanks for sharing this recipe w/ the world!! Sometimes I even roll them in red or green sugar for the holidays.
Perfecting my second batch of these for a cookie exchange in two weeks. My family is loving it. I used half butter and half shortening. Also, I brushed half of the cookie with fresh orange zest and then dipped that half in white chocolate. My family likes these the best. Thanks!
Our kitchen is egg free, dairy free and gluten free, so I made these with a few adjustments – and they still turned out great!
Spectrum brand shortening instead of Crisco
Flax gel to replace egg (1 T. ground flax + 3 T. warm water)
Bob’s Red Mill GF flour mix to replace white flour
plus 3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
Thanks for the great recipe!
I made these cookies and the pumpkin ice cream for Thanksgiving. I set them out for people to eat separately or make sandwiches out of them. Everyone loved them!! I was so happy how they came out, thanks so much for a different idea!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for these cookies! My FAVOURITE cookies EVER! My only change to the recipe is that put like 3 times the spices and mix them up a bit. So good and spicy!
I would like to make these for some friends and family at Christmas. How long will they keep for? (I mean how many days before Christmas should i bake them?)
I also have a couple of questions regarding the recipie/instructions –
What’s shortening? It’s not on the recipie list but is mentioned in the directions.
And what kind of measurements are ‘T’ and ‘C’ please?
Thanks.
Hi Mat,
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon
In the ingredient list, “Butter flavored Crisco” is the same as shortening. It is a type of fat used in baking. Do you live outside of the US? If you don’t have access to shortening you could use margarine or butter. I do think the shortening helps keep them soft and gives them a good shape. They are best fresh, but you could make them a couple of days ahead if you store them well in an airtight container. You could also bake them farther in advance and freeze them. Let me know if you have any more questions!