This ginger cookie is the size of your palm. That’s the first thing to know.
A quarter cup of dough per cookie, rolled in coarse sugar, baked until the edges set and the center stays soft. You get that crackly sugar top, the warm hit of molasses and ginger, and a texture that’s thick and chewy instead of crispy and thin. They smell incredible coming out of the oven.
No chilling the dough. No rolling and cutting. Scoop, roll, bake. Done in under 30 minutes.
Need another chewy cookie? Try soft gingerbread cookies, maple pecan cookies, or or brown butter chocolate chip cookies next.
These Christmas cookies are made for platters accompanied by milk destined for Santa’s belly. Or shipped to family and friends near and far. Or frozen and saved for a late night filled with hot chocolate. Though I have no experience in that department…
And first up are these soft ginger cookies! One of my absolute favorite Christmas cookies are the chewy molasses cookies my friend’s mom taught me in high school. These giant ginger cookies are a twist on that. It has the same tasty flavors like cinnamon, molasses, and ginger, but much (much) larger and very thick and chewy. Both are equally delicious in their own right.
Stay tuned every day this week for a new Christmas cookie recipe! And if you need more inspiration right now, check out all of the recipes from last year’s extravaganza:
Three Ingredient Thin Mints, Monster Cookie Cups, Almond Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies, Molasses Cookies, Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
What Makes These Different From Regular Ginger Cookies
Most ginger cookies are two-bite snaps – thin, crispy, and lightly spiced. These are the opposite. The quarter-cup scoop makes a cookie that’s 3 to 4 inches across and thick enough to stay chewy in the center even when the edges crisp up. The molasses keeps them moist. The shortening keeps them thick instead of flat. The coarse sugar gives you a crust.
If you’ve only had thin ginger snaps, this is not that. It’s closer to a snickerdoodle in texture, with the flavor of a gingerbread cookie. Look at that caramelized sugar top when they come out. That’s the whole thing right there.
How to Make Ginger Cookies
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the steps with some photos and a video so you have a clear idea of what to expect. This ginger cookies recipe is really easy and these step-by-step instructions will make sure they turn out every time.
Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt and set aside.
Cream the shortening and sugar: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the shortening on medium speed to soften, about 1 minute. Add both cups of sugar gradually and beat until mixed, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
Combine wet ingredients. Beat in eggs one at a time and then beat in the molasses until combined.
Mix all together: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients gradually, beating well after each addition.
Prepare cookie dough balls: Scoop the dough using a ¼ cup and roll it into balls. Roll them into the coarse sugar and place 3-4 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake cookies. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies are light brown and puffed, being careful not to overbake. Allow to cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe FAQs
Gingerbread cookies are typically rolled flat and cut into shapes. They have a longer bake time and a snappier, drier texture. Ginger cookies are scooped and rolled into balls. They bake up thick and chewy in the center with crispy edges.
A few things can prevent the characteristic cracks: expired baking soda (test it in warm water – it should bubble actively), overmixing the dough, packing the flour too densely into the cup, or overbaking. The cracks form as the outside sets before the center is done expanding. If they baked flat without cracking, baking soda is usually the culprit.
Yes, but the cookies will be different. Butter has more water content, which makes them spread more and come out flatter and crispier. Shortening keeps them thick and gives you that chewy interior. If you only have butter, use it -the cookies are still good, just thinner. Butter-flavored shortening is the sweet spot.
Yes. The dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, covered. Scoop and roll the balls before chilling, then roll in sugar right before baking. Baked cookies stay good at room temperature for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container and freeze well for up to 3 months.
Pull them when they’re just starting to crack on top and the edges look set but the center still looks slightly underdone and puffed. They continue cooking on the hot pan as they cool. At 11 minutes they’re chewy. At 13 minutes they’re more set. I pull mine at 11.
Expert Recipe Tips
A few things that make the difference with these cookies:
- Use room temperature shortening and eggs. Cold ingredients don’t cream together properly and the dough comes out denser with less rise.
- Weigh your flour if you have a kitchen scale. Too much flour from packing the cup is the most common reason these cookies don’t spread the right way.
- The quarter-cup scoop is not a suggestion. These are meant to be giant — don’t size down or you’ll lose the thick, chewy center that makes them worth making.
- The coarse sugar coating is worth finding. It gives you a crunchy exterior that regular granulated sugar can’t replicate. Turbinado sugar at most grocery stores works well.
- I always bake these on parchment. The bottoms stay even and cleanup is minimal.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Make-ahead tip: Prepare dough and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Baked cookies also freeze well with the same method.
Storing baked cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Freezing baked cookies: Freeze the cookies for up to three months. Allow them to thaw before eating. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for an hour or so and enjoy.
Freezing dough: You can freeze the prepared dough. Thaw overnight in the fridge and follow instructions to bake.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Cookie Recipes
Be sure to check out some of our other favorite holiday cookies. Looking for a gingerbread cookie recipe? The best gingerbread cookies are these gingerbread snowflake cookies. The whole family can get in on icing and decorating them.
While you have the cookie cutters out, try these soft gingerbread cookies.
My favorite recipe when I need an easy, no-bake cookie for a cookie exchange are these homemade Ritz thin mints.
Looking for another soft cookie? Try these gluten-free chocolate crinkle cookies, creme brulee cookies, or pistachio pudding cookies.
Giant Soft Ginger Cookies (No Chill Required)
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups (531) all purpose flour gluten-free if needed (Note 1)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (285g) butter flavored shortening (regular works too)
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (118ml) molasses
- 1 cup (200g) coarse sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the shortening on medium speed to soften, about 1 minute. Add both cups of sugar gradually and beat until mixed, about 2 minutes, scraping down the edges with a rubber spatula occasionally.
- Beat in eggs one at at time and then beat in the molasses until combined.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients gradually, beating well after each addition. Use a very large cookie scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the dough and roll them into balls. Roll them in the coarse sugar and place 3-4 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies are light brown and puffed and starting to crack on the tops. Be careful not to over bake. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.
Notes
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
- Large cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this recipe this past weekend, and it was AMAZING! All of my family loved these cookies! One little addition that I added for my pecan loving father-in-law was chopped pecans in some of the cookies. He absolutely loved them with the added pecans. There are two typos I found in the recipe so far though. On step 3, the word shortening is left out for the softening step. Then on step 5, the word add is spelled aadd. Overall, LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing it!
If I wanted to “Christmas these up” a little to make them festive looking for a Christmas cookie bake sale, could I swirl a glaze on top, maybe a maple glaze? Ore use colored sprinkles before or after baking? Thoughts? Thank you!