Chewy Ginger Cookies

a tray of crackly ginger cookies with one of them missing a bite

4.50 from 14 votes

Soft and chewy ginger cookies are easy to make, without any chilling required! Enjoy this big batch and share it with your family and friends.

Prep Time15

Cook Time11

Total Time26

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: christmas cookies

Servings: cookies

Author: Molly Thompson

Equipment

Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer
Large cookie sheet
Parchment paper

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 with an electric mixer 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, aadd 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 starging 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

Note 1. Flour. It's best to weight ingredients when baking. If you use cups, use the spoon and level method to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and scrape the top off with a knife for best results. We've tested this recipe with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 baking flour and it worked perfectly. We also like King Arthur's Measure for Measure flour.

Freeze: Prepare dough and roll it into balls, but not in the coarse sugar. Freeze on a cookie sheet until solid then transfer the dough balls to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Roll in sugar and bake from frozen. Add 1-2 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies also freeze well with the same method. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

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