Chewy ginger cookies that stay soft for days! Loaded with ginger and other holiday spices.
You might also like our bakery-style molasses cookies or crispy gingersnaps!
I have a weakness for ginger cookies. Gingerbread cookies, molasses cookies, gingersnaps. You name it, I love it. I even made a gingerbread advent for the kids. It simply isn't Christmas without gingerbread.
Why I Like This Recipe
- Quick recipe. No chilling or rolling required. Simply mix and bake.
- Soft and chewy. These cookies are quick to make and stay soft for days because they use brown sugar instead of white sugar, along with a combination of butter and shortening. You can, of course, omit the shortening and use coconut oil or all butter.
- Flavorful. Ginger cookies are full of rich molasses and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
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Tips and Tricks
- Use a combination of butter and shortening. While many ginger cookie recipes use shortening, I found the best texture and flavor outcome from using a 50/50 ratio of shortening and butter. I use this same combination for my copycat Chick-fil-A chocolate chunk cookies as well as my bakery-style sugar cookies.
- Light Baking Sheets: I only bake on light colored baking sheets. My favorite are these aluminum half sheet pans that you can buy on Amazon (Sam’s Club also sells a similar one). The light colored pans bake much more evenly than dark pans.
- Storage tips. Store cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. You can also freeze the ginger cookies in a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months.
Ingredients
- Butter and shortening: Shortening has a higher melting point, so cookies will hold their shape longer in the oven before the fat melts in the dough, which results in moist, chewy cookies. For an alternative, you can use coconut oil instead of shortening. Butter melts more quickly and releases some steam, causing the cookies to spread more and become crisper, with a distinctly buttery flavor. I use both shortening and butter for the best of both worlds.
- Brown sugar: Using brown sugar instead of white sugar creates a softer cookie.
- Large egg: a room temperature egg for richness and texture.
- Molasses: obviously. Use the basic unsulphured molasses from the grocery store, not blackstrap, which has an overwhelming flavor.
- Spices: ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda and salt: for leavening and flavor.
- Sugar: extra sugar is needed for rolling the cookie dough balls in before baking.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix butter and shortening together. Add brown sugar and egg.
Step 2: Mix in molasses. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Step 3: Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough. Roll each dough ball in white sugar and place on ungreased baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake 9-10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and let cool on cooling rack.
This recipe makes 2 ½ dozen ginger cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
Ginger Cookies FAQs
Shortening produces a soft and chewy molasses cookie. Butter produces one with a crispier exterior and rich flavor. For ginger cookies, I recommend a 50/50 ratio of shortening and butter for the best flavor and texture. For an alternative, you can use coconut oil instead of shortening or simply use all butter.
Gingersnaps are crispy. They snap when you break them in half. Molasses and ginger cookies are soft and chewy. My ginger cookies are thick and chewy. They stay soft and are not gingersnaps.
A blend of butter and shortening, and using brown sugar instead of white sugar creates a soft ginger cookie.
More Ginger Cookie Recipes
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Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups flour
- white sugar for rolling cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Mix butter and shortening together. Add brown sugar and egg.
- Mix in molasses.
- Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough. Roll each dough ball in white sugar and place on ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake 9-10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and let cool on cooling rack.
Alexandra says
Cannot wait to try these this week! I love soft gingerbread but I can never find a recipe that’s already stocked with ingredients in my pantry! 😌