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Crispy Ginger Cookies

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Sugar, spice, and all things nice: these thin, crispy ginger cookies are what holiday dreams are made of.

pile of ginger cookies

These thin and crispy ginger cookies, a gem from pastry chef Emily Luchetti’s Stars Desserts, are truly something special. Featuring a spot-on mix of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and a bit of black pepper, these cookies deliver a sweet, buttery crunch with just the right touch of chewiness in the middle. They are a treat any time of day (yes, even breakfast), and they fill the house with the most heavenly aroma as they bake. With their deep amber color and slightly crackled tops, they’re perfect for the holidays. Think of them as the more delicious cousins of gingerbread men, offering a rich taste and a delightful texture that traditional holiday cut-out cookies just can’t match.

“I absolutely LOVE these cookies! They are crispy around the edges, with a little soft chew in the middle. And the spices are just enough to be tasty without being overpowering.”

J. Gamroth

What You’ll Need To Make Crispy Ginger Cookies

crispy ginger cookies ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, salt, and pepper.

Dry cookie ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Whisk and set aside.

Whisk mixing a bowl of dry ingredients.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine ½ cup of the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter.

butter and sugars in mixing bowl

Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Beating the butter and sugars

Add the egg.

adding the egg

Beat for about 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the molasses.

adding the molasses

Beat until just combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

beating in the molasses

Add the dry ingredients.

adding the dry ingredients

Mix on low speed until just incorporated. The dough will be very soft; refrigerate it for about one hour, or until firm enough to roll.

ginger cookie batter in bowl

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

rolling ginger cookie dough balls in sugar

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set and deeply golden on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. (As they bake, they will puff up and then flatten. Do not remove them from the oven until they are flat.)

baked ginger cookies on baking sheet

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate the dough between batches. The cookies will keep for several days in an airtight container; freeze for longer storage.

plate of ginger cookies

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Crispy Ginger Cookies

Sugar, spice, and all things nice: these thin, crispy ginger cookies are what holiday dreams are made of.

Servings: 36 cookies
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes, plus an hour to chill

Ingredients

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • Scant ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Pinch freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup molasses, such as Grandma's Original

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat ½ cup of the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the egg and beat for about 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the molasses and beat until just combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
  3. Add the dry ingredients, then mix on low speed until just incorporated. The dough will be very soft; refrigerate it for about one hour, or until firm enough to roll.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. Place the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set and golden on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. (As they bake, they will puff up and then flatten. Do not remove them from the oven until they are flat.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate the dough between batches. The cookies will keep for several days in an airtight container; freeze for longer storage.
  6. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: To freeze before baking, scoop the dough into balls and roll in sugar, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake as needed directly from the freezer, allowing a few minutes longer in the oven. To freeze the cookies after baking, store the cooled cookies in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 119
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Saturated fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 17 g
  • Sugar: 11 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Sodium: 75 mg
  • Cholesterol: 19 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Thank you for this fantastic recipe!

    Happy to say I hit a home run on my first try though my cookies are not flat like the ones in the photo, but they are perfect and taste heavenly. I will definitely be making these again, especially every Christmas!

    I put a small tea party together yesterday for my family with our beautiful new teapot (it has Van Gogh flowers on it) and two pretty tea cups I found at my favorite second hand store, made dainty little egg salad sandwiches (on soft French bread from the Farmers Market), cut diagonally and served them with the ginger cookies and banana nut bread from our local Farmers Market.
    The tea I chose was Earl Grey with a bit of creamer from the store.

    Long live tea parties – so fun, so easy!

    Sincerely,
    Shari in Long Beach, Southern CA

    • — Shari on January 14, 2024
    • Reply
  • This is a very well balanced recipe. The whole family loved it. However we don’t like them big and soft, we turn them to biscuits. We roll out the dough to the desired thickness on a floured surface and use a biscuit cutter.

    • — Dina Mounib on December 3, 2023
    • Reply
  • The ginger cookies were way to soft and tasted horrible. I followed everything that the recipe claimed.

    • — Unknown on November 25, 2023
    • Reply
  • I love these. The last batch is in the oven as I type this. I’ve already eaten 1/2 dozen. My color is darker (the color of molasses) and there’s no crackly top. Either way the texture is amazing and flavor warming (even though it’s mid nineties). Thanks

    • — Christina M Gibson on August 24, 2023
    • Reply
  • All of my neighbors are gluten free. I want to make this recipe. Do I need to change anything besides using 1:1 Gluten Free King Arthur Flour? Thanks!

    • — Elizabeth on March 2, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Elizabeth, no other modifications necessary – hope everyone enjoys!

      • — Jenn on March 2, 2023
      • Reply
  • These cookies are just delicious. I love the crispy edges and the softer centers. Everyone in the family loved these spicy cookies. They are perfect with tea or coffee. We like the soft version of molasses cookies too. So good.

    • — Kathleen on January 31, 2023
    • Reply
  • Absolutely Delicious! Crispy, crunchy and perfectly spiced. So flavorful. This recipe makes the house smell so good. The cookies themselves hold up really well–retaining a wonderful, spiced aroma and crunch. I love to pack these up and send them as gifts. Always a holiday treat to savor. Thanks, Jenn.

    • — Diane on December 20, 2022
    • Reply
  • The flavour of this cookie is incredible! You would be hard pressed to find a better one!
    Thanks for sharing all that you do. I love using your cookbooks. You have changed the way I cook and bake.

    • — Karen Blaak on December 20, 2022
    • Reply
  • These were unbelievable! Easy to make and came out perfectly. Ty!

    • — Katie on December 20, 2022
    • Reply
  • These cookies are outstanding!!! thank you so much. Can i make the dough ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator for 2 days before baking? Thank you

    • — Kathy on December 19, 2022
    • Reply
    • Yep!

      • — Jenn on December 19, 2022
      • Reply
  • I made these once before in a different oven, and they came out great — my ideal thin, crispy but slightly chewy ginger cookie — so I know this recipe is a winner absent user error/ bad oven conditions etc. But this time they puffed up but never really flattened and the texture is now not quite right and they are too thick. My oven this time is harder to see through, so I had to open it at the 11 minute mark to see if they’d flattened (they hadn’t) and then kept having to check every few minutes but they never did so eventually I just took them out so they wouldn’t burn. I’m sure letting all the heat out was the problem, but I wonder if there’s anything to be done if you can’t see through your oven’s window (besides trying to clean it! I don’t think there is a light?)

    • — Tania on December 9, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Tania, yes, I suspect opening the oven several times/letting the heat escape is what cause the problem. I think your best bet would be to clean the window. 🙂

      • — Jenn on December 12, 2022
      • Reply
  • These are the very best Ginger Cookies I’ve ever had! Followed the recipe exactly with excellent results. Thanks for another winner!

    • — Kim on November 21, 2022
    • Reply
  • Just delicious! I should have let the dough chill as long as stated, but I was too impatient! Still worked very well even if a bit more “messy” to deal with. Rolling the dough in the sugar made them easy to deal with and I got a little more than 5 dozen 3” cookies from the recipe! Will definitely make these over and over again!

    • — Ann Piland on August 24, 2022
    • Reply
  • I’m a home baker from NZ. I’ve read this recipe and adapted for my taste (i e. less butter and sugar). Here’s the quantaties I’ve adjusted: 225g flour
    75g Sugar, 75g brown sugar, 125g butter, 3 Tablespoons Golden Syrup (don’t tend to use molasses). This mixture can be rolled straightaway. Can’t be bothered chilling beforehand. If anyone tries this out, let me know how it turns out!

    • — Beverly Trillo on July 12, 2022
    • Reply
  • I’ve tried this recipe twice. The flavor is good except maybe a little too sweet. I also think they are more soft than crispy even though the outside has some crunch. I’d like them more crispy.

    • — Kevin on May 26, 2022
    • Reply
  • can we skip molasses or is there a substitute for it?

    • Hi Hemlata, there’s no perfect substitute for molasses. You could use either honey or maple syrup, but the flavor of the cookies will be a little different. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you make them!

  • I absolutely LOVE these cookies! They are crispy around the edges, with a little soft chew in the middle. And the spices are just enough to be tasty without being overpowering. I’ve made many dozens of these since I found this recipe.

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