These chewy and soft ginger cookies are going to become a new favourite. Just try to not go back for one after another. Definitely for the ginger lover they’re filled with ginger in two forms and have the  most wonderful texture.

For you true ginger lovers, try these ginger shortbread and this ginger loaf cake.

A batch of ginger cookies with pieces of crystallised ginger around.

Why you’ll love it

With Christmas just weeks away, I am well and truly dreaming of that sweet aroma of holiday spices – like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. I’m going to jump straight in and say these cookies are lifechanging. Ok, big call but they’re just so good.

  • The perfect combination of spices – cloves and ginger
  • Rich and deep flavour from treacle, brown sugar and ginger
  • Their texture is soft and chewy in the middle, but the edges are crisp
  • Rolled in sugar, they have a gorgeous crunchy coating
  • No need to chill the dough

They definitely earned a spot on my list of the 25 best Christmas cookie recipes.

I can honestly say, these are my new favourite cookie and watching how people just can’t stop at one gives me so much joy. While I can guarantee I’ll be making these soft ginger cookies every holiday season from here on, they’re just as lovely any time of year.

You’ll love these Biscoff butter cookies too.

Tools you’ll need

Ingredients for soft ginger cookies

For such a flavour-packed cooked, there really aren’t too many ingredients.

Ingredients for soft ginger cookies on a marble benchtop.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Flour: Plain (all-purpose) flour is all you need.
  • Treacle: I use treacle but feel free to use molasses too. It gives this cookies such a depth of flavour. If you use molasses, make sure it’s regular molasses and not blackstrap molasses.
  • Crystallised ginger: This is real pieces of ginger that has been candied in sugar.
  • Brown sugar: Brown sugar helps to give these cookies their chewiness.
  • Egg: Just one large egg.
  • Butter: Use unsalted butter, so you can control the salt level.
  • Baking soda: The baking soda gives these cookies a fluffy, soft centre.
  • Salt: Always add a touch of salt, even to sweet treats, as it will enhance the flavours.
  • Ground ginger: This gives a good punch of ginger flavour. If your ginger has been sitting around for a while, it’s a good idea to buy a fresh jar – the flavour will be better.
  • Cloves: I add a touch of ground cloves too to give them that real spiced cookie flavour.
  • Demerara sugar: Demerara sugar (very similar to turbinado sugar) has large crystals so it gives a lovely crunch to these cookies. You can use white granulated sugar too but the crystals are smaller.

How to make ginger cookies

These easy cookies are all mixed in one bowl and there’s no need to chill the dough before baking, which means you can have these chewy and soft ginger cookies ready to devour in half an hour.

A collage of 4 images showing how to make ginger cookies.

Detailed instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. The dry ingredients: Start by whisking together the dry ingredients in a bowl and set that aside.
  2. The wet ingredients: Beat together the butter, treacle and sugar in a large bowl  for about 1 minute, until well combined and looking fluffy (photo 1).
  3. Add the flour and ginger: Add the dry ingredients and beat those through followed by the finely chopped crystallised ginger (photo 2).
  4. Roll in sugar: Roll balls of dough in demerara sugar until covered all over (photo 3).
  5. Bake: Place them at least 2 inches apart on a baking tray (photo 4) and bake for 9 minutes.     
A pile of ginger cookies with pieces of crystallised ginger around.

Tips and tricks

  • Don’t overbake them. The key to keeping these ginger cookies perfectly soft and chewy is to cook them until just cooked or ‘set’ and not cooking until firm or crunchy.
  • Use a small cookie scoop. You’ll want to use a small cookie scoop (roughly 1 tablespoon in volume) or you can use a tablespoon measure to get level spoons of dough.

How to store ginger cookies

Make sure to store these cookies in an airtight container to retain their lovely soft texture. They will keep well at room temperature for at least a week.

These ginger cookies can be frozen too so you can make them ahead of time for gifting during the holidays.

The cookie dough can also be frozen so you can have cookies whenever you feel the need. Roll balls of dough and freeze them on a baking tray until solid. Transfer them to an airtight container and it will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

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A cookie broken in half to reveal the inside.

If you try this soft ginger cookie recipe, please take a moment to leave a rating and comment below. I love hearing from you and it helps other readers too! You can also take a photo and tag @sugarsaltmagic on Instagram.

More ginger recipes you’ll love

A pile of ginger cookies on a sheet of baking paper.

Chewy and Soft Ginger Cookies

Yield: 38 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes
4.8 from 18 ratings
These perfectly chewy and soft ginger cookies, with their crispy edges rich ginger flavour are so easy to make. Loaded with ginger flavour from ground and crystallised ginger, these cookies are irresistible.
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Ingredients

  • 260 g plain (all-purp) flour (2 cups / 9.2oz)
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 113 g unsalted butter, room temp (½ cup / 1 stick / 4oz)
  • 150 g light brown sugar (¾ cup / 5.3oz)
  • ¼ cup treacle (85g / 3oz)
  • 1 large egg
  • 55 g crystallised ginger, chopped finely (⅓ cup / 2oz)
  • ⅓ cup demerara (turbinado) sugar

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 180C / 350F /160C fan forced. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper.
  • Sift together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, ground cloves and salt and whisk to distribute evenly. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and treacle until lightened and fluffy (1-2 minutes).
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat until fully combined.
  • Add the flour mixture and beat through until 90% combined. Now add the crystallised chopped crystallised ginger and give it all a mix until everything is well incorporated.
  • Use a small cookie scoop or eye-ball approximately 3 teaspoons of dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll in the demerara sugar and place on baking trays 1-2 inches apart.
  • Bake for 8-9 minutes – be careful not to overbake. Let them cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire

Notes

  1. Both the dough and the baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months.
  2. Store baked cookies in an airtight container to keep their soft texture.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES!
Calories: 58kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Afternoon Tea, Desserts, High Tea, Snack, Sweets
Cuisine: Cookies, Various
Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.