These big soft ginger cookies are some of my favorite holiday cookies. They’re perfectly spiced with a little crisp on the outside but a perfect chew in the middle.

They make the best cookie option, in my opinion. Perfect if you don’t want a sugar cookie or anything chocolate (I mean, I want all three, but balance is nice on occasion).

My mom made these for us growing up, from an old magazine clipping (which I can’t see a source for sadly). It’s been a feature in the “desserts” section of her green tin recipe box for decades and will forever be a holiday favorite for me.

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holding soft ginger cookie with crackly top

BIG SOFT GINGER COOKIES

Ginger cookies are a delicious spiced cookie packed with cozy flavors such as ginger (obviously), cloves, and cinnamon. While many ginger cookies tend to have a crunch to them, hence “ginger snap,” I’m all about a soft cookie.

These ginger cookies are ones you can sink your teeth into and even make delicious buttercream cookie sandwiches. These cookies also come together quickly and easily, and as they bake, they puff up and get the most perfect crackle on top.

How to bake soft ginger cookies: The use of shortening allows the cookies to keep their hold as they bake, while giving them an even softer bite. Also, don’t overbake them! They will be lightly browned and puffed when ready. If you leave them in the oven for too long, they will get crispy.

INGREDIENTS

Flour: Balances moisture while providing structure
Baking Soda: Provides the necessary puff
Ground Ginger, Cinnamon, & Cloves: Make for an aromatic, cozy bite
Salt: Beautifully balances the sweet and spiced flavors
Shortening: The main fat that helps keep your cookies from spreading too much and staying tender
Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness while contributing to the spread and moisture in your cookies
Egg: Brings together your cookies while helping with moisture, flavor, and leavening
Molasses: Adds a rich flavor and aids in that soft, chewy texture

Why is my cookie dough dry? You just need to mix it a little more! The dough will look dry before it comes together, so keep your beaters on (or keep folding with a spatula) until that shortening really hydrates the dough.

HOW TO MAKE BIG SOFT GINGER COOKIES

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. This will make it easy to remove the cookies from the tray!

Grab a medium-sized bowl and combine your dry ingredients – flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Then, in a large mixing bowl, add your shortening and beat it with a mixer for 30 seconds on low speed to soften it.

Add in your cup of sugar and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes until your mixture is fluffy. Add in your egg and molasses and mix together until just combined.

Mix in your dry ingredients until all is combined and you have a soft cookie dough.

Shape your dough into 1 ½-inch balls, which is roughly 2 tablespoons each, and roll them in a bowl with your remaining sugar. This will give them a delicious texture as they bake.

Place your cookies on a lined baking sheet about 2 ½-inches apart, keeping the rest of your balls on a plate while you bake the first batch.

Bake your cookies for 10 minutes, until lightly browned and still puffed. You don’t want to overbake these, or they won’t be soft.

Let them sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

big soft ginger cookies baked and ready to eat

3 reasons you’ll love these big soft ginger cookies

Fluffy and soft, perfect for sinking your teeth into one (or three)
Filled with all the cozy flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves
One batch alone makes 24 cookies! This is a great recipe for feeding a crowd or filling cookie boxes

TIPS & VARIATIONS

Take your cookies out right at that 10-minute mark. They should be puffed and lightly browned when ready (I know, they go in brown but you’ll see). Leaving them on the tray for an extra 2 minutes once out of the oven will finish the bake and give you the perfect soft texture.
To up the spice level, add a dash of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to your 2 tablespoons of sugar before rolling your cookie dough in it!
You can substitute the shortening for butter, but it will change the texture of the cookies. The flavor will be richer with the butter, but the cookies will spread more, leaving them a bit flat and a little more crispy (but still soft and delicious!).

MAKING AHEAD & STORING

You can make your ginger cookie dough in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to 2-3 days when wrapped tightly.

If you want to freeze your dough, roll it into balls and layer them in a container between sheets of parchment paper. The dough will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer!

Pull your dough from the freezer and place it in the fridge the night before you want to bake it, so your cookies will bake evenly from a thawed state.

Your baked ginger cookies will last for a week or more when stored in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 3 months in the freezer!

MORE SPICED DESSERT RECIPES

EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings 24 3-inch cookies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

These big soft ginger cookies are packed with warm spices, baked to puffed perfection, and give the absolute best chew. Perfect for holiday baking or anytime you're craving a classic cookie.

Equipment

Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Mixer
Spatula
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Wire Rack

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper
In a bowl, combine flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt
In a large mixing bowl, beat your shortening for 30 seconds on low speed to soften. Gradually add in 1 cup of sugar and beat until fluffy (1-2 minutes). Add in the egg and molasses and beat together until combined
Mix in your dry ingredients until just combined. If the dough seems dry, just keep mixing! It'll soften as it comes together
Shape your dough into 1 ½-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each), and roll in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place on your lined cookie sheet about 2 ½-inches apart
Bake for 10 minutes, until light brown and still puffed. Do not overbake! Let stand on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely
Enjoy!

Video

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDC0HYES2Ns/

Notes

*You can use butter instead of shortening, but your cookies will bake much flatter and without the crinkled top. They still taste delicious! For a butter cookie, place your rolled dough balls in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before baking, to allow the butter to re-firm up before it hits the oven

*For the bake, you’ll pull them out at the 10-minute mark and might question the doneness of the center of the cookie. Trust the process! The cookies will cook a little longer during the cooling process on the tray. They will set as they cool. This is where they get their delicious chew (but not if you overbake them)!

*This recipe came from a magazine clipping in my mom’s recipe tin. Sadly, there isn’t a name to give credit, but I thank whoever made this perfect recipe. It’s a seasonal favorite!