This is the recipe you were looking for if you like molasses cookies with a kick from the fresh ginger. They are super easy to make, eggless and spicy. They keep well and you can freeze the dough and have freshly baked cookies any time you want.
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The ginger flavor is amazing, strong but sweet from the molasses and sugar, with that particular spicy flavor we all love.
Chewy and soft at the same time, these are cousins to the gingersnap cookies but with a kick.
With this cookie dough, you can make slice-and-bake or scoop-and-bake cookies. You can also roll them in sugar before baking.
I make these every year, and they compete with the pistachio butter cookies and almond butterballs, which also have a prized place in my cookie box.
This recipe is great for a cookie exchange or a holiday gift, as the cookies keep and travel well, especially if you give them away in metal tins.
FAQ
It makes them soft and chewy, adding a unique flavor that can be sweeter or more bitter depending the type you use. And that brown color is thanks to the molasses and the spices. Molasses is like dark honey, and it adds a lot of moisture to baked goods.
It depends on your palate. The darker the molasses, the more bitter the flavor. So, you have to balance that with the amount of sweetness and spice in your recipe to know which one will work best.
They look similar but gingersnaps are usually less chewy. They might be soft on the inside but crunchier on the outside. My favorite recipe for Gingersnap Cookies has an egg in the batter and that creates a different texture.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Ginger: This recipe uses both fresh and dried ground ginger. The mix is fantastic for adding a slightly spicy kick.
- Molasses: I use dark, unsulfured molasses, but you can use light molasses if you favor a lighter color and less sharpness.
- Spices include cinnamon, ground allspice, and sometimes a dash of nutmeg. For spiciness, we're adding cardamom (that amazing peppery, lemony spice) and white pepper, which is optional but encouraged.
- Brown sugar: light or dark.
- Coffee extract: or a few teaspoons of strong coffee because it rounds up the whole thing. It's not essential, but it's a nice touch.
- Baking powder: make sure it isn't expired.
There are two ways:
- Slice and bake: form the dough into a log, wrap it in plastic and chill it in the fridge until firm enough to slice.
- Scoop and bake: refrigerate the bowl with the dough and then scoop and bake it, similar to the Almond Butter Cookies.
Roll them in white sugar: I like to go the extra mile and add this step before baking so that they create a crisp and crunchy coating.
Step-by-step VIDEO
Storing & Freezing
- Containers with airtight lids are recommended so the cookies don't become too soggy. I love tins or metal containers, first and foremost. After that, cookie jars work well, as do plastic containers. But consider that they all allow different moisture levels so that the cookies might become softer or, gosh-forbid, soggier more quickly.
- Freeze the whole unbaked logs (my favorite way) and then take them out 15-20 minutes before baking so they can be cut easily. Or freeze the already-cut cookies (before they are rolled in sugar). They need some minutes at room temperature to roll in sugar before baking.
- Freeze the scooped portions: if you decide to chill the dough in the bowl and then scoop walnut-sized cookies, the best way is to freeze the baking sheet and transfer the pieces to a bag when they become rock solid. That way they will take up less space in the freezer.
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Ginger Cookies (spicy, eggless)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 to 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 8 ground fresh cardamom pods, if you use ground cardamom make sure it's very fresh
- pinch ground white pepper, optional
- ½ teaspoon coffee extract, optional
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup additional white sugar, for rolling cookies, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat ¾ cup unsalted butter and ¾ cup light brown sugar until creamy, either by hand or with an electric mixer.
- Add ¼ cup unsulphured molasses and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix.
- Add 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground allspice, 1 to 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger, 8 ground fresh cardamom pods (if using ground cardamom, make sure it's very fresh), a pinch ground white pepper (optional) and ½ teaspoon coffee extract (optional) and mix well.
- Sift the dry ingredients: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add to the butter mixture in 2 or 3 additions. Mix well, but don't overmix (I recommend switching to a spatula). The dough will be shiny but not sticky.
- Slice and bake: take a large piece of plastic wrap, place half of the cookie dough in the middle, make a rough cylinder, wrap the dough in the plastic, and roll it until it's tight. Prick in a few places to release air bubbles that might have formed. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Refrigerate the logs for at least 3 hours, or until firm. You can leave it refrigerated for a day or two. Or freeze for up to a month, wrapping the logs in aluminum on top of the plastic.
- Scoop and bake: cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours until firm enough to scoop.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take out the dough from the fridge and put ½ cup additional white sugar, about ½ cup in a shallow bowl.
- Roll the cylinder of dough, still wrapped, a few times on the counter to round out the parts that touched the refrigerator floor and are probably flattened. Cut the dough into ½ inch slices and coat each one with sugar. Alternatively, you can bake them plain, without rolling.
- Or scoop small amounts of dough and roll in your hands to make walnut-sized balls. Do this quickly so the dough remains cold.
- Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space to grow between each cookie.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until crackled and dry.
- Let cool on wire rack. Store in an airtight metal container.
Suzanne says
Hi!
I was wondering if it's okay to roll the cookie dough into balls, then roll in sugar or do they have to be in slices to be baked.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Suzanne! You can roll them in sugar, no problem.
Carole Ann says
Recipes look delicious!
SM says
I know this post is older, but how much vanilla should be added? And, should there be an egg? Thank you!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi SM, it's a teaspoon of vanilla and it has no egg. If you want a similar cookie with egg, check out the Gingersnaps recipe.
Sm says
Awesome, thank you!
Carolina says
We made this recipe and it was so delicious Paula! It will become a staple at our house and not just for the holidays. We love them year round. The fact that is eggless was a surprise as I didn’t know how that would go. Enjoy the week my friend.
Alexandra Shankster says
Seems to be missing several ingredients, at least vanilla and honey and likely eggs.
Paula Montenegro says
It also seems that you lightly left a bad review for a recipe that:
a) you never made
b) is not missing any ingredients
Have a good week Alexandra.
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks for the comment Maca! You too have a great season!
KP says
Wow, what a post, what a memorial to your brother. I've been searching the net looking for a recipe for something spicy, ginger and buttery and had in my head all day it had to include cardamom. I haven't been able to put my finger on a recipe and say "yes, that's what I'm thinking of". I am so delighted to have found this recipe - I have half the ingredients so tomorrow after work and a quick top up at the supermarket, I am going to make these biscuits - and all the while I will be thinking of your brother, the love you have for him and my dear departed Dutch father who would have loved these, I can hear him raving when he tastes them... thanks for sharing..
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes says
Aw, thanks KP!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Dear Paula,
I started at your post from today, went to Lora's and now am reading all three posts about your brother, Facundo. He sounds like a fabulous, dear, sweet, brilliant and extraordinary man and brother. and I love the relationship that you had with him. So so special. I loved reading this and I feel horrible that it took me this long to find this post and read it!
The cupcake you sold at your café to help those kids. . this is why you are Paula and why you are so special. From your 3 posts, your brother sounds a lot like you, my friend. Thank you for sharing these posts and stories with us!
wp_vknotes_admin says
Oh Alice, the post over at Lora's opened some emails and comments that made my day, especially this one and on the ginger cake post. It's so touching that you took the time to read and write to me today. And it's never late, it's always the right moment. I'm so thankful to have crossed paths with you! And when I see those conference pics with Nancy, I can imagine us meeting and keeping in touch for ever. Hugs my friend.
Cocoa and Lavender says
Paula, I am crying a little bit now as I write this... thinking if you and Facundo, and of all the other young women and men taken before their time. Like your brother, I have had friends help me to learn how to live life to the fullest, and those are lessons I will never forget. I send you virtual hugs until the day we can actually meet and I can give them to you in person. Thank you for this honest and love-filled story. Having read your posts in reverse order, I can so completely understand why the holiday spirit might be a bit hard to find for you. Take a cookie (which sound amazing, by the way) and go someplace special to have a chat with your brother.it always makes me feel a little better... ~ David
Cocoa and Lavender says
Me, too! I have been thinking about blogging friendships lately and they remind me of old-fashioned correspondence. People used to get to know one another through letters for years before they met. They developed deep friendships through words, and that is what is happening here, too. Thank you for the gift of your friendship. I hope your Christmas Day is filled with love. ~ David
Kathy says
Paula, This is such a meaningful, lovely post! I’m so sorry for your loss. So touched by the way your brother has touched your life. I also lost a brother, there is not a day that goes by, that I don’t think of him.
I happen to be reading this on Sunday the 16th…and as you probably know, there has been a terrible school shooting here. Babies that were only 5 or 6 years old…your last few words seem so poignant at this time. Hugs!
Anonymous says
I find my self everyday now checking your blog for new recipes...and yes, it is my first time writing a comment. Your beautiful but yet sad story has touched my heart. Couple of months ago I received a phone call that my cousin has passed. His life was cut in half so suddenly. It was a heartattack and there was nothing he could've done...
Eventhough his story was cut short, he lived and enjoyed his life to the fullest. Now I know that his story was not cut short his story still lives in our hearts and it will continue to live on...Just like your brother still lives in your heart & his loved ones. Thank you for sharing & most of all thank you for letting me remember my cousin Keith Park!
Cher Rockwell says
Paula - your positive spin on such a tough thing is touching. Loss is never simple - whether it happened one day ago or ten years ago.
I am constantly amazed by the support that can be found on the interwebs. It restores ones faith in humanity.
jody says
I came here after seeing this post shared by Jenni (Pastry Chef online). I was intrigued by the recipe, but moved so much by this beautiful post. Your brother sounds like he touched many lives. Thank you for sharing this.