Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies

These Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies melt have a melt in your mouth texture, while rolling them in sugar prior to baking gives them their specialty sparkle.

Keep in touch!  Subscribe to receive Melanie Makes recipes direct to your inbox.

Original content posted December 2014.  Updated December 2020.

When my husband’s parents come to visit, his mom is always bearing cookies.  All of us have our favorites.  

Andy’s favorite are her chocolate chip cookies which are stored in the freezer and he enjoys as an addition to breakfast on the drive to the hospital each morning.  

The menagerie loves the sugar cookies she makes and frosts for a variety of holidays.  

My favorite though?  Hands down, without a doubt, are these Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies.

The recipe for these Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies was included in a cookbook that Andy’s mom and sister made for me when we got married.  It includes page upon page of favorites from family and friends.  The credit for this recipe was given to Andy’s grandmother.

How to Make Soft Ginger Cookies

The key to keeping these ginger cookies soft and chewy?  Baking them just until set and no longer.  Extra minutes in the oven makes them more gingersnap like.  That’s fine and all if that’s your goal, but I prefer the melt in your mouth texture of these softer cookies.

SIDE NOTE: If you’re looking for an autumn inspired version of this cookie, you’ll no doubt love my Soft and Chewy Pumpkin Ginger Cookies.

Want to put a bit of holiday flair on your ginger cookies?  Roll them in colored sugar, instead of white, before baking.  A simple switch that immediately makes these Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies even more festive!    Or if you really want to go all out, these cookies are also the base of my Ginger Cookie Sandwiches with Christmas Ale Buttercream.  

You could even make a holiday cookie platter for friends and neighbors and include my Mocha Peppermint Crunch Cookies and Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.  All of my favorites!

How to Make Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies

[1]  In the bowl of an electric mixer, add shortening and 1 cup sugar.

[2]  Mix together on medium speed until combined.

TIP:  This will be one or two minutes or until light and fluffy.

[3]  Add egg and molasses to bowl.

TIP:  You’ll want to use regular molasses for this recipe, NOT bootstrap molasses which would give the cookies an unpleasant taste.

[4]  Beat together until combined.

[5]  Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger to bowl.

[6]  Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.

TIP:  Over mixing the dough will result in tough cookies rather than the soft and chewy cookies you’re looking for.

[7]  Using a tablespoon scoop, shape dough into balls and roll in sugar.

TIP:  Using a scoop will insure that all of your cookies are the same size.

[8]  Place dough on silicone mat or parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until just set.

Can You Freeze Ginger Cookies? 

Absolutely!  I love to have a stash of these Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies in the freezer as a quick and delicious treats.  Making the cookies in advance of the winter holidays and stashing them in the freezer to enjoy later is always a great plan, too.

Print Recipe

4.73 from 29 votes

Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies

Forget cookies that snap! These Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies are the cookies that dreams are made of. The melt in your mouth texture is absolute perfection, while rolling them in sugar prior to baking gives them their specialty sparkle.  

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time8 mins

Total Time23 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 48 cookies

Calories: 69kcal

Author: Melanie Bauer | Melanie Makes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar + additional for rolling
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, add shortening and 1 cup sugar.
• Mix together on medium speed until combined.

  TIP:  This will be one or two minutes or until light and fluffy.
• Add egg and molasses to bowl.

  TIP:  You'll want to use regular molasses for this recipe, NOT bootstrap molasses which would give the cookies an unpleasant taste.
• Beat together until combined.In the bowl of an electric mixer, add shortening and 1 cup sugar.
• Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger to bowl.
• Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.

  TIP:  Over mixing the dough will result in tough cookies rather than the soft and chewy cookies you're looking for.
• Using a tablespoon scoop, shape dough into balls and roll in sugar.

  TIP:  Using a scoop will insure that all of your cookies are the same size.
• Place dough on silicone mat or parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 8 minutes or until just set.

Notes

These cookies are also the base for my Ginger Cookie Sandwiches with Christmas Ale Buttercream.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 32mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Before you begin your holiday cookie baking, you might also want to check out these Holiday Cookie Decorating Tips, Holiday Cookie Baking Tips and these Holiday Cookie Gift Ideas.