Chewy Ginger Cookies

By Ernest Lee
Date posted: 12/22/2016
Chewy Ginger Cookie
Floating top button Top

Growing up, I used to love eating gingersnaps! I remember pulling these cookies out of store bought boxes and munching on them, one after another, until they were gone. Although they were tasty treats, I distinctly remember them as being noticeably hard and almost stale like. Then I thought to myself, what would these taste like if they were soft and chewy? A "soft" gingersnap? The answer lies in this chewy ginger cookie recipe!

This chewy ginger cookie recipe is one of my absolute favorites. It's a perfect holiday treat! It's soft, chewy, crunchy, and packed with just enough spice to live up to its name. This cookie recipe produces cookies that have all the same traits as its tougher gingersnap cousin, except that it's chewy. It has the signature gingersnap cookie crack look, the nice full ginger taste, and even a little spice kick at the end. The cookie is also rolled in Turbinado sugar (also known as sugar in the raw) which gives the cookie some additional texture and a nice pleasant crunch. So dig in! Find out what a freshly baked "soft" gingersnap tastes like!

Category/Keywords

Ginger Cookies, Dessert, Cookies

Share icon Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Makes About 60 Cookies

Times:

Prep Time: About 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 9 Minutes per batch
Total Time: About 1 hour and 20 minutes, plus time for cooling the cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 1/4 cup egg whites (from about 2 large eggs)
  • 3/4 cup Turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the raw)

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices using a wire whisk.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using a large wooden spoon.
  3. Add the molasses to the sugar mixture and mix.
  4. Add half the egg whites to the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining half of the egg whites to the sugar mixture and mix until combined.
  5. Add the flour and spice mixture in three batches, mixing to combine after each addition. The final dough will be somewhat stiff and tacky.
  6. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes. This will allow the dough to stiffen up and will be easier to handle.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  8. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or you can use non-stick baking sheets).
  9. Pour the Turbinado sugar into a medium bowl.
  10. Using a tablespoon or a size 60 cookie scoop, scoop up 1 tablespoon of dough, then roll it into a 1 inch diameter ball.
  11. Roll the dough ball into the Turbinado sugar until lightly and evenly coated.
  12. Transfer the dough balls onto the cookie sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space or more between the cookies.
  13. Bake until browned, between 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies will appear puffed, but will flatten as they cool.
  14. Cool the cookies on a wire rack. The cookies can be enjoyed immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Helpful hints & tips

  • Using brown sugar and molasses in cookie recipes usually adds to the chewiness of the cookie.
  • Refrigerating the dough makes the dough less sticky and easier to handle when rolling into balls.
  • Just a little bit of cayenne pepper gives this cookie a nice light spicy mouthfeel.
  • If Turbinado sugar is not available, you can use granulated sugar as a substitute.

Equipment

Before you get started, here are some helpful items you may need. Click on each item for more details.

Ingredient List

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger, or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 1/4 cup egg whites (from about 2 large eggs)
  • 3/4 cup Turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the raw)

Step-By-Step Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices using a wire whisk. Mixture of flour and spices.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using a large wooden spoon. Mixture of butter and sugars.
  3. Add the molasses to the sugar mixture and mix. Adding molasses to the sugar mixture.
  4. Add half the egg whites to the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining half of the egg whites to the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Adding eggs to the sugar mixture.
  5. Add the flour and spice mixture in three batches, mixing to combine after each addition. Adding flour to the sugar mixture. The final dough will be somewhat stiff and tacky. The final dough.
  6. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes. This will allow the dough to stiffen up and will be easier to handle.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  8. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (or you can use non-stick baking sheets).
  9. Pour the Turbinado sugar into a medium bowl.
  10. Using a tablespoon or a size 60 cookie scoop, scoop up 1 tablespoon of dough, then roll it into a 1 inch diameter ball. Scooping the dough mixture.
  11. Roll the dough ball into the Turbinado sugar until lightly and evenly coated. Rolling the dough mixture in sugar.
  12. Transfer the dough balls onto the cookie sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space or more between the cookies. Arranging the dough on a cookie sheet.
  13. Bake until browned, between 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies will appear puffed, but will flatten as they cool. Cookies after they are baked.
  14. Cool the cookies on a wire rack. The cookies can be enjoyed immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Welcome to the MyKitchenCalculator.com Recipe Collection!

The Recipe Collection is a food blog dedicated to bringing you nothing but the best recipes along with simple detailed steps and helpful hints on how to make them.

Check back often, as we continue to add more recipes to this collection.

Download apps developed by MyKitchenCalculator.com

(Available on Google Play and the Amazon App store for most Kindle and Android devices).

Google Play icon Amazon kindle app icon