Crisp on the outside and irresistibly chewy on the inside, these easy-to-make ginger cookies are reminiscent of traditional Cornish Fairings.
They're super simple to whip up using pantry staples, and are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, making them a crowd-pleaser that everyone will love!
Delicately spiced, they're the ultimate cookie to enjoy as an after-school snack, or for Afternoon Tea, and they can even help curb the dreaded morning sickness in early pregnancy!
👩🍳 Love cookies? Try my easy chocolate biscoff cookies too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- Quick and easy to make using store cupboard ingredients.
- Made in one bowl.
- Egg-free cookie recipe.
- Great for snacks and Afternoon tea
- Freezer-friendly.
🛒 Ingredients
These chewy ginger cookies are made with pantry staples!
- Ginger - dried ginger is used in this recipe to ensure a delicately spiced cookie.
- Mixed Spice - for extra flavour.
- Plain Flour - plain white flour.
- Bicarbonate of Soda - helps achieve a crisp exterior and chewy middle.
- Baking Powder - gives the cookies a little rise.
- Butter - unsalted is best and it must be fridge cold and cubed.
- Sugar - use white or golden caster sugar, or substitute with light brown sugar or granulated sugar.
- Golden Syrup - or use honey or corn syrup.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
Step 1: Place the four, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, dried ginger, and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the cold diced butter by hand until you get a fine breadcrumb-like consistency.
Step 2: Stir in the caster sugar with a metal spoon.
Step 3: Pour in the golden syrup and mix in with a spoon.
Step 4: Bring the dough together with your hands until you get a ball of dough. If your mixture is too dry add another ½ to 1 tablespoon of golden syrup and work it in.
Step 5: Roll walnut-sized balls of cookie dough and place, well-spaced, on a lined baking sheet
Step 6: Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to continue cooling.
💭 Top tips
- It's important to keep the butter and other ingredients as cool as possible before using them in the recipe. This will help the dough hold its shape and prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Try not to overwork the dough when mixing it. Just mix until the ingredients come together into a smooth dough. Overworking the dough can result in tough cookies.
- For evenly sized cookies, use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough. This will help the cookies to bake evenly and prevent some from being over or under-cooked.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the ginger cookies with a cup of tea or a glass of cold milk.
They also make delicious ice cream sandwiches with my honeycomb ice cream.
📖 Variations
- Make them even more gingery by adding chopped stem ginger to the dough. 1 heaped teaspoon will be about right.
- Add the zest of 1 lemon or clementine for a fruity flavour.
- Add some chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips to the dough for a decadent twist on the classic ginger cookie.
- For a richer flavour and darker colour, use dark brown sugar instead of caster sugar.
- Add some chopped nuts, such as almonds or pecans, for extra crunch and flavour.
- Make a sweet white chocolate drizzle icing for the top of the cookies. Ginger and chocolate go really well together.
🥡 Storage
Store. The cookies will keep in an airtight container or biscuit tin for up to 3 days.
Freeze. Place the cooled cookies into a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
❓ FAQs
Ginger has been found to reduce nausea and vomiting. These cookies are great for easing morning sickness in early pregnancy!
Ginger cookies and biscuits should not be mistaken for gingerbread. Gingerbread is generally thicker, softer, and more bread-like in texture.
To ensure even shapes, use an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to measure out the dough. This will help to make sure that each cookie is the same size and shape.
Yes, you can experiment with other spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or mixed spice to add different flavours to the cookies.
You would need to use block margarine in this recipe. The fat needs to be rubbed into the flour, so it must be fridge cold and cubed.
😋 More cookie recipes to try!
- Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookies
- Smarties Cookies
- Golden Syrup Cookies
- Empire Biscuits
- Chocolate Mini Egg Cookies
- Sprinkle Cookies
- Christmas Star Biscuits
More baking recipes from the blog!
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Recipe
Easy Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 225 g Plain Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
- 3 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 2 teaspoon Mixed Spice
- 120 g Butter fridge cold and diced
- 120 g Caster Sugar
- 6 tablespoon Golden Syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ Gas 4) and line 2 large baking trays with non stick baking paper.
- Place the four, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, dried ginger, and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the cold diced butter by hand until you get a fine breadcrumb-like consistency.225 g Plain Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, 2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda, 3 teaspoon Ground Ginger, 2 teaspoon Mixed Spice, 120 g Butter
- Stir in the caster sugar with a metal spoon.120 g Caster Sugar
- Pour in the golden syrup and mix in with a spoon.6 tablespoon Golden Syrup
- Bring the dough together with your hands until you get a ball of dough. If your mixture is too dry add another ½ to 1 tablespoon of golden syrup and work it in.
- Roll walnut-sized balls of cookie dough and place, well-spaced, on a lined baking sheet
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Notes
- It's important to keep the butter and other ingredients as cool as possible before using them in the recipe. This will help the dough hold its shape and prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Try not to overwork the dough when mixing it. Just mix until the ingredients come together into a smooth dough. Overworking the dough can result in tough cookies.
- For evenly sized cookies, use an ice cream scoop to measure out the dough. This will help the cookies to bake evenly and prevent some from being over or under-cooked.
- Make them even more gingery by adding chopped stem ginger to the dough. 1 heaped teaspoon will be about right.
- Add the zest of 1 lemon or clementine for a fruity flavour.
- Add some chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips to the dough for a decadent twist on the classic ginger cookie.
- For a richer flavour and darker colour, use dark brown sugar instead of caster sugar.
- Add some chopped nuts, such as almonds or pecans, for extra crunch and flavour.
- Make a sweet white chocolate drizzle icing for the top of the cookies. Ginger and chocolate go really well together.
Jess
These are a holiday classic that we make every year! They are the perfect chewy cookie!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I love the combination of crispy and chewy and these are perfect! Will be making these again.
Kay
My son loves a ginger biscuit, I can't wait to make these with him!
AISilva
These easy ginger cookies were so simple and quick to make. I love that I could have these done in just 20 minutes. Thanks for this recipe, my kids loved them!
Tavo
I love ginger cookies! These look super easy to make! I will give them a try! Thanks for the recipe!
Wendi B
Great recipe, I shared with a novice baker and as I like a strong ginger and spice flavour, my variation is using half molasses (still chewy but not quite a sweet and with the nutritional benefits - (Molasses are richer than honey in many minerals and vitamins, including iron, calcium, potassium, and B Vit), half syrup, some additional, grated fresh root ginger and dark brown sugar with a hint of nutmeg ... bringing in a few more flavours of Jamaica.