Grandma’s Ginger Cookies

Name: Grandma's Ginger Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar; 1 1/2 cups shortening; 1/2 cup molasses; 2 eggs; 4 cups flour; 4 teaspoons baking soda; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon cloves; 2 teaspoons ginger

December 22, 2022 by Sandra 54 Comments

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There’s something about the Christmas season that I adore; perhaps it’s the smell of baked desserts wafting through the house.

These ginger cookies are simple to make and fill your home with the scent of holidays. They’re soft, chewy, and have just the right spices.

These are the softest, chewiest ginger cookies you will ever have. Be prepared for them to vanish as soon as you put them in the cookie jar!

Okay, friends {confession time} – I grew up never being exposed to a ginger snap. I honestly thought that my Grandma’s Ginger Cookies were the only type of ginger cookie that people made. It wasn’t until college at a cookie exchange that I discovered the famous ginger snap cookies.

And wow, I fell in love with those snaps. I vividly remember the brown bag with the orange lettering that they came in and devouring the entire bag with my roommate. I’m sure I was a wallflower that night, not socializing and stuffing my face in that bag of ginger snaps. No shame whatsoever!

While I love ginger snaps, nothing in my eyes will ever beat my Grandma’s Ginger Cookies. They are so soft and chewy, yet have a crispy outer crust.

Baking Traditions

I made these with my mom and siblings yearly over the holiday season. Scratch that; we made them at least a dozen times every Christmas. They were the most requested item in our goody bag to our family and friends: these cookies and my grandma’s Best Ever Zucchini Bread.

I make these for our family and friends over Christmas with my kids, just like my mom did with us. I love this tradition and eating one straight off a hot pan and dipping it into a cold glass of milk. {Mouthwatering as I write this.}

I’ve heard over the years that there is nothing better than “grandma’s recipe,” and that is just the case with these cookies. I am looking forward to Christmas Eve when my kids leave one of these cookies for Santa on his plate of goodies, just like I did growing up.

The only difference is that this Santa won’t take a bit of the cookie and leave the rest. The Santa in our home will eat the entire cookie and all the crumbs.

I can’t wait for you to make my Grandma’s Ginger Cookies – they are the best ever, and so is she. XOXO San

Ingredients for soft and chewy ginger cookies

Sugar
Shortening
Molasses
Eggs
Flour
Baking soda
Cinnamon
Cloves
Ginger

How do you make Ginger Cookies?

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients and set it to the side.

Cream sugar and shortening together in your mixer. Slowly add molasses and eggs to the mixture, one at a time.

Slowly add the dry ingredients 1/2 cup while stirring until everything is mixed together.

In a different bowl, mix 1/3 cup of sugar. Afterward, use a spoon or cookie scoop to form 12 balls out of the dough. Finally, roll the balls around in the sugar until they are coated.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet, and bake them in an oven preheated oven to the correct temperature. The cookies should be baked for 10-12 minutes.

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Don’t forget to pin this recipe for my grandma’s Ginger Cookies to your favorite Pinterest board.

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4.50 from 6 votes