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, filling 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.
Reader’s Review
I just tried these. The recipe made about five dozen. Came out really soft. Thanks for the recipe. – Michelle
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.
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.
Ginger Cookies Baking Tips
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.
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl 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 a preheated oven to the correct temperature. The cookies should be baked for 10-12 minutes.
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Grandma’s Ginger Cookies
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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In your mixer cream sugar and shortening together. Slowly add in the molasses and eggs, one at a time.
- Add dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl add 1/3 cup of sugar.
- Using a cookie dough scooper, make 12 balls of cookie dough and roll them in the sugar.
- Place on cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.
These look amazing Sandra! Adding them to my list of must try Christmas cookies!
I made some with my own recipe a few days ago. For the first time, I added some cinnamon chips.WICKED. It was a fun addition. Love and miss you.
Just tried these. The recipe made about five dozen. Came out really soft 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you tried them! I love these and one of the reasons is because they are soft. Enjoy!
San
I love Ginger snap cookies– I usually just buy the store bought kind but these look so much yummier!
Thanks for linking up to That’s Fresh Friday! Hoping to see you and some of your yummy recipes again this Friday 🙂
Ginger snaps are delicious and homemade has to be the best ever!. A delicious holiday cookie and also great for cookie exchanges too. Thanks so much for sharing grandma’s recipe.
Hi, Sandra, these really are the perfect Christmas Cookie- grandmas know best! 😉 Baking with you in Fill the Cookie Jar.
Love, Joy
These look delicious Sandra! I want to try them out soon!
I love ginger snaps too but sometimes they’re just too crunchy. These look like they’re soft and a great change from crunchy gingersnaps.
Love your title. These look really good and ginger cookies are so warming this time of year.
I am a ginger lover and I love these cookies. Tell santa to deliver some to me on x mas morning.
I love ginger cookies and these look wonderful. I prefer them soft too.
These look incredible! definitely putting this on my cookie making list this season 🙂
Mmm, I love ginger cookies of both snappy and chewy varieties!
I surprisingly didn’t have a recipe or ginger bread cookies, but now I do! Pinned!
This makes me thrilled, can’t wait to hear what you think. They are so good!!! xoxo San
These look delicious Sandra! I have been searching for a good ginger snap recipe. I even posted a “help, I am looking for a ginger snap recipe!” on my blog some time ago. I will try your recipe. THANKS!
Linda
Memories always make a cookie better! Thank you for sharing it on our Four Seasons Blog Hop. Pinning now.
I love cookies like these! Thanks for sharing your grandma’s recipe with us!
This sound so good! I pinned them to my Bake Sale Board!
Can’t wait to try them.
Cheers,
Stephanie
These cookies look perfect for Santa! Thanks for linking to the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you next week.
G’day! One word Sandra? YUM!
Viewed as part of Foodie Friends Friday Christmas Cookie Exchange
Cheers! Joanne
@mickeydownunder
These are amazing cookies! I just made them, and they are perfectly chewy on the inside, with a slightly crunchy edge. I am so thrilled to have a go-to chewy gingersnap recipe now! Thank you so much.
So happy to hear! Happy Holidays!
xoxo San
What a wonderful cookie! I would make these year ’round!
What kind of molasses do you use?
I just made these ginger cookies and used blackstrap molasses. They turned out very well and are much healthier. I also used cane sugar and Nutiva shortening which is an organic superfood and healthy!
You know any of grandma’s recipes are going to be good!
Those crinkly tops are perfection. I am so ready for Fall baking flavors!
Is it ok to use butter in place of shortening??
The consistency of the cookies is lovely. If you want them less flat, be sure and chill the dough between baking batches. I got approx. 6 dozen yield. The flavor is pretty good, but it tasted like something was missing. I realized too late that what is missing is salt. I sprinkled some in with the sugar I rolled the last few batches in, and it helped tremendously. You may want to add a tsp into the dry ingredients before forming the dough balls.
Grandmas have the best recipes — adding these to my holiday baking list!
These cookies look perfect! A must for Christmas!
These are calling my name! Looks delish!
Sandra what happened to the actual recipe? It no longer appears. This is a go to recipe for me and it has disappeared in this link. Please help!!!
It’s there now, thank you for letting me the recipe card was deleted!
Thank you Thank you ❤️
I made these yesterday and they are wonderful. They just remind me of Christmas and my Grandma. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Awe thank you, happy holidays!
It will be the children’s favorite snack this Christmas.