the BEST Soft Ginger Cookies Recipe (no molasses)

Soft ginger cookies full of warm spices and flavor…without using molasses. A family favorite that we make multiple times a year!

Even though these cookies usually make their debut in the fall I have made them many times to bring for new babies, neighbors, or other hospitality trips. When my husband was super sick for many months I tried to keep a stash of these on the counter for my son. These cookies smell and taste like a warm hug. Make them anytime you need to give or get a bit of comfort.

Ginger Cookies in a Jar

Add the dry ingredients for these cookies to a mason jar with a cute tag and the recipe. These cute jars make a great gift idea!

Once the weather cools down, ginger cookies are one of the best sweet treats you can have. They’re sweet, spicy, and warm up your throat and soul when the temperatures outside do the opposite. And here in our family, we love ginger cookies and eat them every year once the pants start coming out (OUT, guys… not off :)).

These ginger cookies are one of the first recipes I learned to make. After the divorce of my parents (and even before), my siblings looked forward to celebrating holidays at my house. In the early years, it was probably because I provided yummy meals and treats.

These cookies were one of the first I learned to make because they were so traditionally Christmas and fall (we YEARNED for traditions). And because my siblings loved them so. I remember them walking into the house and smelling the ginger….”YES! I was hoping you would be make ginger cookies!”. They would congregate in the kitchen waiting for them to come out of the oven willingly burning their little fingers to get them right away. Chaos and competition in the best version! –decades later I still make these at least once or twice a season.

A little history about ginger:

When I wrote about these cookies I thought to do a little bit of research on the history of ginger in baking. Apparently, ginger was used in cooking during the Middle Ages because it could disguise the taste of preserved meats. We mostly know ginger for gingerbread, and the term gingerbread was coined in Medieval England and originally just meant preserved ginger–it wasn’t until later that the word was used to describe desserts.

Ginger, and ginger baked goods, have been around forever. In fact, the first known recipe for gingerbread dates back to 2400 BC! In the late Middle Ages, Europeans had festivals where the ginger cookies were so popular that the festivals were eventually known as Gingerbread Fairs, and the ginger cookies you could buy there were called “fairings”. Even the first American cookbook had three variations of gingerbread recipes.

Can I use fresh ginger instead of the powder?

YES! It will take on a stronger flavor (which most people love!). Try using 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger for the powder.

Try my Gingerbread Cake…you’ll love the warm flavors and how easy it is to make!

This recipe is Levi’s favorite cookie recipe and he asks for these cookies often, all year long.

Can I freeze the ginger cookie dough to bake later?

Yes, for sure. In fact…I recommend making a big batch of dough for this purpose. Create the cookie dough balls and put them into a large freezer bag and pop them into the freezer. When ready to bake simply take them out, set them on a cookie sheet, and let them thaw. Bake as usual. They may need an extra minute or two if they are super cold.

Sometimes I will mix a bit of cinnamon, cloves, and ground ginger into the sugar I use to roll the cookies in. Adding those spices ups the flavor. But lets be honest, most of the time I simply use sugar and call it a day.

Go ahead and skip rolling them in sugar if you are in a hurry. Just sprinkle a little bit on top after they have been pressed.

If you have kids helping you this will be their favorite part! Have them gently press the cookies down into flat little wheels. You’ll probably turn around to find them licking their palms to taste that sweet sugar. Ignore them ;).

For kids:
-Ask them to count the cookies on the pan and be sure there are 15 with 5 rows of 3 each.
-Make sure they wash their hands and then ask them to gently press the cookies flat.
-Skip the sugar and go for colored sugar. Ask them to lightly sprinkle the sugar over the cookies.
-Have kids taste the ginger and ask them if they can guess what kind of plant ginger comes from. Have them google it and see how close they were.