Chewy vegan ginger cookies are lightly sweetened with caramel-like coconut sugar and molasses. Cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon add warming notes. These simple cookies are perfect for holiday baking and freeze well!
For some more cozy vegan recipes, try a vegan chocolate cake (with a sweet potato frosting!), easy vegan scones, or go-to vegan banana bread.
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Spices: change up the spices based on your personal preference. Nutmeg is a great substitution for cardamom, for example. Adding a quarter teaspoon of cloves is good too if you want a more lebkuchen kind of cookie.
- Coconut sugar: light brown sugar is a good replacement for coconut sugar.
- Vegan butter: use a good stick or block type of butter that's meant for baking. Dairy butter can be used if you want the ginger cookies but they don't need to be plant-based.
How to Make Ginger Cookies
Step 1: cream together the butter and sugars, then beat in the molasses.
Step 2: Add the flour, baking soda, and spices to the bowl and stir to combine. If you're using the chopped crystallized ginger, add it now.
Step 3: divide the dough into 12 equal balls. Roll in coarse sugar if you're going that route, and place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet. Press a piece of candied ginger into the tops of each if you'd like.
Step 4: bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown and cracked. Cool fully before serving or storing.
Top Tips
- They're meant to crack: these crackly little molasses cookies are meant to crack during baking! Don't worry if they do, it's what's supposed to happen.
- Use crystallized ginger: candied and crystallized are often used interchangeably, but make sure you're using the type of ginger that's coated in sugar, not stored in syrup.
- Don't over-mix: make sure to mix on low speed, or even switch to a spoon, so that the dry ingredient aren't worked for too long. Over-mixing will result in tough cookies.
Recipe Notes
You can use either coarse sugar or crystallised ginger for decorating these cookies - both are fantastic! If you love candied ginger, it adds a nice extra layer of chewiness to the cookies. Rolling in coarse sugar adds a crunchy element and festive shimmer.
How to Store
Storage: keep the cookies in a sealed container for 4-5 days at room temperature.
Freezing: transfer fully cooled cookies to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature. The cookies are just as chewy after being frozen.
FAQ
What's the difference between gingerbread cookies and ginger cookies?
Gingerbread is a specific type of robust cookie that's meant to be used to make shapes or to build cookie structures with. Ginger cookies can be any type of cookie with a ginger flavour added.
Why are my ginger cookies hard?
If your ginger cookies turn out hard, there are three likely culprits: over-baking, adding too much flour, or reducing the sugar (and molasses) content.
Why are my ginger cookies bitter?
If your ginger cookies are bitter, it might be due to using blackstrap molasses, which is quite bitter. Use light or regular molasses instead.
More Great Holiday Cookies
If you make this Vegan Ginger Cookie recipe or any other cookie recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Chewy Vegan Ginger Cookies
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- baking sheet
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Parchment paper
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- â…“ cup molasses
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup coarse sugar for rolling, chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream together the vegan butter, sugar, and coconut sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the molasses and beat to combine.
- Next, add the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to the bowl and stir until mixed. Stir in the chopped ginger now if using.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal balls. Roll the balls in coarse sugar if you'd like.
- Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each. Press another piece of candied ginger into the top of each if desired.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown and cracked.
- Cool fully on a wire rack before serving or storing.