In my family, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without my mom’s famous spicy, chewy ginger cookies. The fragrance and flavor is so distinct that every time I bite into one, I’m transported to Christmases past, surrounded by family in my parents’ house.
This one is extra-special because it used to be a conventional recipe featuring real butter and wheat flour, but my mom experimented with vegan and gluten-free substitutions and various mixing and baking methods until she got them just right, from the crispy edges and chewy interiors to the crackly tops.
These babies hold up very well in the freezer, so you can make them ahead of time, and their sparkly sugar coating and festive flavor make them the perfect food gift for loved ones, friends, teachers, etc.
It’s my family’s gift to you – this was a top-secret recipe until now – so enjoy, and let me know if you love them as much as we do.
Happy holidays!
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Large bowl
- Medium spring-loaded scoop (about 1 ¾ inches in diameter)
- Cooling rack
- Sifter
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vegan butter replacement such as Soy-Free Earth Balance
- 1 ½ cup sugar, divided
- 3 ½ cups gluten-free one-to-one baking flour (such as Bob's Red Mill)
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsulfured molasses
- 3 tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
Instructions
- Place the vegan butter and 1 cup of the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and wait for the butter to come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
- In a separate large bowl, sift the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt together.
- Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix vegan butter and sugar on high speed until the mixture is creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Lower speed to medium and slowly pour in the molasses.
- Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture a little bit at a time, then the crystallized ginger. (The dough will become very dense and sticky, and will stick to the paddle in one piece).
- Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours.
- Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If your oven has a "convection" setting, turn that on).
- Remove dough from refrigerator.
- Place the remaining ½ cup of sugar in a small bowl.
- Using the medium spring-loaded scoop, scoop one cookie at a time directly into the sugar, roll in the sugar until lightly coated.
- Place dough balls on ungreased cookie sheets about 1 ½ inches apart (you'll be able to fit about 18 cookies per sheet).
- Place the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and the cookie cracks slightly on the top (they will stay soft in the middle).
- Cool cookies on the cookie sheets for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Use within 5 days stored in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.
1 thought on “Mom’s Famous Vegan, Gluten-Free Ginger Cookies”
These are the best ginger cookies of all time!