How do you take a simple ginger cookie and make it better? You add more ginger. These Triple Ginger Cookies are loaded with three kinds of ginger, plus cloves, and nutmeg, to add even more flavor to these spicy chewy cookies.
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Ginger, oh, how I love thee. Most mornings, I put fresh ginger in my lemon water; it adds a zesty flavor and a bit of heat, and I love snacking on candied ginger. These gingerbread muffins are a favorite morning treat, and gingerbread Rice Krispie Treats are the kids favorites.
When I need a soothing drink, I make this Ginger Honey Tea, it's great for scratchy throats.
Of course, I bake with all kinds of ginger. Ginger's spicy, peppery, lemony flavor adds great flavor to sweet and savory dishes.
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Don't forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board for when you want some delicious cookies.
Let's talk about ginger
Ginger is an ancient spice from Asia used in food and medicine.
There are seven forms of ginger, and this recipe uses three of them
- Fresh or Raw Ginger: Used in various forms such as grated, chopped, and sliced; you can even juice raw ginger. Fresh ginger can be used in cooking, baking and drinks. In its fresh form, ginger can be pretty pungent but will mellow with cooking or baking.
- Crystallized ginger: Here, pieces of ginger are cooked in sugar and water to soften the fibers in the ginger, then these pieces are coated in sugar. Use crystalized ginger for snacking and toppings for desserts. This type of ginger still has some heat, but not as much as fresh ginger.
- Ground ginger: This is in the powdered form and adds a more pungent ginger taste to your foods than fresh ginger. You can substitute ground ginger for fresh using ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger, which equals one tablespoon of fresh ginger.
The flavor of ginger is mildly sweet and can have different flavor notes depending on the piece of ginger so that you can expect lemon, pepper, and cinnamon flavors.
For this recipe, you need some spices—yes, these cookies are full of ginger, of course, nutmeg and cloves. Get ready to measure, grate and chop.
You're gonna love these cookies
- These cookies have great flavor, are not too sweet, and have just the right amount of spice.
- You can taste the ginger inside and out.
- If you like tender, chewy cookies, these ginger cookies are for you; the molasses makes them chewy.
- These cookies have the classic sugary crinkle cookie top.
- Cookie making should not be hard; with these cookies, you mix, chill and bake. EASY!
- And, if you like to make these for the holidays, read this How To Make Christmas Cookies In Advance, because these cookies can be made a week before, and they will stay nice and fresh.
Ginger Cookie Ingredients
You need basic ingredients from the pantry and aromatic warming spices.
- White Sugar
- Butter - I use unsalted butter that has been softened.
- Molasses - this will give these cookies a deep flavor.
- Egg
- Flour - All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Fresh ginger - This will add zing to these cookies. This ginger needs to be grated
- Ground ginger
- Crystalized ginger - This ginger is sugared and adds a nice chewy texture. Make sure it is chopped into small pieces.
- Nutmeg & Cloves - these spices have a delicious undertone of flavor.
How To Make Triple Ginger Cookies: Step By Step
This is a super easy cookie recipe: mix the wet ingredients and add the dry ingredients and the spices. The most important part of the recipe is letting the dough chill for an hour so all the flavors can develop.
Step 1. Prepare the grated ginger. I keep my ginger in the freezer, so it is always on hand. It is also easier to grate ginger when it is frozen. Use a Microplane zester/ grater for the best results.
Step 2. Measure two tablespoons of the candied ginger and place it on a cutting board. Chop the ginger into smaller pieces with a sharp knife.
Step 3. Mix the sugar, butter, molasses, and egg in a large bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Step 4. In a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, grated ginger, chopped candied ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix well to incorporate all the spices.
Step 5. Add half the flour mixture to the batter and mix on medium speed to incorporate, then add the other half and mix in the flour.
Step 6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Step 7. While the dough is chilling, mix the ¼ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger in a small bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 8. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in the ginger sugar. Place on baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for 10 -12 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack, and feel free to eat them warm from the oven.
Crinkle Cookie Tip
When making crinkle cookies with granulated sugar, sometimes the sugar bakes off, so you don't see it on top of the cookie. So if you want more sugar, dip the top of a warm cookie in the ginger and sugar mix.
Recipes with crystallized ginger
- Try this recipe for Banana Cake that's rolled with a cream cheese filling and topped with pecans, cranberries, and ginger.
- Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is always a fall favorite and is topped with lots of ginger.
Cookie Faq's
There is a difference. Candied ginger has been soaked in sugar and water to soften it, and then it is stored in the sugar syrup. Crystalized ginger has also been soaked in sugar and water, but it is dried and then coated in sugar.
Baking tools and ingredients to make ginger cookies
One of my favorite kitchen tools is my zester/grater. It's such a handy tool for zesting and grating citrus and spices.
When I bake cookies, I always use a 1-inch cookie scoop so my cookies are all the same size and bake up nice and round.
And don't forget the ginger. These ginger pieces are my favorite for baking, and I love to nibble on the ginger for a sweet and spicy snack.
More treats to bake and eat
Recipe
Triple Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 each egg
- 2 ¼ cup AP flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons canided ginger chopped
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teapoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Use a grater or zester, grate the fresh ginger.
- If the pieces of crystalized ginger are large, you can chop them into smaller pieces. I do this by placing the ginger on a cutting board and make a couple of chops with a chef's knife.
- In a large bowl add the sugar, butter, molasses, and egg. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. You can also use a stand mixer.
- In a small bowl add the flour, baking, soda, salt, grated ginger, candied ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix well to incorporate all the spices
- Add half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix on medium speed to incorporate the flour, then add the other half and mix until the flour is combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350° f and prepare cookie sheets with parchment.
- Mix the ¼ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger in a small bowl.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough into 1-inch balls then roll the balls in the ginger sugar mixture. Place on baking sheets 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set. Cool on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container.
- Option - if you want more sugar on top of the cookies just dip the top in the ginger sugar mixture when they are still warm.
Notes
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Nutrition
Published Feb 18, 2017, last updated Sept. 20, 2022
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About Jere' Cassidy
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place. I am glad to be sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Lucy
Everyone LOVES these cookies! I do cookies once/year for a cookie swap at our local library Cookbook Club and gave some to my daughter to take to work as well as my granddaughter. Have repeated requests to make again this year as well. They are easy and great tasting and I'm seriously considering ditching the others I make in favor of making millions of this one. Highly recommended.
Jere Cassidy
Thank you for such a wonderful comment, I am glad you found the recipe easy and delicious.
Lily
Just baked these triple ginger spice cookies, and if you're a ginger lover like me they're heavenly! The texture was lovely and I enjoyed every single bite.
Noomi
LOVE the candied ginger in these! These cookies were just bursting with flavor and everyone loved them. Even my picky kid! Thanks so much.
Bella
I am obsessed with ginger so when I saw triple ginger, I was sold! It was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. I have made these twice already and plan on giving them a permanent page in my recipe book. Highly recommend!
Chrissy
I just made these just now to welcome the chilly autumn weather happening and they were fabulous. The 3 styles of ginger really warmed up the cookie's profile and made for a great chewy tender treat, also thanks for the crinkle cookie tip!
Rose
Tried baking a batch of these triple ginger cookies today and loved the recipe! So easy to follow and they tasted exactly the way I expected them! I'll make it again for my kids when they come home for Christmas!
Kathleen
Packed with all that marvelous ginger flavor; these triple ginger cookies are calling my name!
Glenda
Love, love, love the intense warmth and deep ginger flavor in these cookies! Delicious!
Gina Abernathy
A nice and flavorful cookie that taste like fall! Delish and goes great with my coffee.
Chenée
I love the layers of ginger flavor in these cookies! I am so glad I found this recipe!