If you're looking for a cookie recipe that's sure to impress, these Ginger Spice Cookies are a must-try. It’s the perfect combination of warm, comforting flavors of ground ginger, cinnamon, and other mixed spices. You’ll end up with the perfect cookie that has an amazing texture and an irresistible taste that will leave you craving more. Perfect for a midday snack or Christmas cookie exchange!
The beauty of Ginger Spice Cookies is that they're not just delicious but also easy to make at home. These cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings, bake sales, or just a regular day when you need a sweet treat. You can even involve the kids in the process, making it a fun and enjoyable bonding activity. They’re crunchy, festive, and absolutely delicious!
This Ginger Spice Cookies recipe is special for its use of aquafaba in the icing, a unique ingredient that adds a light and fluffy texture to the glaze. Plus, it's a vegan-friendly recipe, so everyone can enjoy it. Give this recipe a try, and you might just find your new favorite cookie recipe.
Read on to learn exactly how to make these delicious ginger spice cookies today!
Jump to:
- What are Ginger Spice Cookies?
- Why This Is The Best Ginger Spice Cookies Recipe
- What You Need to Make Ginger Spice Cookies At Home
- How to Make Ginger Spice Cookies Step by Step
- Tips For Making the Best Ginger Spice Cookies
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe Variation Ideas for Ginger Spice Cookies
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to Store Leftover Ginger Spice Cookies
- Similar Recipes
- Recipe
What are Ginger Spice Cookies?
Ginger spice cookies are a delightful treat that brings together the warmth of spices with the sweet, comforting flavor of cookies. These cookies are the perfect vegan holiday treat. Spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and a bit of cloves, they smell just like Christmas!
They are simple but delicious. Plus, they’re crispy and sweet! Trust me, no one will be able to resist them. My recipe is similar to gingersnaps. However, unlike the typical gingersnaps, these gingerbread cookies don't contain molasses.
Freshly baked from your oven, these cookies are sure to fill your home with an incredible aroma and offer a treat that's worth every calorie. Whether for a festive occasion or a casual baking day, this recipe is sure to impress!
Why This Is The Best Ginger Spice Cookies Recipe
Easy to Make: This ginger spice cookies recipe is delightfully simple. With ingredients such as ground ginger, all-purpose flour, and basic spices already in your pantry, these vegan cookies are a joy to create. The process is straightforward, and the prep work is minimal, making it a stress-free baking experience.
Perfect for Decorating: These aromatic cookies are not only delicious but also perfect for decorating. The dough holds up well for intricate designs, and the finished cookies look gorgeous with a bit of aquafaba icing. You can also add a personal touch with sprinkles, colored frosting, or tiny candies. This makes it a fun and creative activity for both children and adults.
Make-Ahead Friendly: If you're planning for a big event or just want to save time, this recipe is a great option. The ginger cookie dough needs to be chilled before rolling it out, making it perfect for prepping ahead of time. You can make the dough a few days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. On the day of your event, simply roll out the dough and bake the cookies.
Vegan and Delicious: These ginger spice cookies are completely vegan, but they don't compromise on flavor. The blend of spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves gives these cookies a warm, festive taste that everyone will love. They're a crowd-pleaser, whether your guests are vegan or not.
What You Need to Make Ginger Spice Cookies At Home
All you need are some incredibly simple, pantry-staple ingredients to make this delicious ginger spice cookie recipe at home.
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
Water: This is used to bind all the dry ingredients together and create a smooth dough.
Organic Cane Sugar: This acts as a sweetener in the recipe, balancing out the spices while also giving the cookies a crisp exterior.
Maple Syrup: It not only sweetens the cookies but also adds a unique flavor that complements the spices.
Neutral Oil: In most of my baking recipes, I use cooking olive oil. It doesn't have a strong aroma like regular olive oil, and it's great for high heat cooking. You can sub it for avocado oil or vegan butter;
Mixed Spices: A blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom brings a warm, festive flavor to these cookies.
All-Purpose Flour: This is the primary dry ingredient, providing structure to the cookies.
Baking Powder: This ingredient helps the cookies rise in the oven, giving them a light, soft texture.
For the Icing:
Aquafaba: Used as a vegan egg substitute in the icing, aquafaba gives the icing a light and fluffy texture.
Icing Sugar: This is used to sweeten the icing and give it a smooth texture suitable for decorating the cookies.
Lemon Juice: A touch of lemon juice in the icing adds a hint of tartness, balancing out the sweetness of the sugar.
How to Make Ginger Spice Cookies Step by Step
Making this incredible ginger spice cookies recipe at home is super easy and will give you great results every single time. Here's how to make it step by step:
- Make the sugar syrup
In a medium saucepan, whisk water, sugar, and maple syrup. Cook on until the sugar dissolves, then remove the pan from the stove.
- Make the dough. Let the sugar mixture slightly cool and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, spices, and 1 ½ cup flour mixed with baking powder. Mix the ingredients first with a spoon, and then use your hands to knead the dough until it's smooth. Try not to knead the dough for too long. Wrap it in plastic and put it in a refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Roll out the cookies and cut
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and leave it out until it comes to a room temperature. Once it's warmed up, preheat the oven to 385 F. Divide the dough in half and roll out each half until it's about ¼-1/8" thick. Using a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies, then press together the scraps and repeat.
- Bake the cookies
Place the cut out cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You might need to use a few baking sheets. Bake vegan ginger cookies for 6–8 minutes until the cookies become light brown around the edges. Let the baked cookies cool on a wire rack.
- Make the aquafaba icing
Add the aquafaba to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer until it becomes foamy. Stir in ½ cup of icing sugar, then beat with the mixer for 10–20 seconds.
Add in the remaining sugar and beat for another 20–30 seconds, then add in the lemon juice and beat again for a few more seconds. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe it onto the cookies to decorate them.
Tips For Making the Best Ginger Spice Cookies
Don't rush the dough: After mixing your dough, it needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours. This step is crucial for the dough to firm up and the flavors to meld together.
Rolling out the dough: Use a silicone pastry mat when rolling out your dough. It will help you achieve the precise width required for your cookies. If the dough sticks, lightly dust the surface and the top of the dough with some flour.
Preheat the oven: Before baking your cookies, make sure to preheat your oven to the correct temperature. This ensures your cookies will bake evenly and achieve a beautiful light brown color around the edges.
Watch the baking time: Keep a close eye on your cookies while they're in the oven. They should be in there for about six to eight minutes until they start getting lightly browned around the edges. Overbaking might result in harder cookies.
Decorating: For a festive look, use a piping bag to apply the icing on your cookies. This gives them a professional touch and enhances the overall taste.
Serving Suggestions
- Looking for a unique dessert? Try serving these ginger spice cookies with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. The cool, creamy texture of the ice cream complements the crunch and spice of the cookies.
- For an afternoon pick-me-up, pair these ginger spice cookies with a glass of milk or a hot chai latte. The warmth and creaminess of the beverage enhance the spices in the cookies.
- Ginger spice cookies also make a great addition to your holiday dessert spread. Their festive flavor and delightful texture will surely be a hit with your guests.
- These cookies are also a great snack on-the-go. Just pack them in an airtight container and you have a handy, delicious treat ready for when hunger strikes.
Recipe Variation Ideas for Ginger Spice Cookies
This delicious ginger spice cookie recipe is so flavorful and easy to make, you'll want to try out some of these delicious variations! Here are some great ideas:
Go Gluten-Free: For those who are sensitive to gluten, simply replace the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour. This variation will not only make the cookies gluten-free but also add a slightly different texture to your ginger spice cookies.
Boost the Spices: If you're a fan of rich, aromatic flavors, try adding a teaspoon of all spice, a teaspoon of ground cloves, and a pinch of black pepper to your dry ingredients. This will amplify the spice profile and give your cookies an extra kick that pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee.
Sweet and Salty: To add a twist to your ginger spice cookies, try sprinkling a pinch of sea salt on top of the cookies before baking. The contrast between the sweet cookies and the salty sprinkle will make your taste buds dance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aquafaba is the liquid leftover from canned chickpeas or beans. It can be used in baking as a substitute for egg whites. When mixed with sugar and lemon juice, it makes a sweet and delicious icing perfect for decorating cookies.
A variety of spices pair well with ginger in cookies, including cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom. You can also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for an additional layer of flavor. Feel free to choose your favorite ones or use what you have in your spice pantry.
Yes, you absolutely can. If you don't have aquafaba or prefer not to use it, you can replace the icing with vegan buttercream frosting or coconut frosting.
How to Store Leftover Ginger Spice Cookies
If you have leftover ginger-spice cookies from your recent batch, no worries! First things first, your leftover ginger cookies should be stored in an airtight container. This will help retain their crunchy texture and delightful taste. You can store these cookies at room temperature, and they will remain fresh for up to five days.
But what if you want to enjoy these cookies again after a week or so? Well, the good news is that these ginger cookies are freezer-friendly.
Once your cookies have cooled down, place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Put these baking sheets in the freezer until the cookies are frozen. After they're frozen, you can transfer the cookies to a freezer-friendly zipper bag. They can be stored like this for up to three months.
You can also freeze the cookie dough balls for future use. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and freeze it. The dough can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
When you're ready to bake the ginger cookies, thaw the dough overnight in the fridge or leave it to defrost on the counter until it's pliable enough to be rolled out.
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Recipe
Vegan Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- ⅓ c water minus 1 tsp,
- ½ c organic cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ c neutral oil like cooking olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mixed spices, such as ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom
- 1 ½ - 2 c all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
For the icing
- 2 tablespoon aquafaba from a can of chickpeas or white beans
- 1 c icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Make the cookies
- In a medium saucepan combine water, sugar and maple syrup. Cook on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from the stove and slightly cool.
- Let the sugar mixture slightly cool and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add oil, spices and 1 ½ c flour mixed with a baking powder. If the dough doesn’t come together you can add a bit more flour, up to 2 cups total. Mix the ingredients first with a spoon and then using your hands knead the dough until smooth. Try not to knead the dough for too long.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and put in a refrigerator for 2 hours. After the dough has set, remove from the refrigerator and let it sit for ½ hour until it comes to a room temperature.
- After dough has reached room temperature, preheat the oven to 385 F. Divide the dough in half and roll out each half until it's about ¼-1/8" thick. (If the dough sticks, you can lightly dust the surface as well as the top of the dough with a bit of flour). Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut out cookies. Press together scraps and repeat.
- Place cut out cookies on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 6-8 minutes until the cookies are beginning to get light brown around the edges. Remove baked cookies to cool on a wire rack.
Make the icing/glaze
- Add the aquafaba to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer until foamy, about 30 seconds. Stir in ½ c of icing sugar. Beat with mixer for 10-20 seconds. Add in the remaining ½ c of sugar and beat for another 20-30 seconds. Add in lemon juice and beat again for a few more seconds. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe it onto the cookies to decorate them.
Notes
Nutrition
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Natalia says
Very easy recipe and delicious cookies.
Iryna says
Thank you!