Vegan Ginger Cookies

These Vegan Ginger Cookies are crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. They're packed with warming holiday spices like nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon and rolled in sugar for a perfectly balanced cookie. Quick and easy to make and gluten free adaptable!

This post is sponsored by Miyoko's Creamery. All opinions are our own.

🍪 Why We Love This Recipe

• Crunchy on the outside, soft & chewy on the inside: These cookies have the characteristic gingersnap crunch when you bite in (thanks to a sugar coating), but have a lovely soft chew after the initial bite. The best of both worlds!
• Holiday spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger team up to create that *perfect* blend of holiday spices. These vegan ginger cookies aren't too sweet – every bite is perfectly balanced!
• Tastes like the real thing: No one in our family could tell these vegan ginger were totally free from eggs and butter. They're seriously one of the best cookies we've ever had! We've also included a gluten free option below so everyone can enjoy.
• Perfect holiday cookie: If you're looking for a classic, foolproof holiday cookie, these vegan ginger cookies do not disappoint. Bonus: they're super easy to make!

🥣 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these vegan ginger cookies:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Ginger: We used ground ginger powder in this recipe - there's no fresh ginger in the recipe.
• Sugar: We used a combination of brown sugar, white, sugar and molasses in this recipe. White sugar promotes spreading, whereas brown sugar adds flavor and reacts with baking soda to create a rise. Molasses adds that sweet, slightly smoky, robust flavor that's essential to any good gingerbread. It also helps make these vegan ginger cookies extra chewy and delicious.
  • Since each type of sugar plays a different role, make sure to stick to the ratios listed in the recipe. Molasses is important not just for flavor, but also for texture. Your cookies will end up too dry without it.
• Spices: measure them carefully – too much cloves or allspice will drastically change the flavor of these cookies! The fresher your spices are, the better.
• Regular flour: To keep this recipe basic, use regular all purpose flour. If you need to make these vegan ginger cookies gluten free, you can use a 1-to-1 gluten free flour, which contains special starches and xanthan gum to help create baked goods that have a comparable texture to regular baked goods.
• Almond flour: we found that a small amount of almond flour added extra moisture to these vegan ginger cookies, which is welcome since there aren't any eggs. If you don't have any, you can sub with more all purpose flour, but if using gluten free flour, we strongly suggest using almond flour as well for a better texture.

🧈 The Key Ingredient

• Just a few more reasons to try Miyoko's butter ASAP:
  • It tastes absolutely amazing and just like the real thing. It’s a 1:1 sub for butter that works well in so many applications - it bakes, spreads, browns and even tastes great on its own. We use it in all sorts of recipes! 
  • It’s made from plant milk (ethically sourced cashews) and is palm oil free (most vegan butters are not!) 
  • Miyoko's Creamery is a mission driven, woman-founded brand and they are doing some pretty cool things in the vegan food industry. (If you haven’t yet seen their new vegan liquid mozzarella, you HAVE to try it. Most amazing vegan pizza I’ve ever had.)

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat your oven to 350˚F / 175˚C and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set butter aside at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow it to soften.

(1) In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves until well combined. (Make sure to stir well so the spices get evenly incorporated!)

(2) Once the butter has softened, add it to a large mixing bowl and cream (mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes) with brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Next, add in the molasses and continue mixing until incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

(3) In 3 batches, add the flour into the creamed butter and molasses mixture. Mix well between each addition and use the spatula to scrape the dough from the sides of the mixing bowl when needed. The dough will look crumbly, but will scoop and form cookies just fine.

(4) Use a cookie scoop to scoop out 18-20 balls of dough. Roll into a ball, and then coat each ball in sugar and transfer to baking sheet.

(5) The cookies don't spread very much in the oven, so you'll need to slightly flatten them before baking. You can either use another baking sheet to gently press down on the dough balls, or use the back of a measuring cup or the bottom of a mason jar or glass to individually press each dough ball into a cookie. Just make sure they all have an even thickness so they bake uniformly.

(6) Sprinkle each cookie with a bit more sugar after you press them down, and then bake for 10-11 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. Let cool completely before enjoying.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Don't overbake your cookies: these cookies may not look completely done when they come out of the oven, but they will continue to cook slightly as they cool. If you leave them in too long, they will be dry and too crispy.
• Don't skip the sugar coating: it adds the perfect crunchy exterior and a bit of extra sweetness, which is needed since these vegan ginger cookies are on the spicier side!
• If you're making this recipe gluten free, we'd recommend using a 1-to-1 flour that contains ingredients like xanthan gum. It will help to add body to the dough. If you're not making these cookies gluten free, you can simply use regular all-purpose flour.
• Shaping the cookies: We'd recommend using a cookie scoop to form equally-sized cookie dough balls. Since these cookies don't spread much in the oven, you'll need to gently flatten them. It's important to make sure they are all the same thickness before baking, otherwise they will cook at different rates.
• Storage: store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to one week. You can store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
• Freezer storage: place the cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost to room temperature before enjoying.

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