Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies are this week’s winner! The aroma of ginger cookies wafting through the house always makes me smile as I am baking treats for my family. Today’s cookies take the normal ginger cookie one step farther by adding chocolate chips and they are incredible!
The original source of these cookies is Lisa of Cook Lisa Cook and I found them when I was assigned her blog as part of the Secret Recipe Club. You must visit Lisa’s blog because she has SO many incredible recipes that will have you bookmarking page after page!
These cookies are simple to make and really pack a punch of ginger flavor. They are nicely balanced though, with cinnamon and cloves to give a rounded flavor in each bite. I was a bit skeptical about the chocolate chips, but they are fabulous.
I made half the batch with chocolate chips and half were plain ginger cookies (a great alternative for the holidays). Now The Artist is having fun trying to guess which ones have the chocolate! He keeps telling me, “I have to have another one because I haven’t found any chocolate ones yet.” I know he’s just trying to sneak another cookie, LOL!
I didn’t have any mini chocolate chips in my pantry, so I took my normal sized chips and ran them through the food processor to break them up a little. It worked, but the mini ones would be a lot easier.
I also used the food processor to grind the candied ginger into the sugar for rolling the dough in. It really amps up the ginger flavor and the little nubs of candied ginger are perfect for pressing into the tops of the cookies before baking if you want!
Another great thing about this recipe is that you can make the dough, bake off a few cookies and then freeze the rest for baking later. I usually roll it into a log, wrap with parchment paper, write the type of cookie, baking temp, and time on the outside, and then seal the whole thing with plastic wrap. That way I don’t have to find the recipe each time we want a few fresh-from-the-oven cookies.
Do yourself and your family a favor and make these Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies right away! Yep, they are that good. So good in fact, that I didn’t want to share them with anyone, LOL!
Have a fabulous week and Happy Chocolate Monday!!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, ginger
- Cinnamon, cloves, butter, brown sugar
- Molasses, egg, chocolate chips, sugar, candied ginger
PRO Tip:
If you haven’t heard of a Silpat before, it is a silicone baking mat that is so non-stick that I use them when I am making caramel candies. They are a bit more expensive than parchment, but consider them an investment because they are washable and will last for years. The most common size fits perfectly in a half sheet pan.
PRO Tip:
When we talk about baking sheets, we are talking about a sturdy metal tray with 1-inch-tall sides on it. It is called a half pan because it is half the size of the professional pans and fits perfectly in most home ovens. Half sheet pans are 18×13-inches and just right for sheet pan dinners that are so popular right now.
How to make Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies:
- Sift the dry ingredients together onto a sheet of parchment; cream together the butter, sugar, molasses, and egg, beating until smooth and fluffy
- Beat in half the dry ingredients until fully incorporated followed by the remaining dry ingredients then stir in the chocolate chips
- Using a food processor, combine the sugar and candied ginger, pulsing until the ginger is in tiny pieces; transfer to a shallow plate for rolling the dough balls
- Form the dough into balls about the size of a walnut and roll in the ginger sugar; place 2-inches apart on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet
- Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until they have spread to about 2-inches, risen and the tops have cracked; let sit on the baking sheet a couple of minutes to firm up slightly before transferring to a wire rack to fully cool
PRO Tip:
Mini chocolate chips really do work better in these cookies and are worth a trip to the store if you don’t already have them. You can also take a regular block of chocolate and chip off small pieces to use in place of the chocolate chips.
PRO Tip:
If you can’t find candied (crystallized) ginger in the baking aisle of your grocery store, you can try Trader Joe’s if you have one nearby or you can order it online.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or Silpats
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Food processor
- Cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
Gluten-Free Tips:
If you are baking for someone with celiac, make sure your chocolate chips are gluten-free.
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)
These cookies are simple to make and really pack a punch of ginger flavor. They are nicely balanced with cinnamon and cloves to give a rounded flavor in each bite. I was a bit skeptical about the chocolate chips, but they are a fabulous addition!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2-1/4 cups (270g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend or all-purpose flour
- Add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum if your gluten-free flour blend doesn’t already include it
- 2 tsp baking soda (gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup mild molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (gluten-free if needed)
For Rolling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup candied (crystallized) ginger chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat, parchment paper, or lightly butter it.
- Make the Cookie Dough: Place a wire sieve or basket on a sheet of parchment or in a bowl; add the flour, soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Sift onto the paper or into the bowl; set aside.
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, molasses and egg. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and beat until completely incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat them in. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Make the Sugar Coating: In a food processor, place the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the candied ginger. Pulse until the ginger is broken down into tiny pieces and starting to be incorporated into the sugar. Transfer to a shallow dish such as a pie plate.
- Using a small cookie scoop form small balls of dough about 1 tbsp each and roll in the sugar & candied ginger mix until thoroughly coated. Press a piece or two of the candied ginger into the top of each cookie dough if you want.
- Place the sugared balls two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Be sure to leave plenty of room on each baking sheet so they will have room to spread without touching each other.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake at 375ºF for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies have spread to about 2-inches, risen and the tops have cracked. They will feel slightly firm when you gently press the centers. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes. Use a spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 95Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 105mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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Katrina
Ooh, love the idea of using crystallized ginger with the sugar for the coating outside. I feel that I must “cheat” for these. I’ll still use organic sugar, so……I’ll let you know when I make these.
Jane Bonacci
Yea! I’m sure you can find some workable alternatives so you can cheat a little more, LOL! <3