These lemon ginger cookies are made with crystallized ginger, a little ground ginger and allspice, plus plenty of lemon zest. Citrus and spice make a balanced and refreshing duo, especially if you’re craving a lemon cookie with more depth of flavor. Each cookie is soft and chewy in the centers with irresistibly crisp edges. Lemon glaze adds a finishing touch.
I didn’t think I’d love a lemon cookie quite as much as I loved these. Ginger’s spicy heat and lemon’s bright flavor complement each other so well. It’s like the perfect marriage that fits so many seasons of the year, but if you ask me, the sparkly crystallized ginger and lemon glaze on top seems especially fitting on a holiday cookie platter.
One reader, Charisse, commented: “I made these for my lunch club as I was looking for a cookie that was just a bit above the average cookie. These were a huge hit! They were delicious and turned out perfectly. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out soft, moist, and full of wonderful flavor! I will definitely be putting this recipe in my baking rotation! โ โ โ โ โ ”
Tell Me About These Lemon Ginger Cookies
- Flavor: Can we call these spa cookies? The aroma and flavor reminded me of sipping warm tea with cucumbers on my eyes at a tranquil spa. In reality, we have a pleasantly spiced and zippy lemon cookie on our (probably unmanicured) hands.
- Texture: I appreciated the texture just as much as the flavor. The cookies are very soft and chewy in the centers with crisp edges. Unlike lemon crinkle cookies and lemon thumbprint cookies, which both remain soft and puffy, this version browns nicely around the edges which cools to a slight crunch. (Likely the switch to baking soda and addition of lemon juice and crystallized ginger, more on that below.)
- Ease: Preparing this cookie dough is pretty uneventful. Sure, the excitement for lemon cookies is always thrilling but the process is standard. Besides a mixer, there’s no special tools or equipment involved.
- Time: After you make the dough, roll into balls as best you can, then chill them for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Between making the cookie dough, rolling, chilling, and baking, this recipe takes around 2 hours total.
Are You Familiar with Crystallized Ginger?
Crystallized ginger is a key ingredient in this cookie recipe, though you could certainly leave it out if needed or desired. (See recipe note.) You can find it at most grocery storesโit’s usually in the produce aisle but could also be found in the natural foods section or even by the dried fruit. Crystallized ginger is peeled and cut fresh ginger root that’s been cooked in simple syrup and dried out. Each little chunk has a crunchy sugar coating with a soft and chewy center, similar to a gumdrop candy. I love using crystallized ginger in baking for that unexpected sweet-yet-spicy flavor, like in these chocolate ginger cookies and this ginger pear galette.
- You need 1/4 cup very finely minced crystallized ginger. It’s potent, so we’ll use only 2 Tablespoons in the dough. Each cookie dough ball will take a light dip into the rest.
Have you tried my drop sugar cookies before? This recipe is adapted from it. In my recipe testing, I added lemon zest, lemon juice, and the spices. Since I added liquid (lemon juice), I increased the flour. The cookies tasted like little lemon cakes. They were very tasty, but I wanted more of that chewy-crisp texture. Since we now have lemon (an acid) in the dough, I swapped baking powder for a smaller amount of baking soda. The edges browned and crisped beautifully. I appreciate the detailed, yet easy-to-understand way Serious Eats explains things: baking soda raises a cookie dough’s pH, creating an alkaline dough.
Renowned pastry chef Stella Parks tells us:
“This weakens gluten, keeps cookies tender, and even speeds the Maillard reaction so that deeper flavors and colors develop in a shorter amount of time.”
Baking: a delicious science.
Overview: How to Make Lemon Ginger Cookies
The full written recipe is below, but let me walk you through a couple things before you get started. You need 11 ingredients for these lemon ginger cookies: flour, baking soda, ground ginger, ground allspice, salt, butter, sugar, egg, lemon, vanilla extract, and crystallized ginger. The combination of ground ginger and allspice gave these a pleasant spice flavor. Allspice is a common spice found in the spice aisleโit tastes like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s excellent in many baking recipes, like my favorite apple pie. See recipe note if you don’t have it or can’t find it.
Like I mentioned above, preparing the cookie dough is easy. Proper room temperature butter is imperative for creaming the butter and sugar. Chilling the cookie dough is another non-negotiable. These lemon cookies are very buttery and the colder the cookie dough, the less theyโll over-spread. The cookie dough can get a little hard after time in the refrigerator, so I recommend rolling the dough into balls before chilling.
After the cookies cool, drizzle with a little lemon glaze. The lemon glaze sets, so these “spa cookies” ๐ are easily stackable, packable, and convenient to travel, transfer, gift, etc!
Sally’s Cookie Palooza
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page including:
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Butter Cookies
And here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.ย
Lemon Ginger Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft and chewy lemon ginger cookies are flavored with warm spices, crystallized ginger, and plenty of lemon zest. Review recipe notes before beginning.
Ingredients
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g)ย all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoonย salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g)ย unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cupย (150g)ย granulated sugar
- 1ย largeย egg, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoonย pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup finely chopped/minced crystallized ginger, divided
Lemon Glaze
- 3/4 cup (90g)ย confectionersโ sugarย (or more, as needed)
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (23ml)ย freshย lemon juice
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 3 minutes. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in 2 Tablespoons of chopped crystallized ginger. Dough will be thick and sticky. Scoop small sections of dough (about 1 scant Tablespoon of dough each) and roll into balls. Very lightly dip the tops of each into remaining crystallized ginger. (You don’t want too muchโjust a few pieces.) Place dough balls onto a large plate or lined baking sheet.
- Cover and chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (and up to 4 days).
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Arrange chilled cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the glaze: Whisk the glaze ingredients together. If desired, add more confectioners’ sugar to thicken or more juice to thin out. The thicker the glaze, the whiter (and less translucent) it will be. Drizzle on cooled cookies. Icing will set after about 1 hour, so these are convenient to store and transport.
- Cookies without glaze stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies with glaze stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough, roll into balls, and chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (See note about cookie dough chilling.) Cookie dough balls, with or without crystallized ginger topping, freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack
- Dough Chilling: Chilling the cookie dough is imperative. These cookies are very buttery and the colder the cookie dough, the less your cookies will over-spread. The cookie dough can get a little hard after 2 hours in the refrigerator, so I recommend rolling the dough into balls before chilling. Here are all of my tips on how to prevent cookies from spreading.
- Crystallized Ginger: You can find crystallized ginger at most grocery storesโit’s usually in the produce aisle but could also be found in the natural foods section or even by the dried fruit. You can use finely chopped/minced fresh ginger root instead, but make sure you reduce down to 1 Tablespoon in the cookie dough. Do not dip the cookie dough balls in it like we do with crystallized ginger because it will burn. If you don’t have either crystallized ginger or fresh ginger root, increase the ground ginger to 1 teaspoon.
- Ground Allspice: Allspice is a common spice found in the spice aisle. If you don’t have or can’t find it, use 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg in its place.
- Lemon: 1 medium lemon is enough for this recipe. You should get 1 Tablespoon of zest from 1 medium lemon, plus enough juice for both the dough and glaze.
- Plain Lemon Cookies: Feel free to leave out the ground ginger, allspice, and crystallized ginger for plain lemon cookies.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally,
I tried making this recipe 2 days ago, and my cookies turned out super thick and fluffy – not at all like what these look like. I wonder what would have lead to that? I had them in the freezer for 20 mins instead of the fridge for an hour, and I used a full tablespoon for the scoop. Any advice would be appreciated ๐
Hi Robin, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. If your cookies arenโt spreading and seem cakey/soft, it usually means that thereโs too much dry ingredient (flour) soaking up all the liquid. How did you measure your flourโdid you spoon and level it or weigh it, or scoop it with a cup? Also, you can slightly flatten these cookies with the back of a spoon before baking. Or if youโre in the middle of baking a batch and the cookies still arenโt spreading, you can remove them from the oven, and bang the cookie sheet on the counter 2 or 3 times. This helps to initiate that spread. Hope the next batch turns out perfectly!
I made these exactly as written and they turned out perfectly. These will definitely be my go-to cookie in the future! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
This looks like a great recipe! I canโt seem to find crystallized ginger and now have left myself too little time to order online. Do you think I could get away with stem ginger (comes in a bottle in sugar syrup) if I dried it with a paper towel? Thanks! Emily
Hi Emily, you could certainly try it! I’m sorry I can’t be certain; I’ve never used that before in a cookie recipe! I would definitely blot it before using if you try it, though.
Worried that the glaze might melt if itโs warm outside. Is the glaze summer weather safe, or would I be better off sprinkling with some sanding sugar?
I would recommend making the glaze on the thicker side for hot weather and letting it set in the refrigerator for a few hours
I saw crystallized ginger at the market on sale, so I bought it and found this recipe to use it! The cookies are fantastic!!!! Just the right amount of ginger and lemon. Crispy mostly and a little soft in the middle. Perfection!
This recipe is a winner! I was shocked how much I love these cookies. I bought the crystalized ginger at Nuts.com and these came out perfect
Looking to add these to my Christmas cookie box! Would you mind clarifying: for the chilling in the fridge, should they be left open, somewhat covered, or in an airtight container? Thanks in advance!
Hi Alex, do you mean for the step before baking? If we are baking these the same day, we usually just place the cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet and gently cover the tray with plastic wrap; but if you are chilling them for longer (since you can for up to 4 days), you could place them in an airtight container. Hope this helps!
Your cookie recipes seem to use butter in most, if not all, cases. I understand that butter is preferred for its flavour, consistency and how it reacts in both the batter and the oven, but I have a medical imperative to cut back on saturated fats. Could I replace at least half (but would prefer all) with soft margarine and, if so, should I modify any other part of your amazing cookie recipes?
Hi Alison, I wish we could help, but we don’t have much experience with baking with margarine, so are unsure of what to recommend. If you try it, please report back and let us know how it goes!
Alison, margarine and butter are interchangeable in recipes, however margarine does have a higher water content than butter, so it may need a little more flour (1-2 Tblsp? ) It’s best to use stick margarine than tub margarine.
Hi Alison, I make my own butter with 3/4 C coconut oil, 3/4 C canola (or other vegetable) oil, and 1/2 cup milk (I usually use oatmilk). It still has saturated fat but much less and about have as many calories per tablespoon as butter. Iโve used it for many cookie and cake recipes as a 1:1 sub for butter and they usually turn out well.
These cookies are a holiday favorite and are given as โgiftsโ to friends and family. Today my son and I are making them just because they are SO good!
Meh. These definitely need the icing, but even with that sweetness, the cookies were not very exciting. They were cakey, not chewy. They didn’t spread, even when I let them warm up before baking. I measured the flour by weight, so I didn’t have too much dry ingredients. Overall, a very disappointing recipe.
I experienced the same thing.
You didn’t let the butter and egg reach 70 degrees before mixing. Cold butter and egg will make the this recipe produce a fluffy lightly golden cookie. If you use a warmer butter the cookie will cook out flat and reach a golden ginger color when cooked.
This recipe is fantastic! Just in time for Spring and these did not disappoint. I was a little nervous reading the reviews and the dough before chilling is super sticky but I needn’t have worried. Everything I make from this site always turns out yummy! Thanks Sally!
This was a fail for me; cookies never spread, just baked up as big lumps. I tried various techniques to save them, but after baking a few different test cookies, wound up tossing the batter.
Hi Sally! The recipe came out amazing! Tho Iโve a question my cookies were not flat at all, they were kinda big and fluffy, more than your ricotta cookies, what did go wrong? As always thank you!
Hi Valarie, we’re so glad you enjoyed these cookies! If your cookies arenโt spreading, it usually means that thereโs too much dry ingredient (flour) soaking up all the liquid. How did you measure your flourโdid you spoon and level it or weigh it, or scoop it with a cup? Also, you can slightly flatten these cookies with the back of a spoon before baking. Or if youโre in the middle of baking a batch and the cookies still arenโt spreading, you can remove them from the oven, and bang the cookie sheet on the counter 2 or 3 times. This helps to initiate that spread. Hope the next batch turns out perfectly!
Terrific recipe as usual. If you substitute orange juice and orange rind for the lemon, do you need to alter any of the other ingredients?
Hi Laura, no, you don’t. Orange isn’t as strong as lemon, so a little extra orange zest would be great.
Will uncrystallized candied ginger work the same in this recipe?
Hi Miki, that should work just fine, but keep in mind that the cookies may be a little less sweet without the sugar coating that crystalized ginger has. Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Since I love both lemon and ginger, and it was YOUR recipe, I knew I would love it. I finished really late at night after baking all day, and when I tasted the first cookie I was a bit disappointed at first. They looked really beautiful, but the first bite – maybe because I was so tired! – tasted almost medicinal to me. I persevered, as you have never led me astray. By the second cookie, I was hooked and had to tell myself several times that I can make a batch for myself after the holidays and that these were GIFTS. Scrumptious, Sally. You did it again.
Punch of lemon with warm spices giving the cookie an amazing depth of flavor. Going on my list of favorite cookies. Thank you,
Delicious cookies with great texture. I found that even at 9 minutes they hadn’t spread, so I had to flatten them into cookies. Was that just me?
Hi Marsha, if your cookies arenโt spreading, it usually means that thereโs too much dry ingredient (flour) soaking up all the liquid. How did you measure your flour–did you spoon and level it or weigh it, or scoop it with a cup? Also, you can slightly flatten these cookies with the back of a spoon before baking. Or if youโre in the middle of baking a batch and the cookies still arenโt spreading, you can remove them from the oven, and bang the cookie sheet on the counter 2 or 3 times. This helps to initiate that spread. Hope the next batch turns out perfectly!
What kind of salt are you calling for in your recipes?
Hi Howard, All our recipes use table salt unless otherwise noted.
Excellent recipe. I love the flavors. I have made a few of your recipes and I’m amazed at how awesome every recipe is. Thanks Sally
I was looking for recipes that used crystallized ginger and came upon yours. I have tried a few other of your recipes and liked them so I tried these. This is another really good recipe. I will make them again. The balance between the warm spices and the fresh Lemon take these to another level. I just wish my icing looked as good as yours does.
Wonderful recipe. I had left over crystalized ginger from another recipe and this used it up. Liked it so much went out and bought more of the ginger to make more batches.
Iโve baked these cookies several times and they always turn out incredible! The last time I made them I did a heaping tbsp of the lemon zest for more lemon flavor and it was delicious. I never use the crystallized ginger and instead stick to ground ginger per the recipe substitutions. These pillowy soft cookies with lemon ginger flavor was a huge hit and I will continue to bake them!
I don’t own a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and my hand mixer only has a single whisk attachment. Will this suffice? Is there anything I should do differently?
Yes, that works! No changes necessary.
Just want to add my upvote to all the others. These cookies are delish, def a cut above plain lemon or ginger. I used a tablespoon to scoop dough balls and made 27 cookies
Very good! For my oven they did not need to be refrigerated first. In fact I flattened them down with a cup too. . Good to do a test cookie first.
I made these for my lunch club as I was looking for a cookie that was just a bit above the average cookie. These were a huge hit! They were delicious and turned out perfectly. I followed the recipe exactly (may have put a bit more than 1 tbsp of lemon rind) and they turned out soft, moist, and full of wonderful flavour! I will definitely be putting this recipe on my baking rotation!