These melt-in-your-mouth ginger shortbread cookies are made with just nine simple ingredients. Each bite delivers a bright ginger hit from both ground ginger and chopped crystallized ginger. I love the chocolate-ginger pairing, so I dipped half of each cookie in semisweet chocolate and finished with more crystallized ginger for a pretty, flavorful touch.
I enjoy baking shortbread during the holidays because the dough is simple to prepare and the results are buttery and elegant. Like my cutout shortbread, cinnamon shortbread, and peppermint shortbread, this recipe uses a handful of pantry staples and comes together quickly.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Just nine ingredients: This shortbread doesn’t require eggs—just butter, sugar, flour and a few flavorings.
- Double ginger: Ground ginger in the dough and chopped crystallized ginger folded in give a pronounced, spicy-sweet bite.
- Ideal for gifting: Chocolate-dipped and sparkled with crystallized ginger, these cookies look and taste special in a cookie box.
Grab Your Ingredients
- Butter: Unsalted butter at room temperature. European-style butter adds extra richness if you have it.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Gives the cookies a soft, tender texture and smooth sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: A little adds warmth and depth.
- Flour & cornstarch: All-purpose flour with a bit of cornstarch yields a delicate shortbread crumb.
- Ginger: Ground ginger for spice plus chopped crystallized ginger folded in for chewy bursts of flavor.
- Semisweet chocolate: Melted for dipping, then topped with extra crystallized ginger.
Let’s Make Some Cookies!
Step 1: In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, ground ginger, and salt. Stir in the chopped crystallized ginger.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture on low speed and mix until a dough forms. It may seem dry at first but will come together into a ball.
Step 4: Turn the dough out, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
Step 5: Roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes and place the cookies on a parchment-lined tray. Freeze for 15–20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies 8–12 minutes, depending on size, until edges are just set.
Step 6: Cool the cookies completely. Melt the chopped semisweet chocolate in the microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between intervals. Dip half of each cookie in the chocolate, place on a rack, and sprinkle with extra chopped crystallized ginger. Let chocolate set before storing.
Top Baking Tips & Notes
- Chill the dough: Don’t skip chilling — it helps the cookies keep their shape while baking.
- Watch the bake time: Small cutters will need less time; larger shapes will need more. Bake until edges are just set.
- Chop the ginger: Some crystallized ginger is chunkier than others—chop it to small pieces so it disperses evenly in the dough.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days.
Make These Cookies Next!
-
Classic Thumbprint Hershey Kiss Cookies
-
Cardamom Oatmeal Cookies with Maple Espresso Glaze
-
Chewy Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies
-
Danish Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
Made This Recipe?
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Ella
Recipe
Double Ginger Shortbread Cookies
Ella Gilbert
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (56 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (28 g) cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup (45 g) crystallized ginger, chopped, plus extra for decoration
- 2 oz (57 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
Weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale for the most consistent results.
Instructions
- In a stand mixer or large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt, ground ginger, and cornstarch.
- Stir the chopped crystallized ginger into the dry mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed and mix until a dough forms. It may start dry but will come together into a ball.
- Turn the dough out, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut shapes, reroll scraps as needed.
- Place cut cookies on a parchment-lined tray and freeze for 15–20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake the chilled cookies 10–12 minutes, one sheet at a time, keeping the remaining cookies chilled until ready to bake.
- Place chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 15-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
- Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted chocolate. Set on a wire rack, sprinkle with extra crystallized ginger, and allow chocolate to set completely.
Notes
These recipes were developed and tested using metric weights. For best accuracy, use a kitchen scale.
Serving size: Depends on the size of your cookie cutters.
Salt: If you don’t have kosher salt, halve the amount called for. (1 teaspoon kosher salt ≈ 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.)
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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