The Best Lemon Ginger Cookies

I’m a huge fan of lemon-flavored desserts, so these Lemon Ginger Cookies are a must-bake during the holiday season! Their tangy zest and warm spice make for a refreshingly delicious treat, ideal for impressing friends and family at any special gathering.

Each bite of these Ginger Lemon Cookies offers a delightful contrast: crisp edges and a soft, tender middle. The lemon drizzle on top perfectly rounds off the flavors, making it hard to stop at just one. As these cookies bake, let their tantalizing aroma fill your kitchen, creating a cozy, festive atmosphere. Their tart brightness is a treat for the taste buds and a perfect match for the holiday spirit!

Lemon Ginger Cookie Recipe: Ingredients

Cookie Dough

• All-Purpose Flour: Serves as the base, providing structure and a neutral backdrop for the flavors.
• Butter (Room Temperature): Adds richness and a creamy texture, crucial for achieving that delightful cookie crumble.
• Ginger: Introduces a warm, spicy kick that contrasts beautifully with the lemon’s zesty brightness.
• Baking Soda: A leavening agent, it helps the cookies rise and become light and fluffy.
• Cardamom: Infuses the cookies with a subtly sweet, aromatic flavor, enhancing the ginger’s warmth.
• Sugar: Provides sweetness that balances the zesty and spicy flavors.
• Lemon Zest: Brings a bright, citrusy tang that complements the ginger’s sharpness.
• Egg: Acts as a binder, contributing to the cookies’ texture and richness.
• Vanilla: Adds a sweet, floral note, rounding out the flavors.
• Crystallized Ginger (Chopped Fine): Offers bursts of spicy-sweet ginger flavor, adding texture and an extra ginger kick.

Ginger Sugar (Rolling Sugar):

• Sugar: The base of the rolling mixture, adding a sweet coating to the cookies.
• Crystallized Ginger (Chopped Fine): When mixed with sugar, it coats the cookies with a sweet and spicy crust.

For the Glaze

• Powdered Sugar: Creates a smooth, sweet base for the glaze.
• Lemon Juice and Zest: Adds a fresh, tangy flavor to the glaze, perfectly complementing the ginger in the cookies.

What is Crystallized Ginger?

Crystallized ginger is cubed ginger that has been simmered in simple syrup until dried. It is perfect for desserts because of its soft inside texture and crackly, sugary outside. Ginger has a strong taste, so try it before putting it in the recipe, and be careful not to overdo it! This recipe pairs crystallized ginger with zesty lemon flavors to create a taste extravaganza. 

Crystallized ginger may sound obscure, but it is surprisingly common in most grocery stores! Crystalized ginger can be found in the dried fruit section, the baking aisle by the spices, or next to the produce.

Tips for Perfect Lemon Ginger Cookies

• Working with Ginger: When preparing these Lemon Ginger Cookies, you’ll find a generous use of crystallized ginger. A handy tip for handling ginger is to rub your knife with sugar if it becomes too sticky from cutting. This method helps cut ginger more efficiently, but be cautious of the blade’s sharp edges.
• Chilling the Dough: It’s crucial to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes due to its sticky nature. This step makes the dough easier to handle and enhances the cookies’ texture. These cookies are ideal for freezing, making them a convenient treat for unexpected guests or a quick snack for the kids.
• Handling Sticky Dough: The dough for these cookies will be stickier than usual. To manage this, let it chill in the fridge, which makes shaping the cookies easier. If you’re rolling the cookies in the sugar and crystallized ginger mixture, coating your hands with sugar can prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers.
• Leveraging Lemon Zest: These cookies boast a robust lemon flavor, thanks to the significant amount of lemon zest in the dough and the glaze. If you prefer a milder lemon taste, consider reducing the zest in the glaze. However, I recommend keeping the glaze as it beautifully complements the tangy flavor profile of these cookies.