The Best Lemon Ginger Cookies

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I am the type of person who loves any lemon-flavored dessert, which makes these lemon ginger cookies some of my favorite holiday cookies! These tangy, spiced cookies are refreshing and delicious. They are the perfect dessert to impress your friends and family. So, bring them along for a special occasion or bake them as a surprise holiday present! 

These ginger lemon cookies are irresistibly crisp around the edges and delicately soft in the middle. The lemon drizzle on top creates a well-rounded bite that will bring you back for more. While you bake these lemon ginger cookies, you can enjoy the delicious smells as they fill your kitchen. The tart and bright flavors are also perfect for the holidays! 

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 give it a try 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 like an obscure ingredient, 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 Preparing Ginger 

These cookies use a generous amount of fresh ginger. If you have never used ginger, here is a pro tip. When the ginger becomes too sticky after lots of cutting, rub your knife with some sugar. Be careful, though! You want to avoid slicing yourself on the blade’s sharp edges. But this technique works very well in a sticky situation and yields the best ginger results. 

Let the Dough Cool

Ginger lemon cookies require ample time to chill in the fridge for at least thirty minutes. This step is crucial because the dough’s texture is a bit sticky. These cookies are also perfect for freezing ahead of time! Do your kids need a treat? Do you have to prepare quickly for a sudden holiday party? Just take them out of the freezer for a quick delicious treat for any emergency baking situation. 

What to Do With Sticky Dough 

After you combine the dry and wet ingredients, your dough will be sticky. Cookie dough is meant to be a little sticky, but this recipe yields a wetter dough than usual. Chilling the ginger lemon dough will help make it easier to ball into cookies. If you decide to roll the cookies in my sugar and crystallized ginger mixture, try coating your hands with sugar to avoid the dough sticking to your fingers. 

Add Some Lemon Zest 

There is quite a bit of lemon zest in my ginger lemon cookies recipe, which will produce a strong lemon flavor. There are two tablespoons of lemon zest in the cookie dough and my unique lemon glaze. If you want less of a lemon flavor, omit the zest in the glaze. However, I would not remove the glaze altogether because it ties these tangy cookies together! 

Ingredient List

Preparation

1.
Sift the all-purpose flour into a medium bowl, add the ginger powder, baking soda, cardamom, and two tablespoons of the crystal ginger, whisk all together and sit aside.
Mark as complete
2.
In a large separate bowl, use a hand or standing mixer to beat the sugar and the butter until fluffy, which is about 1 minute. Scrape the sides, add the egg, and mix. Mix in the vanilla, orange zest, and lemon zest and beat for another minute until combined well.
Mark as complete
3.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until combined. The dough will be sticky!
Mark as complete
4.
Roll one tablespoon of dough into a ball using an ice cream scoop or your hands. Then dip the top of the cookie into the ginger sugar mix. Take caution not to put too much pressure on the cookie! Place it on a lined baking sheet. Cover and chill for 45 minutes.
Mark as complete
5.
Preheat the oven to 350 Arrange the cookies 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicon matt Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until lightly browned on the edges with the center still soft. Transfers into a cooking rack and let it completely cool.
Mark as complete
6.
In the meantime, assemble the glaze by combining the lemon or orange juice with powdered sugar and the zest. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and let them settle for an hour before packaging them or putting them away! Then, eat a cookie, share a cookie, and try not to finish the batch in one night!
Mark as complete

Ingredients:

Adjust Servings
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup butter at room temperature
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cardamom
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons crystal ginger chopped fine
Ginger Sugar (Rolling sugar 2 tablespoon crystal ginger chopped fine mixed with 3 tablespoon sugar.)
Glaze:
¾ cup powdered sugar mix
2 tablespoons lemon juice (and a teaspoon of zest)

Preparation

1
Sift the all-purpose flour into a medium bowl, add the ginger powder, baking soda, cardamom, and two tablespoons of the crystal ginger, whisk all together and sit aside.
2
In a large separate bowl, use a hand or standing mixer to beat the sugar and the butter until fluffy, which is about 1 minute. Scrape the sides, add the egg, and mix. Mix in the vanilla, orange zest, and lemon zest and beat for another minute until combined well.
3
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until combined. The dough will be sticky!
4
Roll one tablespoon of dough into a ball using an ice cream scoop or your hands. Then dip the top of the cookie into the ginger sugar mix. Take caution not to put too much pressure on the cookie! Place it on a lined baking sheet. Cover and chill for 45 minutes.
5
Preheat the oven to 350 Arrange the cookies 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicon matt Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until lightly browned on the edges with the center still soft. Transfers into a cooking rack and let it completely cool.
6
In the meantime, assemble the glaze by combining the lemon or orange juice with powdered sugar and the zest. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and let them settle for an hour before packaging them or putting them away! Then, eat a cookie, share a cookie, and try not to finish the batch in one night!

Rana’s Notes!

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