These melt-in-your-mouth double ginger shortbread cookies are made with just nine simple ingredients. They combine ground ginger and chopped crystallized ginger for a bright, warm ginger flavor in every bite. I like to dip half of each cookie in semisweet chocolate and sprinkle extra crystallized ginger on top for a sweet-spicy finish—chocolate and ginger are a classic pairing that works beautifully here. These cookies are sturdy enough for gifting in cookie boxes yet tender and buttery on the palate, making them perfect for holidays or an afternoon tea.
I love making a batch of shortbread during the holiday season. Like other favorites—cutout shortbread, cinnamon shortbread, and peppermint shortbread—these ginger shortbread cookies use pantry staples, take little time to prepare, and yield a large batch that’s ideal for sharing.
Why you’ll love these ginger shortbread cookies
- Simple ingredients: No eggs are required—just butter, flour, sugar, and a few flavorings.
- Double ginger: Ground ginger gives a warm base, and crystallized ginger adds chewy, spicy-sweet bursts.
- Great for gifting: They keep well at room temperature and look lovely dipped in chocolate for cookie boxes or tins.
Grab your ingredients
- Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature. European-style butter works well if you have it for a richer texture.
- Ginger: Ground ginger provides the main spice; use fresh pantry-ground ginger for best flavor.
- Cornstarch: A small amount of cornstarch helps keep the cookies tender and soft rather than crumbly.
- Crystallized ginger: Fold chopped crystallized ginger into the dough and reserve some to sprinkle on the chocolate-dipped cookies for extra texture and heat.
Let’s make the cookies
Step 1: In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix just until combined.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, ground ginger, and salt. Stir in the chopped crystallized ginger so it disperses evenly through the dry mix.
Step 3: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar on low speed. Mix until a cohesive dough forms; it may seem dry at first but will come together into a smooth ball.
Step 4: Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap, press it into a disk or rectangle, and wrap tightly. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
Step 5: On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch (6 mm) thickness. Cut with your favorite cookie cutter and transfer the shapes to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze the cut cookies for 15–20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Step 6: Bake the chilled cookies 8–12 minutes depending on size—smaller cutters will need less time. Let the cookies cool completely. Melt chopped semisweet chocolate gently in 15-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between intervals to prevent burning. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate, sprinkle with extra chopped crystallized ginger, and allow the chocolate to set on a wire rack.
Top baking tips and notes
- Chill the dough: Don’t skip chilling. Cold dough keeps its shape while baking and prevents excessive spreading.
- Bake time: Watch the cookies in the final minutes. Bake longer for a crisper edge or slightly less for a tender, shortbread texture.
- Chop crystallized ginger: Brands vary—some pieces are large and chewy, so chop to match your preferred texture.
- Storage: Keep baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days.
More cookie ideas
-
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?
If you try these cookies, please leave a rating and a comment below. You can also tag the creator on social media with the handle @alpineella to share photos—it’s always lovely to see your bakes!
Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
Double Ginger Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (56 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup (28 grams) cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup (45 grams) crystallized ginger, chopped, plus extra for decoration
- 2 oz (57 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
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 the vanilla extract and mix just until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the salt, ground ginger, and cornstarch.
- Stir the chopped crystallized ginger into the dry mix.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed. Combine until a dough forms; it may start dry but will come together into a large ball.
- Turn the dough out, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Reroll scraps as needed.
- Place cut cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate and freeze for 15–20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place chilled cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 minutes, adjusting time for cookie size.
- Let cookies cool completely. Melt chopped semisweet chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring often to prevent burning.
- Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate, set on a cooling rack, sprinkle with extra crystallized ginger, and allow the chocolate to set completely.
Notes
These recipes were developed and tested using metric weights. For best accuracy, measure ingredients by weight when possible.
Serving size: This depends on the cookie cutter size you choose. The recipe yields about 30 small cookies.
Salt: If you don’t have kosher salt, halve the amount called for when using fine table salt. (1 teaspoon kosher salt ≈ 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.)
Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.