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Gingered sugar cookies start with a clever trick: palm sugar pulsed with fresh ginger until fragrant, then used to roll the dough. The result is a crackly, spicy crust around a soft almond center. Fresh ginger makes them taste like something from a good bakery.
Pro Tips
- Process the palm sugar with the grated ginger for about 10 seconds until fragrant. This scatters the ginger through the rolling crust instead of one spicy bite.
- Fresh ginger is worth it here. If you substitute powder, use only 1/4 teaspoon since it is far more concentrated.
- Roll the balls in the ginger sugar with wet hands so the coating sticks thickly.
- Flatten to 3/4 inch with a greased glass and sprinkle the remaining ginger sugar over the tops before baking.
- Bake one sheet at a time, 10 to 12 minutes, and let them cool on the sheet where they finish setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh?
Yes, but cut it to 1/4 teaspoon. Fresh ginger gives a brighter, juicier heat that ground ginger cannot quite match in the rolling sugar.
How spicy are these cookies?
Gently warming rather than hot. The ginger flavor is clear but mellow against the palm sugar, so they please children and adults alike.
How should I store gingered sugar cookies?
Airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. The ginger fragrance deepens after the first day.
Are these cookies paleo?
Yes. Almond flour, palm sugar, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, and ginger, with no grains or dairy.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Process ½ cup palm sugar with one teaspoon grated ginger (or ¼ teaspoon ginger powder) in a food processor until fragrant (about 10 seconds).
- Spread the palm sugar and ginger mixture in a shallow dish for rolling.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- 2.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil and remaining 1½ cups palm sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined.
- Beat in the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time until combined (about 30 seconds), scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
- 3.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until combined (about 30 seconds). Give the dough a few final stirs with a rubber spatula to make sure it is well combined.
- 4.
- Working with two tablespoons at a time, roll the dough into balls with wet hands, then coat with the palm sugar.
- Place balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about two inches apart. Flatten the cookies to a three-quarter-inch thickness with the greased bottom of a drinking glass.
- Sprinkle the remaining palm sugar over the flat tops.
- 5.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown, but the centers are still soft and puffy (10 to 12 minutes), rotating each baking sheet halfway through the baking.
- Cookies will spread out and flatten.
- 6.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
