Gingered sugar cookies are crisp-edged, soft-centred cookies rolled in fragrant ginger sugar before baking. Fresh ginger whizzed with palm sugar gives them a warm, aromatic coating that crackles under the glass. Twenty-four cookies from one batch of dough that rolls like a dream.
MAKES 24 COOKIES
Ingredients
2 cups (480 ml) palm sugar
2½ cups almond flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) grated fresh ginger, or ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (210 ml) coconut oil, softened
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Preparation
1.В В Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 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.В В 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.В В 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.В В 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.В В 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.В В Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Pro Tips
- Process the ginger with the rolling sugar until fragrant — that ten-second blend is what perfumes the whole cookie, not just the crust.
- Use wet hands or a greased glass to flatten; the sticky palm-sugar coating clings to dry tools and pulls the tops apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time as written. The cookies spread and flatten as they cool, and a fully preheated oven keeps their edges crisp.
- Fresh grated ginger gives a livelier bite than powder — if using powder, keep to the quarter teaspoon or it turns dusty and sharp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use brown sugar instead of palm sugar?
Yes, if you're not strictly paleo. Palm sugar gives a more caramel-like flavour, which pairs particularly well with the ginger.
Why did my cookies spread too thin?
Warm dough or an under-heated oven. Chill the shaped balls fifteen minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes — roll the balls in the ginger sugar first, freeze on a tray, then bake from frozen, adding two minutes to the time.
How should I store them?
Airtight at room temperature for five days. They're at their best slightly crisp at the edges and soft in the middle.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В 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. В В 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. В В 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. В В 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. В В 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. В В Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
