A cold Canadian winter, a bright pine Christmas tree, and a hot cup of tea with these soft ginger cookies make for a beautiful evening! For my mother, the holidays were important. She always made Christmas special. The lights, the baking, the parties, and the decorations: she went all out on everything! One of my favorite traditions as a child was baking with my mom. My mother sadly passed away from cancer in 2009, and we lost some of those traditions we had in the years since. This year, it is my mission to bring traditions back! This year we went tree hunting as a family again, like we used to. I know my mom is smiling down on us this year. As for these cookies? I love the softness on the inside and the crunchy exterior of these cookies oh so much. In fact, I am eating one as I write this!

If you are looking for a beautiful and easy Christmas baking idea, try these Avocado Dark Chocolate Truffles. They are much healthier than a regular truffle, but you would never know by tasting it.

Tips for Perfect Soft Ginger Cookies

• Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

• Do not overbake! Slightly underbaked centers ensure softness.

• Chill the dough for 30 minutes if you prefer thicker cookies.

• Add a pinch of black pepper for extra spice depth.
• Rolling the cookies in sugar and using baking soda is what makes these chewy ginger cookies and creates the crackling on the outside, so don’t skip this.

Storage & Freezing

• Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
• Make Ahead: Freeze dough balls and bake straight from frozen (add 1–2 extra minutes).

Variations

• Add white chocolate chips for a sweet twist
• Dip half the cookie in melted dark chocolate
• Make sandwich cookies with cream cheese frosting
• Add fresh, grated ginger into the mix instead of powder
• Add chopped ginger candy on top of the soft ginger cookie