Vegan Ginger Cookies (Soft & Chewy!)
November 10, 2025
If you're looking to get on Santa's good side this year, one plate of these soft and chewy vegan ginger cookies should do the trick. They're loaded with spicy ginger and warm molasses, and you won't be able to eat just one! Fortunately, they're incredibly easy to make, and they're made with no dairy and no eggs; just pure deliciousness.
With the holidays just around the corner, I have a vegan Christmas cookie recipe that you're going to love. These ginger cookies have the perfect chewy texture with a crunchy sugar coating and beautiful cracks. The flavor doesn't hold back in these cookies, either. The ginger packs just the right amount of heat, while cinnamon, nutmeg, and molasses create a complex taste.
Serve these to a crowd, vegan or not, and they'll fly off the plate. Even skeptics will be coming back days later asking if they can get more. Fortunately, they're incredibly easy to make, and all the ingredients are easy to find as well!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
What is vegan sugar? Can I use vegan butter sticks instead of spread? If you have questions about the ingredients, this is the section for you! If you can't find your answer here, you can always leave a comment, and I'll answer as soon as I can.
sugar: To ensure that your cookies are vegan, make sure you're using vegan sugar. Cane sugar is sometimes processed with animal ingredients, but if your sugar is marked "vegan," it's good to use. Organic sugar is also vegan in the US, even if it's not marked vegan. If you're using beet sugar, you don't need to worry about this. You could also use vegan brown sugar if you prefer, but since this recipe already has plenty of molasses, regular granulated sugar is the best option.
vegan butter spread: For the softest results, use a vegan butter spread instead of sticks. You can use a store-bought brand like Earth Balance, or you could prepare my homemade vegan butter with an extra 2 tablespoons of water or non-dairy milk. If you can't get spread, sticks work, too, you'll just have a slightly firmer texture. I don't recommend using coconut oil in this recipe, as it doesn't contain any water and it will result in a dry cookie.
unsulphured molasses: Not all molasses is vegan (like sugar, it can be processed with animal ingredients), but Grandma's brand is a good vegan option. I used the original, which has the lightest, sweetest flavor. You could also use the robust version, which will be stronger but more bitter. I don't recommend using blackstrap molasses, as it would be too bitter for this recipe.
all-purpose flour: Creates the structure of these ginger cookies. I haven't tested gluten-free flour options with these cookies.
ground ginger: The most important spice in this recipe, this gives the cookies their signature flavor and slightly spicy profile.
vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg: These supporting flavors all help balance the taste of the cookies.
baking soda: This helps create the chewy, cracked texture for these ginger cookies. Make sure your baking soda is fresh.
salt: Just a little bit of salt helps to enhance all the flavors of these ginger cookies. I used sea salt, but pink salt and table salt work just as well.
Tips for the Best Ginger Cookies
Scooping your cookies: To get cookies that are all the same size, I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out 50 grams of dough for each cookie. Alternately, you can use a cookie scooper to make evenly sized cookies.
Placing them on the cookie sheet: Make sure you leave plenty of space on the baking sheet for the cookies to spread without running into each other.
Without a stand mixer: If you don't have a stand mixer, you can still make delicious vegan ginger cookies! Just use a large bowl instead and mix with either a hand mixer or a wooden spoon.
Making These Ginger Cookies Your Own
I love eating these soft vegan ginger cookies fresh out of the oven, but you can also add some decorations or add-ins to make them even more festive! Here are some ideas:
- vegan white chocolate: Melt some vegan white chocolate and drizzle it on top of the cookies, or dunk half of each cookie into the white chocolate to coat it. Vegan white chocolate can be hard to find, but Rawmio has several options.
- vegan Christmas sprinkles: Add some color to your white chocolate by sprinkling on some holiday sprinkles before the chocolate sets. Although many sprinkles aren't vegan, Supernatural brand sprinkles are, and they have lots of holiday color choices.
- vegan icing: If you can't get vegan white chocolate, you can use a simple cookie icing, like the buttery icing in my vegan sugar cookies recipe.
- candied ginger: After mixing the dough, fold in chopped pieces of candied ginger.
Storage
You can keep these cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag for about 7 to 10 days at room temperature. They're even more delicious if you heat them up in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes before eating them. They'll last up to 3 weeks in the fridge, or you can store them for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container in the freezer.
More Vegan Christmas Treats
Make your holidays sweeter with more vegan treats! For even more cookie recipes, check out my collection of vegan Christmas cookies. Or try one of these:
Watch This Recipe as a Video
Vegan Ginger Cookies (Soft & Chewy!)
Yield15 cookies
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Pin itIngredients
- 1 cup vegan granulated sugar
- 10 tablespoons vegan butter spread*
- 6 tablespoons unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- additional granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Add your sugar, vegan butter, molasses, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, start mixing on low speed, then gradually increase to medium-high. Continue beating for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture resembles the image.*
While your wet ingredients are mixing, sift the dry ingredients (flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg) into a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Turn off your stand mixer, then add about half of your dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Start mixing at a low speed until the dry ingredients are incorporated, then gradually increase to medium-high speed. Turn off the mixer, then add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix again until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Your cookie dough should be soft and resemble the image.
Prepare a small bowl or rimmed plate with some sugar (about 1/4 cup) for rolling.
Scoop out a golf ball-sized piece of cookie dough (about 50 grams), then roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in the sugar to coat it, then place the ball on one of your parchment-lined baking trays. Repeat with the remaining dough. Make sure you leave plenty of space between the cookies, because they'll spread out as they bake.
Once you have a full tray, place it in the oven on a middle to low rack and bake for 11 to 13 minutes. They may appear underbaked, but they will firm up as they cool on the tray.
Set the baking tray on a wire cooling rack to cool the cookies for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer the cookies directly to the wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes & Hints
You can also use vegan stick butter in this recipe, but your cookies will be a little bit firmer. They'll still have a chewy texture, and delicious flavor, though.
For the most accurate flour measurement, switch to metric and weigh your flour. If you don't have a kitchen scale, be sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup before leveling it off; don't scoop the cup into the flour.
If you don't have a stand mixer, you can mix the ingredients by hand, it will just require a little extra muscle!
Nutrition Data
Serving Size 1/15 of recipe
| Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories 216 | Calories from Fat 63 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 7g | 9% | |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 10% | |
| Trans Fat 0g | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% | |
| Sodium 264mg | 11% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 35g | 12% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% | |
| Sugars 20g | ||
| Protein 2g | 4% | |
| Vitamin A 0mcg RAE | 0% | |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 0mcg | 0% | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium 13mg | 1% | |
| Iron 1mg | 6% | |
| Potassium 85mg | 2% | |
| Zinc 4mg | 36% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note: This data should be used only as an estimate. Please see the nutrition section of my terms and conditions for more information on how this data is calculated.
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