These Soft & Chewy Vegan Ginger Cookies are made with molasses and tahini for tender insides with perfectly crispy edges. Everyone’s favorite holiday cookie takes 20 minutes to make and the unexpected chocolate crinkles on top will make your ginger molasses cookies the most sought after!
I know you’re going to want to share this AMAZING Vegan Ginger Cookie Recipe with friends and family…but don’t forget to load up your own cookie jar! Guys…these Vegan Ginger Cookies, made with tahini and topped with chocolate are OVER THE TOP….in the best possible way!
Vegan Holiday Cookies that are full of warm spices, rich molasses flavor and come out with crinkles in all the right spots. Next to almond thumbprint cookies or walnut thumbprint cookies, these soft ginger cookies are the most popular holiday cookies every year!
Instead of straight out sugar, I dip these vegan molasses cookies in finely chopped dark chocolate. OMG…the crinkles still appear and the chocolate melts right in! Genius.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: I used whole wheat flour in these photos. I also tested the recipe with King Arthur measure for measure gluten-free flour and they came out great. Any all purpose flour will work, including whole wheat pastry flour. I would NOT recommend replacing the flour with almond flour, the moisture content will not be equal.
- Tahini: An awesome choice for oil-free and dairy-free cookies, rather than processed vegan butter. I adore the subtle sesame flavor the tahini imparts on these cookies, but if sesame allergies are an issue, replace the tahini with a drippy almond butter.
- Molasses: These are molasses cookies and their flavor and texture depends on unsulphured molasses. You could substitute additional maple syrup but it doesn’t have quite the same caramel-like flavor.
- Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup…either grade A or B is fine for this recipe. You can also use a lighter amber colored syrup or a deeper colored syrup. The cookies will be a bit dark already because of the molasses.
- Spices: Ground ginger, cinnamon and allspice give these cookies their gingerbread cookie taste. I love the rich, cozy spice profile and sometimes add an extra pinch of cloves as well.
- Baking powder and soda: This is what makes these vegan cookies rise and become soft and chewy. If you’re looking for a crisper cookie, just leave in the oven a bit longer, but don’t skimp on the leavening.
How to make them
Preheat your oven to 350 and line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper. These cookies won’t take long to prep, so your oven will be ready just in time.
Step 1: You’ll want to begin by taking 1-oz. of dark chocolate and chopping it. Some very small chunks and some dust is the texture you’re looking for. Grab a shallow bowl and set aside the chocolate.
Looking for an alternative? Dip in just a bit of cocoa powder.
Step 2: Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a medium bowl. Use a fork to mix thoroughly, making sure baking soda is evenly dispersed.
Step 3: In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, molasses, maple syrup and vanilla extract until well combined.
Step 4: Transfer the wet Ingredients into the flour mixture and stir well.
Mix until just combined. You’ll have a tacky, kinda sticky cookie dough.
Step 5: Scoop batter into cookies. Tablespoon-sized balls will yield about 20 smaller cookies that are just under 2.5″ in diameter. If you want a larger cookie, simply use more dough per cookie. Drop each scoop of cookie dough into the chopped chocolate, then place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. You can use two teaspoons and drop the cookies, a measuring spoon to make them uniform in size, or even a cookie scoop to make things super easy.
Continue to scoop out cookies, touch into the chocolate and place on the prepared baking tray. Leave 2-3″ space between cookies so they have enough room to spread when they bake.
Step 6: Make sure to set the timer for 10 minutes, because that’s all they need for perfectly chewy cookies. You’ll know they’re done because they’ll spread out a bit, develop some signature crinkles and the chocolate will be melty and gooey and top.
Leave to set on the baking tray for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy warm, fresh from the oven, but make sure they are completely cool before storing.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- The key to baking with tahini is to be sure when you first open the jar you stir it until the consistency in the entire jar is uniform. I cannot stress this enough. Otherwise your measured tahini will be too runny or too dry.
- Make ahead: freeze dough in balls. Thaw, dip in chocolate and bake later. See recipe card for more precise directions.
- A pinch of flakey sea salt sprinkled on top before baking really brings out the chocolate on top.
- If you roll the dough balls into the chocolate, rather than dipping just the top into it, they will be chocolatey and delicious…and also kinda messy until the chocolate on the bottom sets. Not actually a problem IMHO!
- For chewy ginger cookies DO NOT OVERBAKE. With egg free gingerbread cookies you don’t have to worry about undercooking, so it’s easy to get a perfectly soft cookie.
- Molasses will attract moisture, keeping these cookies chewy. For a crisper cookie, flatten slightly with your hand and bake 2 minutes longer.
- Use a cookie scoop if you want your cookies to be uniform in size.
- Shh! Nobody has to know this is a healthy vegan cookie…I promise it will hold its own among all the delicious cookies this time of year.
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📖 Recipe
Soft & Chewy Vegan Ginger Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup tahini
- ¼ cup molasses unsulphured
- 6 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 oz. dark chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
- Finely chop chocolate and set aside in a shallow bowl.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a medium sized bowl. Mix thoroughly. You'll want to make sure baking powder is evenly distributed throughout.
- In a small bowl, mix together wet ingredients (tahini, molasses, maple syrup and vanilla) until well combined.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined.
- Portion out cookies: Scoop* 1-2 Tablespoons of dough out and drop into bowl of chopped chocolate. Turn cookie over so chocolate is on top and place on prepared cookie sheet, leaving 2-3" between cookies so they have room to spread.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on tray, so chocolate isn't so gooey, and then transfer to a wire rack and allow cool completely before storing.
- Cookies will stay good at room temperature for up to a week, or in the freezer for 3 months.
Notes
MEAL PREP AND STORAGE:
- Serve: Enjoy them warm or at room temperature. A warm cup of tea, coffee or cocoa would be an added bonus.
- Prep ahead: Dough can be frozen before baking. Drop individual Tablespoons of dough onto parchment paper. Flash freeze for at least 1 hour and then transfer into freezer safe tip-top bag until ready to bake. Thaw to room temperature, dust in chopped chocolate and then bake as directed.
- Store: Make sure cookies are completely cooled before transferring to airtight container. Cookies will stay good at room temperature for 5 days. 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
- Freeze: Make sure cookies are completely cool. Use freezer safe container or zip-top bag. Place parchment paper in between layers. Baked cookies or cookie dough will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked cookies will thaw at room temperature in about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Luke Ratford
superb cookie recipe 🙂
Amy Roskelley
Love these cookies! Especially adding chocolate! YUM
Sondra Barker
Great recipe!
Jessica
The texture was perfect!
Amanda
These cookies were delicious. Perfectly chewy and the ginger flavor was not too overpowering.
Emily Flint
These ginger cookies were so delicious and the perfect texture. Making again for my cookie swap!
Carole
I found that 3/4 c plus 1/3 c syrup (6 Tbsp) way too much liquid for 1 c flour. My tahini may be more liquid-y than yours. So, I added more flour–and yet it stilll was very wet dough. Baking time exceeded 10 minutes by 2 – 3 more. Also I prefer ginger over chocolate in a ginger cookie so I used a Tbsp of dry ginger plus a little fresh grated. Thanks so much for your recipe!
Debra Klein
I’m not sure I understand your comment. The recipe calls for 6 Tablespoons maple syrup….where do you get the 3/4 cup from? I love the idea of some freshly grated ginger to go along with the dry though…yum.
Carole Kapsner
Sorry.. that was not very clear, was it? … I included all the “wet” ingredients together… my tahini is, for all intents, liquidy, (Mighty Sesame Company brand) plus the maple syrup and molasses. But the result I came up with by adding more flour, golly these just keep getting better by the day! YUM! Thanks once more for great recipes!
Debra Klein
OK…I’m glad it workout out for you in the end.
Pam Greer
My daughter loves these!
Leslie
Love this Vegan Ginger Cookie recipe!
Tatiana
These cookies turned out delicious! We loved them
carmy
Tastes great!
Linda Rosenblatt
this sounds and reads absolutely delicious! will have to make these!
Debra Klein
Yes…Linda you will adore these cookies.
Maria
Don’t have unbleached parchment paper. What is the difference? I have regular one. Can I use that one?
Thank you 😊
Debra Klein
Yes, you can use what you have. It’s POSSIBLE the bleach releases toxins when heated—-though the research isn’t clear at what temperature that would occur….so, to be super cautious, I only use unbleached parchment paper.