Gingersnap Cookies with Caramelized Burnt Ginger Sugar Recipe
A Holiday Favorite
These Burnt Sugar Ginger Cookies have everything you need for the holidays: warm spices, chewy texture, and the unexpected hero—caramelized burnt ginger sugar. Inspired by MaryAnn Dwyer’s amazing recipe at The Beach House Kitchen (shoutout to her genius idea!), I added my own twist with fresh minced ginger because, let’s face it, more ginger = more joy.
This recipe makes your house smell like a holiday market, involves smashing shards of caramelized sugar (a truly therapeutic step), and results in cookies that are crispy, chewy, and irresistibly festive. Fancy? A little. Worth it? Absolutely.
Ingredients
Inspired by MaryAnn Dwyer at The Beach House Kitchen—this recipe includes her genius burnt sugar method with my own twist of fresh minced ginger. Check out her original recipe here.
For the Burnt Sugar Ginger:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
For the Ginger Cookies:
- 16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅔ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups bread flour
- 3 tsp. ground ginger
- 3 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. sea salt
Instructions
Make the Burnt Sugar Ginger:
Mix granulated sugar and grated ginger in a large saucepan.
Heat on medium-high, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and turns golden brown.
Pour onto a greased baking sheet, spread thinly, and let harden for 1 hour.
Break into small shards once hardened.
Prepare the Cookie Dough:
In a stand mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, then mix in molasses and fresh ginger.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until combined.
Mix in the burnt sugar shards until evenly distributed.
Shape and Bake the Cookies:
Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and coat in granulated sugar.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake at 350°F for 13 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet.
Iski Note
What Makes These Cookies Special:
Burnt Sugar Shards: They’re sticky, messy, and a little chaotic, but they take these cookies to a whole new level.
Spices and Molasses: Ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves come together with molasses for that classic holiday flavor.
Fresh Ginger: Because why stop at powdered when you can double down?
