Extra Spicy Vegan Ginger Cookies, and when I say “spicy”, I do mean spicy.
Honestly, I have no idea where this idea even came from; but, for as long as I can remember, I’ve been putting cayenne pepper in my ginger cookies. I know, I know, it sounds awful. Don’t click off this post, bear with me.
My mom heard about this years and years ago. She’s always added just a bit of cayenne to spiced desserts to punch up the flavor a bit. Spices like cinnamon are naturally warming. Ginger also has a bit of natural spiciness and pungency. The cayenne pepper just accents that flavor. It’s not so much that you’re going to be needing to chug a gallon of oat milk after eating one… But it’s enough to warm the back of your throat a little.
That being said, these are obviously not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill ginger cookies. They’re not only full of spices, they’re also packed full of ginger flavor. I took a lot of inspiration from my aunt’s famous triple ginger cookies for this vegan version. My aunt uses loads of crystallized ginger in her cookies. I decided to include plenty in my recipe as well.
On top of the other slightly unusual ingredients, these cookies are made with oil instead of a solid fat. That sounds strange, but it works. It gives them an amazingly chewy texture. I also rolled them in sugar before baking so they would have a wonderfully crackly crust. Combined with the kick of heat from the cayenne and other warming spices, then the chewy crystallized ginger in every bite… Perfection.
These cookies are certainly not lacking in flavor. If you love ginger and spice, these are definitely for you. If you happen to hate ginger… then you should probably run screaming run now.
Now, it’s recipe time. As always, if you make these extra spicy vegan ginger cookies, please tag me on Instagram @thepeacefulepicurean or use the hashtag #thepeacefulepicurean 🙂
Thanks for reading <3
-Casey
Extra Spicy Vegan Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil (such as avocado, canola, or melted refined coconut oil)
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (such as soy, almond, or oat milk)
- 1 cup very finely chopped crystallized ginger
- Extra Granulated Sugar For Rolling
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Whisk to combine. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, molasses and soy milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two stages. Mix thoroughly to combine. The dough will be very stiff. Finally, stir in the crystallized ginger until it’s evenly dispersed.
- Scoop: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line your baking trays with parchment paper. Scoop your cookies (I used a 2 tablespoon-sized scoop) and then roll them in granulated sugar before placing on the lined baking tray. Place cookies about 2 inches apart to allow room to spread.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 350 F for about 13-15 minutes. They should be set on the outside but will appear quite soft in the center. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the trays for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
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