Gingerbread NYC Cookies

Why you will love this recipe

Super thick: If your dream cookie is extra chunky with crisp edges, you’ll love these BIG NYC Gingerbread Cookies.

Full of flavour: These cookies are full of ginger and spices, so they’re buttery, sweet and just a little spicy.

Quick and easy: My Gingerbread Cookie recipe requires no chilling, so these cookies can be ready to eat in under an hour. This easy recipe is perfect for amateur bakers! 

Make-ahead: You can easily make the dough ahead of time and freeze it for the busy holiday season.

Recipe testing

While I will always adore a Cut-Out Gingerbread Cookie or my Chocolate Stuffed Shortbread Cookies, these thick NYC Gingerbread Cookies are next level.

When I was in New York City a few years ago, I was smitten with the chunky cookies that can found at popular establishments like Levain Bakery.

I even came home and made my own version of their Chocolate Chip Cookie – and my Copycat Levain Bakery Cookies are still one of my most popular recipes.

Through that recipe testing process, I discovered how much the temperature of your butter directly affects the thickness of your cookie.

So just like my favourite Biscoff Cookies, these Gingerbread Cookies use cold butter. This helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.

Ive used that technique to create big Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and even a Red Velvet Cookie.

When I started recipe testing this cookie, I tried adding golden syrup and molasses to the cookie dough. But while they were super tasty, the middle was just too fudgy.

Unlike my Chewy Molasses Cookies, the moisture was just too much for a chunky New York-style cookie.

Once I removed the molasses, and simply opted for more spices to create that fragrant gingerbread flavour, I discovered the ultimate NYC Gingerbread Cookie.

This beautiful Gingerbread Cookie is sure to get you in the holiday spirit!

You don’t need any fancy ingredients to make a batch of these chewy cookies. Just the basics will create the most festive Christmas cookie.

Here’s a quick rundown of the key ingredients you will need, including any substitutions you can make.

• Cold butter: It is VERY important to use cold butter straight from the fridge to achieve the thickness we want here. If you choose to use room temperature butter, you will need to chill the dough before baking. If you use salted butter, omit the salt included in the recipe list.
• Brown sugar: You will only use brown sugar in this recipe – no granulated sugar or caster sugar is required. Brown sugar not only adds moisture and caramel notes, but it helps to prevent the cookies from spreading in the oven.
• Ginger: I’ve tested this recipe using storebought ground ginger. You may want to play around with the amount of ginger according to your taste. My measurements give a healthy dose of ginger, leaving you with a slight tingle on your tongue. But they are still kid-friendly – even my toddler approved!
• White chocolate chips: I tried this recipe using different types of chocolate, but found that white chocolate chips gave the best result. Chocolate chunks or hand-cut chocolate melt quicker than chocolate chips and cause the cookies to be slightly flatter (abeit still delicious). You can, of course, use any chocolate you prefer. But be aware that chocolate chunks or a block of chocolate may cause the cookies to spread a little more.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Storage instructions

Once completely cooled, you can keep leftover Gingerbread NYC Cookies covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature.

So you’re not tempted to eat the whole batch, you might want to consider freezing some of the cookie dough.

Make Ahead: You can make the cookie dough ahead of time. Simply roll the cookie dough into balls and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, let the cookie dough thaw at room temperature before baking as per instructions below.

Recipe tips

Here are my tips for creating classic NYC cookies every time.

1. Use cold butter: For a truly thick cookie, it’s best to use cold butter straight from the fridge. Don’t be tempted to thaw your butter, otherwise you will need to chill the dough before baking.
2. Get a baking scale: I highly recommend weighing out your dry ingredients using a kitchen scale. Too much flour can make your cookies dry and tasteless. It’s VERY easy to overmeasure flour when using a measuring cup.
3. Don’t flatten the cookie dough balls: Once you portion the cookie dough into balls, don’t flatten them before baking. Simply leave them as balls and watch them spread while they bake.