Lemon Ginger White Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Sweet and Spicy Delight
Elevate your baking game with these scrumptious lemon ginger white chocolate chip cookies. Impress your friends and family with this unexpected treat, perfect for any occasion. Try out this recipe today and add a burst of flavor to your baking repertoire!
Craving a cookie that’s a little out of the ordinary? Meet Lemon Ginger White Chocolate Chip Cookies! With bright citrus notes, a spicy kick, and creamy sweetness, these cookies are the perfect way to surprise your taste buds. Whether you’re baking for a holiday party or a family gathering, this recipe fits any occasion and promises to impress everyone who takes a bite.
In doing some scrolling, the idea for these cookies came to me. The pairing of lemon and ginger are so comforting when I’m not feeling well. It was almost necessary to turn this combination into a cookie. I thought about using oatmeal as the base, but I had this bag of white chocolate chips on the counter staring at me. So, I thought, “Why not white chocolate chips?” They add the creamy sweetness that these cookies needed to be over the top delicious.
What Are White Chocolate Chips?
White chocolate chips are not chocolate, obviously. They are small, sweet morsels made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. They lock the cocoa solids found in milk or dark chocolate. These chips melt smoothly into cookie dough. They add pockets of creamy sweetness that beautifully balance the tang and spice of this unique recipe.
The Zesty Twist of Adding Lemon Zest
Lemon zest is the outer peel of the lemon that is usually finely grated to release the fruit’s essential oils. Adding lemon zest to your cookie dough infuses the cookies with fresh, vibrant citrus flavor. The zest adds more flavor than adding juice to your cookie recipe. The essential oils in the zest have more lemon flavor than the juice. It brightens up the sweetness and adds a layer of complexity that makes each bite refreshing and irresistible.
The Spicy Kick by Incorporating Candied Ginger
Candied ginger, also known as crystallized ginger, is ginger root cooked in sugar syrup and coated with sugar crystals. Most recipes call for chopping it up and mixing it into your dough provides a sweet. However, in this recipe I combined the candied ginger with granulated sugar making a spicy and sweet ginger sugar. This spicy burst of flavor pairs perfectly with lemon and the creamy sweet white chocolate chips.
The Sweet Surprise of Mixing in White Chocolate Chips
Just when you think you know what to expect, creamy white chocolate chips melt through the dough. They add a rich, sweet finish that brings all the flavors in this cookie together. The white chocolate complements the tart lemon and spicy ginger. The tart lemon elevates the sweetness of the white chocolate. And the white chocolate cools the spicy ginger flavor in these cookies.
Making Candied Ginger Sugar
Want to add an extra touch of flavor to your cookies? Try making candied ginger sugar! Simply pulse 1/2 an ounce of candied ginger with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar in a food processor until well combined. Cream this gingered sugar with the rest of your sugars and butter in your favorite cookie recipes for a spicy and warming kick to your cookies. You can also sprinkle this fragrant sugar on top of cookies before baking for a decorative finish and a little extra zing. Or, try rimming a glass for a fun and festive margarite like my cranberry margaritas.
Tips for Baking Perfection
Use room temperature butter and eggs for smooth, even mixing. Most know about brining the butter to room temperature, but some don’t think about the eggs. Using room temperature eggs is just as important as using room temperature butter when baking cookies. Eggs at room temperature blend more easily into the dough, helping to create a smooth, cohesive mixture and ensuring even texture throughout your cookies.
Don’t overmix the dough. If you beat the dough too much you run the risk of creating gluten which is great for bread, but not for cookies. To keep your cookies tender and prevent too much spreading, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading and help flavors develop. Finally, as much of a hurry as we are in during the holidays, make sure to bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven. Sort of like crowding the pan when you’re deep frying something, crowding the oven lowers the temperature and can affect the time it takes to bake cookies.
Tips for Making Chewy Cookies
Add a little brown sugar to the dough for extra moisture and chewiness. Another adjustment to the dough is to use a bread flour or an unbleached flour. The higher protein content makes for a chewier, denser cookie and also helps to prevent spreading.
Take the cookies out of the oven when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked. Just like a steak or a roast, there’s carry over cooking with baked goods, too. Cookies will continue to cook on the tray which will keep the inside soft and chewy. Finally, store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them chewy for days. The bread releases moisture into the container which keeps the cookies from getting hard.
Ingredients for This Lemon Ginger White Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
The candied ginger might not be in your pantry. I had to get little bag from the grocery store, but you should be able to find it at your local grocery store.
Pantry ingredients – shortening, flour, salt, baking soda, brown sugar, granulated sugar, candied ginger, vanilla extract, white chocolate chips
Refrigerator ingredients – butter, eggs, lemon
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Combine the flour with the baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk until thoroughly combined. Process the candied ginger with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar until the ginger is processed and no large lumps remain.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and shortening with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, candied ginger sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Finally, stir in vanilla.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the white chocolate chips last and stir until just combined. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat baking mat.
Scoop the dough using a cooking scoop or round soup spoons and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are lightly golden around the edges and the center looks soft. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
What to lemon ginger white chocolate chip cookies taste like?
These Lemon Ginger White Chocolate Chip Cookies are sure to be a hit at any gathering. They have a light lemon flavor that is not overpowering. Nor is it fake because I didn’t use any lemon extract. Then there’s the creamy white chocolate chips. And finally, the secret flavor no one will guess. The ginger! It is totally unexpected and adds a nice warming, ginger flavor to the cool and crisp cookies.
They are chewy with a little crispness around the edges. These cookies are rich with the white chocolate chips with a little vanilla and some salt to balance the sweetness. It also pairs well with the lemon zest, too. These cookies have all the flavors! Everyone will be asking for this recipe, so be ready.
Lemon Ginger White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lemon Ginger White Chocolate Chip Cookies combine tart lemon and warm ginger with creamy white chocolate for an irresistible flavor trio. These cookies are a great pick for bake sales, gifting, or simply enjoying with your favorite cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 7 ounces candied ginger
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Combine the flour with the baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Process the candied ginger with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar until the ginger is processed and no large lumps remain.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and shortening with the brown sugar, granulated sugar, candied ginger sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Finally, stir in vanilla.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the white chocolate chips last and stir until just combined. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat baking mat.
- Scoop the dough using a cooking scoop or round soup spoons and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are lightly golden around the edges and the center looks soft. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 356Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 9gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 43mgSodium 247mgCarbohydrates 50gFiber 2gSugar 27gProtein 5g
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
Christmas Cookies 2025 Friday
Raspberry Cream Cheese Crescent Cookies
Raspberry Cream Cheese Crescent Cookies are buttery, soft, and filled with sweet cream cheese and raspberry jam. Easy, festive, and delicious.
Almond Cherry Snowballs
Tender cream cheese cookie surrounding a cherry and sprinkled with powdered sugar. A perfect addition to your Christmas Cookie tray.
Pizzicati- Italian Pinch Cookies
Pizzicati Italian pinch cookies are buttery, jam-filled, and perfect for festive cookie trays, gifting, or holiday baking.
Cocoa Iced Molasses Spice Cookies with Pretzels
These cocoa-iced cookies with pretzels are everything you’ve ever wanted in a single treat. Get ready to fall in love.
Tutti Fruity Cookies
These eggless tutti fruity cookies are buttery, delicious, nutty, festive shortbread cookies with specks of jewel toned tutti fruity.
Norwegian Krumkake
A crisp waffle cookie, rolled into a cone shape and filled with whipped cream, makes a Norwegian Krumkake a fun holiday treat!
Bûche de Noël Cookies
These Bûche de Noël Cookies are a bite-sized take on everyone's favorite Christmas cake. They are fun to shape, decorate, and especially to eat.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Crisp on the edges, chewy in the middle, these Peanut Butter Blossoms topped with Hershey Kisses are a classic cookie! #cookies #holidays #peanutbutter #chocolate
I imagine these were just marvelous. What a great flavor profile.
Thank you! I loved them. The hubs not so much but he doesn’t really like citrus desserts.
I can practically taste the texture of this cookie…and I am totally loving it! Perfect with a nice citrusy cup of hot tea!!!
Yes! That’s sort of my insipiration for these cookies. Hot tea with lemon and ginger.
This is my type of cookie-a great flavor combination plus a crispy/chewy texture. I’ve got a bag of
Ghirardelli to use up, just need to grab some candied ginger because I snacked on what I had left. Thank you for joining me this week!
Candied ginger is one of my fave snacks! And thank you for hosting this event!