Orange and Ginger Biscuits – Traditional Gingernuts
Crisp, golden, and packed with warming spice, these orange and ginger biscuits are a perfect balance of zesty citrus and classic ginger flavour. Whether you’re looking for a crunchy biscuit to dunk in your tea or a homemade treat to add to your biscuit tin, this easy ginger biscuits recipe is simple to make and full of flavour.
Recipe Overview
Skill Level:
BEGINNER
Prep Time:
15 MINUTES (plus chilling time)
Cook Time:
15 MINUTES
What Makes This Recipe Great
Crisp with a Chewy Centre – These biscuits have the perfect balance of crunch and chewiness.
Bright and Warming Flavours – The combination of zesty orange and warming ginger gives these biscuits a unique and irresistible taste.
Freezer-Friendly Dough – Make the dough in advance and freeze it, so you can bake fresh biscuits whenever you need them.
If you love traditional ginger biscuits, this recipe offers something a little extra. The combination of warming ginger and fresh orange zest creates a biscuit that’s both comforting and refreshing, perfect for any time of year. Whether you’re baking a batch for a cosy afternoon with a cup of tea or making a tinful to share, these biscuits are simple to prepare with just a handful of pantry ingredients.
These biscuits are sometimes referred to as gingernuts due to their crunchy texture, similar to that of a nut. The name doesn’t mean they contain nuts, but rather refers to their hard, crisp bite.
The texture is exactly what you’d expect from a great ginger biscuits recipe—crunchy on the outside with just the right amount of chew in the middle. If you prefer a crispier biscuit, simply bake them a little longer to deepen the crunch.
Golden syrup is key to achieving the perfect texture and flavour, bringing a caramel-like sweetness that pairs beautifully with the spices. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own with my Homemade Golden Syrup Substitute, a useful recipe to have for all sorts of baking!
If you’re a fan of classic British biscuits, you might also enjoy making Fig Rolls, another nostalgic bake that pairs perfectly with a cuppa. Or, for a fun twist, try making Homemade Party Rings, a colourful biscuit that’s just as easy to bake at home.
These orange and ginger biscuits also make a great base for cheesecake or no-bake desserts. Why not try them with these quick banoffee cups and give them a ginger biscuit twist.
Equipment Needed
- Large Bowl: A large mixing bowl for combining the dry ingredients.
- Medium Saucepan: For melting the butter and golden syrup.
- Wooden Spoon/Spatula: For mixing ingredients together.
- Grater or Zester: Fine grater for grating the orange zest.
- Clingfilm/Plastic Wrap: To wrap and chill the cookie dough.
- Large Baking Tray/Baking Sheet: For baking the biscuits, choose one that will allow the biscuits space to spread. Don’t overcrowd the baking tray, instead cook in batches or use more than one tray.
- Parchment Paper/Baking Paper: To line the baking tray and prevent sticking.
- Cooling Rack: A wire rack to cool the biscuits completely
Ingredients:
- Plain Flour (All-purpose flour) – I use plain white flour for this recipe, I don’t recommend an alternative.
- Baking Powder – Instead of using self-raising flour, I control the amount of baking powder by adding it separately. Baking powder acts as a leavening agent in the biscuits. Make sure it’s within the expiry date and opened in the last 6 months.
- Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda) – I use this to give our biscuits a little rise similar to the baking powder.
- Ground Ginger – I flavour our biscuits with ground ginger which is mixed in with the flour. Ground ginger has a concentrated and intense spicy ginger flavouring so stick to the amount suggested. If you wish, you can also add a tablespoon of chopped stem ginger to the dough for an extra ginger flavour.
- Sea Salt – A little bit of salt in these biscuits intensifies the flavour and adding it separately instead of using salted butter, allows us to control the amount. You can, however, omit the salt if you’d prefer.
- Caster Sugar – You can use refined or golden caster sugar for this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter – I add in my own amount of salt separately, so stick with unsalted butter or an unsalted vegan alternative that is suitable for baking recipes.
- Golden Syrup – Ideally, golden syrup should not be substituted in this recipe as the flavour is quite particular and other ingredients may alter the flavour of the biscuits.
- Egg – The egg binds the dough together. You could try using an egg replacement if you follow an egg free diet, but the binding power can vary greatly from different egg substitutes, so use one that is recommended for making cookies and biscuits.
- Freshly Grated Orange Zest – The zest from the orange gives these biscuit a subtle flavour kick. Be sure to grate it finely and use an orange that has not been waxed.
Substitutions and Additions:
Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.
- Chocolate Ginger Biscuits: Add chocolate chips or drizzle melted chocolate over the biscuits once cooled.
- Lemon Ginger Biscuits: Swap the orange zest for lemon zest for a sharper citrus flavour.
- Cranberry Ginger Biscuits: Add dried cranberries to the dough for a fruity twist.
Step-By-Step Guide – How To Make Orange and Ginger Biscuits
Frequently Asked Questions
This is usually due to over baking them. Check the oven temperature is correct and try baking them for a little less time.
Yes, chilling helps the dough firm up, preventing the biscuits from spreading too much while baking.
Mastering This Recipe – Expert Tips
- Chill the dough – This prevents the biscuits from spreading too much in the oven.
- Let the biscuits cool fully – They will firm up as they cool, so don’t worry if they feel soft straight from the oven.
- Don’t overcrowd the baking tray – otherwise, they will end up as one large biscuit!
Storage
- At Room Temperature: Store cooled biscuits in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezing the Dough: Wrap the dough tightly in clingfilm and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before rolling and baking as usual.
Orange and Ginger Biscuits – Traditional Gingernuts
Ingredients
- 350 grams Plain Flour
- 15 g Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 200 grams Caster Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Ground Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
- 125 grams Unsalted Butter
- 75 grams Golden Syrup
- 1 large Egg
- 1 whole Orange, zest only, finely grated.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C.
- Mix the flour, salt, ginger, baking powder, and bicarbonate together.
- Add the caster sugar and mix in.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter and golden syrup over a gentle heat and allow it cool slightly.
- Add the melted butter and syrup to the flour and mix until it becomes like wet breadrcumbs.
- Add the orange zest and mix.
- Beat the egg and add to the dough. Mix it thoroughly until everything is combined and you have a firm but slightly pliable dough.
- Wrap the dough tightly in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and uncover. Create golf ball sized amounts of dough and roll into a ball.
- Place each ball on a lined, greased baking tray with space between each one to allow them to spread.
- Place in the hot oven for 15 minutes until they turn golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow the biscuits to sit on the tray for a few minutes to harden before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Serve or store them once they have cooled completely.
Video
Recipe Notes
- The dough can be frozen before baking, you can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Chilling the dough before baking is an important step.
- The biscuits will be soft when you remove them from the oven. This does not mean that they need more cooking time. Just allow them to rest on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. They will harden as they cool.
- Bake them for a few more minutes if you prefer them to be crunchier.
- You can add 1 tablespoon of chopped stem ginger to the dough for an extra ginger boost.
Made these gorgeous cookies today and they are scrumptious. My family love them so I’ll be making them quite often I should think.
Thank you for the recipe.
Great recipe.
I made these with good quality orange extract instead of zest and fresh grated ginger instead of ground
I also decorated them with pieces of crystallised ginger
They were delicious!