30 Ginger Recipes That Will Spice Things Up In Your Kitchen

Get cozy with these sweet and savory treats.

<p>Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox</p>

Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Nestled in a bin at your local grocery store, knobby, nubby ginger isn't much to look at. But peel away that rough, papery skin and you'll find a fiery root that will rev up any recipe it touches, from holiday cakes, cookies, and quick breads to weeknight dinners, sides, and salads to those well-deserved happy hour cocktails and refreshing non-alcoholic drinks. From fresh to dried to crystalized, here are 30 of our favorite ways to enjoy the cozy, spicy heat that ginger brings to the party.

Soft Ginger Cookies

Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

Smoother than their crinkly cousins, these ginger-spiced cookies are great with coffee or a cup of hot tea.

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Old Fashioned Gingerbread

<p>Emily Laurae</p>

Emily Laurae

Simply dusted with powdered sugar and served with fresh whipped cream, gingerbread is cozier than a crackling fire on a cold day.

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Chocolate-Ginger Molasses Cookies

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Chocolate is a lovely flavor partner for ginger—the creamy richness balances ginger's slow-burning spice.

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Gingerbread Biscotti

Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Dipped in white chocolate, these spicy gingerbread biscotti are perfect with your morning coffee.

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Gingersnap Cookies

<p>Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox</p>

Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

These crinkle cookies are like a culinary magic trick—they go into the oven as round balls, then bake into these sugar-crusted gingery marvels.

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Carrot Bundt Cake

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck

Carrots and ginger are flavor BFFs—this pretty cake is proof! The chopped crystallized ginger takes it over the top.

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Brown Sugar Ginger Whipped Cream

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Yes, plain whipped cream is perfectly delicious, but add a touch of ginger to spice things up.

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Ginger Loaf Cake

<p>Christopher Testani, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley</p>

Christopher Testani, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Whether you want to serve it for breakfast or dessert, this ginger-packed cake will fit the bill.

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Pineapple-Ginger Upside Down Cake

ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: KAY E. CLARKE; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL
ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: KAY E. CLARKE; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL

Faintly spicy, ginger is a nice addition to pineapple desserts like this quick-and-easy upside down cake.

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Blueberry-Ginger Crumb Cake

Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Ginger and streusel go together like peas and carrots. Ginger adds a subtle spiciness that makes it delicious no matter the season.

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Gingered Peach Galette

Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Audrey Davis
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Audrey Davis

You'll definitely want to keep this recipe on hand for peach season—the addition of ginger is quite magical.

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Ginger-Plum Slump

Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

A cousin of cobbler, this stovetop "slump" is easy and has a double punch of ginger in the filling and the crumbly topping.

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Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Micah A. Leal
Micah A. Leal

Ginger is just the right spice to balance the richness of this dreamy cheesecake.

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Ginger Sweet Potato Pie

Johnny Autry; Food Styling: Keia Mastrianni; Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry
Johnny Autry; Food Styling: Keia Mastrianni; Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Ginger livens up the sweet earthiness of sweet potatoes and adds a little zip to this honey-sweetened whipped cream topping.

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Ginger-Maple-Amber Pie

<p>Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely</p>

Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Calling all ginger lovers—this tasty meringue-topped pie is filled with a maple-sweetened ginger custard.

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Honey-Garlic Chicken

<p>Victor Protashio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Christine Keely</p>

Victor Protashio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Sweet, spicy, and delicious, this go-to weeknight chicken dish owes its big flavor to plenty of ginger.

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Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Zippy ginger, rice vinegar and sweet carrots come together in this sweet-and-spicy salad dressing.

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Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut-Ginger Sauce

Greg DuPree
Greg DuPree

Ginger adds a kick of heat to the dressing for this quick-fix dinner bowl.

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Ginger Ale Can Chicken

Forget the beer can...use spicy ginger ale to flavor this chicken from the inside out.

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Slow-Cooker Ginger, Sweet Tea, and Whiskey Short Ribs

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Did we throw everything but the kitchen sink in this slow-cooker recipe? Yes. Is it downright delicious? You better believe it.

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Gingered Cranberry Sauce

<p>Christopher Testani, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley</p>

Christopher Testani, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Dress up your Thanksgiving spread with this easy cranberry sauce spiked with ginger and orange.

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Ginger Carrots

<p>Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely</p>

Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Also known as "copper pennies," this sweet and spicy side dish showcases the flavor love affair shared by spicy ginger and sweet carrots.

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Strawberry-Avocado with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

Creamy avocado and sweet-tart strawberries play wonderfully with the nutty ginger dressing in this pretty salad.

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Ginger Rogers Cocktail

<p>Christopher Testani, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley</p>

Christopher Testani, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Pepped up with grapefruit and fresh ginger, this gin-based cocktail will make you want to put on your dancing shoes.

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Gingered Toddy

<p>Frederick Hardy II; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Mat Gibilisco</p>

Frederick Hardy II; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Mat Gibilisco

Infused with ginger-honey syrup, this bourbon-based toddy will warm you right up.

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Ginger-Honey Sweet Tea

Jennifer Davick
Jennifer Davick

A little heat from fresh ginger adds a zippy twist to classic sweetened ice tea.

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Dark and Stormy Cocktail

<p>Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox</p>

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Crowned with a floater of dark rum and a lime wedge, this ginger beer cocktail is rumored to ward off pending summer thunderclouds.

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Shoo-Fly Punch

Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell

Ginger beer, ginger liqueur, and plenty of bourbon power this refreshing summertime punch.

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Cranberry Mules

<p>Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Christine Keely</p>

Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

This festive riff on a Moscow Mule keeps the classic ginger beer but doubles down on the ginger with a splash of ginger liqueur.

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Gingerbread Martini

Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Photographer: Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Smooth, creamy, and spicy, these dessert cocktails are one of our favorite ginger-flavored treats.

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