20 Best Ginger Desserts (+ Easy Recipes)

While ginger is an ingredient in many recipes, ginger desserts are where it really shines.

They’re sweet, lightly spiced, and impossible to resist.

There’s just something about ginger that feels so special and soothing. 

Between the warmth, spice, and punchy flavor, it’s excellent in all kinds of recipes.

Of course, gingerbread recipes are pretty common around the holidays. But these ginger desserts go way beyond cookies!

1. Gingerbread Caramel Milkshake

I’m not sure who first added ginger to a milkshake. But that person deserves a medal!

This gingerbread caramel milkshake is mouth-wateringly delicious.

It features three scoops of vanilla ice cream, three gingerbread cookies, whole milk, whipped cream, and plenty of caramel sauce for drizzling.

I like to throw in a bit of sea salt, as well.

2. Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread cake is a soft, moist, spicy dessert that pairs well with coffee, milk, or tea.

It only takes about 35 minutes to make, and all you’ll need are molasses and basic baking ingredients.

If you want to add cream cheese frosting to the top, it’s easy. Just mix cream cheese, vanilla, maple extract, cream, confectioner’s sugar, and butter.

What is confectioner’s sugar? It’s just another name for powdered sugar.

3. Gingerbread Latte

Lattes are always a great way to start the day, but they’re also good as after-dinner sweets.

The next time you whip one up, try following this recipe, adding ginger, cinnamon, sugar, and molasses.

4. Gingerbread House Chocolate Bark

You don’t have to be a candy architect to enjoy gingerbread house chocolate bark. 

This Christmas bark is full of sweets and goodies. That includes gumdrops, M&Ms, mini marshmallows, gingerbread cookies, and more. 

It may send you on a sugar high, but you’ll enjoy the rush.

5. White Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles

Making homemade truffles is easier than you think. And these simple recipes take less than half an hour to prepare!

So grab some cream cheese, gingersnaps, and vanilla extract, and get ready to enjoy some delicious, easy-to-make truffles.

Melted almond bark makes a great dipping sauce for them, as well.

6. Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

With a soft, warm consistency similar to oatmeal pies, these gingerbread molasses cookies taste great by themselves. 

Add a spiced cream cheese filling and it’ll be hard to stop at just one!

7. Gingerbread Cheesecake Trifle

Trifle doesn’t take too long to make. But it needs to be refrigerated for about four hours before you can serve it.

Take that into account when deciding when to make it. 

It has many layers of cream cheese, gingerbread cookies, whipped cream, and caramel.

Once it’s done, it’s stunning. Especially if you have a little gingerbread man to stick on the top. 

It’s indulgent, but it’ll be the most beautiful dessert on the table. Plus, it’s simply scrumptious.

8. Gingerbread Fudge

There’s nothing quite as decadent as homemade fudge, but we all love it, anyway. 

Chocolate, peanut butter, or salted caramel fudge is great. But homemade gingerbread fudge is insanely good. 

It’s sweet, spicy, rich, and creamy. If you want to do some decorating, you can, but either way, it’ll taste just as good.

9. Lemon Ginger Sorbet

Sorbet is always a popular dessert because it’s cool, light, and refreshing. It’s also simple and straightforward to make.

This lemon ginger sorbet is one part tangy, one party zesty, and one part sweet.

All you’ll need to make it is fresh ginger, lemon zest, water, sugar, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. 

This recipe makes about two pints. That means you’ll have some to enjoy now and plenty to freeze for later.

You could always share, but that’s not required.

10. Turmeric Ginger Honey No-Churn Ice Cream

Sorbet is phenomenal, but some people prefer the consistency – and dairy – of ice cream.

This ice cream requires some time to freeze, but you won’t need an ice cream maker to make it!

All you’ll need is a bowl and a handheld mixer.

The ice cream comes out a lovely golden color. And thanks to the ginger, turmeric, honey, cinnamon, and cardamom, it tastes incredibly fresh.

The recipe also calls for just a hint of chili powder and white pepper.

These enhance the ginger and give the whole dessert an exotic, tongue-tickling flavor that I love.

If you’re unsure, you can leave those out without sacrificing the ice cream’s overall yumminess.

11. Gingerbread Oatmeal Bars

These bars are dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan-friendly, and they make the perfect holiday treat.

Luckily, you can also enjoy them any other time of the year.

They’re sweet enough to serve for dessert. 

However, they have enough good stuff in them to work as fairly nutritious on-the-go breakfast.

Especially if you throw in the optional chopped nuts and dried cranberries.

12. Ginger Cream Tart

This tasty treat has all kinds of fruity, gingery goodness and is relatively simple to make. You’ll need a tart pan with a removable bottom, though.

You can easily make the shell from sugar, butter, and ground-up shortbread cookies.

The ginger cream requires a few more ingredients, but it doesn’t take a lot of work either.

When it’s finished, top it with confectioners’ sugar and your favorite berries. You can eat it right away or chill it overnight for a light, cool treat.

13. Gingerbread Biscotti

If you’re a coffee or tea drinker, chances are, you’ll also like biscotti.

This biscotti is super crispy and has the perfect amount of spice. That’s all down to the blend of ginger, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. 

It’s a crunchy treat you won’t be able to get enough of. And it’ll take your morning coffee game up to a whole new level.

14. Crystallized Ginger

Oh my gosh. If you haven’t tried candied ginger, you need to stop everything and try it now.

You’ll need peeled and thinly sliced ginger, salt, and sugar. 

You can eat it by itself like candy, or you can use it to garnish your other dishes and desserts.

Either way, it’s superb. As long as you store it in a cool, dark place, it’ll also stay fresh for months.

15. Gingerbread Shortbread Cookies

These gingerbread shortbread cookies with cranberries are holiday treats you’ll crave year-round. 

They have the perfect mix of sweetness and spice. And they’re so soft that they’ll literally melt in your mouth.

They’re also super easy to make.

You’ll simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl, roll the mixture into a log, and freeze it. Then you’ll just slice and bake.

16. Ginger Poached Pears

I love fruit for one simple reason: If it’s fruit, I can claim it’s healthy, regardless of whatever else I throw on top of it.

So these ginger-poached pears are 100% healthy. 

They’re a great dessert if you’re looking for a healthier alternative to cakes, cookies, and ice cream. 

The recipe calls for poached pears, honey, and Greek yogurt.

While they’re high in carbs, they have no fat and few calories compared to most traditional desserts.

17. Gingersnap

I can’t talk about the best ginger desserts without mentioning gingersnaps.

Aside from gingerbread men, gingersnaps are probably the most famous ginger dessert there is.

This recipe will help you make the best gingersnap cookies possible.

They’re warm, have that signature ginger bite, and taste great when dipped in your favorite hot drink.

18. Gingerbread Men

While we’re on the subject of popular ginger desserts, let’s get gingerbread men out of the way, too. 

I know these little guys are generally only seen around Christmas. But the truth is, gingerbread men are so much fun to make. 

If you have children, I suggest you make these a year-round treat. 

Make Halloween gingerbread men with vampire teeth or Valentine’s gingerbread men with Cupid’s bows.

They’ll taste just as good on non-Christmas holidays.

19. Ginger Pear Puff Pastry Tart

This is one ginger dessert that looks like it takes a lot more effort to make than it actually does.

You can whip these up in no time, but they’re so lovely, people will think you toiled over them for hours.

They’re buttery, flaky, and more sweet than spicy. Even so, you’ll still get enough of that ginger kick to let you know it’s in there.

20. Apple Crisp with Ginger

We all know that apple pie is the American dessert. But this recipe could make a case for changing that to apple crisp instead. 

It has all the sweet deliciousness of a regular apple crisp. Plus, the ginger gives it another layer of flavor that somehow makes it feel even more homey.

The crisp topping really sets this recipe apart. The filling is warm and delightful, but that crispy topping is where it’s at.