Vegan ginger cookies are so easy to make, and this recipe, contributed by Carol Becker, from William Greenberg Desserts Bakes Vegan is as wholesome as it is cozy.
Carol Becker writes: “I have a soft spot for chewy, spicy ginger cookies, and these do not disappoint. They have a nice crunch and melt in your mouth. The sugar coating is a sweet juxtaposition to the warm, ginger flavor. Pair them with a good book by the fireplace and a warm cup of your favorite tea.”
Recipe is from William Greenberg Desserts Bakes Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from an Iconic New York Bakery by Carol Becker, ©2025. Published by Skyhorse Publishing, reprinted by permission. Photographed by Quentin Bacon.
William Greenberg Desserts has been recognized in Food & Wine Magazine‘s 2025 Global Tastemakers issue, cementing its status as more than just a neighborhood bakery. William Greenberg Desserts Bakes Vegan represents both an evolution and a homecoming for the brand – honoring founder William Greenberg’s original kosher vision while expanding it to welcome an entirely new generation of dessert lovers.
See more about William Greenberg Desserts Bakes Vegan following the recipe box.
William Greenberg Desserts Bakes Vegan
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More from this book: Fruit and Nut Bread
About William Greenberg Desserts
Founded in 1946, William Greenberg Desserts has been a beloved fixture on Manhattan’s Upper East Side for 79 years. Located on Madison Avenue, the independent bakery is famous for its iconic Black & White Cookies and has been featured in publications including Gothamist and Town & Country. Under Carol Becker’s ownership since 2010, the bakery has maintained its community-focused heritage while expanding its reach through philanthropy and innovation.
About the Author
Carol Becker is the owner of William Greenberg Desserts and author of the bakery’s first cookbook. A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, she previously worked as a marketing executive and ran her own baking business, Bread & Batter. Becker has fond childhood memories of William Greenberg Desserts and views herself as a steward of the bakery’s legacy while ensuring its continued evolution. She resides in New York City.
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Vegan Ginger Cookies
Vegan ginger cookies are so easy to make, and this recipe, contributed by Carol Becker of William Greenberg Desserts is as wholesome as it is cozy.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plant-based butter, softened
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon oat milk
- 1¼ cups oat flour
- 1½ cups blanched almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1¼ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar or sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In bowl of a standing mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together 1 to 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Lower the speed and add the molasses, vanilla, and oat milk. Beat 1–2 minutes till well combined.
- Combine the remaining dry ingredients, except for the turbinado sugar, in a separate bowl, then add them into the wet ingredients until everything is just combined. Add the sugar to a small bowl.
- Scoop dough into balls using a cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon and roll in sugar.
- Place on lined cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake 10–12 minutes. Cool on rack. Cookies keep well in an airtight container for a week.
More about William Greenberg Desserts Bakes Vegan
When Carol Becker first took over William Greenberg Desserts fifteen years ago, she never imagined she’d one day be introducing plant-based recipes into the Upper East Side institution’s offerings. But in October, Manhattan’s beloved bakery released William Greenberg Desserts Bakes Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from an Iconic New York Bakery, proving that innovation and tradition can beautifully coexist.
Throughout, Becker illustrates how plant-based ingredients can work together to transform beloved classics into indulgent vegan masterpieces. Among the standouts is Becker’s Apricot Cheesecake where she combines plant-based dairy products with a homemade apricot compote, imparting a beautiful orange color and exceptional flavor. Her vegan Cinnamon Rolls achieve the bakery’s signature soft, gooey texture while her Iced Sugar Cookies deliver the rich, buttery flavor and addictive sugar frosting that made the originals famous.
The cookbook also ventures beyond sweets with savory offerings like Olive Breadsticks and Skillet Cornbread. Each recipe reflects Becker’s philosophy that whether parve or vegan, plant-based desserts should never feel like compromises.
Photographed by acclaimed food photographer Quentin Bacon, the cookbook captures the sophisticated possibilities of modern plant-based baking. Recipes include cookies, bars, cakes, tarts, breads, halva, and savory snacks, all made without dairy or eggs while maintaining the full flavor and indulgent textures that have made William Greenberg Desserts a New York City institution for nearly eight decades.
See more vegan desserts & sweets.
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Hi, Nava…
Is it okay to swap-out the almond & oat flours with regular Unbleached Flour?
Thank you!
~Carol
Hi Carol — since it’s not my recipe I can’t guarantee it, but I don’t see why not!