This gingersnap cookie recipe creates the most flavorful, gingery, and snappy cookie! This classic gingersnap recipe has the exact texture and flavor of the ones we know and love. Not only are they delicious, but they also make for a great make-ahead dessert option. You can either bake them beforehand or store the frozen cookie dough in the freezer for later.
If you’re looking for a delicious cookie recipe this holiday season, try these gingersnaps! For more recipes, check out all of our favorite cookie recipes too!
A year-round favorite worldwide, gingersnap cookies are prevalent around the holidays. With spices that warm you up from the inside, these treats are perfect for dunking into hot chocolate or tea on chilly winter days.
Serve them with our Roly-Poly Santa Cookies or our festive Gingerbread Spritz for a holiday cookie party. Also, check out our Chewy Ginger Cookies too! They’re made with ginger syrup and candied ginger.
Serve them with homemade eggnog or hot chocolate.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They have been made hundreds of times by readers who enjoy these cookies. This recipe works and is easy to follow.
- These gingersnap cookies have the perfect chewy and snappy texture—a crispy buttery edge and slightly chewy center. Gingersnaps are traditionally hard cookies, which is good, but these are perfection.
- They are great year-round but are especially festive during Christmas. They’re one of our favorite Christmas cookies and would be perfect for gifting a cookie swap or a cookies and cocktails party.
How to Make Gingersnap Cookies
Everything you need to know to bake the perfect gingersnap cookies:
Helpful Supplies
Cookie Scoop – A cookie scoop yields perfectly shaped cookies that are the same size.
Parchment Paper or Silpat – A non-stick surface that makes for easy cleanup. This replaces the need for a greased cookie sheet.
Cookie Sheet – A metal cookie sheet is perfect for making these cookies.
Electric Mixer – A stand-alone mixer or hand mixer will do the trick.
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Large Bowl – For mixing the dry ingredients.
Shopping List and Ingredients Notes
Here is a list of all the ingredients you need to make these ginger cookies:
Unsalted Butter – Use high-quality, organic butter.
Granulated Sugar – Also known as white sugar, sweetens the cookies.
Light Brown Sugar – This sugar is rich in molasses and deeply flavors the cookies.
Egg – Organic, large eggs are always best when baking
Molasses – We use Grandma’s Molasses, which is light molasses, for this recipe. Grandma’s Molasses is made of uncultured sugarcane molasses and contains no preservatives, artificial flavors, or artificial colors. You can also use blackstrap molasses for a more profound, chewier cookie.
All-purpose Flour – We use all-purpose flour like King Arthur to make these cookies. Check out our guide to flour to learn how to measure flour when baking correctly.
Unsalted Butter – Use high-quality, organic butter when baking. Butter plays an essential role in the cookie structure. The fat and moisture can enhance gluten structure, which impacts the shape, spread, and texture of your cookies.
Baking Soda + Salt – Baking soda is used as a leavening agent for the cookies. Salt enhances all of the flavor ingredients.
Ground Ginger + Ground Cinnamon + Ground Cloves – Spices give this recipe a classic gingersnap cookie taste.
Pro Tip – Molasses is a unique sweetener. If you’re in a bind or need to switch it out, try one of these molasses substitutes. No matter what you use, the texture and flavor of the cookies will be different.
Directions
The full recipe and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
Mix – In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Beat – Add egg and molasses and continue to mix quickly until light, creamy, and slightly fluffy.
Sift Dry Ingredients – Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and spices in another bowl.
Combine – Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Chill – Cover the dough and chill until firm. This can be 30 minutes to 1 hour or overnight, which makes these tremendous make-ahead cookies.
Prepare – While the dough is chilling, prepare a cookie sheet and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Roll – Using a cookie scooper, make 1-inch balls and roll them in a bowl of white or cinnamon sugar. Place the cookie dough balls on a prepared baking sheet. We do about 12 cookies per cookie sheet and place them a few inches apart.
Bake – In a 325-degree oven for 12-15 minutes until the edges are light brown. You want the cookies to have a little snap and shouldn’t be too soft. Baking time will vary, so check the cookies after 10 minutes.
Cool – Let the cookies rest on a cooling rack.
How To Store For Freshness
The best way to store delicious gingersnap cookies is to put them in an airtight container once extraordinary.
Put a little bread into the cookie tin or airtight container to remove excess moisture. This helps the cookies retain a just-baked crispiness.
If you’re giving these cookies as gifts, wrap them in parchment paper and put them in an airtight cookie tin.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough
You can save extra cookie dough or make this recipe ahead of time by freezing the cookie dough.
Freeze scoops of dough on a sheet pan before moving them to a Ziploc or freezer bag. The next time you get a craving, you’ll be good to go in 15 minutes of oven-time away from satisfying it.
How to Bake From Frozen Cookie Dough
To bake cookie dough that has been frozen, remove the dough from the freezer and let it sit until the dough is cold. Preheat the oven and bake as usual but at a lower temperature of 325°F / 160°C.
As the dough thaws, the surface may become slightly sticky. This is normal and helps the sugar stick to the outside of the cookie for added sweetness and crunch.
Tips for Making the Best Cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- For a chewy cookie, bake for 10 minutes.
- For a crisper cookie, bake for longer, about 15 minutes.
- When your cookies aren’t as crisp as you’d like after storage, pop them back in the oven at 300 °F (148.89 °C). A few minutes of crisping on a wire rack should do the trick.
- Spice to your preference. Gingersnap lovers prefer a subtle level of spiciness. While others crave after a strong taste of ginger.
- Use good quality ingredients when baking. Use organic flour, eggs, and butter for the ultimate cookie.
Cookie Variations
- Add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the dough for a spicy gingersnap cookie. This will give the cookies a little spice!
- If you like a sweeter cookie, frost them with cream cheese frosting.
- Add white chocolate chunks to the recipe for white chocolate gingersnap cookies.
- Roll them in cane sugar for an even sweeter, more textured cookie.
- If you want soft gingersnap cookies, you can bake them a little less, and they will have a very soft texture.
How To Make Gluten-Free Gingersnaps
Most gingersnap recipes use all-purpose flour. But you can try a gluten-free flour blend instead. Gluten-free flours that work include nut and oat flour and coconut or garbanzo flour.
When to Serve Gingersnap Cookies
These are the best holiday cookies but also great to serve year-round. Here are some special occasions to serve these ginger cookies:
Christmas Party – Add them to a holiday cookie platter for a festive dessert.
Tea Party – Ginger cookies and tea go wonderfully together, so serve these cookies any time of the year at a tea party.
Fall Harvest Party – The flavors of these cookies are perfect for fall.
Pumpkin Carving Party – If you’re hosting a pumpkin carving party, serve guests these festive soft ginger cookies.
Cookies and Cocktail Party – We love cookies and cocktails-themed parties. Add these ginger cookies to the menu.
Christmas Brunch – Having something sweet for Christmas brunch is always lovely. These cookies would be perfect.
Cookie Swap – Heading to a cookie exchange, bring these chewy cookies with you!
Hot Chocolate Bar – They make a great addition to a hot chocolate bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
The baked cookies should keep well for at least five days and up to a week, provided they’re stored properly. Frozen cookie dough will last for two or three months in the freezer. Ask about order
There’s a lot of history baked into the humble gingersnap. While colonial-era Americans did make them, they weren’t invented on our side of the pond. Gingersnaps come from Germany. Medieval monks baked them as early as the 13th century.
They should be crispy and snap when you break the original cookie in two or bite into them (Sorry, Team Chewy). They’re called gingersnaps because you should be able to make them in a snap!
Gingersnap cookies are not the same as gingerbread. These cookies are buttery, chewy, and taste different. Gingerbread is dryer and has a different texture. However, gingerbread cookies are perfect for making cookie shapes.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
Check out our most popular cookie recipes:
- Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Mini Gingerbread Houses
- The Best Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Charming Gingerbread Cookies
- Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
- Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies
- My Favorite Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- The Best Thumb Print Cookies
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Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, unsalted, room temp.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until light in color, creamy, and fluffy.
- Add in egg and molasses and mix on high speed.
- In another bowl sift together, flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Cover the dough and chill until firm. 30 minutes to 1 hour or overnight.
- Roll 1″ balls in a bowl full of sugar.
- Place 12 cookies on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a 325-degree oven for 12-15 minutes until the edges are light brown.
- Let the cookies rest on a cooling rack.
Notes
HOW TO STORE GINGERSNAP COOKIES
The best way to store delicious gingersnap cookies is to put them in an airtight container once cool. Put a little bread into the cookie tin or airtight container to remove any excess moisture. This helps them retain their just-baked crispiness. Oven temperatures can vary, so check the cookies after 12 minutes. For a crisper cookie, bake for longer, about 15 minutes.Nutrition
Absolutely perfect recipe. I had to substitute brown sugar for molasses as I didn’t have any at home but they turned out amazing. I definitely ended up with more then 24 cookie, closer to 40 but I’m not complaining.
That is great to hear Bree! Thanks for leaving a nice review and so happy you loved them!
I was looking for a cookie with a little bit of “attitude” to liven up the book club dessert table and this recipe fit the bill. I made one minor change by adding a cup of chopped crystallized ginger at the end. (I cut back a little on the sugar because the crystallized ginger was coated in sugar) I baked them a little longer so the edges would be crispy to hold up to dunking in coffee or milk because you just have to dunk your ginger snaps. The crystallized ginger added a bit of chewy bite to an otherwise well spiced cookie. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you. I noticed when I was adding it to my recipe box that the step of adding the dry ingredients to the wet mixture is missing. I automatically did it without thinking but you might want to fix it.
Wow! These are excellent. Crispy and flavorful! the knucklehead that said they tasted like salt must have rolled them in salt instead of sugar. Can’t wait to try more recipes from sugarandcharm!
Is it OK to use blackstrap molasses or will the flavor be way too strong? I can’t find light or dark in my country…
It should work but yes the flavor will be stronger and the color will be different to!
my sister would bake a lot for my grandparents. they would make special requests and would pay her for the baked goods. the last request my grandma made was ginger snap cookies but she passed away yesterday. he asked us to make ginger snap cookies so that it will make him think of my grandma because of how much he loved her! thank you so much for this recipe!
Oh Abby! I am so sorry about your grandma, sending your family love! I’m glad you loved the cookies 🙂
Great recipe. I chilled the dough overnight and baked the next day. Dough was easier to work with. My friends that love gingersnaps love this recipe.
Really good recipe, made just under 4 dozen
Excellent cookie recipe!
What type of molasses light, dark or black
we use Grandma’s Molasses for these.