Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Recipe (2024)

Christmas Favorites | Cookies | Desserts | Holiday Baking

ByMelissa Riker Updated

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The perfect gingersnap cookie recipe, these old-fashioned ginger snaps are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside and rolled in sugar! They’re a perfect holiday baking recipe!

Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Recipe (1)

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I love gingersnap cookies, they are a favorite every holiday season. (Gingersnap or Ginger Snaps? I’ve seen it written both ways?) I love to gift them along with other classics like snickerdoodles, chocolate crinkle cookies, and cream cheese cookies. They are always a hit!

What are Gingersnap Cookies?

The perfect gingersnap cookie is hard to come by, you need them to be crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside with the perfect amount of spice. This homemade gingersnap cookie recipe fits the bill perfectly!

The recipe is very simple and straightforward and comes together easily. Like many of the recipes I’ve been sharing lately, itcomes straight from my grandmother’s recipe book, so it’s been tried and tested for over 30 years!

Ingredients

This is not a fussy recipe, you probably have everything you need already in your pantry.

  • butter
  • sugar
  • molasses
  • eggs
  • flour
  • baking soda
  • cinnamon
  • ground cloves
  • ground ginger
  • salt
Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Recipe (2)

Instructions

  1. Beat together the butter and sugar until nice and fluffy.
  2. Add egg and molasses, followed by the remaining dry ingredients.
  3. Roll the dough into balls and give a sweet coating in sugar before baking.

They bake up very quickly and settle as they cool with those perfect characteristic cracks on top! This recipe also makes a big batch so it’s perfect for holiday gifting and parties!

Tips for best results

  • These cookies spread a good bit so be sure to place them at least 2″ apart.
  • There is no need to chill the dough in this recipe.
  • Don’t skip coating the cookies in sugar, this helps make that signature crackle top!

FAQs

How long do they last?

Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 10 days.

Can you freeze gingersnaps?

Yes! Freeze cookies in a freezer-safe container up to 3 months.

Why are gingersnaps called “snaps”?

These crispy cookies make a “snap” sound when eaten, hence the nickname.

Here are some other old-fashioned recipes from my grandmother’s recipe book I’ve shared recently:

  • Hot Fudge Pie
  • Coconut Pie
  • Watergate Salad
  • StrawberryStuffed Angel Food Cake

If you try this recipe, please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

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Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Recipe (4)

Homemade Gingersnaps Recipe

★★★★★5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Melissa Riker
  • Total Time: 21 minutes
  • Yield: 36 1x
Print Recipe

Description

The perfect gingersnap cookie recipe, these ginger cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside and rolled in sugar!

Ingredients

Units Scale

  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • additional 1 cup sugar for rolling dough

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  2. In a stand mixer (affiliate link), combine butter and 2 cups sugar and beat for one minute or until blended. Add eggs and molasses and continue to mix on medium speed until blended.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add to butter mixture a little at a time while mixing on low speed. Mix until combined.
  4. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Pour additional 1 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough ball in the sugar until completely coated.
  5. Place dough ball on cookie sheet and space cookies at least two inches apart. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until cookies just begin to crack on the surface. Remove from oven and allow to cool for two minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Cookies will continue to crack and settle as they cool.
  6. Store in an airtight container up to one week.

Notes

  • These cookies spread a good bit so be sure to place at least 2″ apart.
  • There is no need to chill the dough in this gingersnap recipe.
  • Don’t skip coating the cookies in sugar, this helps make that signature crackle top!
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 6
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 179
  • Sugar: 14.6 g
  • Sodium: 211.7 mg
  • Fat: 8.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 25.4 g
  • Protein: 1.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 30.7 mg

Keywords: gingersnap, gingersnap cookie recipe

Melissa Riker

Melissa Riker is a recipe developer and online content creator who has been sharing kitchen-tested recipes since 2011. Her passion (other than wine and cheese!) is creating reliable, no-fail recipes for home cooks.

Homemade Gingersnap Cookie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a gingerbread cookie and a gingersnap cookie? ›

Both are spiced cookies. The main differences are that gingersnaps are typically rolled into balls, while gingerbread is rolled out and cut into shapes. Gingersnaps are also baked slightly longer, which is where they get their snappy crispiness. Gingerbread is typically a little chewier.

Why aren t my gingersnaps cracking? ›

The oven isn't hot enough. (it needs to set the top before the middle's fully risen) Not enough leavening (it needs to be strong enough to crack the top once it's set) Using a single-acting baking powder (double acting gives extra rise when it gets heated)

What are ginger snap cookies made of? ›

Mix brown sugar, oil, molasses, and egg together in a large bowl. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the molasses mixture. Roll dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll each ball in white sugar before placing 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Why do my ginger snaps go flat? ›

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.

Are ginger snaps healthier than other cookies? ›

The smaller, crispy gingersnaps are a plain, round cookie and a healthier choice when compared to other cookies because they are usually lower in calories. Ginger not only adds delicious flavor to food, but it's also full of nutrients. There are lots of different vitamins and minerals in ginger.

Should gingerbread cookies be soft or crunchy? ›

First, the texture of the cookie needs to be fairly crispy along the outside with a semi-soft, cake-like inside, and like all "perfect" cut-out cookies, they definitely need to keep their shape when baked. Secondly, they must taste sweet but notably spicy, and have a rich molasses flavour.

Why are ginger snap cookies so hard? ›

Here are several reasons why your ginger snap cookies might have turned out hard: Overbaking: Cookies can become hard if they are baked for too long. Make sure to bake these cookies for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F. Too little moisture: If you didn't add enough liquid to the dough, the cookies can become dry and hard.

Do ginger snaps settle your stomach? ›

Ginger. Capsules of powdered ginger have been found to reduce nausea and vomiting. You could also try a cup of ginger tea, a glass of ginger ale (some people swear it works better if it's flat), a few gingersnap cookies, or a piece of ginger candy.

Did Nabisco change their ginger snaps? ›

“65 years I have been eating the original NABISCO ginger snaps, my favorite cookie. Now Mondelez has changed texture from soft and chewy to hard and crackey, flavor from sharp lasting ginger to bland ephemeral ersatz, size from generous to stingy, price from 3 dollars to 5 dollars.

Can dogs eat ginger snaps? ›

You should not offer ginger snaps as a dog treat to your furry friend because the cookies can lead to: 1. Diabetes: Cookies like ginger snaps, gingerbread cookies, or ginger biscuits contain large amounts of sugar. Too much sugar can cause spikes in blood sugar levels or long-term health issues like diabetes.

Why is ginger snaps so good? ›

Because it has some excellent suspense sequences and a rather high amount of blood and gore. The werewolf is really cool looking,the acting by two lead girls(Emily Perkins,Katharine Isabelle)is excellent and the direction is well-handled. "Ginger Snaps" is a pure horror film,that is to be taken seriously.

What are the ingredients in Nabisco ginger snaps? ›

INGREDIENTS: UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, CANE SYRUP, SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, MOLASSES, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), GINGER, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL FLAVOR (INCLUDES CINNAMON).

Should I use baking powder or baking soda for cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

How do you make cookies fluffy instead of flat? ›

Adjust leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda are responsible for the rise and structure of cookies. If your cookies are too flat, try slightly increasing these leavening agents. Conversely, if your cookies are overly puffy and then collapse into flatness, it could be due to using too much leavening agent.

What if I put too much butter in my cookies? ›

Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.

Does gingersnap taste like gingerbread? ›

Ginger Snaps are simply a variation of the traditional Gingerbread cookie. They're known for their crisper quality; their “snap” if you will.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

Is gingerbread the same as ginger? ›

Originally, the term gingerbread (from Latin zingiber via Old French gingebras) referred to preserved ginger. It then referred to a confection made with honey and spices. Gingerbread is often used to translate the French term pain d'épices ( lit.

What is another name for gingerbread cookies? ›

In America we have two names for these: molasses cookies or gingerbread. These are either thick moist and chewy or the gingerbread cookies can be harder and something one rolls out and cuts into shapes, baked and decorated.

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