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

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5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Melissa Riker
  • Total Time: 21 minutes
  • Yield: 36 1x
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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

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

Did Nabisco change the ginger snaps recipe? ›

Some customers state that the Nabisco brand of ginger snap cookies is not only way over-priced, but the recipe has also changed for the worse, with one Amazon user saying the cookie's "flavor was non existent and they were too hard."

Why didn t my ginger molasses cookies crack? ›

Why don't my molasses cookies crack? Molasses cookie dough won't have those signature cracks on top if the dough is too wet. The cracks happen when the surface of the dough dries up. Rolling in sugar really helps this because the sugar binds the moisture and dries out the dough.

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.

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 can't you sell ginger snaps in California? ›

It is based on a lawsuit in CA with regards to small amounts of lead found in the ginger. Some of the companies pulled the products in CA and do not sell them anymore. The lead is a naturally occurring element in the ground Ginger does absorb some of it. Although not nearly enough to have any affect on humans.

What happened to ginger in ginger snaps? ›

She was accidentally killed when she attacked her sister Brigitte Fitzgerald, landing on a knife she was holding. She later came back as an apparition in Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed.

What happens if you add too much molasses to cookies? ›

Doubling up on molasses softened the cookies significantly.

Molasses is also extremely dark in color, so this batch of cookies turned out to be a deep brown.

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.

Why are my ginger snap cookies flat? ›

Oven temperatures are a crucial factor in baking. If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

Can you eat too many ginger snaps? ›

Ginger is safe to eat daily, but experts recommend limiting yourself to 3 to 4 grams a day — stick to 1 gram daily if you're pregnant. Taking more than 6 grams of ginger a day has been proven to cause gastrointestinal issues such as reflux, heartburn and diarrhea.

Are ginger snaps anti inflammatory? ›

Homemade ginger snaps can make for a relatively healthy snack, as long as you keep an eye on what you're putting in them. Molasses is a good source of iron and calcium, while ginger has anti-inflammatory properties.

Can ginger snaps settle your stomach? ›

Some people find ginger shots, typically concentrated forms of ginger, effective in providing quick relief from nausea. Foods that contain ginger. Low-sugar gingersnap cookies and other ginger-infused snacks can be a pleasant way to consume ginger when experiencing stomach discomfort.

What is the most popular cookie in the US? ›

Nearly 93% of all American households serve and enjoy cookies as treats or after meals. However, it's the chocolate chip cookie that's the most popular in the U.S. and around the world.

What ethnicity is Gingersnap? ›

Her exact ethnicity is unknown. She might be of Indian or Middle Eastern descent, for in the Thanksgiving book, she wears a blouse similar to Indian/Middle Eastern attire. In season four, Ginger Snap is the least featured of the four/five main girls. In the Playmates toys era, she only got a single doll.

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.

Who made the original ginger snaps? ›

The oldest examples were hard gingerbread pieces pressed with a decorative pattern using a stamp. These early ginger cookies originated in Europe and came with the German, Dutch, and English settlers to America. Gingersnaps were named from the German or Middle Dutch word snappen, meaning "to seize quickly."

What is the difference between speculoos and ginger snaps? ›

Speculoos (or Speculaas) cookies are a Belgian and Dutch cookie. They are very spiced, but more fragrant than a gingersnap. What distinguishes a speculoos cookie is 2 things. The first is that they require a spice blend that reads like a laundry list of Asian and East Indian spices.

Why are my ginger snap cookies 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.

Are ginger nut biscuits the same as ginger snaps? ›

In Australia, Arnott's Biscuits manufactures four different regional varieties of ginger nut to suit the tastes of people in different states. In Canada and the United States, the cookies are usually referred to as ginger snaps.

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