Gingersnaps are the best! The combination of spices with a hint of sweetness is so nostalgic and comforting, not to mention your kitchen will smell amazing! You can’t top Grandma Jean’s recipe, they’re the perfect gingersnap cookies.
I got this recipe for gingersnap cookies a few years ago and eagerly wait for every Christmas to make these cookies. You know these cookies are going to be good because this is Grandma Jean’s recipe!
No, Grandma Jean is not my grandma, but she is a friend’s grandma who said that I must try her recipe; and boy am I glad I did! They are the perfect gingersnap cookies, no doubt about that. So seeing that Christmas is approaching, I urge you to make these cookies and eat as many as you can, they’re so good!
Why Make These Gingersnaps
- Easy To Make
- Simple Ingredients
- Christmas Classic
Gorgeous and perfectly round gingersnap cookies, that both look and taste amazing. Perfectly soft, sweetened, and spiced! With simple ingredients and a quick bake time, these cookies are what family traditions and holiday memories are made of!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour – I used trusty all purpose flour.
- Salt – Salt is imperative to baking to balance the flavors, don’t skip it!
- Baking Soda – The baking soda will act as the leavener to our ginger snaps.
- Spices – We are using a combination of ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground cloves!
- Sugar – I used granulated sugar, nothing fancy. Brown sugar can be substituted.
- Margarine or Butter – The recipe calls for butter or margarine, normally I always pick butter over margarine.
- Egg – I use large eggs whenever I bake, it helps bind everything together.
- Molasses – Molasses is going to give us that dark, deep, rich flavor and color. Honey and maple syrup both have a close enough consistency to molasses that they can be used as substitutes, but they lack that distinct molasses taste, so you might want to add more spices.
How To Make Gingersnap Cookies
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Make Cookie Dough: Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger together in a medium sized bowl. In another bowl, mix the 1 cup of sugar and the butter together well. Add the egg, molasses and dry ingredients; mix well.
- Form Cookies: Place the sugar in a small bowl. Form into 1-inch balls using a small cookie scoop. Roll the balls into the sugar.
- Bake and Cool: Place rolled cookies onto the prepared cookie sheets and transfer the cookie sheets to the oven. Bake for about 13 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
FAQs & Expert Tips
FAQs
This is a cake like textured cookie, so be sure to not over bake! If anything, under-bake them just a tiny bit as they’ll continue to bake for a couple minutes once you’ve removed them from the oven! Also big cookies take longer to cook than small ones so keep that in mind as when following the instructions!
Yes you can! The dough will last in the fridge for about 2 – 3 days in an airtight container. You have the option of preparing the cookies and placing in storage until you’re ready to serve them OR prepare the dough and store until you’re ready to bake the day of!
These gingersnap cookies are so versatile! You can have them for dessert, with your morning coffee, take them to a party, give them as a gift, or just keep a stash of it all to yourself to eat whenever you like! Whichever option you choose, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Tips
- Whatever you do, don’t over bake these little babies! If you do they will dry right out.
- When storing in an airtight container, place an apple slice in with the cookies to keep them moist.
- I truly recommend picking up molasses, it is what makes this cookie!
- While some cookies dough need chilling time in the fridge, there’s no need to chill this cookie dough. Keep in mind that if you chill the dough the cookies will spread less when baked.
Storing Gingersnaps
Your gingersnap cookies will last in the fridge for about 2–3 days in an airtight container. Keep an apple slice in the container to ensure the cookies stay moist!
Freezing
You can definitely freeze these gingersnaps! Just bake them, cool them and store in a freezer bag or airtight sealed container. They will last in the freezer for up to 6 weeks and you can just pull them out as needed!
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Gingersnap Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup butter or margarine
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ¼ cup molasses
- ½ cup sugar for rolling cookies
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Make Cookie Dough: Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger together in a medium sized bowl. In another bowl, mix the 1 cup of sugar and the butter together well. Add the egg, molasses and dry ingredients; mix well.
- Form Cookies: Place the sugar in a small bowl. Form into 1-inch balls using a small cookie scoop. Roll the balls into the sugar.
- Bake and Cool: Place rolled cookies onto the prepared cookie sheets and transfer the cookie sheets to the oven. Bake for about 13 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Recipe Notes
- Whatever you do, don’t over bake these little babies! If you do they will dry right out.
- When storing in an airtight container, place an apple slice in with the cookies to keep them moist.
- These cookies have a cake-like texture.
- While some cookies dough need chilling time in the fridge, there’s no need to chill this cookie dough. Keep in mind that if you chill the dough the cookies will spread less when baked.
- Your gingersnap cookies will last in the fridge for about 2–3 days in an airtight container. Keep an apple slice in the container to ensure the cookies stay moist!
- You can definitely freeze these gingersnaps! Just bake them, cool them and store in a freezer bag or airtight sealed container. They will last in the freezer for up to 6 weeks and you can just pull them out as needed!
Awesome! Gave these to several friends and comments were consistently great—best I’ve ever had
These cookies are very tasty! But mine did not turn out “cake like.” I’m pretty sure that’s because I live at a high altitude. Cookies never bake like they did when I lived at a lower elevation. They always fall flat. But that’s OK! My son wanted crunchy cookies. I will be making them again for sure! Thank you for this great recipe.
Made these yesterday. They are so delicious. They are so good I included them with my Christmas baking gift packages for my neighbours A big hit! Will definitely make again and not just at Christmas. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Do you have a recipe for HARD ginger snap cookies. Soft is not my thing . Thanks Joanna.
Sorry, I don’t. Not yet!
Hi Ms.Jo,
I would love to make these cookies but as far the molasses goes is it dark or light? Thanks and Happy Holidays
Hi Cynthia! It’s dark molasses. 🙂
Heyy joo!!
Can i use this recipe for gingerbread cookies?
Jo, these cookies were moist, delicious and just perfection! I am really becoming a fan (fellow Canadian as well) after having just found your site a few weeks ago – everything I have made for my family has been delicious!! I have meal planned this week using your recipes! Thanks so much for the great variety and easy/tasty dishes!!
My pleasure Melisa, so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. 🙂
Hi, I was just wondering about the texture of these? I’m looking for a softer cookie vs the store bought gingersnaps which can be really crunchy and ….snappy 😉
thank you!
Hi Chelsea,
This cookie has a cake like texture, so definitely soft inside.
We don’t have molasses, golden syrup, which I used to eat by the spoonful back in England, or stuff. We have stuff! Made from figs but that would ruin the taste n’est pas? Bloody country.
Hmm, stuff made from figs, never heard of it, but I’m sure it’s delicious, though I’m not sure how it would work in these cookies.