These easy homemade Gingersnap Cookies are full of warm spices with a peppery kick! You can make them as chewy or crispy as you like – either way, you’ll be obsessed with these classic gingersnap cookies.
Some people think the perfect gingersnap cookie is nice and crunchy, while others believe that softer gingersnaps reign supreme. Whatever your preference, this recipe will help you create the gingersnap cookies of your dreams.
They’re made with the best combination of cinnamon, cloves, and of course, ginger. They also use a little cayenne pepper to give them the touch of heat that gingersnaps are famous for.
With all those warm and comforting flavors, these chewy cookies just scream holiday season. You can even decorate them with frosting and seasonal sprinkles to make them ultra festive! I personally like to keep them classic – they have that beautiful crackly look that draws every cookie-lover in.
Why Are They Called Gingersnaps?
It’s pretty common to associate the name of these cookies with the little snapping sound they make when you break them in half (or when you bite into them if they’re crispy). Believe it or not, the name actually has a different origin. The ginger part refers to the ginger flavoring the cookies, and the snap part comes from the German word snappen, which means “to quickly snatch.”
So if that teaches you anything, you might want to hide a couple extra cookies for yourself before you serve them. They’re bound to disappear fast!
Recipe Ingredients
Everything that goes into these cookies is super simple. You probably have it all as we speak!
- All-Purpose Flour: Use 1:1 gluten-free flour if needed.
- Baking Soda: Not baking powder.
- Ground Spices: Ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
- Cayenne Pepper: This definitely gives the cookies a kick, but I wouldn’t describe them as spicy. I encourage you not to leave it out!
- Salt: To enhance the other flavors.
- Unsalted Butter: Brought to room temperature.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Packed into the measuring cup.
- Unsulphured Molasses: This kind of molasses is made without the use of sulphur dioxide, making it more pure.
- Egg: To help bind everything together.
- Vanilla Extract: Use a high-quality extract for the best results.
- Granulated Sugar: This will be used to roll the dough.
Let’s talk about soft versus crispy for a second. These cookies will soften as they’re stored, so you should keep that in mind if you want them to be crispy. If they’re crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, you’ll definitely notice less crispiness the next day. For a truly crispy cookie, you should probably bake them for the full 12 minutes.
- Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set the prepared baking sheets aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne pepper and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set the mixture aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. This will take about 3-4 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
- Add Molasses: Add the molasses and mix until well combined.
- Add Egg & Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Combine Wet & Dry Mixtures: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over-mix it.
- Form Cookies: Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll the scoops into a ball, then roll each ball in the granulated sugar until coated. Set the balls on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes. Less time will give you a chewier cookie and more will give you a crispier cookie.
- Let Cool: Once done, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Can I Make the Dough Ahead of Time?
This cookie dough requires no refrigeration, but you can certainly make it in advance and store it in the fridge if you’d like. Either wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough soften to room temperature before forming your cookies.
Tips for Success
Even simple recipes like this one have their fair share of tips and tricks. Read on to get the inside scoop on these gingersnaps!
- Avoid Over-Measuring the Flour: Over-measuring flour is a common baking mishap, as it tends to get packed into the measuring cup if you’re not careful. Make sure you spoon the flour into the cup rather than scooping it up, then level it off at the top with a butter knife. Alternatively, you can measure it with a food scale, which is most accurate.
- Cream the Butter & Sugar Completely: Keep on creaming that butter and sugar until you notice the mixture lighten in color and texture. Otherwise, the dough won’t come out right.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Dough: After adding the flour, stop mixing the cookie dough after it has just become well combined. Over-mixing could result in denser, tougher cookies.
- Work in Batches: If you can’t fit all of your cookies on the middle rack of your oven, you’ll have to bake them in batches. This recipe makes more than 3 dozen cookies, so unless you have a massive oven or are saving some of your cookie dough, this will apply to you.
Serving Suggestions
Serve up your gingersnap cookies in an extra special way with one of the tasty ideas below!
- Make an Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich: I love sandwiching a small scoop of vanilla ice cream between two of my gingersnaps. It’s a holiday twist on the classic Chipwich!
- Add Frosting: Try adding some creaminess to your cookies in the form of this Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting. Its tangy flavor goes wonderfully with the spices in the cookies. You could even dye it with food coloring or add sprinkles to make your cookies extra festive!
- Serve with Coffee or Tea: Gingersnaps are classic tea cookies, and they taste just as great alongside a mug of coffee. Happy snacking!
These cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last for up to 5 days. If you’ve topped them with cream cheese frosting, keep them in the fridge instead and bring them to room temperature before devouring.
Can I Freeze These?
Yes, you absolutely can. Place the cooled cookies into an airtight container and freeze them for up to 1 month. Make sure the container is freezer-safe. Alternatively, you can seal them in a freezer bag with all the air squeezed out. Thaw out frozen cookies in the fridge or on the counter before serving.
Print
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 42
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These easy homemade Gingersnap Cookies are full of warm spices with a peppery kick! You can make them as chewy or crispy as you like – either way, you’ll be obsessed with these classic molasses cookies.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (309g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (224g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) unsulphured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (69g) sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne pepper and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
- Add the molasses and mix until well combined.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over mix.
- Create tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then roll each ball in the additional sugar to coat. Set the balls on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes. Less time will give you a chewier cookie and more will give you a crispier cookie. At about 10 minutes, you get a cookie that is crisp, but they get chewy as they sit overnight, so you can bake them a little longer for truly crispy cookies.
- When done, let them cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They should stay good for 4-5 days or so.
- To freeze, place cooled cookies into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw before enjoying.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 71
- Sugar: 6.6 g
- Sodium: 90.6 mg
- Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.8 g
- Protein: 0.9 g
- Cholesterol: 10.2 mg
Keywords: gingersnaps, ginger molasses cookies, spice cookies
Categories
More Holiday Cookies to Try
I refuse to believe it’s possible to have too many holiday cookie recipes. You’ll definitely want to add these ones to your menu!
- Grinch Cookies
- Apple Snickerdoodle Cookies
- White Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
