These gingersnap cookies are thin and crispy with crunchy edges and crackly tops! A holiday classic that’s easy to make with flavorful warm spices and molasses.

A stack of crispy gingersnap cookies.

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Crispy Gingersnaps

These homemade gingersnap cookies are perfect for your Christmas cookie list! They are thin with a classic crunch and crackle which is different than my ginger molasses cookies which are more soft and chewy!

This ginger snap cookies recipe is an easy drop cookie like my spice cake mix cookies but if you prefer a roll out cookie with the same flavors, try my gingerbread man. I love this time of year and all the holiday cookie recipes!

Why I Love This Recipe

  • Perfect texture: This is a thin gingersnap cookie recipe with crispy edges.
  • Flavorful: With warm spices including ginger, cinnamon and cloves the are perfectly spiced with a crackly sugary top.
  • Easy to make: Ready in around 30 minutes you can make a big batch of these gingersnap cookies to have on hand for the holidays or year round!

Ingredient Notes

Gingersnap cookie ingredients on the counter.
  • Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted butter, but if you use salted butter reduce the amount of added salt.
  • Brown sugar: I used light brown sugar but dark brown sugar can be used.
  • Molasses: Use unsulphured molasses such as Grandma’s and avoid blackstrap molasses as it is too bitter.
  • Warm spices: Ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
  • Granulated sugar: This is for rolling the cookies. Roll cookies in cinnamon sugar for even more warm spice or for greater sparkle and crunch use coarse sugar.

How to Make Gingersnap Cookies

Make cookie dough by creaming butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add in the egg then mix in the molasses. Whisk dry ingredients then use a spoon to combine with the butter mixture. Chill ginger snaps dough 10 to 15 minutes. 

Butter and brown sugar with molasses in a bowl with the paddle attachment from a stand mixer.
Flour and spices in a bowl with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar into a shallow bowl, then using a medium cookie scoop roll the cookie dough balls in the sugar. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and lightly flatten the tops of the gingersnap cookies.

Showing dough balls rolled in sugar on a baking sheet then pressed flat.
Crisp gingersnap cookies on a parchment lined baking pan.

Bake at 375°F 10 to 11 minutes for cookies that are crisp around the edges, and soft in the center or for a crisper cookie bake 12 to 13 minutes for a crisper cookie. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing Instructions

  • Make ahead: To make ahead ginger snap cookies, assemble dough and keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days before baking.
  • Store: Store homemade gingersnaps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. Alternately, freeze baked gingersnap cookies up to 3 months.
  • Freeez: To freeze gingersnap cookies dough, scoop dough balls onto a baking sheet and flash freeze until frozen. Do not roll in sugar before freezing. Store frozen dough in an airtight bag up to three months and bake from frozen.
A plate of gingersnap cookies.

More cookies recipes to try include butter pecan cookies, maple cookies and brown butter toffee cookies.

More Holiday Cookie Recipes

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A close up of crispy gingersnap cookies showing the crackly top of the cookie.

Crispy Gingersnap Cookies

5 from 8 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Chill: 10 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
These gingersnap cookies are thin and crispy with crunchy edges and crackly tops! A holiday classic that's easy to make with flavorful warm spices and molasses.
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Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter , softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar , packed
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (for rolling the cookies)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 3/4 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar 1 minute, or until fluffy. Add in the egg and beat until smooth. Mix in 1/4 cup molasses until combined.
  • In a medium bowl, sift or whisk 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix in the butter mixture with a spoon, just until combined, being careful not to over mix. Chill dough 10 to 15 minutes. 
  • Place the granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Using a medium cookie scoop (or about 1 1/2 Tablespoons), roll the cookie dough into balls. Roll the dough into the sugar. Place on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten the tops with the palm of your hand.
  • Bake 10 to 11 minutes for cookies that are crisp around the edges, and softer in the center. Bake 12 to 13 minutes for a crisper cookie. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Storage: These cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing dough: Scoop the dough into balls, then flash freeze on a baking sheet until hard (about 30 minutes). Then add to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Baking from frozen: Let the frozen dough balls sit on the baking sheet as the oven preheats. Then bake as directed, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the original baking time if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 123mg, Potassium: 84mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 189IU, Vitamin C: 0.005mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.