Easy to make thin and crispy gingersnap cookies are crunchy on the edges with soft and chewy centers. Rolled in sugar for additional crunch, homemade ginger snaps are ready in 30 minutes!
Other holiday cookie recipes we love to make include ginger molasses cookies, gingerbread man and spice cake mix cookies!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Perfect texture: This is a thin gingersnap cookie recipe with crispy edges and a slightly chewy center.
- Flavorful: With warm spices including ginger, cinnamon and cloves these gingernut biscuits are perfectly spiced with a crackly sugary top.
- Family favorite: While this is often appears on our Christmas cookie list, we love to make these molasses crinkle cookies year round!
- 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 just a cozy fall or winter evening.
Substitutions and Variations
- Roll cookies in cinnamon sugar for even more warm spice.
- For more spice, add a Tablespoon or two of freshly grated ginger or try candied ginger.
- Use unsulphured molasses such as Grandma’s and avoid blackstrap molasses as it is too bitter.
- For a chewier cookie do not flatten cookies before baking. For thinner gingersnap cookies, roll dough out and make cut outs.
- For a fun twist, add in some fresh orange zest to the dough.
- To add a greater sparkle and crunch, roll ginger snaps in sanding sugar or a 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.
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.
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
To make ahead ginger snap cookies, assemble dough and keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days before baking.
Store homemade gingersnaps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
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.
Alternately, freeze baked gingersnap cookies up to 3 months.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
Browse all
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Gingersnap Cookies
Video
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 the butter and brown sugar 1 minute, or until fluffy. Add in the egg and beat until smooth. Mix in the molasses until combined.
- In a medium bowl, sift or whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and 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 soft 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
These gingersnaps were the perfect addition to our Christmas cookie platters. They were easy to make and had the perfect texture. Pretty sure I’ll be making them every holiday season from here on out!
They are delicious! I’m so happy you liked them!
Perfect cookie – I made these last week and they were gone within hours.
They go fast, they’re so yummy!
Just perfect. Even better than my Grandma’s growing up! I am making these for my friends for holiday gifts.
Such a fun and yummy gift idea!
These gingersnaps turned out perfectly and so delicious!