These Gingersnap Cookies are filled with warm spices, are both soft and chewy, and have those classic crinkle tops. Look no further for the best and easiest gingersnap cookie recipe that would go great on your holiday cookie list!
This recipe was originally published in December of 2020, but was updated on November 5, 2021 with newer content and fresh pictures.
Biting into a perfectly spiced gingersnap cookie just screams Christmas! You get those entoxicating spices of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves that go so well with the sweetness of the molasses. Plus, these cookies are extremely soft and have a nice chew to them.
At this point I thought it was only fitting (and absolutely necessary!) to share my version of a gingersnap cookie, especially since it's part of my blog's name. You'll also love that these cookies do not have to chill before baking!
Looking for more festive holiday treats? Then check out these: chocolate peanut butter swirl fudge, gingerbread muffins, and candy cane brownies.
Why You'll Love These Gingersnaps:
- They're soft, chewy, and slightly crunchy.
- They are a no-chill cookie.
- Each bite just melts-in-your-mouth.
- They are a classic Christmas dessert, perfect for cookie trays.
- From start to finish, they take less than 30 minutes to make!
Gingersnap cookies are known for their spices. Although you can use whatever spices you'd like, I personally love using just three: ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. The combination of those spices makes the cookies so warm and cozy!
These cookies also include molasses, which gives the cookies a darker color and adds a touch of sweetness that pairs so well with all of the other holiday flavors. Again I say, these are a must-bake cookie every December during the Christmas season!
Baking Tips:
- Baking Sheet: I highly recommend lining your cookie sheets with silicone baking mats. The cookies won't stick to the pan, clean up is easy, and your baking sheets last a lot longer.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Cookie Scoop: For all of my cookie recipes I use my 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop. This makes for nice medium-sized cookies.
- Molasses: Be sure to use unsulphured molasses, as it contains no preservatives or artificial flavors. I like to use Grandma's molasses as it is pure molasses.
- Crinkle Tops: To create the crinkle top look, roll each cookie dough ball into granulated sugar before baking.
- Perfectly Shaped Cookies: The trick to getting more circular cookies is to use a round cookie cutter to essentially “rotate or spin” around each cookie immediately when they come out of the oven. Since they’re really hot, the cookies will easily mold to that circular shape as you move around them.
Ingredients Needed:
- Butter: The butter needs to be at room temperature in order to create that soft and chewy consistency. Be sure to use unsalted butter.
- Molasses: Adds a touch of sweetness and gives the cookies their beautiful color. I highly recommend Grandmas's Molasses (not sponsored). It's unsulphured, contains no preservatives, and is highly reliable.
- Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves are the three spices I used to create the wonderful flavor of this classic gingersnap cookie. Make sure the spices are ground, not whole.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies to spread when baking.
How To Make Gingersnap Cookies:
This recipe couldn't be any easier to make! All it takes is 10 minutes of prep time and 10 minutes to bake.
- Wet Ingredients: Cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Then add the molasses, egg, vanilla extract, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Combine Ingredients: Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Cookie Dough: Roll the cookie dough balls into sugar and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes they can. Freeze the cookies on a baking sheet for about an hour and then transfer them to a freezer bag. You can keep them frozen for up to 2 months.
Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 7 days.
They taste slightly spicy from all of the different spices that are used, but also sweet from the molasses and granulated sugar.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you!
Also, please share a photo with me of your creation on either Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy baking!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Jr. Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gingersnap Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar for rolling cookie dough
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until combined (1-2 minutes). Then add the molasses, egg, vanilla extract, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves and mix on low speed just until combined. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add it to the wet ingredients on low speed just until combined. Use your silicone spatula again to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Put the 1/4 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Scoop the cookie dough into your hand using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball into the sugar and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the outside of the cookies start to brown a bit. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes (they will be soft when they come out of the oven) and then transfer them over to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 7 days.
Notes:
How should the molasses be measured? With a dry measuring cup or a liquid measuring cup? Looking forward to trying these.
Hi Sarah! Either one is fine, but I typically just use a dry measuring cup. Can't wait for you to try them!
Perfect! The spices make this cookie everything I want in a ginger cookie! I measured my flour with a spoon as was stated in the instructions but my batter was too wet to roll so I treated the batter like a drop cookie and sprinkled the sugar on top. They turned out wonderfully! Just enough chew and the sugar gave me the added texture I wanted. These are now my go to ginger cookies! Yum!!
I'm so glad you loved them, Callie!