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These Ginger Snap Cookies are soft and chewy with a crisp edge. An easy Christmas cookie recipe that are perfect for any holiday cookie spread, but great any time of year!
Ginger Snap Recipe
Serve these Ginger Snap Cookies on a holiday table with Christmas Oreo Bon Bons, Slow Cooker Candied Almonds, and Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.
If you want to keep with the ginger theme, you could also pair it with an easy gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting!
Do you go to holiday cookie exchanges? I always make cookies, but I’ve never been to an actual exchange. I feel like this ginger snaps recipe would make the perfect batch of cookies to swap.
I polled my friends asking their favorite holiday cookie to help me narrow down what I wanted to bake this weekend. I got a couple requests for cookies I’ve already shared but one friend suggested ginger snaps and this recipe came about.
I consulted a very old cookbook passed down from my grandma for a recipe and am thrilled with the results. A soft and chewy, spicy, holiday cookie that smells amazing when it’s baking in your kitchen.
Ginger Snaps Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
- Butter – Unsalted, at room temperature.
- Molasses – Baking molasses – usually light or “original”.
- Egg – One large egg.
- Flour – All-purpose white flour.
- Baking Soda – To add rise.
- Cinnamon – Use a good quality ceylon cinnamon.
- Ginger – Ground ginger.
- Cloves – Ground cloves.
- Nutmeg – Ground nutmeg.
- Salt – For balance.
How to make Ginger Snap Cookies
Making ginger snap cookies is surprisingly easy, but you do need to allow time for the dough to chill and come together.
- STEP ONE: To a large bowl, add the sugar, butter, molasses, and egg and beat with a hand mixer until on medium until light and fluffy.
- STEP TWO: Add in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Stir it together with a spatula until fully combined.
Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and let chill for at least an hour. - STEP THREE: Pour 1/2 cup of sugar into a shallow bowl. As you scoop the dough into approximately 1″ balls with a cookie scoop, roll the balls in your hands, then in the sugar, and place 12 per sheet on the prepared cookie sheets.
- STEP FOUR: Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes or until just set. They will puff up then flatten as they bake. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for a minute before removing.
Are ginger snaps supposed to be spicy?
Ginger snaps are not hot spicy, but they do have a nice warmth to them thanks to the ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
Why are they called ginger snaps?
The name ginger snaps comes from the fact that these cookies are typically very crispy and make a “snap” sound when broken and are filled with ginger.
My version have a crisp edge with a chewy center (don’t over bake them!) and are full of holiday spices. Ginger snaps are a derivation of gingerbread.
What is molasses & why is molasses used in baking?
Molasses is a thick, dark syrup that is made during the sugar making process. Sugar cane or sugar beets are crushed and then the juice is extracted. The juice is then boiled down to form sugar crystals, which are then removed from the liquid. That is the molasses.
Molasses is used in baking to add great brown sugar flavor to cakes and cookies without making them too sweet.
Soft & chewy molasses cookies are similar to these ginger snaps and equally delicious.
Equipment you’ll need
- Mixing Bowls – I love the grippy bottoms of these bowls so they stay still while you’re mixing.
- Hand Mixer – As much as I love my stand mixer, I use my hand mixer much more often.
- Spatulas – I love these one piece silicone spatulas because they’re easy to clean.
- Silicone Baking Mats – Using either baking mats or parchment paper will help your cookies to bake evenly and make clean up easier.
- Cookie Scoop – I can’t remember the last time I made cookies without using a scoop. It makes life easier & your cookies will be even.
Need more Christmas cookies in your life? Try these:
Dark Chocolate Stars
Crisp Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Cream Cheese Sprinkle Cookies
Christmasdoodles (Snickerdoodles)
Sprinkled Chocolate Fudge Cookie Bites
Click here for my entire collection of cookies.
Soft and Chewy Ginger Snaps
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, butter, molasses, and egg and beat on medium until light and fluffy.1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup molasses, 1 large egg
- Add in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt, Stir well with a spatula until fully combined.2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger, 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves, 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Pour approximately 1/2 cup of sugar into a small bowl (for rolling).
- Use a medium cookie scoop to shape the dough into approx. 1″ balls. Roll in sugar and place 12 per baking sheet onto your prepared sheets.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes or until just set (they will puff up then flatten while baking).
- Remove from oven and let stand on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @melissa_pplates so I can see!What’s your favorite holiday cookie recipe? Are you trying any new ones this year?
This post was originally sponsored by McCormick®. All opinions are my own, as always.
This is my go-to recipe for my husband’s favorite cookie. Thank you! They come out perfectly every time. Taste and texture are exactly what I remember from my grandma’s ginger snaps.
Yay, thanks for letting me know! That makes me happy 🙂
Great ginger snaps. I loved that you put the amount for doubling and tripling the recipe.
I love that you use that feature 🙂
These were very good. I added craisins to mine, but left them out for everyone else. Both ways were very good!
Ooh craisins. Sounds good!
I made these last year and they were a hit. Can you make and freeze dough in advance?
Absolutely. I make the dough, scoop, flash freeze on a pan, move to a freezer bag, and then store for up to a few months. Bake from frozen just adding an extra minute or two. I’m glad you liked them!
These turned out beautiful with sparkling sugar! Delicious and chewy. Easy to make.
Thank you, Gloria!
Terrible. I have been making ginger snaps every Christmas tor 50 years. This recipe is too soft. Break apart. Most recipes call for Shortening not butter. Never again. No crincles no snaps
They are called “soft & chewy ginger snaps” so I’m not sure why you are surprised that they were soft and why you’d expected “snap” lol Maybe you should have stuck with the recipe you’ve been using for 50 years?🤷🏻♀️
OK, I haven’t made these or any ginger snaps before. I like this recipe over others because the ingredients and it doesn’t use as much sugar.
I hope you like them 🙂
If I dont have cloves can I substitute for allspice or pumpkin pie spice? Or is it better for me to run to the store and just get cloves? 🤣
Pumpkin pie spice should work 🙂
Are these cookies supposed to go flat when baking? I’ve tried this recipe twice and the flavor is great but my cookies always end up flat and not like the picture.
They should look like the picture. Are you chilling the dough?
Just made these and they are family approved and will be adding the recipe to my Christmas cookie baking list! I doubled it to freeze some balls to bake fresh later. Thank you!
Glad you liked them! I ALWAYS freeze some for later 😉
These soft chewy ginger snaps, are great. The recipe was so simple to follow and my cookies came out great!
Thanks, Vonn!
How long can the dough stay in the fridge before baking?
I’d say 3 days, covered tightly. You’re likely fine up to 5, but anything longer than 3 I freeze 🙂
Is there a specific type of molasses you use for this recipe or will any type suffice?
Usually Grandma’s Original Unsulphered Molasses 🙂
Just made these for Christmas givings to friends. “The best ginger snap I have EVER had”. They have all requested more !!!!
Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂 Merry Christmas!
These taste the closest to the ginger spice cookie I ate at Christmas time in Germany. The spices together give this cookie a very nice warmth. The flavor of molasses really shines and isn’t overpowered by too much sugar. It also gives the cookie a slightly chewy texture, which I really love! So far, this is one of my favorite gingersnap recipes!
Happy to hear that, Mary! Merry Christmas:)
Oh my word, I’m glad I didn’t double the recipe or I would be rolling in to Christmas instead of walking! These are soo dang delish! Absolutely an amazing recipe! Sooo yummy!
Ha! That makes me so happy 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Good flavor! This was the first time I have made Ginger Snap cookies. They puffed up but did not flatten out? But we still loved them!
I haven’t made ginger snap cookies in ages and made these for a little get together on Christmas. They were perfectly delicious!!!!! I’ll be making these again for sure!!! I like the fact you can keep the dough in the refrigerator and make a pan or two if you need some for guests!
Yay, thanks, Carol! That’s exactly what I did – brought the dough out after Christmas dinner & baked up a dozen 🙂
Amaaaazing!!! Wonderfully chewy, perfectly spiced and not too sweet. Simply irresistible! Seriously.. I have to make another batch now because I couldn’t stop eating them right out of the oven.
YAY 🙂 Thanks!
Absolutely delicious!! I did add a bit more ground ginger and it was DELICIOUS 😋
Thanks, Shea =)