Ginger Snap Cookies
Updated Nov 24, 2023
Quick and easy to make, ginger snap cookies and bursting with flavor. Ready to enjoy in 20 minutes and made with molasses for a rich flavor.
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These soft and chewy ginger snap cookies are the perfect holiday baking recipe! Flavored with rich molasses and powdered ginger, they are simple, easy to make, and so delicious! This ginger snap cookie recipe will be super popular this Christmas!
Homemade Ginger Snap Cookies bring up such great memories of home-baked treats for me. The flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and molasses just feel like the colder months. With their irresistible crunch and spiced sweetness, these ginger snap cookies are a must-try for any cookie lover. Enjoy with a hot cup of tea or creamy hot cocoa!
“These are amazing, buttery (but not too buttery), crispy cookies! I love that they crisp but aren’t rock solid. A great go-to cookie recipe that I’ll be putting in the rotation!” – Megan
Recipe at a glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Spicy ginger and sweet molasses
Skill Level: Beginner
Summary
- Classic Flavor: These ginger snap cookies offer that classic balance of spicy ginger and sweet molasses in every bite.
- Easy Baking: An easy and beginner-friendly recipe perfect for holiday baking or any time you need a comforting treat.
- Perfect Texture: Ginger snap cookies are soft on the inside with a crisp edge, making them the perfect texture for ginger snap enthusiasts.
Ingredients you’ll need to make ginger snap cookies
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the base and structure for the cookies. Be sure to measure carefully. Adding too much flour will greatly change the texture.
- Dark Brown Sugar: The deep molasses flavor in brown sugar sweetens the cookies and also gives them extra moisture.
- Ground Ginger & Cinnamon: A combination of warm, spicy, and earthy flavors that make this cookie pop with spice.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Rising agents to give the cookies their characteristic texture.
- Salt: Adding salt to your baked treats helps to enhance the flavors and balance out the sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter: Use unsalted butter for better control of the salt. Salted butter varies between brands and can affect the taste each time you bake. Also, be sure your butter is at room temperature to easily cream together with the sugar. You want it to be soft, not melted. If it looks too soft and oily, pop it in the fridge for a few or start over with a fresh stick.
- Molasses: Adds a deep, robust sweetness and moisture to the cookies.
- Honey: Imparts a natural sweetness and contributes to the chewy texture of ginger snap cookies.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Light Brown Sugar: If you prefer a milder molasses flavor, you can use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar.
- Plant-Based Butter: For a vegan ginger snap cookie, substitute the unsalted butter with dairy-free butter or coconut oil.
- Maple Syrup: Instead of honey, you can use pure maple syrup as a natural sweetener with a unique flavor.
- Crystallized Ginger: Add very finely chopped crystallized ginger for an extra burst of ginger flavor and chew.
How to make ginger snap cookies
Make the cookie dough in food processor
- Combine the dry ingredients.
- Add the butter cubes. We are chopping up the butter rather than squishing it.
- Process until thick crumbs start to form.
- Add molasses and honey and blend on a low speed until combined.
Bake the cookie dough
- Place the dough into balls on a cookie sheet and flatten with a spatula.
- Bake! You’ll know they’re done when they are flattened and slightly crisp at the edges.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
“So good! I made a batch of big ones and small ones. Next time I’ll just double the recipe.”
– Betty
Tips for making the best ginger snap cookies
- Make sure the butter is slightly soft to make it easier to chop up with the sugar. However, it doesn’t have to reach room temperature.
- Re-crisp the cookies at a low temperature in the oven or toaster oven for 5 minutes. They get soft pretty easily after baking.
- Bump up the ginger flavor by adding minced candied ginger. You can add it in after the honey and molasses and use up to ⅓ cup, depending on the amount of extra flavor you’re looking for.
- Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack. This allows air to circulate all round the cookies so they cool quickly and crisp up. If you leave them to cook on the baking sheet, the bottoms will continue to cook and burn and you risk your cookies turning soggy.
What to serve with ginger snap cookies
- Hot Chocolate
- Fruit & Yogurt Parfait
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip
- Chocolate Drizzle
- Coconut Oil Coffee
How to store ginger snap cookies
Once your cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They will keep well for around 3 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge.
Can I freeze ginger snap cookies? Yes! These cookies freeze really well. Freeze them solid on a baking sheet before placing them in a freezer bag. Alternatively, you can wrap them individually and place them in a container. They will keep well for up to 3 months and can be thawed at room temperature or in a toasted oven.
Freezing cookie dough: To freeze ginger snap cookie dough, prepare the dough according to the recipe first. Portion the dough into individual cookie-sized rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 1-2 hours until the dough has become firm. Transfer the dough balls to an airtight container or freezer bag. Store frozen cookie dough for up to 2 to 3 months.
To bake from frozen: Follow the original instructions adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
Frequently asked questions
Soft cookies can be a result of underbaking. Make sure to follow the recommended baking time and check for a crisp edge before removing them from the oven. Underbaking can also be a sign that your oven is not heating to the correct temperature. You can check this by placing an oven-safe thermometer inside the oven.
To prevent excessive spreading, prepare your cookie dough quickly. While the butter should be softened, if the room temperature causes the butter to melt, it’s likely that your cookies will spread a lot during baking. If necessary, place the cookie dough or softened butter in the fridge to chill for just a few minutes. In addition, avoid overcrowding of your baking sheet.
Because of the molasses in the cookies, it can be a little tricky to tell when they are ready to come out of the oven. The cookies will have flattened and have cracks on the surface. Check the edges gently with your finger or a knife to see if they have hardened. They only take around 10 minutes to bake, so be sure to keep your eye on them!
These ginger snap cookies are so delicious to eat and so easy to make in your food processor. They are bursting with warm and spicy flavors and will make a wonderful addition to your Christmas baking plans!
More cookie recipes:
- Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Date Cookies
- Almond Joy Cookies
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Ginger Snap Cookies recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Ginger Snap Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened and cut in chunks
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add butter and process until butter is in tiny bits. Drizzle in molasses and honey.
- Blend on low speed until thick crumbles start to form and the wet ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Remove the blade attachment and use your hands to form the crumbles into a dough.
- Divide the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls using a spring-loaded scoop and drop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 4” apart. Gently flatten dough with smooth side of a spatula.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until flattened and crisp at the edges.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Comments
I just made this recipe this week. My daughter and husband loved them. I’m wondering, can I make them ahead and freeze them?
Thanks, Elizabeth! So glad you and your family loved the cookies!! These cookies actually freeze really well. I recommend freezing them solid on a baking sheet before placing them in a freezer bag. You can also wrap them individually and then place them in a freezer-safe container. If you’re looking to make the cookie dough ahead of time, you can also freeze it in individual cookie-sized rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 1-2 hours until the dough becomes firm. Next, transfer the dough balls to an airtight container or freezer bag and store them in the freezer up to 2 to 3 months. Hope that helps!!
Delicious cookies! Definitely will double next time. I made this with my stand mixer (didn’t have a food processor) starting with creaming butter and sugars. They turned out well. What is the benefit of the food processor method? Different texture?
So glad to hear! I find the food processor faster for this recipe, but the stand mixer works just fine too! Also, I like making the dough in the food processor because it comes together easier and prevents overworking the dough which can make the cookies tough.
Looking forward to trying this recipe.
You’ll have to let me know what you think when you make it, Richard! Hope you enjoy!
Dear Yumna; I cannot find molasses anywhere 😩😩😩; would you recommend something I could substitute them with? Maybe more honey? What would you think? 🤔
Unfortunately I have not tried this without molasses yet, as that’s what gives it the main flavor.
Hi Gaby. I’m not sure where you are but, like you, I can’t get molasses here in Belize. However, Belize grows sugar so it’s definitely here! I just had to research. Molasses is, basically, the purest part of sugar cane. They extract it here and create “Rapadure/Rapaduro) which is a hardened version that needs to be melted to create the molasses we know.
Perhaps there’s something similar where you are? Perhaps they call it by a different name?
Interesting fact: Brown sugar as we know it is just molasses mixed with white sugar.
Another fact: What we in the US know as “raw” sugar is sugar that still has a touch of mlasses in it 🙂
La meilleure recette de biscuits au gingembre, facile a faire
Thank you!!
Nice recipe of Ginger snap cookies
Thank you!
These are amazing, buttery (but not too buttery), crispy cookies! I love that they crisp but aren’t rock solid. A great go-to cookie recipe that I’ll be putting in the rotation!
Thank you so much!! I’m so happy to hear that it’ll be in the rotation!
Mine came out very flat
Was it flatter than pictured? They are very flat in general.
So good! I made a batch of big ones and small ones. Next time I’ll just double the recipe.
I agree, you can easily double the recipe. It’s too little! haha
The recipe sounds amazing…..do I not need to refrigerate the dough before baking?
There’s no need but it doesn’t hurt! Enjoy it!