Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: The perfect balance of sweetness and spice.
Texture: Thin and crispy, these cookies break in half cleanly and have a satisfying crunch.
Ease: Super simple 30-minute recipe. No chilling required.
Pros: The perfect easy, festive addition to any Christmas cookie box.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? I make these cookies every holiday season!
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These Crispy Gingersnaps Cookies are the perfect classic, crispy gingersnap cookie.
Typically, I prefer a chewy cookie, but every once in a while, I crave that satisfying crunch and crispness of something sweet.
So, I tweaked my Chewy Gingersnap recipe (which is included in my cookbook – available on Amazon!) to make them thin and oh-so-satisfyingly crunchy.
These cookies are perfectly spice-forward, with that beautiful snap. Plus, they look so pretty next to beautifully iced Cut-Out Sugar Cookies and Christmas Brownies on your Christmas dessert table!
These cookies have become one of my most popular cookie recipes ever, with hundreds of wonderful reviews like this comment from reader El below:
Reader Love
My husband loved these cookies. He is a grumpy old man and doesn’t praise much of anything, so when he said, “These are the best cookies I have ever tasted!” I figured that was a super rubber stamp of approval. Great cookie!
–
Enjoy on a cozy day with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Thin & Crispy Gingersnaps
What are Gingersnaps?
Gingersnaps are just what they sound like: a cookie flavored with ginger, plus other spices that we’ll talk more about below. They are typically crunchy or have a brittle texture, thus the “snap”. The spiciness of the ginger and richness of the molasses pair perfectly with coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or mulled wine.
A year-round favorite all over the world, Gingersnaps are particularly popular to welcome in the fall and winter holiday seasons. Perfectly spiced, these cookies have the most beautiful cracked, sugary tops. I love these cookies in the fall, when the temperatures are slowly beginning to drop. They’re delicious with a glass of cold milk or even lemonade – and even better when used in place of graham crackers for over-the-top Gingersnap S’mores or to make ice cream sandwiches!
What Makes Cookies Crispy and Crackled?
- A heavy amount of baking soda interacts with the molasses in this recipe to encourage spread.
- This allows cracks in the dough to develop where moisture escapes, creating that beautiful crackled appearance and crunchy texture.
- Ensure your baking soda is fresh and active – learn how to test leavening agents for freshness here.
- There’s also much more granulated sugar than brown sugar in this recipe. White sugar encourages more spread and has less moisture to make for a crisper cookie.
- Lastly, a longer baking time ensures a crunchy texture all the way through the center of these cookies.
Why Roll the Dough in Sugar?
Rolling the cookie dough balls in sugar contributes to the overall texture of the cookies as well as the cracky tops. It helps to draw moisture out from the surface of the cookies while they bake, though the majority of the “crackliness” comes from the baking soda and molasses.
Feel free to skip this step if preferred, but your cookies won’t be quite as crisp and won’t look as pretty.
Measure Your Flour Correctly to Ensure Gingersnaps are Crispy!
- To avoid ending up with Gingersnaps that are thick, hard, or dense instead of perfectly crispy, make sure to measure your flour accurately with a digital kitchen scale.
- It’s so easy to accidentally add too much flour if you’re measuring by using cups.
- If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon and level method to measure.
- Just take a look at what a difference too much flour can make:
How to Make Flavorful Gingersnaps
- Make sure your spices, especially the ground ginger, are fresh and of high quality.
- If your spices no longer smell very aromatic, toss them and purchase new spices.
- The fresher the spice, the more flavorful it’ll be.
- While I haven’t tried it, you can also experiment with crystallized ginger, but expect your cookies to be a little more sugary.
- If you want more spice in your gingersnaps, add a tablespoon or two of freshly grated ginger.
- You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a little black pepper.
- In addition to the spices, the molasses used is also important. More on this just below.
The Molasses
Make sure to use unsulphured molasses. Never use blackstrap molasses in baking, it’s extremely bitter. Brer Rabbit or Grandma’s in their ‘mild’ or ‘original’ flavors tend to work best.
Can I Make these Cookies Smaller?
Sure! Use a small 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop for small Gingersnap Cookies and reduce the bake time by a couple minutes.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes! Simply double all ingredients to yield about 56 medium-sized cookies. No other modifications needed.
Can I Use This Recipe to Make Gingerbread Men?
No – this recipe was written to be a simple drop-style cookie, so it won’t hold its shape well when rolled out and shaped using cookie cutters. Instead, try my Gingerbread Cookies Recipe!
How to Store Homemade Gingersnaps
Store baked, cooled Gingersnaps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
How to Freeze Gingersnap Cookies
Store baked, cooled Gingersnap Cookies in the freezer inside an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Alternatively, portion out the balls of cookie dough, roll in sugar, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze for 1 hour or until solid. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake cookies from frozen, reducing the temperature to 325°F and adding a couple minutes to the baking time. Learn more about freezing cookie dough here.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup (100 grams) for rolling
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (113 grams) unsulphured molasses (NOT blackstrap)*
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda**
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 1/4 cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour,
measured correctly
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and egg and beat until combined. Add in the salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and flour, and beat until combined.
- Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow dish. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls and roll in the sugar before placing on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for spread. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are spread and the surface looks crackled.
- Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Notes
This post was originally published in 2020 and has been updated with additional baking tips. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Super delicious! it may be best to add a bit more ginger though. I didn’t have molasses but used bourbon maple syrup, which worked perfectly!
these cookies are soooo delicious
Hi Tessa
Just made a batch of these and they are outstanding. I think I might add a litle more ginger in the future as I like them ginger forward. Also I saw a recipe that suggested adding a bit of Cayenne (I only did that for the ones I was going to eat) it was fabulous but don’t add too much. It gives just a hit of heat. It may have been on your post, I’m not sure now where I saw that.
Is it okay to use blackstrap molasses if it’s the only type I have?
Hi Azeyl! Tessa talks about this in the pink tip box (above the recipe). Check out the answer to your question, along with countless other great baking tips for this recipe, there! Let us know what you think of this recipe once you give it a try! 🙂
I think so. Once I made mollasss cookies with blackstrap and the flavor was perfect, not bitter at all.
The best ginger cookies. Easy to make and delicious!
I’m not sure if this has already been answered.. but is it possible to make different shapes out of these with cookie cutters? Or is the dough too sticky and not firm enough for that?
Hi Kesley! These cookies are not designed to keep shapes – give this recipe a try instead. Happy baking 🙂
I made 8 dozen of these cookies for my daughter, her staff, and her kiddos. Their pre-school was celebrating National Gingerbread Day. I have made ginger snaps in the past, but couldn’t find my recipe. These were definitely the best I have ever eaten. Adding this cookie to my Christmas cookie gift trays this year for sure. Thank you. They were loved by adults and children alike.
Hi. I’m in Portugal and cannot find molasses. Can I substitute with treacle? Would golden syrup or honey be better? Thank you.
Hi there! Unfortunately, molasses is a crucial component in the flavor and texture of these cookies. Feel free to experiment with treacle or golden syrup if that’s all you have access to, but just note that the flavor and texture won’t be quite the same. Let us know how it goes!
Molasses and treacle are the same. Use dark treacle!
these are GREAT! since i found this recipe ive been making about 6 batches a year.
here are some things ive learned in that time.
i always get more cookies than the recipe says. typically 3-4 dozen.
invest in a scale for measurments.
for me, the instructions as written usually leave the dough too tacky to roll into balls. i add small amounts of flour until it stops sticking to cold hands. typically about 20 grams more.
for snappy cookies. i usually do 0.6-0.7 oz balls. you can do bigger, but the center will be chewy. either way is great.
i like a kick. add one heaping 1/4 teaspoon cayanne.
a very light lemon glaze tops it off perfectly. just stir up roughly 2/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon lemon zest. hold cookie upsidedown and use a silicon brush to apply. the goal is to keep it out of the cracks while hitting all the peaks. it should dry mostly clear with a few white areas where its thicker.
the flavor gets stronger after the first day.
The best
I am wondering if I can skip the step where you roll the ball of dough in sugar. Will this affect the crispiness or color? I am not a baker I am sorry I know nothing but my husband hates things coated in sugar 🙂
Hi Amber! Rolling out the cookies in sugar contributes to the overall texture of the cookies as well as the cracky tops. It helps to draw moisture out from the surface of the cookies while they bake, though the majority of the “crackliness” comes from the baking soda and molasses. You could always try a few without the sugar and a few with, then have your husband choose his favorite 🙂 They’ll taste delicious no matter what. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Perfect! Delicious