Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The perfect balance of sweet and spice.
Texture: Thin and crispy, these cookies break in half cleanly and have a satisfying crunch to every bite!
Ease: Super simple 30 minute recipe. No chilling required.
Pros: Easy and festive recipe that goes great in every Christmas cookie box.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Yes.
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These Crispy Gingersnaps Cookies are the perfect classic, crispy gingersnap cookie.
Typically I enjoy more of a chewy cookie, but every once in a while I want that satisfying crunch and crispness of something sweet.
I tweaked my Chewy Gingersnap recipe (which are included in my cookbook – available on Amazon!) to make them thin and crunchy.
These ginger cookies would also make a great base for ice cream sandwiches!
In fact, my best friend Ashley from Baker by Nature sent me ice cream from Salt & Straw, our favorite ice cream shoppe, as an early Christmas gift.
One of the flavors she sent was for Gingerbread Cookie Dough. I’m thinking I have to make ice cream sandwiches with these ginger snaps and that ice cream!!
Of course, they’re also marvelous on their own with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea.
How to Make Thin & Crispy Gingersnaps
What are Gingersnaps?
A year-round favorite all over the world, Gingersnaps are particularly popular to welcome in the fall and winter holiday seasons! Gingersnaps are perfectly spiced with the most beautiful cracked, sugary tops. While these are mostly enjoyed during the colder months, I actually love them in the fall in Arizona, when the temps are slowly beginning to drop. They’re delicious with a glass of cold milk or even lemonade… and even better used in place of graham crackers for over-the-top s’mores!
Gingersnaps are just what they sound like: a cookie flavored with ginger – plus other spices that we’ll talk more about below. Gingersnaps are typically crunchy or have a brittle texture, thus the “snap”. The spiciness of the ginger and richness of the molasses pairs perfectly with coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or mulled wine.
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 more about that 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.
Measure Your Flour Correctly to Ensure Gingersnaps are CRISPY!
- To avoid ending up with Gingersnaps that are thick and chewy instead of perfectly crispy, make sure to measure your flour accurately with a digital scale.
- It’s all too easy to accidentally add too much flour if you’re using cups.
- Check out my article on How to Measure Flour for step-by-step instructions.
- 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.
- 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.
- In addition to the spices, the molasses used is also important.
- 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.
How to Store Homemade Gingersnaps
Store the gingersnaps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
How to Freeze Gingersnap Cookies
- Scoop out the balls of cookie dough.
- Place on a baking sheet and freeze until solid.
- Remove to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- Bake from frozen, reducing the temperature to 325°F and adding a couple minutes onto the baking time.
- You can also store baked Crispy Gingersnap Cookies in the freezer, in an airtight container or freezer bag, for up to 1 month.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Easy Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
- Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing
- Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
Crispy Gingersnaps
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 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 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
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.
Recipe Notes
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! 🙂
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