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.
I just made these scrumptious cookies for the 1st time and they far exceeded expectations. I do not have a mixer so did it by hand, added a bit of extra molasses and used only 1/2 the salt. I’m 67 and have never made cookies that started out as a blob yet, every single one ended up almost perfectly round, the same thickness with lovely cracks. Thank You so much for this amazing recipe, they equal JOY and as an athlete who eats carefully, are worth every calorie.
I wish you provided metric grams throughout the recipe. It was confusing to sort out how to divide the sugar.
I.LOVE.THIS.COOKIE
I made these tonight with delicious results. It’s gonna be so great to have with coffee in the morning. Thank you for this wonderful recipe and explanation! I forgot to add fresh ginger, which I had at the ready. Dang! Next time. One question: the dough was super sticky and a bit difficult to ball up (no scooper, just my hands). So would chilling the dough make it any easier to work? It works with chocolate chip cookies.
Hi Joey! So glad you enjoyed these cookies!! Yes, if your dough is a little too soft to scoop, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes, or until the dough has firmed up slightly. I hope this helps! Happy Baking 🙂
I was really looking forward to having some crispy ginger snap cookies. I followed the recipe exactly and used a digital scale, but my cookies were not crispy. They are soft. I also made sure to use unsulphured molasses (Crosby Cooking Molasses). I used 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop as well. The cookies are very tasty, but I was really looking forward to some crispy ginger snaps. Any clue what might have happened?
Thank you.
Hi Kim! Thanks for trying our recipe! Without being there with you while you bake, it’s tricky to pinpoint exactly what happened, but here are a few ideas to help:
1. Butter temperature – Was your butter at cool room temperature (about 67°F)? Warmer (or cooler!) butter can affect the texture.
2. Freshness of baking soda – If it’s not fresh, it may not work as effectively, resulting in the moisture not able to escape from the cookies as they bake, creating a softer texture. Here’s how to test it.
3. Baking time: Instead of focusing solely on the timer, look for sensory cues instead, like the cookies spreading and the surface appearing crackled. Ovens can vary, so your cookies might need more time than ours did.
4. Flour measurement: Since you used a digital scale, this is less likely, but if extra flour was added, it could make the cookies softer and more cakey.
I hope this helps troubleshoot the issue! Please let us know how it goes if you give the recipe another try. 🙂 Good luck!
I found this recipe a few years ago and it has become a staple and most requested cookie. I make mine smaller and they are so crispy and perfect bite size. YUM! Thank you!!
I have always loved a good ginger snap cookie. These are dangerous! My new go-to when making gingerbread crust for cheesecake! Great recipe.
OMG! Finally a gingersnap recipe that is scrumptious! My husband, who doesn’t eat sweets loved it and ate most of the cookies. I accidentally used all the granulated sugar in the recipe and it still was delicious. I rolled these gems in turbinado sugar for an added crunch. Tytyty so much for the recipe! Fixin to bake another batch.
So happy to hear they were such a hit, Joy!
I love this recipe! I appreciate that the measurements include the weight. The cookies came out perfect and they are almost all gone😆
I measured everything to a T, but they came out weirdly salty, probably from the 2 teaspoon of baking soda. The rest of the recipe is really good, spot on, great texture (i added more ginger powder to my tastes though).
Hi Brooke! We hope you enjoyed these cookies despite the saltiness you noticed! Feel free to reduce the salt next time (and be sure to use unsalted butter!). Altering the baking soda will produce a differently textured cookie, so I don’t recommend that. I hope that helps! Happy Baking 🙂
Hello,
Your recipe sounds delicious. Exactly what I’ve been looking for.
I see you mention freezing the dough. Do the baked cookies freeze well?
Hi Paula! We haven’t tried freezing these cookies after baking, but they will keep in an airtight container for about 7 days. Check out the instructions for freezing the cookie dough in the tip box here. Let us know what you think of these cookies once you have given them a try!
This has become my go to cookie recipe. I now make a double batch each time since the cookies disappear in a flash, and freeze the second half for baking later. I found that making the cookies a smaller diameter (about 1 1/2 inch) they are very crispy like the store bought ginger snaps. Foolproof and addictive. Enjoy