Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
TASTE: Werm spices with the perfect balance of sweetness.
TEXTURE: Like a soft, puffy snickerdoodle and a chewy gingersnap had a baby.
EASE: Super simple and quick – you don’t even need to chill the dough!
PROS: Festive and unusual holiday cookies, perfect for any party or to add to your cookie platter.
CONS: None!
WOULD I MAKE THIS AGAIN? Absolutely.
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These Gingerdoodle cookies are the perfect taste and texture mash-up of puffy, soft snickerdoodles, and richly-spiced gingersnap cookies.
It wouldn’t be December without dozens of cookies. We all have our family favorites that become holiday traditions, but this year I’m adding one to the mix that’s the best of both worlds.
I literally took my favorite Snickerdoodle recipe and my favorite Gingersnap recipe and combined them. The first batch ended up too flat and crisp for my liking. That was because they contained more baking soda, which can promote spread and browning.
So, for the second batch, I reduced the baking soda and increased the cream of tartar. The resulting cookies had that characteristic soft snickerdoodle texture with all the gingersnap flavor I love. Perfect!
I think they might even become one of your holiday baking traditions!
I’m teaming up with OXO to bring you this cookie recipe. You all know by now that my love for their Cookie Scoops is endless. I use them every single time I make cookies, which is embarrassingly often.
But they have so many other cookie baking tools that are an absolute must in the kitchen during this time of year. I baked these cookies on the OXO Non-Stick Pro Cookie Sheet, which makes for super easy cleanup and beautifully caramelized edges.
Their Silicone Cookie Spatula is the perfect size for easily maneuvering tons of holiday cookies. My recent favorite is their brand new Cooling Rack which is both beautiful and ultra functional. And if you haven’t tried out their nesting mixing bowls, they actually have a non-slip base so you can whisk and stir vigorously without the bowl sliding around everywhere.
These kitchen goodies are just perfect for cookie baking. I’d definitely add a few to your holiday wish list, or put together a cute cookie baking gift basket for any bakers in your life!
How to Make Gingerdoodle Cookies
Tips for SOFT Gingerdoodle Cookies
- Be sure to measure your flour correctly by weighing it with a digital scale. If you don’t have one, use the spoon and level method (learn more about that here) to avoid creating cakey, dense, or tough cookies that don’t spread.
- Measuring your dry ingredients accurately is one of the best ways to improve your baking.
- If you don’t measure your flour correctly, you could end up with dry, hard cookies lacking in flavor.
What Can I Use Instead of Molasses?
If you cannot get molasses where you live, you can try substituting honey or dark corn syrup – but the flavor and texture of your Gingerdoodle Cookies will change. Be sure to use regular unsulphured molasses (like Grandma’s or Brer Rabbit brands). Don’t use blackstrap molasses, as it has a harsh and bitter flavor.
The Spices in Gingerdoodle Cookies
Check your spices to ensure they’re not expired. Even if they’re not expired, give them a sniff and make sure they’re still very aromatic. Older spices carry less flavor; fresh spices will carry a LOT more flavor. So, just be aware of that and feel free to adjust accordingly.
Tips for Making Gingerdoodle Cookies Ahead of Time
Fridge
Gingerdoodle Cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature until it’s warm enough to scoop into balls. When refrigerating dough, it’s really important to store it in an airtight container like the OXO Smart Seal Glass Containers. If you don’t, the dough can easily dry out in the fridge environment.
Freezer
- Balls of cookie dough are practically essential to any freezer around the holidays! This is the most convenient way to store cookie dough.
- Simply shape the dough into balls using a medium 1 1/2-Tablespoon sized OXO Cookie Scoop, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm. Remove the frozen balls to an OXO glass food storage container and store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
- To bake from frozen, add about 2 minutes to the baking time. Or, allow the dough to come to a cool room temperature then bake normally. The colder the dough when it enters the oven, the thicker the cookie will be!
Storing Baked Cookies
Cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days. I prefer the OXO Smart Seal Glass Containers. They protect the cookies from getting squashed and make for easy transportation to any holiday party.
To keep the cookies extra soft, try adding a tortilla or piece of bread to the container. To reheat and refresh the cookies, place them in a 350°F oven for about 3 minutes.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Crispy Gingersnaps
- Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
- Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies
- Gingerbread Brownies
- Gingerbread Sheet Cake
- Classic Snickerdoodle Recipe
Gingerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/3 cup (113 grams) molasses*
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/4 cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour
For rolling:
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add the molasses and egg and beat until combined. Add in the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, and flour and beat until combined.
- Mix the 1/2 cup granulated sugar with the cinnamon in a shallow dish. Using the OXO medium spring-loaded cookie scoop, shape the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls. Roll in the cinnamon sugar before placing on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until set.
- Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated with additional recipe tips.
These are wonderful. I added additional ginger as I like a little more kick to the flavor. Great recipe!!!
I was really excited to make these. I followed the instructions exactly and they didn’t turn out at all like I’d hoped. It took a lot longer for them to cook and they were far and didn’t flatten out. The dough tasted great, so all the tastes are there. Not sure what happened
My dad just bought me a kitchen Aid mixer that I’ve been wanting for a long time and this is the very first recipe I used on it and they came out great! Huge hit. Thank you
Hi Tessa,
Do you have a classic Snickerdoodle recipe?
Made a batch this morning.
Official taste tester, my wife, said very good flavor, but I did note the surface texture was smooth as compared to
the “cracked” surface as shown on your recipe page.
Any suggestions??
I love that your recipe combines two of my favorite cookies. However, I don’t have cream of tartar and your recipe calls for: 1 teaspoon cream of tarter and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. I know baking powder can be substituted for the tartar and soda; but, I just don’t know the exact amount of baking powder to use. I was trying to do the math but trying to figure out how many tsp are in 1 tsp for the tartar is really throwing me off. I would appreciate any and all help for the specific amount of baking powder. Thank you.
I wasn’t too impressed with this recipe. Sorry. All other recipes I’ve used here were always great.
Smells wonderful in my home. These are soft and delish. Will make again. Only made one recipe to try, made 22 regular size cookies. Will double next time.
You wouldn’t happen to have the recipe for when they were too crisp for your liking, would you? I love crispy flat cookies even though everyone else prefers soft. I would love to make these as you’ve posted for my family, but also make a small batch that are crispy for me to enjoy.
Definitely, Cyn! It’s super easy: just reverse the cream of tartar and baking soda measurements so there’s more baking soda 🙂
she also has a Gingersnap recipe – more sugar and fat to make it crisper.
I made these last night and they’re INCREDIBLE. I’m not even usually a huge fan of spice/ginger cookies/breads/cakes/etc. Also, we may need a little more self control, because my fiance and I have almost finished them already. Lastly, if you want to keep promoting Oxo, I found this great thing called the Baker’s Dusting Wand. I dusted them all neatly and evenly with confectioner’s sugar and they’re festive and beautiful!
Yay, Emily! That makes me so happy to hear! I’m obsessed with their dusting wand, but I didn’t even think about using it here. Thanks for the tip!! 🙂
My dad is going to love these! I just found a Christmas present for him… a whole batch for his sweet tooth. 🙂
What an awesome idea! My kids love snickerdoodles and gingerbread! What a great combo.