Gingersnaps
Updated Dec 04, 2025
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These homemade gingersnaps are everything a perfect gingersnap cookie should be: chewy at the center, crisp at the edges, warmly spiced, deeply molasses-ey, and the smell of them baking might make you cry. This simple, old-fashioned cookie recipe is easy to make, ideal for holiday gifting, and one of my all-time favorite cookies, hands down.
Gingersnaps are, without question, one of my favorite cookies of all time. Simple, deeply spiced, and so delicious you’ll realize you need to make them year-round.
These are true old-school gingersnaps: chewy in the middle, crisp around the edges, packed with ginger, cinnamon, molasses, and just enough cloves to make your kitchen smell like you’re about to break into carols (and I’m Jewish, so that’s saying something). They’re easy to pull together, and I think they are one of the best cookie recipes I’ve ever developed. Perfect for holidays and gifting (I’ve made more for my kids’ teachers than I can count).
Why These Are the Best Gingersnaps
- So easy to make
- Chewy centers, crisp edges
- The perfect blend of warm spices
- A cookie that says, “Hello holidays!”
What's In This Post?
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves – The signature trio of spices that make gingersnaps irresistible.
- Kosher salt
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar – If you don’t have it, you can make a quick brown sugar substitute with molasses, which you need for the recipe, anyway.
- Egg
- Molasses – Unsulfured molasses is the best choice for baked goods. Avoid blackstrap, as it’s too bitter.
- White granulated sugar – Used to roll the unbaked dough in for that signature gingersnap texture.
How to Make Gingersnap Cookies Step-by-Step
- Mix the dry ingredients: Stir together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl.
- Mix the other ingredients: Place the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, continuing to beat on high speed until the mixture is very light and somewhat shiny, about 2 minutes. Blend in the molasses on medium speed.
- Finish the dough: Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, blending after each addition until well incorporated and scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days (recommended).
- Shape the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll small pieces of dough into fat 1 1/2-inch balls. Then, roll each ball in the sugar. Arrange the balls on ungreased baking sheets and press them with your palm to flatten them slightly.
Kitchen Smarts
You’ll probably fit 12 cookies on each baking sheet, so it will take at least three baking sheets to bake all the cookies. You’ll want to bake two sheets at a time, placing one on the top rack and one on the bottom. Refrigerate the remaining dough until you are ready to bake it.
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- Bake and cool: Bake the gingersnaps until they are browned, still slightly soft in the middle, and cracked a bit on the top, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool.
Tips for Perfect Chewy Gingersnaps
- Chill your dough: Sorry, I know this is a pain in the ass and requires planning ahead (at least 30 minutes; 2 days is better; 4 days is best), but you will be rewarded with gingersnaps with amazingly deep flavor and that perfect chewy texture.
- Don’t overbake: Or, do if you want snappier gingersnaps.
- Make sure the butter is fully softened. If your butter is too firm, it will be hard to blend with the sugar and other ingredients.
- Make sure your brown sugar is soft. Brown sugar can become hard or crumbly if air gets into the container once the brown sugar is open. It needs to be kept fully sealed. Soft brown sugar adds moisture, chewiness, and deeper flavor. Hard or crumbly brown sugar won’t cream properly, so make sure yours is soft. To re-soften hard or crumbly brown sugar, put a piece of plain bread or a roll in the container with the brown sugar, seal it, and in about 24 hours, your brown sugar should be soft again.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Since the dough should chill for at least 30 minutes, and ideally 3 or 4 days, this is a great make-ahead cookie dough recipe. Bake as needed.
These cookies will last for at least 4 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. You can also freeze balls of the cookie dough for up to 4 months in an airtight container and defrost overnight in the fridge before baking. The baked cookies can be frozen for up to 4 months.
What the Kids Can Do
Kids can measure, stir, and use the mixer if they are old enough. They can roll the gingersnap dough into balls, and then roll the balls in the sugar and lightly flatten them on the baking sheet.
FAQs
Gingersnaps can be either, but homemade gingersnaps can hit that sweet spot: chewy in the middle with crisp edges. If you want them crunchier (gingersnaps that actually “snap”), just bake them for another minute or two.
Yes! Gingersnap dough freezes beautifully for up to 4 months. Roll the dough into balls first, freeze them on a baking sheet until firm, then store in the freezer in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Absolutely. Let them cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 4 months. They thaw quickly, and the taste and texture hold up.
Stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, homemade gingersnaps stay fresh for at least 4 days. Their spices deepen over time, which is part of the magic.
Use unsulfured molasses for the best flavor. It’s rich, dark, and slightly sweet, perfect for that traditional gingersnap taste. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which is too bitter for cookies.
You don’t HAVE to, but I promise it’s worth it. Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape, deepens the flavor, and concentrates the texture. As the dough sits, it loses some moisture (in this case, a good thing!), which results in that magical chewiness.
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Homemade Chewy Gingersnaps
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 cups firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (for rolling the cookies)
Instructions
- Place the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl and stir to mix.
- Place the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat them on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the egg, continuing to beat on high speed until the mixture is very light and somewhat shiny, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, then blend in the molasses. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, blending after each addition until well incorporated and scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days.
- Position two oven racks so that they divide the oven into thirds, and preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Place the granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Pinch off little hunks of dough and use your hands to roll them into fat 1 1/2-inch balls. Then, roll each ball in the sugar. Arrange the balls about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and press them with the palm of your hand to flatten them slightly. You’ll probably fit 12 cookies on each baking sheet, so it will take at least three baking sheets to bake all the cookies. You’ll want to bake two sheets at a time, placing one on the top rack and one on the bottom. Refrigerate the remaining dough until you are ready to bake it.
- Bake the gingersnaps until they are browned and cracked a bit on the top, 10 to 12 minutes. Peek partway through the baking time and rotate the baking sheets if the cookies seem to be cooking unevenly. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool.
Notes
- Know that the batter is supposed to be quite thick and stiff, which helps you roll it into balls.
- Make sure the butter is fully at room temp, not cool at all, or it will be hard to blend with the sugar and other ingredients.
- Make sure your brown sugar is soft. Brown sugar can become hard or crumbly if air gets into the container once the brown sugar is open. It needs to be kept fully sealed. To re-soften hard or crumbly brown sugar, put a piece of plain bread or a roll in the container with the brown sugar, seal it, and in about 24 hours, your brown sugar should be soft again.
- The cookies are also supposed to be pretty flat, though in the perfect world, the middle is a bit tender and the rest of the cookie is pretty chewy – crisp if you want to leave it in for another minute or two.
Hi! If I have salted butter could I use it and delete the added salt? Or will that not be good?
that would be fine! you still might want to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe, but it will absolutely work.
This is by far one of the best gingersnap recipes I’ve ever tried. Everyone who has ever tried them comes back for more. The only problem is I only get a few before they’re all gone. Be sure to make enough to share as gifts and don’t forget to stash a few aside for yourself!
This is by far the best gingerbread recipe I have ever tried. My whole family loves them! The only problem is I never get enough before they’re gone. Be sure to make enough to share as gifts and stash a few aside for yourself!
I love hearing this, thank you!
This is my go to gingersnap cookie recipe. About to make my second batch this Christmas season.
let’s hear it for gingersnaps! I am working on gingerbread recipe for next book. And oatmeal cookies with crystallized ginger. My obsession with ginger grows….
Katie,
Thank you for such a quick reply!
Carol
Oh, when you’re baking you need answers!!
Hi Katie,
I bought your book and have so enjoyed every recipe I have tried so far. My 19-month old especially loves the sesame noodles – both the making and the eating!
I am making the gingersnaps and I have a question. The list of ingredients calls for one egg; however, when you read the instructions on how and when to add the egg, it indicates “eggs”. It instructs you to add the eggs one at a time how can you do that with only one egg? Are you supposed to use 2 eggs as the instructions (not list of ingredients) indicates?
Thanks,
Carol
So glad to hear you are enjoying book! It’s just one egg. Recipe was changed and that wasn’t caught in first edition of book! Thanks
Sounds great