This Gingersnap Cookie Recipe yields crisp, buttery, snappy cookies! Full of flavor and perfectly spiced with a hint of heat(!) these are classic Gingersnaps (emphasis on the snap!). No mixer and no chilling needed!
These are a classic Christmas cookie recipe! Make them for your cookie tray alongside other favorites like my frosted sugar cookies or peanut butter blossoms!
A Classic Gingersnap Cookie Recipe
Crisp and snappy cookies have never been my specialty.
I’m all about soft, chewy, moist, and bendy cookies. Like, have you tried my chocolate chip cookies? But when I set out to make a Gingersnap Cookie recipe I wanted them to be classic. And classic Gingersnaps are crisp. They, well, snap when you break them. They crunch when you bite into them. I was a little out of my element.
Maybe it’s not surprising then that I started working on this recipe last year and it took until just a few weeks ago to finally get this gingersnap recipe perfected. Whew, it was a lot of work but I finally have a crisp, crinkle-topped, perfectly spiced cookie to share with you.
Those of you in my Facebook group or following me on Instagram already know this, but as promised I do have a soft & chewy gingersnap recipe coming soon!
Tricks for Crisp Cookies
There were a few key tweaks I had to make to this recipe to make it crisp, rather than soft. An egg yolk without the egg white (to keep the cookie from puffing up in the oven), a splash of milk to thin out the dough, more granulated white sugar than brown, baking soda (no baking powder), and a generous roll through granulated sugar before baking all contribute to the final snappy texture of the cookie.
Most importantly, though, was the adjustment to the baking temperature and time.
These rather small cookies bake on 315F (the lowest temperature I think I’ve ever used, other than for my meringue cookies) for 22 minutes. Cooking them low and slow allows them to bake evenly all the way through, so you have crisp interiors to match your crisp exteriors.
Smash ’em Down
Another key crispness factor?
Once the cookies come out of the oven you’ll want to firmly flatten them with the (clean), flat bottom of a glass. Do this within 1-2 minutes of the gingersnaps coming out of the oven. Don’t wait too long or your cookies won’t budge. This simple step will compact the cookie crumb and help them to crisp up as they cool. Plus, gingersnaps are supposed to be thin and this helps give them that thin cookie texture!
Make sure to let them cool completely before sampling. While warm they’ll still be slightly soft in the center.
Let’s Talk Spices
Classic Gingersnaps are well-spiced and they also pack a little bit of heat. With a good classic cookie, there should be a bit of a burn on the back of your tongue after you’ve scarfed down half a dozen of them.
Ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves all contribute to this subtle heat, as does the molasses. However, there are two spices that go into gingersnaps that you won’t find in many other cookies: Cayenne Pepper and ground black pepper.
A little bit goes a long way, but it’s so critical to get that classic gingersnap cookie taste. Check your favorite old-fashioned gingerbread recipe or the label on your favorite store-bought gingersnaps, I bet you’ll find these ingredients there, too!
Enjoy!
And for those of you wondering, still no baby yet! I’m hoping he makes his way here soon because I am so uncomfortable and so ready to meet him!
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Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled until no longer warm to the touch.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed (50g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- Pinch ground black pepper 1/16 teaspoon
- 2 Tablespoons unsulphured molasses it should say “unsulphered” on the label
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 210g
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Additional granulated sugar for rolling
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 315F (155C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine melted, cooled butter, sugars, vanilla extract, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne pepper, and black pepper). Stir well.
- Add molasses, egg yolk, and milk and stir until completely combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined.
- Scoop cookie dough into 2-teaspoon-sized portions. Roll between your palms until smooth and then roll through granulated sugar.
- Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies 2” apart.
- Transfer to 315F (155C) oven and bake for 22 minutes.
- Within a minute or two of cookies coming out of the oven, use the clean, flat, bottom of a glass to firmly press down on cookies to flatten.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying. Once cooled they should be crisp and snappy (if the first batch isn’t crisp once cooled, bake subsequent batches for longer).
Nutrition
Corinne says
My father-in-law loves gingersnaps so I wanted to bake some as a Christmas gift for him. I looked long and hard for a recipe that would result in the traditional crispy cookies that I know he prefers and this one did not disappoint. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out great! The spiciness is absolutely perfect…I wouldn’t omit a thing. I made them on the smaller side and got 36 cookies from the batch – enough to give some as gifts and have some left over for my family to enjoy. This is the perfect cookie to have with a cup of tea (and it stands up to dunking, too!) Thank you for all the work you put in to getting this recipe just right. It’s a keeper!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Corinne! 🙂
Cathy says
LOVED this recipe! We’ve got an old family gingersnap recipe that calls for shortening, which I don’t like to use. These were crispy and delicious! The cayenne provides a tiny bit of heat. YUM. It’s my new favorite recipe.
Cheryl says
Can I use low fat milk instead of the whole milk?
Sam says
Hi Cheryl! I know others have with success. 🙂
Molly says
I found that they needed more flour or they are really oily. They also need less cooking time or they burned. Once I got the flour right they turn out great. Not sure why the butter had to be melted. Soft may have been better since you had to let the melted butter solidify.
Sam says
Hi Molly! I’m not sure what could have happened for them to be oily. Did you watch the video to see the consistency of the dough? It may be helpful. I’m glad they still turned out. 🙂
Kathy says
Turned out beautiful!
Claire says
Huge hit with the whole family! One of our favorite new Christmas cookies, they never last long.
Susan Watts says
can the molasses be mild flavored instead of full flavor?
Sam says
S long as you like the milder flavor and are OK with decreasing the molasses flavor in the recipe that will be totally fine. I don’t think it will be an issue flavor-wise, personally. While the molasses flavor might not be as robust, this cookie has plenty of other flavor in it from spices etc 🙂
Joann Stanley says
Oh my – these were so good. Crunchy on the outside and slightly moist on the inside with a little kick at end from the cayenne. I will definitely be making these again. I didn’t get 32 cookies so maybe I need to make them a little smaller. Wondering the best way to store them – although they won’t last long.
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Joann! Room temperature in an air tight container is the best way to store these. 🙂
Denia says
Oh my gosh! I just made them. Delicious! Will omit the black pepper and cayenne next time. I didn’t like the after taste I agree with Joann. I didn’t get 37 cookies, just got 17. They were one once each. The size was perfect. Cannot be any smaller than that. Thank you for sharing. Definitely keeping the recipe. 💕