A soft Gingersnap Cookie Recipe! These cookies are perfectly spiced (with just the right amount of heat) and come together with no chilling required! Simple and perfect for this holiday season (though you’ll find me eating them all year ’round).
Snap-less Gingersnap Cookies
By popular demand! I asked many of you on Instagram and in my Facebook group whether Gingersnaps should be crisp and snappy or if they should be soft and chewy. Many of you felt the same way that I do: they “should” be snappy (I mean, they’re called Gingersnaps, after all), but what is better than a soft and chewy cookie?
I went back and forth over which version to share before someone suggested: Why not both?
So that’s what we’re doing today! Earlier this week I shared a more traditional, crispy Gingersnap cookie and today we have a super soft and chewy gingersnap version that I think you’re going to love just as much. These remind me of my molasses cookies, only spiced more like my classic Gingerbread. Like a super soft and less fussy Gingerbread cookie!
How to Make Soft Gingersnap Cookies
The spices we’re using today are pretty similar to the ones that we used for our crispy gingersnaps:
- Ground ginger (obviously)
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Ground cayenne pepper
- Molasses (not technically a spice, but a key flavor factor, so we’re counting it here anyway!).
Don’t be intimidated by the cayenne. I know it’s not a traditional cookie ingredient but it is often used in gingersnaps and adds to that signature heat that you feel on the back of your tongue after you polish off a cookie.
Other factors that make these similarly-spiced cookies so different from their snappy counterparts:
- A higher ratio of butter to flour.
- A whole egg (rather than just the yolk) gives the cookie some levity (/puffiness) while keeping the cookie nice and tender
- A blend of baking powder and baking soda (rather than just soda)
Tips for Making Soft Gingersnap Cookies
This is a pretty straightforward cookie recipe, but here are a few tips that might help you along the way!
- I recommend using dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar has more molasses in it than its light counterpart, which enhances the flavor of these cookies (and lends a bit more moisture to the cookie crumb!). However, if you don’t have dark brown, light will work in a pinch!
- If your cookie dough is too sticky to roll between your palms, you can stir in another Tablespoon of flour or chill the dough in the refrigerator (covered) for 30 minutes.
- Rolling the cookie dough through granulated sugar is optional. I like the slightly crisp exterior it adds, and this also helps encourage those beautiful crackles on the surface of our cookies.
- Let your cookies finish baking on the cookie sheet! They should still be just slightly under-done when you pull them out of the oven, and this is perfect! They’ll be too fragile to move off of the baking sheet, so let them cool completely and finish baking on the hot pan before removing them.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container and will stay nice and soft for up to a week.
- Cookie dough can be rolled into balls, rolled through sugar, and frozen (in an airtight container). Cookies may need an extra minute or so in the oven.
Which do you prefer? Crispy or Soft Gingersnap cookies?
Either way, enjoy!
More Great Holiday Cookie Recipes
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Soft & Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 3 Tablespoons unsulphured molasses
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Additional granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) use an electric mixer to beat together butter and sugars until creamy and well-combined.¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add molasses, vanilla extract, and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne pepper) and stir well.3 Tablespoons unsulphured molasses, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ⅛ tsp ground cayenne pepper
- Stir in egg.1 large egg
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined.
- Scoop dough into 1 ½ Tablespoon-sized balls and roll between your palms to form a smooth ball (if dough is too sticky to manage, you can chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes). Roll cookie dough ball through sugar until it’s completely coated and then place on prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” apart.Additional granulated sugar for rolling
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 10-11 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Jen
My new favorite cookie!!!
Colleen
I have made many ginger snap recipes. These cookies were flat , overcooked and hard after cooking for 10 minutes. Followed recipie exactly. Will never make again. Too bad they were going to go in a Christmas present.
Sam Merritt
I’m so sorry to hear this happened, Colleen! Did you make any substitutions? Any other alterations? Did you weigh your flour? Unfortunately it sounds like something may have accidentally been mis-measured. 🙁
RB
Colleen, very strange, are you sure that everything was followed to the letter? I just made these two days ago exactly as printed and oh my gosh. These are now my all time favorite cookie!! Soft, chewy and addictive. In fact, I need to make another batch, cause they are running out. Everyone loves them.
Hilary Wendy MacDonald
Was your butter melted? That I have heard makes a flat and hard cookie
Casey
Been making these cookies for a year now with light brown sugar and they’re just perfection every time.
Syd
I ran out of cayenne so I omitted it, but these were amazing! I skipped rolling them in sugar since they’re being served beside a hot cocoa dip and I baked slightly smaller cookies (1 Tbsp) for 10 minutes. So soft and made my kitchen smell great.
Starr
Made these for the first time this time to give out to friends and family with some other tried and true treats and things the cookie everyone loves. Hands down the best ginger cookie I’ve ever had. The cayenne is a perfect touch of heat.
Maggi
These are the VERY BEST!! Made just as directed and come out PERFECT everytime!! So easy and so Christmasy! The whole house smells like Christmas!
April
This will be my third year making these. They are delicious. The cayenne is a must. I had been looking for a ginger cookie that was soft and had the spicy kick I wanted…and believe they should have. This recipe hit the mark on all points. I always double it otherwise I’m not sharing. Thank you for making me happy 😊😋
DF
made this exactly as described… they were the best!!