Home » Recipes » Cookies » Old-Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies
Jump To Recipe by Lily Ernst
These sparkling ginger snap cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy in the center, and packed with a sweet-spicy flavor. They take only 15 minutes to make and there is no chilling required. 
What are ginger snap cookies?
Ginger snaps are cookies spiced predominantly with ginger, rolled in sugar, and baked until set around the edges and crackly on the surface. They are called ginger snaps because of the crispy exterior that is supposed to “snap” when you break or bite into them. These cookies are perfect for the winter holiday season with their spicy ginger notes and warm molasses flavor. 
Why this recipe is so great:
- Made by hand – This is a true old-fashioned recipe where everything is simply made by hand. There is no electric mixer or special equipment needed to quickly whip up these cookies.
- No chilling of the dough – With this recipe you don’t have to wait for the dough to firm up. You just make, roll, and bake!
- Keeps for a long time– These cookies are even more flavorful the next day and can last up to 5 days when properly stored.
How to make ginger snap cookies:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- In a medium bowl, toss together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and sugar.
- Then whisk in the molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Roll the dough into 1″ balls and coat in sugar.
- Place about 2″ apart onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 8 minutes or just until the edges are set.
Be careful not to overbake
Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as the edges are lightly browned and set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. For firmer cookies, let them completely cool on the baking sheet.
What is the difference between ginger snap, molasses and gingerbread cookies?
Ginger snap cookies are supposed to be crispy and snappy when you bite into them, while molasses cookies are softer and chewier. Both kinds of cookies usually have the same amount of molasses in them, but ginger snaps tend to have more ground ginger in the recipe. Ginger snap cookies are a variation of gingerbread cookies that have been around for centuries. Gingerbread cookies are almost always rolled out and cut into holiday shapes and are usually softer as well. (source: MyRecipes.com)
How to store ginger snap cookies:
To keep them crispy, store them in a metal cookie tin container. To keep them soft, store them in an airtight container. 
You might also like:
- Soft and Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
The flavors are more pronounced the next day and the cookies become even chewier. These ginger snaps are great for gifting because they are sturdy and travel well.
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Old-Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
- Author: Lily Ernst
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 8 min
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 3 dozen
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These sparkling ginger snap cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy in the center, and packed with a sweet-spicy flavor. They take only 15 minutes to make and there is no chilling required.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (167ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (63ml) molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and vegetable oil until blended. Then whisk in the egg, molasses and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Stir in flour mixture until no dry pockets of flour remains.
- Roll the dough into 1″ balls and coat in sugar. Place about 2″ apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for about 8 minutes or just until the edges the edges are lightly browned and set. Be careful not to overbake.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. For firmer cookies, let them completely cool on the baking sheet.
Notes
Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container (to keep them soft) or metal cookie tin (to keep them crispy). They can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag.
Recipe very slightly adapted from Baking Bites.
Christmas (All) Christmas Cookies Cookies Winter
by Lily Ernst on Dec 9, 2019 (updated Jan 6, 2024)
16 commentsLeave a comment »
« Previous PostBest Cherry Cheesecake (video)
Next Post »No-Bake Cheesecake (video)
Leave a Reply
16 comments on “Old-Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies”
Leave a comment »
Pina —Reply
Can the molasses be replaced with something else
Wanda Franse —Reply
These were absolutely delicious…! Because we like them crunchy, I baked a little longer and cooled them on the pan…so good, I’m making more tonight! Thank you for the recipe
Lily Ernst —Reply
You’re very welcome and so happy you like them!
Rosenah —Reply
I would like to know whether it is alright to use blackstrap molasses. I have read that it is bitter hence not advisable to use much of it. How much can i use in making d ginger cookies? Tq
Lily Ernst —Reply
Yes, just use half the amount, so that would be 2 tablespoons. Enjoy!
Kimberly —Reply
I made these for myself as no one else really likes ginger snaps. I added 1-2 tsp of ground ginger and about 1 tsp cinnamon to the sugar you roll the cookie dough in. It gave it a bit more of a bite. I will definitely make again. Next time I am going to try at a higher temp as I would like them a bit more crispy than they turned out.
Lily Ernst —Reply
Hey Kimberly, thank you for your kind feedback. You can also bake them for a few minutes longer if you would like them more crispy. Enjoy and have a great day!
Jeanne Doyon —Reply
Could I add crystallized ginger to this recipe? Would it alter the spice amounts at all?
Lily Ernst —Reply
Yes, you can and I would reduce the ground ginger to 1 tsp if adding candied ginger to the recipe. Thank you for your question and I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Jeanne Doyon —
How much chopped candied ginger should I add?
Lily Ernst —
I would go with 1/2 a cup of finely chopped candied ginger.
Kate —Reply
Easy to make and delicious. Turned out exactly as described.
Lily Ernst —Reply
Aww, thanks Kate! Hope you and the boys are well:)
Liz —Reply
Made these for a cookie exchange and everyone loved them. Perfect amount of spice!
Lily Ernst —Reply
Thank you for your review, Liz! I’m happy to hear that everyone loved them:)
