Gingersnap Cookie Recipe

Look no further for a chewy, soft Gingersnap Cookie Recipe — this is it! They’re bursting with warm spice and molasses flavor, and they’re incredibly easy to make!

**This post was originally published in November 2014. The text and photos have been updated with to include helpful information and step by step photos.

I bake more cookies in the month of December than I do all year, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

It’s hard narrowing things down because I want to bake everything, but it’s not the holidays if I don’t bake Greek kourabiedes, seven layer magic cookie bars and this Gingersnap Cookie Recipe!

This recipe is truly special, and perfect for your holiday baking.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• These soft gingersnap cookies are perfectly chewy and they deliver big molasses and warm spice flavor. They include a couple of optional secret ingredients that take them over the top!
• They’re extremely easy to make — the hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill, but it is a necessary step to prevent the cookies from spreading.
• These cookies are festive enough for the holiday cookie tray, or perfect any time of year.
• They keep for up to two weeks in an air tight container, making them great for holiday gift giving.

Recipe ingredients

This gingersnap cookie recipe include pantry staples that you more than likely have on hand, with two optional ingredients that add a wonderful depth of flavor.

Ingredient notes

• Unsalted butter. I always use unsalted butter in my baking so that I can control the salt. If you use salted butter, omit the 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Brown sugar. Either dark brown or light brown sugar work perfectly in this recipe.
• Granulated sugar. I like using both granulated and brown sugar in these cookies for flavor. The cookie dough balls are also rolled into granulated sugar before baking, or use sparkle sugar for extra festive flair!
• Orange zest. This is an optional ingredient, but I highly recommend adding it as it adds a bright dimension of flavor that pairs well with the spicy flavors.
• Instant espresso powder. This is an optional secret ingredient that adds great depth of flavor. It’s the perfect complement to the warm spices and molasses.

How to make this recipe

Soft gingersnap cookies come together very quickly once the butter and egg have reached room temperature. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill before baking!

Pro tip: The butter will soften much faster when it’s cut into small cubes, and you can place the egg in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to bring to room temperature more quickly.

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, ginger, espresso powder, cinnamon, clove and salt until combined.
2. Cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg on low speed until incorporated, then add the molasses and orange zest and beat till combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating on low just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill up to 2 hours or overnight.
5. Set the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Let the cookie dough sit out a bit until it’s easier to scoop if it was chilled overnight. Using a 1 1/2″ cookie scoop, scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls, then toss them in the 1/3 cup granulated sugar or sparkle sugar until well coated.
6. Place the dough balls on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 8-12 minutes, or until the edges become crisp, switching the pans between the top and bottom racks and rotating them halfway through during the baking time. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

FAQs

Recipe notes

• Pro tip: The butter will soften much faster when it’s cut into small cubes, and you can place the egg in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to bring to room temperature more quickly.
• Total time above includes 2 hours of chilling time, but feel free to chill the dough overnight.  I’ve found that 2 hours is perfect and the dough is ready to scoop.  If you chill it overnight, let it stand at room temperature until it’s easier to scoop into balls.
• Baking time will vary, so start checking for doneness after 8 minutes. The longer they’re in the oven, the crispier they’ll be.
• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
• Serving idea:  make 36 smaller cookies and use for ice cream sandwiches with eggnog ice cream for the holidays!  Simply use 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and bake for about 8 minutes.

More Christmas cookies you’ll love:

• Chewy double chocolate peppermint cookies by Minimalist Baker
• Cranberry orange biscotti
• Gingerbread cookies
• Gluten free peanut butter blossoms
• Kourabiedes
• Red velvet sandwich cookies

If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!

Gingersnap Cookie Recipe

Servings: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Additional Time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

This Gingersnap Cookie Recipe produces the most chewy, soft cookies, and they're packed with warm spice and deep molasses flavor! They include a secret ingredient for even more flavor, and they're so easy to make!

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Equipment

• Rimmed Baking Sheets 16 3/4″ x 12″
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder optional
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup for rolling (use sparkle sugar for even more flair!)
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 tablespoon orange zest optional

Instructions 

• Place the flour, baking soda, ginger, espresso powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
• Place the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in medium bowl and cream at medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  
• Beat in egg on low speed until incorporated, then add the molasses and orange zest and beat till combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating on low just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill up to 2 hours or overnight.
  
• Set the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Let the cookie dough sit out a bit until it's easier to scoop if it was chilled overnight. Using a 1 1/2" cookie scoop, scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls, then toss them in the 1/3 cup granulated sugar or sparkle sugar until well coated.
• Place the dough balls on the cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 8-12 minutes, or until the edges become crisp, switching the pans between the top and bottom racks and rotating them halfway through during the baking time. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from the pan and cool completely on the wire rack.
  

Notes

• Pro tip:  Butter will soften much faster when it’s cut butter into small chunks, and eggs come to room temperature faster when placed in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
• Total time above includes 2 hours of chilling time, but feel free to chill the dough overnight.  I’ve found that 2 hours is perfect and the dough is ready to scoop.  If you chill it overnight, let it stand at room temperature until it’s easier to scoop into balls.  For thinner, crispier cookies with more spread, no chilling is necessary.
• Baking time will vary, so start checking for doneness after 8 minutes. The longer they’re in the oven, the crispier they’ll be.
• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
• Serving idea:  make 36 smaller cookies and use for ice cream sandwiches with eggnog ice cream for the holidays!  Simply use 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie and bake for about 8 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 183kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 151mg, Potassium: 108mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 188IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Author: Marcie

All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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