Crispy Gingersnaps | Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (2024)

Tessa’s Recipe Rundown

Taste: The perfect balance of sweet and spice.
Texture: Thin and crispy, these cookies break in half cleanly and have a satisfying crunch to every bite!
Ease: Super simple 30 minute recipe. No chilling required.
Pros: Easy and festive recipe that goes great in every Christmas cookie box.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Yes.

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These Crispy Gingersnaps Cookies are the perfect classic, crispy gingersnap cookie.

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Typically I enjoy more of a chewy cookie, but every once in a while I want that satisfying crunch and crispness of something sweet.

I tweaked my Chewy Gingersnap recipe (which are included in my cookbook – available on Amazon!) to make them thin and crunchy.

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These ginger cookies would also make a great base for ice cream sandwiches!

In fact, my best friend Ashley from Baker by Nature sent me ice cream from Salt & Straw, our favorite ice cream shoppe, as an early Christmas gift.

One of the flavors she sent was for Gingerbread Cookie Dough. I’m thinking I have to make ice cream sandwiches with these ginger snaps and that ice cream!!

Of course, they’re also marvelous on their own with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea.

How to Make Thin & Crispy Gingersnaps

What are Gingersnaps?

A year-round favorite all over the world, Gingersnaps are particularly popular to welcome in the fall and winter holiday seasons! Gingersnaps are perfectly spiced with the most beautiful cracked, sugary tops. While these are mostly enjoyed during the colder months, I actually love them in the fall in Arizona, when the temps are slowly beginning to drop. They’re delicious with a glass of cold milk or even lemonade… and even better used in place of graham crackers for over-the-top s’mores!

Gingersnaps are just what they sound like: a cookie flavored with ginger – plus other spices that we’ll talk more about below. Gingersnaps are typically crunchy or have a brittle texture, thus the “snap”. The spiciness of the ginger and richness of the molasses pairs perfectly with coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or mulled wine.

    What Makes Cookies Crispy and Crackled?

    • A heavy amount of baking soda interacts with the molasses in this recipe to encourage spread.
    • This allows cracks in the dough to develop where moisture escapes, creating that beautiful crackled appearance and crunchy texture.
    • Ensure your baking soda is fresh and active – learn more about that here.
    • There’s also much more granulated sugar than brown sugar in this recipe. White sugar encourages more spread and has less moisture to make for a crisper cookie.
    • Lastly, a longer baking time ensures a crunchy texture all the way through the center of these cookies.

    Measure Your Flour Correctly to Ensure Gingersnaps are CRISPY!

    • To avoid ending up with Gingersnaps that are thick and chewy instead of perfectly crispy, make sure to measure your flour accurately with a digital scale.
    • It’s all too easy to accidentally add too much flour if you’re using cups.
    • Check out my article on How to Measure Flour for step-by-step instructions.
    • Just take a look at what a difference too much flour can make:

    Crispy Gingersnaps | Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (3)

    How to Make Flavorful Gingersnaps

    • Make sure your spices, especially the ground ginger, are fresh and of high quality.
    • The fresher the spice, the more flavorful it’ll be.
    • While I haven’t tried it, you can also experiment with crystallized ginger, but expect your cookies to be a little more sugary.
    • If you want more SPICE in your gingersnaps, add a tablespoon or two of freshly grated ginger.
    • You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
    • In addition to the spices, the molasses used is also important.
    • Make sure to use unsulphured molasses.
    • Never use blackstrap molasses in baking, it’s extremely bitter.
    • Brer Rabbit or Grandma’s in their ‘mild’ or ‘original’ flavors tend to work best.

    Crispy Gingersnaps | Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (4)

    How to Store Homemade Gingersnaps

    Store the gingersnaps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

    How to Freeze Gingersnap Cookies

    • Scoop out the balls of cookie dough.
    • Place on a baking sheet and freeze until solid.
    • Remove to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
    • Bake from frozen, reducing the temperature to 325°F and adding a couple minutes onto the baking time.
    • You can also store baked Crispy Gingersnap Cookies in the freezer, in an airtight container or freezer bag, for up to 1 month.

    Crispy Gingersnaps | Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (5)

    More Christmas Cookie Recipes:

    • Easy Cut Out Sugar Cookies
    • Soft Chewy Sugar Cookies
    • Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing
    • Turtle Thumbprint Cookies
    • S’mores Cookies
    • Gingerbread Cookies

    Crispy Gingersnaps | Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (6)

    How to Make

    Crispy Gingersnaps

    Yield: 28 cookies

    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

    Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

    Review Print

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    Classic Crispy Gingersnaps are the perfect Christmas cookie! Thin and crunchy with the perfect amount of molasses and spice, this easy homemade recipe takes 30 minutes to make!

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
    • 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar, divided
    • 1/4 cup (50 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
    • 1/3 cup (113 grams) unsulphured molasses (NOT blackstrap)
    • 1 large egg
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    • 2 1/4 cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

    • In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and egg and beat until combined. Add in the salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and flour, and beat until combined.

    • Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow dish. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls and roll in the sugar before placing on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for spread. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are spread and the surface looks crackled.

    • Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

    Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

    Recipe Notes

    Be sure to use spices that haven’t been sitting open in your spice cabinet for years! The fresher the spice, the more flavorful it’ll be.

    Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

    Crispy Gingersnaps | Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (2024)

    FAQs

    Why are my ginger biscuits not crispy? ›

    Bake for longer.

    This is a pretty simple one, but to get that lovely crunchy gingersnap cookie, I increased the bake time slightly. If you want them even more crunchy, bake them for a little longer!

    Why don't my ginger cookies crackle on the top? ›

    Not enough leavening (it needs to be strong enough to crack the top once it's set) Using a single-acting baking powder (double acting gives extra rise when it gets heated) Not creaming the fat long enough (creaming cuts little air pockets into the fat, which means the leavening has to do less work)

    What's the difference between a gingerbread cookie and a gingersnap cookie? ›

    Both are spiced cookies. The main differences are that gingersnaps are typically rolled into balls, while gingerbread is rolled out and cut into shapes. Gingersnaps are also baked slightly longer, which is where they get their snappy crispiness. Gingerbread is typically a little chewier.

    Should gingerbread cookies be soft or crunchy? ›

    First, the texture of the cookie needs to be fairly crispy along the outside with a semi-soft, cake-like inside, and like all "perfect" cut-out cookies, they definitely need to keep their shape when baked. Secondly, they must taste sweet but notably spicy, and have a rich molasses flavour.

    Why are ginger snap cookies so hard? ›

    Here are several reasons why your ginger snap cookies might have turned out hard: Overbaking: Cookies can become hard if they are baked for too long. Make sure to bake these cookies for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F. Too little moisture: If you didn't add enough liquid to the dough, the cookies can become dry and hard.

    What makes a biscuit chewy or crunchy? ›

    chewy vs crispy is a combination of 2 things… ratio of fats to flour, and baking times/temps.. for more chewy cake like cookies, you want something with a high fat, content cooked at a lower longer temperature… for a more crispy or dryer cooking you want a lower fat batter cooked at a high temperature.

    What factors which allows cookies to be crispy soft and chewy? ›

    Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies. Why use melted butter? Melted butter creates cookies with a different texture compared to cookies made with softened or creamed butter.

    Why are my cookies never crunchy? ›

    Q: Why are my cookies not crisp enough? They are underbaked. Lower your oven temperature and bake longer but at a lower temperature. Using too much flour or the wrong kind of flour.

    Why are my crinkle cookies not crinkling? ›

    If your crinkle cookies are flat, then it could also be that the leavening is off. Make sure to use only baking powder. Baking soda will cause these cookies to spread, while baking powder will help them puff upwards for a nice crackle.

    Are ginger snaps healthier than other cookies? ›

    The smaller, crispy gingersnaps are a plain, round cookie and a healthier choice when compared to other cookies because they are usually lower in calories. Ginger not only adds delicious flavor to food, but it's also full of nutrients. There are lots of different vitamins and minerals in ginger.

    Did Nabisco change the ginger snaps recipe? ›

    Some customers state that the Nabisco brand of ginger snap cookies is not only way over-priced, but the recipe has also changed for the worse, with one Amazon user saying the cookie's "flavor was non existent and they were too hard."

    What ethnicity is Gingersnap? ›

    Her exact ethnicity is unknown. She might be of Indian or Middle Eastern descent, for in the Thanksgiving book, she wears a blouse similar to Indian/Middle Eastern attire. In season four, Ginger Snap is the least featured of the four/five main girls. In the Playmates toys era, she only got a single doll.

    How do I make my cookies chewy instead of crunchy? ›

    How To Make Cookies Chewy Without Cornstarch
    1. Go heavy on brown sugar. It has more moisture than its granulated counterpart, which means the cookie comes out less crispy. ...
    2. Choose margarine or shortening instead of butter. ...
    3. Use baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
    4. Rest your dough. ...
    5. Shorten baking time.
    May 14, 2023

    Can I use golden syrup instead of molasses? ›

    Golden syrup, also known as "light treacle," is made from the evaporation of sugarcane, which creates a light, golden syrup very reminiscent of honey. Lyle's is a popular brand of golden syrup. Try using 1 cup golden syrup for every 1 cup molasses in a recipe.

    Should you refrigerate gingerbread dough? ›

    Mistake #2: Not resting your dough

    After the gingerbread is cut out, Lomas recommends putting it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to three days. Chilling the dough before it goes into a hot oven gives the butter a chance to firm up and reduces how much it spreads when baking.

    Why are my biscuits not crunchy? ›

    To prepare crunchy biscuits, reduce the amount of ingredients that tend to retain moisture, such as 00 type flour, eggs or brown sugar. Prefer white granulated sugar or corn syrup instead, for drier biscuits.

    Why do my ginger biscuits go soft? ›

    Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.” Cookbook author and ”Great American Baking Show” winner Vallery Lomas likes a gingerbread cookie that's packed with flavor.

    Why are my gingerbread biscuits hard? ›

    Keep in mind that the longer the cookies bake, the harder and crunchier they'll be. For soft gingerbread cookies, follow my suggested bake times. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

    What factors contribute to the crispness of biscuits? ›

    List 5 factors that contribute to crispness in cookies.
    1. Low proportion of liquid in the mix.
    2. High sugar and fat content.
    3. Baking long enough to evaporate most of the moisture.
    4. Small size or thin shape.
    5. Proper storage (cookies stored in the fridge will absorb moisture)

    References

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