Depending on where you live, spice cookies are called ginger nuts, Arnott’s biscuits, brunkage, or speculaas. In many places they are known as pepper cookies in the appropriate Swedish, Finnish, Latvian, Estonian, or Norwegian languages. In the United States and Canada, however, we call them gingersnaps. My gingersnap cookies would make GREAT holiday gifts or a prefect gingersnap cookie pie crust. Check out my recipe below for Crispy Gingersnap Cookies that truly SNAP!
Gingersnap Cookies are Quite Popular
Ginger or pepper cookies are well-known cookies worldwide. In fact, they top the list of favorite cookies in New Zealand, Australia, and in the UK. While enjoyed year-round, they are most popular around the holidays, particularly between St. Nick’s Day, December 5 or 6 (depending on the country), and Christmas Day.
Why Did I Choose Gingersnap Cookies for a Bake?
I’m really excited to share my version of gingersnap cookies. In fact, the reason I created this cookie recipe was purely out of need. I know that sounds strange, but I was in the planning stages of making my Nutella Swirl Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust when uh, oh happened! Unfortunately (well, actually fortunately), my local store was out of gingersnap cookies.
After a few days, a figurative light bulb illuminated. I realized I didn’t need a store when I could make my own. And then it occurred to me, why haven’t I been making my own gingersnap cookies for years? Sometimes, I truly feel I have WAY too many holes in my brain! So, I took my molasses sugar cookie recipe (I’ll share that recipe with you some day 😊) and adjusted the ingredients until I reached that nice gingersnap crisp I needed for my pie crust. And here we are today!
What to do with these Awesome Cookies…
These cookies make a great holiday food gift for your friends or neighbors. Wrap a stack of them in holiday paper with ribbon or in brown paper with twine (for a rustic look) and pass them out! Add some to a cookie tin. In fact, why not add a little royal icing to the tops of each cookie for that holiday “special” look? They also work great as the main ingredient in a gingersnap pie crust. Let’s check out my Crispy Gingersnap Cookie recipe process!
Crispy Gingersnap Cookie Process
Gingersnap Cookie Ingredients
For my Crispy Gingersnap Cookie recipe, you’ll need butter, granulated sugar, molasses, egg, all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, salt, and cracked black pepper for that extra bit of spice.
Gingersnap Cookies: Combine the Wet Ingredients
Since this recipe comes together fairly quickly, the first step is to preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C).
You can use either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. I usually use an electric hand mixer for this recipe (sometimes I’m too lazy to pull out the heavy stand mixer). Anyway, in a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl), add 6 ounces (1 ½ sticks or 12 tablespoons) of room temperature butter and mix well using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Add ½ cup of granulated sugar and blend well. Then add the egg and a ¼ cup molasses. Blend well.
TIP: For measuring out sticky ingredients, spray the measuring cup or spoon with cooking spray. Generally, the ingredients will slide right off.
TIP: Check out a previous blog post on Bringing Butter and Eggs to Room Temperature Quickly (assuming you forgot, like I habitually do)😉.
Whip w/ mixer Molasses slid right out! All wet ingredients combined
Gingersnap Cookies: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients & Add to Wet Ingredients
In a separate medium bowl, whisk all dry ingredients. Add 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1¼ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon salt. Finally, add my secret ingredient, ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Black pepper is not uncommon in gingersnap or spiced cookies. They add a little extra spice you might not expect.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until well combined.
TIP: If using a stand mixer, turn the machine on low and add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix just until combined.
Add all dry ingredients: flour & spices Whisk all dry together Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients Stir w/spoon or stand mixer on low
Gingersnap Cookies: Scoop & Roll Dough
Add ½ cup of granulated sugar to a small bowl. Use a small scoop to form each cookie dough into walnut-size balls. I prefer a scoop that is 1½ inches in diameter. It’s a great size for these cookies and makes them uniformly round. Roll each dough ball into the sugar.
TIP: Large granulated sugar crystals are best for rolling around each cookie dough. The large crystals remain visible on the cookies as they bake instead of “melting” into the cookie and disappearing. I like the look of the crystal crunch on the exterior of each cookie, too.
1-1/2-inch scoop is best Roll in hands first Then, roll in sugar
To Leave or NOT to Leave in a Ball? NOT a Difficult Question.
Place each sugar-covered cookie dough ball on a cookie sheet that has been greased, lined with parchment paper, or with a Silpat mat.
If you want to give these as gifts, they are prettiest when left in the round ball shape as they have a little height and bake with traditional cracks on the top.
However, when I use these to make gingersnap crust, I prefer to flatten them out a little as the flatter cookie produces a crispier cookie. It’s up to you. In making these cookies, I decided on half and half. I used the flat half to make my gingersnap cookie crust for my Nutella Swirl Pumpkin Pie and used the prettier with a little softer center to give as gifts.
TIP: Place cookies 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. To flatten them out, use 2 fingers to press down in one direction. Then, use the same 2 fingers to press down in the opposite direction (perpendicular to the first).
2 inches apart to allow for spreading To flatten them, press down using 2 fingers Then, press down perpendicular to the first 1st batch done… half round/half flat
Gingersnap Cookies: Baking Time!
Time for the oven. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes. We’re aiming for low and slow, so we get that crispy cookie. Try baking at 13 minutes for the first batch, if they aren’t crispy enough as they cool, add another minute or two.
TIP: Consider baking only a couple of cookies at first to find your preferred baking time. Remember that hot cookies will not be crispy; they should cool slightly. Then, break them in half to test for crispness.
Check out the baked cookies!
1st batch baked! Unflattened cookies Flattened cookies
Gingersnap Cookies: Close-Up!
Gingersnap Cookies: Regular Rolled Version (NOT flattened)
Notice the traditional cracks on the top. Each has a little height to it.
Gingersnap Cookies: Flattened Version
The flatter cookie isn’t as appealing… visually. It doesn’t have the signature cracks or height, but the cookies are still uniformly round and taste the same.
How to Store These Cookies
You can store these at room temperature for a few days (actually, a week or so is fine since they are crunchy cookies anyway). For longer storage, wrap them well and place them in the freezer for several months. If giving away as gifts, store the cookies in the freezer until you’re ready to package them and share.
3 TIPS for Making Crispy Cookies
There are 3 good tips to consider if you want to turn most any “soft” cookie into a crispy cookie.
TIP #1: Limit Moisture
Use ingredients that don’t hold moisture. For example, if your recipe calls for 2 eggs, then use one less egg in the recipe. Use granulated sugar instead of brown since brown sugar holds moisture and granulated does not. If your recipe calls for a mix of granulated and brown sugar, substitute all the brown sugar with granulated.
TIP #2: Use Butter Instead of Shortening
Shortening doesn’t melt as easily thus holding its shape much better than butter when heated, particularly in a cookie. Use butter in place of shortening since butter spreads giving you a thinner cookie.
TIP #3: Bake Low & Slow (Like Your Turkey!)
And finally, bake at a lower temperature and for longer time. If your cookie recipe suggests baking at a 375˚F (190˚C), decrease the temp to 350˚F (177˚C). Instead of baking at a usual 7-12 minutes, bake for 13-15 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies as they should dry out not burn. It’s harder to tell because until they cool, the cookies will be soft (unless they are burned).
TIP: Since all ovens are different, consider baking a very small batch, like 1 or 2 cookies, to determine the correct time before baking a whole batch. Once you’re happy with the crispness of the cookie, bake all of your cookies at that time.
Gingersnap Cookies: Final Thoughts
This is a good cookie to make to begin the holiday season or any time of year you want a little spice in your life. I’m generally not a crispy cookie fan; however, these cookies are great if you prefer a crispy cookie or you’re craving those store-bought gingersnaps. In addition, they are wonderful used as the main ingredient in a gingersnap cookie crust.
Baker’s Perspective
As far as cookies go, they are pretty simple to make and require little time. Yes, you have to do a little extra step in rolling them in sugar, but they are much easier to make than rolled out sugar cookies. If crunched for time this holiday season and just can’t do a rolled-out sugar or gingerbread cookie, make these. For an easier version, instead of rolling these in sugar, add a little royal icing to the top… boom! Decorative holiday gift is ready!
Taster’s Perspective
Scott tasted both versions. As for texture, kudos to the unflattened, pretty, cracked top cookies that were crispy and had the signature snap BUT with a slightly soft center. They looked just like a store-bought gingersnap cookie. He liked the slightly softer center since soft and chewy cookies are his (our) preference. However, soft and chewy was NOT the goal of this cookie!
The flatter (less appealing) version had a fantastic snap. It really did have that perfect snap one expects in a crispy cookie.
As for flavors of both versions, they were well balanced in spices and sweetness. The prominent flavors for Scott were ginger and molasses. In his opinion, they were a great gingersnap cookie with all the flavors you expect.
Check out my YouTube video for the visuals in making this recipe. “How to Make TRUE Crispy Gingersnap Cookies: Tips on HOW to Get the PERFECT Crisp!“
Crispy Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
Crispy Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ sticks (6oz / 12 tbsp) butter at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup (2.5 oz) molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (16 g) baking soda
- 1 tsp (2.5 g) cinnamon
- ¼ tsp (.5 g) ground cloves
- 1¼ tsp (4 g) ground ginger
- ½ tsp (3 g) salt
- ½ tsp (1 g) cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add ½ cup (100 g) sugar and blend well. Then, add the egg and molasses and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk all dry ingredients, flour through pepper.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until well combined.
- Add the other 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar to a small bowl. TIP: Course granulated sugar works best here.
- Form dough into walnut-size balls (or use a cookie scoop that’s 1½ inches in diameter) and then roll each into the sugar.
- Place each cookie dough ball on a cookie sheet that has either been greased, lined with parchment, or a Silpat mat. The cookies should be at least 2 inches apart since they will spread.TIP: For traditionally looking cracked gingersnap cookies leave them as they are. For a crispier cookie, flatten them out slightly. Use 2 fingers and press gently to flatten out the cookie. Then, lift fingers and press gently again perpendicularly on the same cookie to even it out.
- Bake at 350°F (177˚C) for 13-15 minutes. Allow them to cool a few moments and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Check out some other holiday recipes!
Nutella Swirl Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Cookie Crust
3 Simple & Flavorful Pie Crusts: Savory, Sweet, OR Gluten-Free
Sinfully Rich and Silky 2-Way Mashed Potatoes
Gluten or Gluten-Free Holiday Savory Bread Pudding
The Berry Rolls (My Grandma’s Recipe)
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.