The Best Chewy Gingersnap Cookies: An Irresistible Holiday Classic Recipe

There’s nothing quite like the warm, inviting aroma of freshly baked gingersnap cookies to herald the holiday season. These chewy gingersnap cookies, infused with the rich, deep flavors of molasses and a symphony of warming spices, are more than just a seasonal treat; they’re a timeless delight enjoyed year-round. With their perfectly crisp edges and delightfully soft, chewy centers, these cookies are truly irresistible and promise to become a cherished addition to your baking repertoire. Prepare to fall in love with their perfectly balanced spice and tender texture!

This particular recipe for gingersnap cookies holds a special place in my family’s heart and history. It’s a treasured heirloom that graces every holiday celebration, bringing smiles and sweet memories to all who taste them. The origins of this beloved recipe trace back to my Grandma Wilda. Though I never had the chance to meet her, her vibrant spirit and culinary legacy live on in countless wonderful ways, not least through these incredibly delicious, perfectly spiced gingersnap cookies. Sharing them feels like sharing a piece of her enduring warmth and love.

Table of Contents

• What Makes These Chewy Gingersnap Cookies Special?
• Essential Gingersnap Cookie Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Chewy Gingersnaps
• Expert Baking Tips for Perfect Cookies
• More Irresistible Cookie Recipes to Try
• Get the Full Chewy Gingersnap Cookies Recipe

What Makes These Chewy Gingersnap Cookies Special?

There’s a well-deserved reason why these gingersnaps have earned their spot as a cherished family favorite, passed down through generations. These particular chewy gingersnaps boast an unparalleled soft and tender texture, combined with an explosion of rich, complex flavors from molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Unlike many gingersnap recipes that can be overly crisp or crunchy, these strike the perfect balance – slightly firm at the edges, yet wonderfully soft and yielding in the center. The spices are carefully measured to provide a deep, warm flavor without ever being overwhelming, making each bite a harmonious blend of sweetness and zest.

Beyond their exquisite taste and texture, what truly sets this recipe apart is its incredible simplicity and efficiency. It’s a super straightforward process, requiring no chilling of the dough, which means you can whip up a fresh batch of these delectable cookies in just about 30 minutes from start to finish. This makes them an ideal choice for last-minute holiday baking, a quick weeknight treat, or when unexpected guests arrive. These gingersnap cookies are practically perfect in every way, offering an ideal spiced cookie experience that embodies the warmth and comfort of the season. Their ease of preparation combined with their superior flavor and texture makes them a standout choice for any cookie enthusiast.

Essential Gingersnap Cookie Ingredients

While ginger is, of course, the star in all gingersnap cookies, the precise blend of other flavorings and spices can vary significantly from one recipe to another. Our family’s recipe, however, achieves a perfect harmony of flavors. Here’s a closer look at the key ingredients that come together to create these memorable cookies (you’ll find the full, detailed recipe at the end of this article):

• Butter: Essential for richness, flavor, and creating that desirable chewy texture. Ensure it’s at the correct room temperature for proper creaming.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness, aids in crisping the edges, and helps the cookies spread.
• Eggs: Act as a binder, add moisture, and contribute to the cookie’s structure and chewiness.
• Molasses: The signature ingredient for gingersnaps! It provides that distinctive deep, complex flavor, a beautiful dark hue, and is crucial for the cookies’ signature chewiness.
• All-Purpose Flour: The primary structural component of the cookie. Proper measurement is key to prevent dry or tough cookies.
• Baking Soda: A leavening agent that helps the cookies rise and spread, contributing to their soft interior.
• Ground Ginger: The core spice, offering a warm, slightly spicy kick.
• Ground Cinnamon: Adds a sweet, woody warmth that complements the ginger beautifully.
• Ground Cloves: Provides a strong, aromatic, and slightly sweet flavor, rounding out the spice profile.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors, making them pop.

Using high-quality ingredients can make a noticeable difference in the final taste and texture of your cookies. Fresh spices, good quality butter, and rich molasses will elevate your gingersnaps from good to absolutely phenomenal.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Chewy Gingersnaps

Making these chewy gingersnaps is a straightforward and enjoyable process. Follow these simple steps to create a batch of perfectly spiced cookies:

1. Beat butter and sugar. Just like with most drop cookies, we begin by creaming together the softened butter and granulated sugar. This crucial step incorporates air into the mixture, which results in a lighter, more tender cookie. Beat them together in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes light in color and fluffy in texture, typically 2-3 minutes. This aeration is key to the cookie’s final texture.
2. Add molasses and eggs. Next, incorporate the rich molasses, followed by the eggs, one at a time. After each addition, mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Make sure to frequently scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula. This ensures all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and prevents pockets of unmixed batter, leading to a consistently textured dough.
3. Add flour, spices, and other dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. While some recipes suggest combining these dry ingredients first, you can often add them directly to your wet mixture. If you opt for the latter, briefly stir them into the flour with a spoon before mixing further to ensure even distribution of the spices. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing at this stage can develop the gluten in the flour too much, resulting in tougher cookies.
4. Portion and roll in sugar. Use a cookie scoop (a #40 scoop, yielding about 1.5 tablespoons, is ideal for these gingersnaps) or two small spoons to portion out the dough. Roll each portion into a smooth ball between your palms. Give each dough ball a generous roll in granulated sugar. This sugar coating not only adds a beautiful sparkle but also contributes to those signature crisp edges and a delightful textural contrast. Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for approximately 9-10 minutes. Look for signs that the cookies are puffed up in the center and their edges appear set and lightly golden. If you prefer a slightly crisper cookie, you can extend the baking time by an additional minute or two. For a softer, chewier cookie, lean towards the shorter baking time. Remember, cookies continue to cook slightly as they cool on the hot baking sheet.
6. Enjoy! Once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. This allows them to firm up slightly, making them easier to transfer without breaking. After 5 minutes, carefully move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, if you can’t resist, enjoy them while they’re still wonderfully warm and gooey!

Expert Baking Tips for Perfect Cookies

Baking perfect cookies is an art, but also a science. Here are my top tips to ensure your chewy gingersnaps turn out absolutely perfect every time, and to help you master your cookie-baking skills:

• Be sure to measure flour correctly! This is one of the most common baking mistakes. Too much flour can lead to dry, dense, and crumbly cookies. All of my recipes, including these gingersnaps, are tested using the “spoon and level” method. This means you should lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup until it overflows, then level off the top with a straight edge (like the back of a knife). Do not scoop flour directly from the bag with the measuring cup, as this compacts it, resulting in significantly more flour than intended.
• Butter should be at the right temperature. For optimal results, your butter should be a cool 65°F (18°C) – soft enough to make an indentation with your finger without it sinking in completely, but not at all melty or greasy-looking. If your butter is too soft or warm, it won’t cream properly with the sugar, and your cookies will likely spread too much in the oven, becoming flat and thin. You can find more detailed information on achieving the perfect butter temperature here.
• Follow this recipe as written for best results. Baking is a precise science, and altering ingredients or measurements without understanding their chemical roles can drastically change the outcome. If you’re looking to reduce sugar, use alternative flours (like gluten-free options), or make other significant ingredient swaps, I strongly recommend seeking out a recipe specifically developed for those needs. Adapting a classic recipe like this without proper knowledge can lead to disappointing results.
• Parchment paper is your baking BFF. Lining your baking sheets with parchment paper offers numerous benefits: it prevents cookies from sticking, promotes even baking, and makes for super easy cleanup. I highly recommend using pre-cut parchment sheets for convenience; they fit standard baking sheets perfectly and save you time.
• Use a cookie scoop! Achieving uniform cookie size is not just for aesthetics; it ensures that all your cookies bake evenly at the same rate. I love using a spring-loaded cookie scoop for portioning dough. For these gingersnaps, a #40 scoop (which holds about 1.5 tablespoons of dough) is the ideal size, resulting in perfectly proportioned cookies.
• If you want thicker cookies, try chilling the dough. If you prefer a chewier cookie with a thicker center, a little chilling time can help. After portioning and rolling your cookie dough balls in sugar, place them in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or in the freezer for 15 minutes. This firms up the butter in the dough, preventing the cookies from spreading too quickly in the oven and allowing them to bake up a bit thicker.
• Cookie dough freezes really well. This is a game-changer for make-ahead baking! I always keep a stash of pre-portioned cookie dough balls in the freezer. This means you can have fresh-baked cookies on demand anytime you crave them. It’s my secret weapon for stress-free holiday baking throughout December and beyond, ensuring a warm, spiced treat is always just minutes away.
• How to store gingersnap cookies. These delightful cookies maintain their freshness and chewiness remarkably well. Store them at room temperature in an airtight container. They will keep for about a week, but honestly, they are at their absolute best within the first two or three days of baking when they are the softest and most flavorful.

More Irresistible Cookie Recipes to Try

Get the Full Chewy Gingersnap Cookies Recipe

4.86 from 7 reviews

Chewy Gingersnap Cookies

Servings:

36
cookies

Prep Time:

15 minutes
mins

Cook Time:

10 minutes
mins

Total Time:

25 minutes
mins

Chewy cookies scented with molasses and spices, perfect for the holiday season.

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Ingredients

 

• ▢
  
  1 cup
  (226 grams)
  butter , at room temperature

• ▢
  
  2 cups
  (400 grams)
  granulated sugar

• ▢
  
  2
  
  large eggs

• ▢
  
  ½ cup
  (170 grams)
  molasses

• ▢
  
  4 cups
  (500 grams)
  all-purpose flour

• ▢
  
  2 teaspoon
  
  baking soda

• ▢
  
  2 teaspoon
  
  ground cinnamon

• ▢
  
  2 teaspoon
  
  ground cloves

• ▢
  
  2 teaspoon
  
  ground ginger

• ▢
  
  ½ teaspoon
  
  salt

• ▢
  
  
  
  Additional granulated sugar , for rolling

Cook Mode

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Equipment

Electric mixer

Medium Cookie Scoop

Baking sheet pan

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the granulated sugar and softened butter on high speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and creamy. This should take about 2-3 minutes. This step incorporates air, which is essential for a tender cookie. Add the large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until just combined. Follow with the molasses, mixing again until fully incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are evenly mixed.
• In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, and salt. Alternatively, you can add all dry ingredients directly to the mixer. If doing so, briefly stir the spices into the flour with a spoon before mixing into the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the molasses mixture. Mix on low speed until everything is just combined and no streaks of flour remain in the dough. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
• Using a medium cookie scoop (approximately 1.5 tablespoons), portion out the dough. Roll each scooped ball of dough evenly in additional granulated sugar. This sugar coating will give the cookies a delightful sparkle and a slightly crisp exterior. Place the sugar-coated dough balls onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving a couple of inches between each to allow for spreading.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. The cookies are ready when they are puffed up in the center and their edges appear set and lightly golden. For a softer, chewier cookie, aim for the shorter baking time (around 8-9 minutes). If you prefer a crisper cookie, bake for an extra minute or two. Once baked, let the cookies cool on the sheet pan for about 5 minutes. This allows them to firm up before transferring. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Repeat the portioning and baking process with any remaining cookie dough until all your delicious gingersnaps are baked.

Notes

• How to freeze cookie dough for later: Freezing cookie dough is a fantastic way to make holiday baking or spontaneous treats easier. Simply scoop the dough balls, roll in sugar, then place them on a parchment-lined tray in the freezer until solid. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag, and bake from frozen (adding a minute or two to the bake time) whenever a craving strikes!
• For thicker cookies: If you desire a gingersnap with a more pronounced, thicker center, try chilling the rolled dough balls. Place them in the fridge for 30 minutes, or in the freezer for about 15 minutes before baking. This helps the butter in the dough solidify, which in turn prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, ensuring a lovely, plump cookie.
• Storage: These chewy gingersnap cookies will maintain their wonderful soft texture and fresh taste for about 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. However, they are truly at their peak and softest within the first 1-2 days after baking.

Calories:
157
kcal

,

Carbohydrates:
25
g

,

Protein:
2
g

,

Fat:
6
g

,

Saturated Fat:
3
g

,

Cholesterol:
23
mg

,

Sodium:
77
mg

,

Potassium:
91
mg

,

Fiber:
1
g

,

Sugar:
15
g

,

Vitamin A:
171
IU

,

Calcium:
17
mg

,

Iron:
1
mg

Cuisine:
American

Course:
Dessert

Author:
Annalise Sandberg

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I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.

This beloved recipe for Chewy Gingersnap Cookies was originally published in 2009 and has been a family favorite ever since. We’ve refreshed this post to provide even more helpful tips and detailed instructions to make your baking experience as delightful as the cookies themselves!

We hope these chewy gingersnap cookies bring as much joy and warmth to your home as they do to ours. Whether you’re baking them for the holidays, a special gathering, or simply to treat yourself to a comforting spiced delight, their rich flavor and perfect texture are sure to impress. Happy baking!

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The Best Chewy Gingersnap Cookies: An Irresistible Holiday Classic Recipe

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