These Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies are perfectly spiced with hints of cinnamon, ginger, and molasses. The dough is rolled in sugar before baking for a bit of added sweetness. These soft and chewy cookies melt in your mouth - each bite is so full of flavor! And this easy recipe has a baking time of only 8 minutes!
When it comes to holiday baking, nothing can quite compare to the rich taste of old-fashioned chewy gingersnap cookies.
And nothing brings back childhood memories quite like these spice-filled cookies. During the holiday season, they are a must-have treat.
Like my other holiday cookie recipes, Sugar Cookies, Christmas Crack, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies, and Christmas Fudge, I have been making these soft cookies for years and years.
This recipe is one of my favorite cookies. I like to make a huge batch and store them in the freezer so I always have some on hand for company.
This recipe is surprisingly simple yet incredibly flavorful and just perfect for the holiday season.
The classic combination of spicy ginger flavor and cinnamon with sugary tops creates a warm, inviting scent that will bring a smile to everyone's face!
Jump to:
💗 Why you will love this recipe
- The cinnamon and ginger combination creates an aroma that will fill your home with warmth and coziness - this is the perfect recipe!
- The molasses in the recipe gives it a rich depth of flavor.
- You will love this chewy cookie with crisp outer edges!
- This holiday cookie is so easy to make. Everything is mixed in one bowl! I like to do things as easy as possible, and the fewer dishes I have to do, the better! 🙂
- The ingredients are simple and straightforward. You likely already have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!
- These cookies are delicious beyond compare: warm, soft, and chewy ginger snaps that will make your kitchen smell divine!
- This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.
- These ginger cookies are the perfect afternoon treat with a cup of tea or coffee or a glass of cold milk.
📋 Ingredients
You can find the simple ingredients to make this classic cookie at your local grocery store.

- White sugar. White granulated sugar is the best option, but you could also use cane sugar.
- Butter. I used unsalted butter at room temperature.
- Molasses. I used fancy molasses, but you can use blackstrap molasses as well.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
🥣 How to make gingersnap cookies
Step 1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place parchment paper or a silicone mat on a large cookie sheet.
Step 2: Mix wet Ingredients. Cream butter and white sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed or a KitchenAid mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the large egg and molasses. Mix well until combined.


Step 3: Add dry Ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon to the bowl. Stir to combine.


Step 4: Sugar. Place sugar in a small bowl. Scoop up a spoonful of cookie dough with a small cookie scoop and roll it into a 1-inch ball. Drop the ball in the sugar and roll it around until coated.


Place the cookie dough balls onto the cookie sheets with parchment paper 2 inches apart.
Pro Tip: These cookies spread out as they bake, so make sure there is lots of room between the cookies.
Step 5: Bake. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 minutes for soft and chewy cookies. If you want crispier ginger snaps, bake them for 10 minutes.


Step 6: Cool. Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Enjoy!

💭 Expert Tips
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing them together.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until they form a light and fluffy mixture.
- Use butter instead of margarine - it adds more flavor.
- Mix in the spices thoroughly; you want the flavor to be evenly distributed throughout all of the cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to make the balls of dough; this helps keep all the cookies the same size for even baking.
- Place the cookie balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets - they spread a lot.
- Be sure not to overcook them - 8 minutes is the perfect time for soft, chewy cookies. However, bake for 10 minutes if you like harder, crispier ginger snap cookies.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing them.
🧾 Recipe FAQs
Ginger snap cookies are usually hard because they were cooked too long. For softer cookies, reduce the baking time.
No, molasses cookies and gingersnaps are not the same. Molasses cookies tend to be softer with a more intense flavor of molasses, while gingersnaps have a crunchier texture and a more subtle ginger flavor.
Let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. These cookies are also good frozen for up to 3 months as long as they are in a freezer bag. You can enjoy these cookies straight from the freezer!

👩🏻🍳 More Cookie Recipes
If you like this post on this Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe, please take a moment to rate the recipe 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and leave a comment below with your thoughts!
📋 Recipe

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- electric mixer
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoon molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Step 1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place parchment paper or a silicone mat on a large cookie sheet.
- Step 2: Mix wet Ingredients. Cream unsalted butter and white sugar together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and molasses. Mix well until combined.
- Step 3: Add dry Ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon to the bowl. Stir to combine.
- Step 4: Sugar. Place sugar in a small bowl. Scoop up a spoonful of cookie dough with a small cookie scoop and roll it into a 1-inch ball. Drop the ball in the sugar and roll it around until coated. Place the cookie dough balls onto the cookie sheets with parchment paper 2 inches apart.
- Step 5: Bake. Bake the cookies in the oven for 8 minutes for soft and chewy cookies. If you want crispier ginger snaps, bake them for 10 minutes.
- Step 6: Cool. Remove the cookie from the oven, and let them cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before mixing them together.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until they form a light and fluffy mixture.
- Use butter instead of margarine - it adds more flavor.
- Mix in the spices thoroughly; you want the flavor to be evenly distributed throughout all of the cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to make the balls of dough; this helps keep all the cookies the same size for even baking.
- Place the cookie balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets - they spread a lot.
- Be sure not to overcook them - 8 minutes is the perfect time for soft, chewy cookies. However, bake for 10 minutes if you like harder, crispier ginger snap cookies.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing them.
Comments
No Comments