Ginger Snap Cookies are a classic treat with warm spices rich molasses, and that signature crisp taste that everyone loves. Perfect for holiday baking and cozy winter nights.
While not an Italian cookie, they are perfect for your Christmas cookie baking and cookie trays.
Like cookies? Try my Mom's Recipe for Calabrese Chinulille, Italian Biscotti with Hazelnuts or my Italian Orange Cookies.
Visit my recipe box for some more great recipe ideas inspired by Italian tradition!
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These Ginger Snap Cookies are very easy to make. If you have a stand mixer, use it. Otherwise you can use a hand mixer to make these cookies. And if you don't have any kind of mixer, don't worry. A mixer isn't a must to make these cookies but it helps to ensure that the ingredients are combined well.
The molasses gives these cookies a deep rich taste. But the star of this cookies is the added ginger and cinnamon that give the cookie that "snap".
Here's Why You'll Love these Cookies
- perfect cookie to add to your Christmas Cookie Tray
- flavor of ginger and molasses give this cookie a comforting taste
- easy to make
- ready in less than an hour
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Ingredients
These crunchy ginger snap cookies come together with flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, shortening, sugar, eggs, molasses and a pinch of salt.
For exact measurements and details see recipe card...
Choosing a Molasses
You may ask what is molasses and how do I choose which one will be good for this recipe. Well the short answer is that molasses is a thick black syrup after the sugar has been removed from the sugar cane juice. It is dark and sticky and has a warm, sticky and smokey flavor. The darker the color the more intense the flavor is. For this Ginger Snap Cookie recipe I used a dark molasses.
Lard vs. Shortening in Baking
This is something I often wondered about. What's the difference between shortening and lard when baking.
When you think about vegetable shortening is made from vegetables while lard comes from animal by-product.
Both lard and shortening have distinctive tastes which make it suitable for different types of cooking or baking.
Vegetable shortening is preferred in cookies because it creates a lighter, more tender texture and helps the cookie retain their shape while baking.
Shortening has a higher melting point which means the dough spreads more slowly in the oven, giving ginger cookies their classic slightly domed shape and crisp edges.
It also produces a cleaner flavor that lets the warm spices and molasses shine, without adding the savoury, meaty notes that lard naturally brings.
Lard can make cookies greasy, overly soft or subtle savoury. Qualities that don't suit the sweet, spiced profile of cookies. Shorten, on the other hand,, give you a consistent texture, snap, and appearance that bakers expect from this classic recipe.
How to Make Crunchy Ginger Snap Cookies
Gather all of your ingredients ahead of time.
Sift together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together so that they are well blended. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the sugar and egg together until creamy and light in color, add shortening and mix. The shortening may not combine well with ingredients, but that's ok. Turn off mixer and add molasses.
Begin to incorporated the dry ingredients a little at a time, scraping the bowl periodically with a spatula. Your dough should resemble a dry dough like a crumble. If your dough is to soft or warm, refrigerate it for about an hour then proceed to the next step.
In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch balls, then roll each ball into sugar mixed with cinnamon (cinnamon sugar). Place each ball on a baking sheet line with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Use your fingers to flatten the cookies slightly. They make crack, just use your fingers to gently mold together.
Bake in preheated 350℉ oven for about 10 minutes, until the tops are slightly cracked. They may be soft to the touch, but they will harden. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
How to Tell When they are Done
For the Best Ginger Snap Cookies watch them bake paying attention to them rising and cracking. They don't take too long to bake. Bake the cookies keeping an eye on them, particularly that the base of the cookie doesn't burn. These cookies will take about 10 minutes to bake and will come out of the oven soft but then harden as they cool down. Check on the cookies at about 8 minutes.
You want to watch for a shell that cracking but is firm, but if pressed remains somewhat firm. Sort of like pressing your right thumb into the palm of your left hand. Check on the cookies at about 8 minutes. If at 10 minutes they are too soft, leave to bake for a couple of more minutes. But don't leave them too long or else you'll end up with a hard, dense cookies.
Cool completely before you decide to eat one to avoid scorching your mouth.
Storing Your Cookies
These cookies store very well. Just remember to cool them completely before your store them. You can place them in a plastic container sealed tightly or in a zipper bag for 2 to 3 weeks.
Leftover cookies can be frozen for about one to two months. When you are ready to use your frozen cookies, take them from the freezer to the fridge overnight. Once thawed out, you can move them from the fridge to room temperature always keeping them in a sealed container.
Top Tips
Remember to use parchment paper to line your baking sheet for easy cleanup.
Use fresh spices and avoid stale products which will result in a weak flavor
Chill the dough before scooping and rolling. This will prevent spreading.
Roll dough in sugar before baking for a sparkly, crackled surface.
Bake just until the edges set, they'll crisp more as they cool
Space your cookies at least two inches apart, so that they are not to close to one another as they bake.
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Ginger snap cookies get their name from the sound they make when you snap them in two.
Graham cracker or biscoff cookie crumbs make a perfect substitute for gingersnap crumbs.
Recipe Details
Crunchyy Ginger Snap Cookies
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
Cookie Dough
- 2½ cups all purpose flour or more
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 cups sugar
- ¾ cups shortening softened
- ¼ cups dark molasses
Instructions
- Sift together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together so that they are well blended. Set aside.2½ cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp ground ginger, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt
- In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the sugar and egg together until creamy and light in color, add shortening and mix. The shortening may not combine well with ingredients, but that's ok. Turn off mixer and add molasses.1 egg, 1 cups sugar, ¾ cups shortening, ¼ cups dark molasses
- Begin to incorporated the dry ingredients a little at a time, scraping the bowl periodically with a spatula. Your dough should resemble a dry dough like a crumble. If your dough is to soft or warm, refrigerate it for about an hour then proceed to the next step.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch balls, then roll each ball into sugar mixed with cinnamon (cinnamon sugar). Place each ball on a baking sheet line with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon
- Use your fingers to flatten the cookies slightly. They make crack, just use your fingers to gently mold together.
- Bake in preheated 350℉ oven for about 10 minutes, until the tops are slightly cracked. They may be soft to the touch, but they will harden. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Notes
Top Tips
Remember to use parchment paper to line your baking sheet for easy cleanup.
Use fresh spices and avoid stale products which will result in a weak flavor
Chill the dough before scooping and rolling. This will prevent spreading.
Roll dough in sugar before baking for a sparkly, crackled surface.
Bake just until the edges set, they'll crisp more as they cool
Space your cookies at least two inches apart, so that they are not to close to one another as they bake.
Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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