Go Back
–+ servings
Chewy on the inside with a lightly crisp exterior, this perfectly spiced ginger snap cookie recipe has stood the test of time and is a welcome addition to any cookie platter!

Ginger Snaps

Looking for the classic ginger snap recipe? This is it! These cookies are tender and chewy on the inside with a lightly crisp exterior. They're perfectly spiced too – just like your grandmother made them!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Yield 3 dozen

Ingredients
 

  • ¾ cup shortening*
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup molasses (like Grandmas Molasses or Brer Rabbit full flavor)
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375℉.
  2. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer, beat the shortening  and sugar until combined. Add the molasses and egg and beat until light and fluffy.
  3. Sift the flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and salt into a separate bowl. 
  4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture (I do this in 2-3 additions) and mix until thoroughly combined and a soft dough forms. 
  5. Form into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. 
  6. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2” apart for 8 –10 minutes, or until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked but the cookies don’t look moist in the creases.  
  7. Let the cookies sit for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack. 
  8. Storage: The cooled ginger snaps will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. The cookies freeze well too.

Notes

*Shortening versus butter: Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, while the same recipe made with butter tends to yield flatter and sometimes crisper cookies. In other words, if you substitute butter in this recipe, the flavor will still be delicious, but the cookies will not hold their shape quite as well.
Some tips if you do want to make that swap:
  1. Cover the dough and chill for a minimum of 2 hours.
  2. Make sure your baking sheets are cool when placing the next batch of cookies on them.
  3. Once rolled, keep the dough balls that are awaiting their stint in the oven in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Is there a shortening with no hydrogenated fat? While Crisco shortening has long been the gold standard for baking, Spectrum’s vegetable shortening provides an alternative that is free of hydrogenated fat.
**Sugar for rolling: Granulated sugar works well, although a coarser sugar like demerara, turbinado, raw or cane sugar may be used to add a hint of extra texture and glisten. You could also mix things up and roll the gingersnaps in cinnamon sugar.
Tried this recipe?Click here to rate and comment.