Gingersnap Cookies: The Cookie I’ve Loved Since I Was Little (And Probably Will Until the End of Time)

 

Gingersnap cookies. They’re not flashy or as popular as a big fat chocolate chip cookie or a stack of Oreos (because NOBODY eats just one Oreo). But weirdo that I am, I’ve loved them since I was a kid. In fact, I’m pretty sure gingersnaps were the only cookies allowed on my mom’s diet, so they were around. I think there was a bag of those spicy little nuggets in the house at all times and when you’re a sugar loving girl, you know exactly where they’re hidden.

My mom never made gingersnaps, it was always a bag that we picked up at the store. I didn’t even think of making them until I was reading a Joanna Fluke mystery and it had the recipe in it. What? I could make them. Woo Hoo! Now Ivy and her brother get to try them! They’re way better home made and I’m totally not on a diet. So it’s full on treat time. Isn’t it funny how something so simple can carry so much nostalgia? I’m sure I could bake fancy macarons or gluten-free quinoa-chia granola bars or whatever, but no, no, gingersnaps it is. Why? Because they’re the ultimate comfort cookie. The perfect combination of spicy and sweet, crunchy and chewy. Plus, I mean, they’re just fun to eat…I mean make.




You know the ones I mean: the gingersnaps that snap when you bite into them, with just enough of a warm, cinnamon-ginger kick to make you feel like you’re wrapped in a cozy blanket (but, like, without the actual blanket or the whole “hygge” thing, which let’s be honest, was just a way to make us feel like we had to drink warm tea while we ate cookies).

I don’t want you to miss out on this lovely little underrated cookie. So, in the spirit of "why not share the love," I’m here to pass on the recipe to you, my dears. If you’re looking for a quick and easy cookie recipe that will leave you feeling a little nostalgic (and maybe slightly more mature than the 5-year-old you were when you first tasted them), well, here you go.

Now, we’re all friends here. I’ve always had luck with these turning out pretty and round, but if yours aren’t so pretty, they’ll still taste amazing, I promise!

Inspired by Joanna Fluke’s Regency Ginger Crisps

Murder and cookies…I mean, could anything be cozier? 😂

All you’re going to need is one bowl, a wooden spoon, some stamina and you’re on your way to the perfect cozy treat.


Classic Gingersnap Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup melted buter
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (if you've only got light, it'll still work)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • Optional: A pinch of cayenne pepper for some extra kick (because we’re adults now, right?)
  • 1/2 cup white or turbinado sugar for coating the dough

Instructions:

  1. Don't preheat the oven yet! Something magical happens when you let these cool in the fridge.  Trust me on this!
  2. Melt the butter. In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.  Stir in the sugar until it's completely combined.  This is where you get your workout in.  It takes about 2 minutes working that wooden spoon to fully combine.
  3. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla.  Did you think you were done stirring?  HA!  Add your liquid team and stir until fully combined. That molasses smell is going to be AMAZING, so take a moment to breathe it in. We’re almost there.
  4. Add all the dry ingredients (baking soda through flour). Dump the whole dry team in with the wet team and stir until you don't see any random streaks of flour.
  5. Shape the dough. I use a small ice cream scoop to scoop up the yummy dough, then roll them in a little extra granulated sugar. Yes, you are now a sugar-covered, gingersnap-making wizard.
  6. Chill! Place the cookie balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. You don't need to space them, they're going to head into the fridge for at least 1 hour (overnight is great too).
  7. Bake! Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and get a couple of cookie sheets ready with parchement paper.  Place the cookie balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. You want them crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Trust your gut; they’ll be perfect.
  8. Cool and enjoy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Then, eat them. And eat some more. (Don’t worry, no one will judge you.)


I really hope you give these a try. What some call old fashioned, I call classic and these need to get passed down to generation after generation. Because gingersnaps aren’t just cookies—they’re memories. Crunchy, spicy, and sweet memories.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a batch to bake—and maybe a glass of milk to dunk them in.

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