Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (2024)

Family | Good Eats | Holiday

I originally published this gingersnaps recipe back in 2011, but it desperately needed a refresher (not on the actual recipe—that hasn’t changed—just the post itself. New pictures to come after we make some fresh batches this year!

Jump to Recipe

Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (1)

Let’s just get this out of the way first: this gingersnaps recipe will change your life. They’re full of holiday spice, and come out perfectly soft and chewy with that classic “snap” baked in there, too.

Gingersnaps Recipe: a family recipe

Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (2)
Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (3)

Not to mention, but this gingersnaps recipe comes straight out of myfamily’s recipe book, and it dates back to 1962, which makes it even more special.

While my photo-copied page doesn’t look near as “worn” as the original, I still have fond memories every time I make them.

My History with Gingersnaps

Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (4)
Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (5)

Growing up, I developed a reputation during the holiday season at my house: it was assumed that I would take the most glorious nap on the couch while my younger brother and mom made Christmas goodies for alllllll the neighbors

I would start out helping by donning an apron and putting my hair in a messy bun, but somewhere between my favorite no-bake oatmeal cookies, the melt-in-your-mouth English toffee my mom made, mini-loaves of bread and countless other goodies, I’d come down with all the classic symptoms of needing a nap.

My eyes would get heavy, the yawning was more prominent, and the only thing I wanted to do was rest my head on a comfy pillow.

So that’s exactly what I would do.Every. Single. Year.

Luckily, my brother would help my mom finish the desserts while I dozed. Some help I was, right?

My mom was awesome and knew better, as moms usually do, and always saved one last cookie for me to help make after I had my nap: gingersnaps.

Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (6)

I loved making these, because they were so fun to create—my brother and I would roll them into tiny little balls, plop them in a bowl with sugar and sprinkle the tiny crystals all over them until you could hardly tell there was dough underneath.

Making Gingersnaps Today

These days I have flashbacks to all of those baking days (aka my glorious nap time) with my mom that I took for granted.

Thankfully, I’ve continued the tradition of having my kids help us with making these—rolling the dough into balls and dipping them in the sugar is their favorite part, just like it was for me.

Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (8)

Gingersnaps also happened to be my dad’s favorite cookie, which meant that besides quadrupling the recipe for the holiday bake-a-thon at our house, we’d also make them for his birthday and any other random just-because day.

In fact, we used to make so many of them so often that I swore off ginger for at least a decade. True story. I would find something else to eat or make if ginger was in any dish, because I had visions of gingersnaps dancing in my head.

Thankfully, I got over that ridiculousness and now enjoy ginger again. Especially with this gingersnaps recipe.

If you need a quick and easy cookie to make—especially with your little ones—this is it. It’s a staple on our holiday cookie baking menu.

Gingersnaps Recipe

Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (9)

This gingersnaps recipe makes around five dozen and they’ll keep for quite awhile, although I don’t know how since they’re so gosh-darn tasty!

Pro tip: Dunk them in your morning coffee (the way my dad used to) or enjoy them as-is, the flavor is magical and they practically melt in your mouth.

Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (10)

Gingersnaps

Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (11)Jessica Lynn

This gingersnaps recipe will change your life. They're full of holiday spice, and come out perfectly soft and chewy with that classic "snap" baked in there, too.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Crisco
  • 1 cup 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup extra sugar for rolling

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°f or 180°c.

  • Cream together Crisco and sugar in a medium-sized bowl.

  • Add in the egg and molasses; mix well. Add remaining ingredients (except the extra sugar) a little at a time; mix well.

  • Roll dough into little balls (about the size of a ping-pong), then roll balls into white sugar.

  • Place on parchment-paper lined cookie sheet or a baking stone. Do not flatten—they will flatten as they cook. Bake for about 12 minutes. (the longer you cook them, the harder and crunchier they will be. I personally enjoy them on the softer side) Enjoy.

If you try these, please let me know what you think of them. They’re a favorite of ours, so I hope they’ll be a favorite for you, too!

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  1. Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (14)
    I loved these! They were SO easy to make, and they are delicious! I also really enjoy the simplicity of the ingredients and directions. I forgot once to take a pan of them out of the oven on time, but it was totally fine! Those ones were just crunchier. They were still yummy. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

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Grandma's Gingersnaps Recipe • Jessica Lynn Writes (15)

hey, i'm jess

I'm an Air Force wife and mom with three kids currently living in Germany. I'm always planning our next trip and feeding my hungry family with easy meals. If I'm not doing one of those two things, you'll probably find me drinking a second cup of coffee, reading a book, or taking a nap.
I'm so happy you're here!

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FAQs

Are ginger snaps healthier than other cookies? ›

The smaller, crispy gingersnaps are a plain, round cookie and a healthier choice when compared to other cookies because they are usually lower in calories. Ginger not only adds delicious flavor to food, but it's also full of nutrients. There are lots of different vitamins and minerals in ginger.

Who made the original ginger snaps? ›

Gingersnaps have been enjoyed for centuries. In fact, the early versions of these spiced cookies were likely invented by medieval monks in Germany as early as the 13th century. The recipes were passed down through the generations and found their way to America with the early colonists.

What is the difference between ginger snaps and molasses cookies? ›

Gingersnaps typically have a crisp, snappy texture and a spicier, more pronounced ginger flavor, while molasses cookies are soft with a deeper, rich molasses flavor.

What is the difference between ginger snaps and ginger biscuits? ›

A gingersnap, ginger snap, ginger nut, or ginger biscuit is a biscuit flavored with ginger. Ginger snaps are flavored with powdered ginger and a variety of other spices, most commonly cinnamon, molasses and clove.

Can you eat too many ginger snaps? ›

Ginger is safe to eat daily, but experts recommend limiting yourself to 3 to 4 grams a day — stick to 1 gram daily if you're pregnant. Taking more than 6 grams of ginger a day has been proven to cause gastrointestinal issues such as reflux, heartburn and diarrhea.

Are ginger snap cookies good for inflammation? ›

Snappy Ginger Cookies employ the healing power of ginger to reduce inflammation and settle digestive distress. If you are interested in learning more about nutrition for digestion and inflammation, check out The Digestive Tune Up™ Program.

Why can t you buy Ginger Snaps California? ›

It is based on a lawsuit in CA with regards to small amounts of lead found in the ginger. Some of the companies pulled the products in CA and do not sell them anymore. The lead is a naturally occurring element in the ground Ginger does absorb some of it. Although not nearly enough to have any affect on humans.

What are Ginger Snaps called in England? ›

Ginger Nut Biscuits and Ginger Snap Cookies, Ginger Snap Biscuits and Ginger Snaps are all exactly the same things. New Zealand and Australia call them Ginger Nut Biscuits, America calls them Ginger Snap Cookies and Britain calls them GInger Snap biscuits (but also Ginger Nuts too!!).

What happened to ginger in Ginger Snaps 2? ›

She was accidentally killed when she attacked her sister in wolf form, landing on a knife Brigitte was holding. Later, she came back as an apparition (or possible hallucination) in Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed. As a werewolf, Ginger had pale, almost white, fur, causing the werewolf to be nicknamed 'Gingerwolf'.

What is the most popular cookie ever? ›

Chocolate chip cookies

What is the most popular type of cookie? It might just be this one. Ever the crowd-pleaser, the chocolate chip cookie is renowned for its balance of richness and sweetness.

Why can t you use blackstrap molasses in gingerbread cookies? ›

Blackstrap Molasses

Though it's ideal for savory foods such as barbecue sauces and stews, Bourdon cautioned against choosing blackstrap for cookies. “Please avoid this dark and bitter molasses for your baking recipes,” she said. “It will make your cookies dry and quite frankly inedible.

What can I use instead of molasses in gingersnap? ›

Honey, dark corn syrup, and maple syrup can also be used to replace molasses in recipes.

Is Biscoff a gingersnap? ›

Speculoos, the cookie family to which Biscoff belong, are often described as a type of gingerbread, but that's a little misleading. Aside from their use of caramel sugar, speculoos don't have quite the same bite; their spice blend tends toward aroma rather than heat.

Are spiced wafers the same as ginger snaps? ›

We'll let you in on a Philadelphia secret: you've never tasted anything quite like a Spiced Wafer. It's crunchier than the average cookie. It has more complex flavors than a ginger snap. Once you try it, you'll look for our black-and-orange box as soon as the leaves begin to change.

Why do ginger snap cookies crack? ›

What gives these cookies a crackled top? Rolling the exterior of the cookie dough balls in granulated sugar will give you that shiny crackled top. Sugar draws out moisture from the exterior, creating those cracks. Also, the baking soda reacting with the molasses creates cracks.

Which is considered the healthiest of the cookies? ›

Oatmeal raisin probably has the best fiber/whole grain, flourless chocolate is better if you're trying to be low carb, meringues are probably lowest calorie. I'd say oatmeal raisin is a very nutritious cookie.

Are gingerbread cookies healthier than other cookies? ›

Beneficial Minerals

Despite their drawbacks, ginger cookies offer some nutritional value, and boost your iron and manganese intakes. Iron plays a key role in energy production, and it supports tissue health by helping red blood cells carry oxygen to your tissues.

What brand of cookies are the healthiest? ›

Simple Mills. While not entirely organic, Simple Mills makes some of the healthiest cookies we found. The ingredients here are very clean, in addition to being grain-free. The flour is a blend of nuts, the fat is coconut oil, and the sweetener is coconut sugar.

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