The Best Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe, decorated for Christmas! (2024)

The Best Ginger Snaps. Thin crispy spiced cookies with plenty of warm ginger flavour. Just a Ziploc bag is all you need to decorate them for the Holidays too.

The Best Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe, decorated for Christmas! (1)

Cookies with royal icing decoration.

Today’s ginger snaps recipe comes to you courtesy of the ladies of the household. Spouse loves anything ginger and this is her recipe for crispy ginger snaps, one of the most perfect coffee or tea cookies.

The Best Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe, decorated for Christmas! (2)

Ginger is such a warm, comforting spice.

Number 1 kid dressed them up for Christmas with some simple snowflake designs. The designs were piped on using royal icing in a simple Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off.

The Best Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe, decorated for Christmas! (3)

Ginger snaps

So, no special decorating equipment is required. It’s another great recipe for the Christmas freezer or at any time of year.

Looking for more Christmas baking ideas. We have a whole collection of our Fan Favourite Christmas Baking Recipes.

The Best Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe, decorated for Christmas! (4)

Best Christmas Baking Recipes

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The Best Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe, decorated for Christmas! (6)
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Originally published December 2015. Updated November 2019 to provide nutritional information and a new printable recipe page.

The Best Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe, decorated for Christmas! (7)

Yield: 24 three inch cookies

The Best Ginger Snaps

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

The Best Ginger Snaps - thin crispy spiced cookies with plenty of warm ginger flavor. Just a Ziploc bag is all you need to decorate them for the Holidays too.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses

FOR THE ROYAL ICING

  • 1 large egg white
  • About 1 1/4 cups icing sugar, powdered sugar icing sugar (powdered sugar)
  • pinch cream of tartar

Instructions

  1. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and set aside.
  2. Cream together the shortening, butter, sugars and molasses until light and fluffy.
  3. Fold in the dry ingredient mixture until a soft dough forms.
  4. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until the dough is well chilled.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Roll out to about 1/8 of an inch or a little thicker.
  7. Use cookie cutters to cut out the cookies and transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 15-18 minutes depending upon the size of your cookies. The cookies pictured were made using a 3 inch cookie cutter and took about 17 minutes. You don't want to under bake them or they will not be crispy.
  9. Store in airtight containers. Freezes well.

TO MAKE THE ROYAL ICING

  1. Beat together the egg white, cream of tartar and about 1 cup of the icing sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in the remaining icing sugar a tablespoon at a time until the icing reaches a spreadable consistency.
  3. Use a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off to draw on snowflake patterns.

Notes

Nutritional information calculated for undecorated cookies.

Recommended Products

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

24 3 inch cookies

Amount Per ServingCalories 137Saturated Fat 2gCholesterol 5mgSodium 160mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 1gSugar 11gProtein 1g

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The Best Ginger Snaps Cookie Recipe, decorated for Christmas! (2024)

FAQs

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

Both are spiced cookies. The main differences are that gingersnaps are typically rolled into balls, while gingerbread is rolled out and cut into shapes. Gingersnaps are also baked slightly longer, which is where they get their snappy crispiness. Gingerbread is typically a little chewier.

Why do my ginger snaps go flat? ›

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.

Why are my ginger snap cookies hard? ›

Here are several reasons why your ginger snap cookies might have turned out hard: Overbaking: Cookies can become hard if they are baked for too long. Make sure to bake these cookies for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F. Too little moisture: If you didn't add enough liquid to the dough, the cookies can become dry and hard.

How to get cracks in ginger cookies? ›

A heavy amount of baking soda interacts with the molasses in this recipe to encourage spread. This allows cracks in the dough to develop where moisture escapes, creating that beautiful crackled appearance and crunchy texture. Ensure your baking soda is fresh and active – learn more about that here.

Is shortening or butter better for gingerbread? ›

Is Butter Or Shortening Better For Gingerbread Cookies? Cookies made with butter, especially high-sugar recipes, tend to be flatter and crispier than cookies made with shortening.

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? ›

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!

Should I use baking powder or baking soda for cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

How do you make cookies fluffy instead of flat? ›

Adjust leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda are responsible for the rise and structure of cookies. If your cookies are too flat, try slightly increasing these leavening agents. Conversely, if your cookies are overly puffy and then collapse into flatness, it could be due to using too much leavening agent.

Why did my ginger snaps not crack? ›

The cookies were placed in an oven that was not pre-heated. Preheating is very important. If the temperature was fluctuating as the cookies were baking, they may not crack on the top. The butter and sugar may not have been blended well enough.

What are the side effects of ginger snap cookies? ›

Added Sugar

Eating 2 ounces of gingersnaps boosts your sugar intake by 11.3 grams, while gingerbread cookies contain 10.9 grams of sugar per serving. This sugar increases the level of acidity in your mouth, which dissolves the enamel covering your teeth and contributes to tooth decay.

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.

How to soften store-bought ginger snap cookies? ›

The heat of the oven will only dry them out more and make them hard as rocks. Microwaving them. If you cover your cookies with a wet paper towel and nuke them for a few seconds, they should soften up enough to eat.

Can I use golden syrup instead of molasses? ›

Golden syrup, also known as "light treacle," is made from the evaporation of sugarcane, which creates a light, golden syrup very reminiscent of honey. Lyle's is a popular brand of golden syrup. Try using 1 cup golden syrup for every 1 cup molasses in a recipe.

What's the difference between ginger snaps and gingerbread cookies? ›

Ginger Snaps are simply a variation of the traditional Gingerbread cookie. They're known for their crisper quality; their “snap” if you will. Introduced in colonial times, the main differences between Gingerbread and Ginger Snaps are a longer bake time for an extra crisp and the use of molasses versus sugar.

Why are my ginger cookies bitter? ›

Baking soda helps cookies spread outward and upward while cooking. Adding too little can cause flat, lumpy cookies. Adding too much can lend a bitter taste to the cookies.

Does gingersnap taste like gingerbread? ›

Ginger Snaps are simply a variation of the traditional Gingerbread cookie. They're known for their crisper quality; their “snap” if you will.

What is another name for ginger snap cookies? ›

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.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

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