Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
Have you made a holiday baking list, yet? Maybe you’ve already beat me to the kitchen and have been whipping up Christmas treats as soon as the turkey leftovers were safely tucked away in the fridge. Each year, I get way overaggressive with my baking list and never end up coming close to finishing everything on it, but I just get so excited about Christmas cookies and candy! One cookie that has never gained much footing for me around the holidays is gingersnaps. I know so many people love them, but if you haven’t noticed, I am big-time chewy cookie girl. Crisp, crunchy cookies have never done much for me, with the exception of Italian cookies like pizelle and biscotti. I really do love the flavors of gingersnap cookies, though, so I set about making a version that was soft and chewy. I suppose that negates the “snap” in gingersnap, but wow, are these delicious!
These are so good, in fact, that my Chief Culinary Consultant claimed that they landed a spot in his top three favorite cookies I’ve ever made. Ever. That’s saying something, considering the sheer volume of cookies that come out of my kitchen. These are packed with all of the usual suspects – molasses, ginger, and some additional spices – and baked up nice and soft.
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I happened to churn a fresh batch of vanilla bean ice cream a couple of days after making these cookies, and while it was churning, my Chief Culinary Consultant suggested making an ice cream sandwich with these cookies. Pure genius!
What’s top on your holiday baking list this year?
One year ago: Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows
Two years ago: Oreo Cheesecake Truffles
Four years ago: Chewy Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- 3½ cups (437.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons (2.25 teaspoons) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ teaspoons (1.25 teaspoons) cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoons (1.25 teaspoons) ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (168.5 ml) molasses
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the molasses and continue to mix until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix to thoroughly combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl, reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, giving it a final stir with a rubber spatula.
- Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are set, but centers are still soft. Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. These cookies can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
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I just made these and they are cookie perfection – truly.
I love soft and chewy cookies like these! And that ice cream sandwich … I don’t even have words. O crossed stollen off my baking list today. I’ve actually wanted to make it for years.
I’ve been looking for a good soft gingersnap cookie recipe,,can’t wait to try it…Thanks! I just wanted to tell you I love that when I print your recipes, it has a picture with it. I usually cut and paste most recipes that I get online and then add a pic, so you save me a step :-)
I baked these over the weekend and they are AMAZING!! Definitely holding onto this recipe for the holidays…they are delicious!!! Such a nice change from the usual hard gingersnaps!
Like some of the posters above, my cookies didn’t turn out anything like I expected–far too puffy and cakey, and nothing like the cookies in the picture! Then I realized that if you’re looking for the crispy outside-chewy inside texture (which I have been trying to get for years with no success) you really should be using this recipe: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/07/29/ultimate-ginger-cookies/, which is adapted from Ina Garten’s. It’s significantly different from the one here, with no butter and using brown sugar instead of white. I tried this the same night and it was HUGE improvement. Now I can sleep easily! :)
Mine too came out fluffy :/ They were also almost impossible to roll into balls. The dough was very soft and sticky. Could it be over mixing?
**UPDATE** although they are fluffier than the photos, these cookies are DELISH!! I rolled them in sugar before baking too. YUMMM!!
Have you frozen these? I’m doing some of my holiday baking today but most of it goes in the freezer until closer to Christmas. Just wondering how these would do after being frozen. They look wonderful!
Hi Heather, I have not frozen these, but I think they would freeze really well.
Are you sure the molasses amount is correct or a typo- made these tonight with my very excited 10 year old and followed the recipe exactly- they were sooo much darker than yours and tastes so much like the molasses- They were puffy and more cake like- but very molasses tasty not ginger at all.
i like softer cookies so i would like these!
Im New to ginger cookies…after rolling them into balls and placing on tray do you flatten them in any way or do you put them into oven in ball form ??? My 1st attempt today ; they came out puffy & cakes , not soft and chewy
Hi Liza, I didn’t do anything special, but if you found them to be too puffy (you can see mine are anything but!), you can gently flatten them with your hand or the bottom of a glass.
Easy, peppermint bark! Dark chocolate covered with white….mmmm.
Looks good but can they beat your Ultimate Ginger Cookies adapted from Ina Garten?
Soft and chewy? Right up my alley!
I never make gingersnaps because I don’t really like crunchy cookies. I can already tell that these will be amazing. I’m going to make them this weekend!
I’m with you on the chewy cookies! I also made a chewy gingersnap recipe. Chewy cookie club ;)
I am so making these for my little cookie monster grandson.He will love these:)”
These look divine. Have to go buy ingredients :-)
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try them!
My favorite. Rainbow cookies. They are on top because they are so colorful.
These are so tasty
LOVE gingersnap cookies. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
My ALL time favorite!
Printing this out to add to my umpteen other recipes from you to try! Today was dark chocolate chunk eggnog cookies. Tomorrow is the eggnog cheesecake bars… the next day……
I am so making these, as soon as i go buy some molasses. One of my favorite cookies in the world. Thank you.
These would be great for a cookie swap.
I made some last year that had candied ginger bits in them, they were chewy also. Yummy!
Personally, I love them with a smear of lemon curd. I may make some lemon ice cream to put between these little beauties. Trader Joes has a ridiculously good ice cream that is lemon/ginger with cookies and chunks of ginger.
I bet these are delicious. I love the flavor of gingersnaps, but not risking a broken tooth. These would be much better.
I love your red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing.
I love anything ginger! Yum!
Can’t wait to try these!!