Ginger snaps are fabulous, spicy cookies.
I don't understand how some people can change a recipe drastically and then only give the recipe 2 stars. If you're substituting "healthier" ingredients or cutting back on ingredients the turn-out will be a whole different recipe. In essence, you are then giving a low rating your new, much worse recipe than the original recipe. I followed this recipe to a "T" and the cookies turned out excellent. I even had people who claimed to never before like ginger snaps rave over these. Well done! Thanks for the great recipe. I wouldn't change a thing!
Read MoreI made this recipe because I didn't have any butter in the house. They are okay, but not nearly as good as recipes that call for butter. So if you want to avoid butter, this recipe is fine. Otherwise, there are many better ginger snap recipes.
Read More I don't understand how some people can change a recipe drastically and then only give the recipe 2 stars. If you're substituting "healthier" ingredients or cutting back on ingredients the turn-out will be a whole different recipe. In essence, you are then giving a low rating your new, much worse recipe than the original recipe. I followed this recipe to a "T" and the cookies turned out excellent. I even had people who claimed to never before like ginger snaps rave over these. Well done! Thanks for the great recipe. I wouldn't change a thing!
((UPDATE: I continue to make these fabulous cookies. I've discovered that the fewer cookies on the cookie sheet the better, as they will spread out a little more and crackle even better! Also, I recommend dipping only the tops in sugar - this way, they don't stick to the cookie sheet.)) Absolutely the best cookies I have ever made! I was so excited to see that they had actually crackled and they looked so pretty and tasted amazing! The recipe has oil in it so the dough may look a little different than you're used to, but I think this is what makes these cookies so wonderful. I doubled the cinnamon and ginger, and *very* lightly greased my cookie sheets (or you can use parchment paper, because they will stick otherwise). I baked them for 7 minutes at 350 F., and they were perfect - soft, crackled, and totally yummy!
I doubled the spices and the taste wasn't too bad. My personal opinion is that it was a tad too sweet and should go better with 1.5 times of spices. Here are the problems I encountered: The dough was too soft; I had to put it in the fridge and flour my hands when rolling the dough. The dough expands quite abit upon baking, so you will only need to roll till about the size of a walnut or smaller. The recipe's "bake till firm in center" is not really accurate as the cookies harden upon cooling. I followed the advice and got big ginger crackers. So you may want to cool the cookies after time's up to check their texture.
Great old fashioned ginger snap! Some hints: * Pour the 3/4 cup of oil into a measuring cup, then add the molasses to the 1 cup line, That way, when you pour it out, none of the molasses will stick to the measuring cup. * Sift the dry ingredients together to mix the spices in well. * Only sugar the top half of the cookies so they don't stick on the pan. Yellow decorator sugar looks prettier than granular sugar. * Don't over bake. My slightly smaller (3 1/2/ doz yield) cookies took 10 minutes. * I didn't have cloves and substituted allspice. They were just as good.
Oh WOW! These cookies are beyond wonderful! They smell incredible! And they are so easy to make! I had set aside 3 hours to bake this afternoon... I baked the entire batch in under 45 minutes! Another bonus: they make your house smell delicious! TIPS: Double the spices! After you make the dough, refrigerate it for about 5 - 10 mins so it's less sticky when you roll it. Make sure to leave 2 - 3 inches between cookies, these really do spread out! These cookies are lovely to look at it, great to smell, but the best part is eating them!
I read all the reviews, and did as recommended... doubled the spices and these cookies came out great. I also only used sugar on the tops of the cookie balls, but not regular granulated sugar. Instead I used the large crystal decorator sugar that you can get in cooking stores. This made the cookies just sparkle. A couple reviewers mentioned having trouble "rolling out" these cookies. These are to be rolled into marbles, not rolled with a pin! Otherwise... fantastic recipe... a keeper! (Made 36, as noted in the recipe.)
Doubled the cinnamon, cloves and ginger, rolled them small so they came out 2 inches round when done and cooked them for 8 1/2 to 9 minutes so that I had ginger "chewies" instead of ginger snaps (my preference). You gotta take them out of the oven before you think they are done, because they keep on cooking on the cookie sheet while you are taking them off one by one to put on the cooking rack. I made three batches in 2 weeks (co-workers think I'm the bomb!)
I made this recipe because I didn't have any butter in the house. They are okay, but not nearly as good as recipes that call for butter. So if you want to avoid butter, this recipe is fine. Otherwise, there are many better ginger snap recipes.
I made three small changes and was rewarded with the best ginger snaps I've ever tasted. First, I used dark brown sugar. Next, I added about 1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger to the flour mixture. Lastly, I rolled the cookies in turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw) which added a little more molasses flavor and extra crunch due to the larger crystals. Baked for 10 minutes on parchment, cooled 5 minutes then transferred to a rack to cool completely. Hubby ate four before I could get them into the cookie jar. This will be our only ginger snap cookie recipe from now on. Many thanks to Elaine for sharing!
I would like to give this recipe 5 stars. It was great I did change a few things as suggested like doubling cinnamon, cloves, and ginger and added about 1/4 to 2/3 cup more flour. Greased my pan and lowered the temp to 300. They turned out great. This is a keeper will be making for the holidays.
These are the best ginger snaps I've ever had. Made these with my kids, age 4, and they had so much fun. Very easy. My husband doesn't like any cookie other than chocolate chip but this one passed the test with him. The only change I made was addding another 1/2 tsp ground cloves as suggested by another reviewer.
Oh, yes! This is the best Ginger Snap recipe that I have found! I love the big cracks that form in them and the soft/crunchyness. I added orange zest but, otherwise, stuck to the recipe cooking them for 11 minutes. Another time, I might make them even smaller so that they were just a bite.maybe, at that size, they would cook for ten minutes.Also, I used fresh spices from the local health food store and saw on need to increase amounts.Also, I lined my cookie sheet with Reynolds Release - I'm a real fan of that product.
i've been making this recipe for a few years now and i've finally perfected it (hence the 4 stars...5 stars for my recipe hehe). i double the spices and triple the ginger, and add 5 cracks of black pepper to the dry ingredients for extra kick. for the wet ingredients i add an extra 2 or 3 tbsps of brown sugar, and 2 heaping tsps of ginger preserves. if i have the time or am out of ginger preserves, i grate some fresh ginger and squeeze abt 2 tsps of juice into the wet ingredients. chill the dough for abt half an hr, and bake at 350F for 8 mins. i use a small cookie scoop to measure out the dough and dip only one side of the ball in sugar. perfect cookies every time.
This was my 1st attempt at ginger snaps. They were a huge hit. Per the suggestion of other reviews, I also doubled all spices (great idea). I used a 1 inch melon scoop & the cookies were the perfect size. I got approx. 40 cookies from the single recipe. Delicious!
I made these (along with pumpkin fluff) for a Halloween Party last night...WOW! I've never received so many compliments! I followed the recipe to a T, with the exception of doubling the spices as we really enjoy spicy snaps! Watch the time VERY carefully, pull them out regardless of how done they look. I baked for 8 minutes and they worked out well (only after burning a batch after 10 minutes). THANK YOU!!!!
I have made these as written and with some modifications and I prefer it with my modifications. I double all the spices, but I also add a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and about 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne. Seriously! I like my gingersnaps to have a bite and adding some pepper really gives it that edge. Otherwise, they're just a spicy cookie. Tip: Do not substitute anything for the oil. Vegetable oil is what makes this cookie crisp. Butter, apple sauce and such do not do that.
As is, it is terrific. I do like a cup of chopped crystallized ginger added, but that is just me. Thank you for an excellent recipe!
Doubled the spices like the other reviewers said... awesome! Next time I will make really tiny balls, because these came out big!!
I should have doubled the spices like everyone else, but I wanted to try the recipe EXACTLY as it was and see if it was any good. It was just ok - the taste just didn't do it for me. They are a nice texture, but don't have enough zip. I will try them again with more spice because the texture is so good. I made smaller balls (more like 3/4") because I like smaller cookies, and it gave me 4 dozen cookies.
very good recipe nice n soft and everyone loves them. you really have to pay attention to them baking as they will blacken on the bottom very easily but that is a cookie for you. A1 treat!
These were just what I was looking for. They puffed up nice, cracked along the top, and with that sugar coating, look absolutely as fantastic as they taste. Lightly crisp outside, soft, chewy inside. Thank you so much! ps, thanks to the other viewers, I did double the ginger(fresh grated, such a difference) and cloves.
These snaps were awesome! I made them for my husband, since his favorite cookie is ginger snaps, and he absolutely loved them!
I followed the recipe and doubled the spices as suggested. These did not turn out at all! The taste, texture, appearance are all so disappointing. They did not crackle, are flat, the sugar is not visible on the top, are tasteless and dry! I've made perfect cakes in my oven, yet these...! I cooked for 7 min the first batch and 8 min the second batch to see if this would help the top crackle. My 2nd batch was burnt after only a minute longer.
These are sooo good!! Watch them in the oven, they can burn quite easily. These are now a requirement at Christmas in my house.
Really good. I didn't put the ground cloves in, cause I don't care for the flavour, and I used unsalted butter instead of oil. I also bakes it at 350 for 8 minutes. I changed it a bit, but it was amazing!
excellent recipe, a little on the hot side at 375 degrees. i bumped it down to 350, bake 8-9 minutes for a chewier cookie, 10 minutes for a cripsy, dunkable cookie.
This is the BEST ginger snap recipe I've found, it has to be very close to my grandmother's. I was happy to find they still do well at high altitude (Denver.) I REALLY like the spices used, so I doubled them. It was a wonderful extremely flavorful treat but not too overpowering.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made these and got raving reviews!!! Seven people plus a 4 hour car ride equals all cookies gone!!! I will definitely make them again.
I made these today - didn't change a thing except baked them on parchment paper for 9 minutes only. They are true Ginger Snaps...spicy, flavorful and they SNAP when you bite into them!! I rolled them in red, green and blue sugar sprinkles for Christmas and they look great - something different and a nice addition to all the chocolate and peppermint cookies and candy I make for the holidays. I printed this recipe to save with my holiday ones, it's a keeper!
I've made this recipe several times, once with butter instead of oil. I personally think the oil makes a softer, better cookie (not to mention less saturated fat). I also half the amount of sugar, and for a healthier cookie, I substitute 1/2 c. wheat germ for 1/2 c. flour. I also think sprinkling sugar on top makes a big difference. Really homey tasting. Rave reviews from friends.
Love these cookies! Even my boyfriend who doesn't usually like ginger snaps ate several when these came out of the oven. Brought them to a tournament once and they disappeared very quickly; one person commented that they looked just like cookies from a bakery! I usually bake them for 10 minutes (or slightly less) so they come out nice and soft, and stay chewy the next day (found that a longer baking time resulted in the cookies being much harder/cruncher the next day; either way, the cookies usually don't last more than 2 days before they're all eaten!) I also like a spicer cookie, so I approximately double the amount of spices as written here.
I prefer a denser, "snappier" gingersnap, and this one did not fit the bill. In the middle of the cookie, this gingersnap is too chewy, and along the edges, the texture is a bit "lacy" (=not dense- it was crispy but not crunchy, if that makes any sense). Most importantly, this was WAY TOO OILY. Gingersnaps are my favorite cookie, and with all the rave reviews...let's just say that I had high expectations, and they were FAR from met.
These cookies got rave reviews from my family and my coworkers. I added 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, because I love nutmeg, but otherwise followed the recipe faithfully.
The BEST Ginger Snap recipe! Did everything as it was listed except I doubled the spice amounts & for the vegetable oil...I used coconut oil. These are very LOVED in my family!! Wonderful perfectly spiced cookies that crackle on top yet retain their chewiness (if they last). My family requests these not just for holidays but all throughout the year too. Very, very easy to make & when they are baking, your house will smell heavenly.
A very good recipe. I doubled the spices as suggested by other reviewers and it still needed more to my taste. Otherwise a great cookie. Great texture and appearance. The cook time was right on the money for me. I like my ginger snaps a little "snappy". Will definitely make this again and just add a little more ginger. Yummy!
If you double the spices, roll in powdered sugar, and bake for 8 minutes you have the PERFECT ginger cookies. I have baked a few different recipes for ginger cookies and these are the ones that get the rave reviews. My daughter keeps asking to make more. This is now her favorite cookie (it used to be M & M cookies). These are so easy and quick to make (no butter to let get soft, only one kind of sugar, only one egg). They are nice and soft after baking for 8 minutes (just let them set on the cookie sheet for a few minutes to set up). I love these cookies! I will make these again and again!
these are so awesome! my freinds love these very much. they are very strong and are a good cookie for gifts. remember to space them for the full 2 inches when you bake them, and roll the ball really small. rounded tsp is good i think.
These were really great.. I made them exactly as is, and I should have doubled the spices to give them some kick. They were more sweet than spicy. I baked them at 350 for 8 minutes, since my oven runs hot. They came out nice and chewy.
Just made these for gift tins and now I wish I'd doubled the recipe to keep some! So good and they look like the pic. I doubled the spices as suggested & didn't have regular molasses so I combined blackstrap molasses & white corn syrup. I'll absolutely make them again.
I made these and doubled the spices like a lot of reviewers said but it seemed like too much. I wouldn't suggest it. Also I cooked them for the full 10 minutes and they came out soft but once cooled hardened so I Would cook them less, but I prob wont make this again
These were tasty but I'm giving a 3 b/c I didn't think they tasted like Ginger cookies..more like cinnamon cookies to me. I didn't add the cloves, I increased the cinnamon and ginger by 1.5, I used olive oil (I don't know how much this affects the taste), and I replaced the molasses with honey. I also reduced the temperature to 325 and baked for 7 minutes (I found at 375 the bottoms were burnt. Next time I make these I would use 1 tsp of cinammon and 1.5 - 2 tsp of ginger. They were very good cookies but lacking in the ginger taste. I didn't have any trouble with shaping the dough and didn't have the need to refridgerate the dough. I only dipped the top of the cookie in sugar. They were super easy to make.
These cookies are so soft and delicious! They smelled heavenly while baking. I love the spices, there's a nice little zing to them. Great cookie!
After reading the comments, I too doubled the spice amounts (ginger, cloves, cinnamon), as well as added some fresh ginger, (teaspoon). I also melted 3/4c of butter instead of using veg. oil and found that this worked well for me, though I didn't get the puffy cracking shown in the photo. Mine came out relatively flat, removed from oven at 8 mins. for a crispy edge and chewy centre. This was a tasty and simple to make cookie!
Marielee's review was such a help as these turned out so good! As always, I added a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper for some extra kick. Family is loving these. Thank you Elaine!!
If you don't modify this recipe as described by other reviewers, these cookies turn out terrible. If you're looking to make a great ginger cookie, use the other highly rated recipe on this site.
These are easy and came out perfect! I did double the spices, and rolled them in ginger sugar. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I could not have asked for a better ginger snap cookie.
I've made this recipe as is 3 times now and they always come out too crunchy. After a day they're too hard. I've tried baking them for less time, but it doesn't help much. I'm still looking for a great recipe and this isn't it.
I must be doing something wrong. I read all the great reviews, but my experience doesn't match up. The dough was unbelievably runny, and even quite gooey after refrigerating for several hours. The amount of oil seems excessive relative to the flour, and it is oozing out of the dough and the baked cookies.
excellent cookies!! foolproof - my kids and I made them, and the only problem was that we should have doubled the recipe!
I feel a bit odd rating this recipe at all, since I changed it so much, but it took so well to all my substitutions that it deserves high marks! I used only 1/3 cup sugar, and 2/3 sweetener. 1/4 cup oil, and 1/2 cup applesauce. Also egg substitute for 1 egg. I had to add 1/4 cup extra flour, and chill the dough in the freezer for an hour, but the calorie reduction was worth it! 54 calories per cookie, and the chewy outside and cakey inside was very good!
This was my first attempt at baking a ginger snap. We tend to go for moist and chewy cookies around here like chocolate chip cookies, but one of the boys loves them, so I thought I better attempt them. The 4 rating comes from the boys, adult boys. I did not double the spices and they were still pretty snappy and great. Sprinkled sugar on the top *and* on the bottom as a way to keep then snappy. Next time will double the spices like the suggestions.
I doubled all the spices and the cloves too over to much
Flavor is not overly sweet. I like that this turned out as a "thicker" cookie than most. Cooked at 8 min on 350. Came out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Amazing cookies. It actually look like the pictures. I did make them smaller than normal. Also, double the spices like everyone said.
Wow!! Cookies were delicious and so easy to make. I also increased the ginger and cloves. My old recipe is history as these are the BEST. Thanks Elaine for sharing this GREAT recipe.
Everyone loves these ginger snaps! The only changes I've made to this recipe are to add a full teaspoon of ground cloves (which I grind myself) and I end up adding more vegetable oil because it can sometimes be too crumbly to roll. I would recommend leaving it in for 10 minutes, rather than 12 or they can get to be a little on the hard side (or snappy side?).
This recipe creates exactly what I want in a ginger snap. Crisp outside, chewy inside. For a bit more of a gingery experience, I add candied ginger -- cut into tiny pieces -- about a third or half a cup's worth. Yum!
Awesome, I upped the ginger to 1 1/2 tsp because the first batch tasted a bit more like cinnamon than ginger, We all agreed that the extra half tsp ginger gave it just the right amount of kick! Hubby loved them and so did our friends and coworkers.
I found them too sweet! I even cut back on the brown sugar not following the recipe using 1/5 cup instead of one cup, but still they came out very sweet! Next time maybe I will not use sugar and just the molasses.
These are the best cookies ever. I make them and my roommates eat them up even before I get one. I usually double the recipe so that everyone can have some. :)
My recipe is identical, except for mine uses 3/4 c. of margarine instead of oil. It is a very old recipe, probably from the 1940's. It has just the right amount of spice, and does get them crisp on the outside and chewy inside. My husband's absolute favorite for many years! I have used colored sugars when making them at Christmas.
Simply AWESOME!!! I was worried they wouldn't crack about half way through cooking but they did. I couldn't eat just one! My 3year old asked for these over chocolate chip, now that's a positive review lol
These had a great flavor, but after 10 minutes in the oven, they were hard as rocks. I checked after 8 minutes, and the tops were still quite soft, so I gave them another 2, and I wish I hadn't! I would recommend 7-8 minutes, and don't worry about taking them out too early.
these are the worst cookies I ever made. The turned rock hard the second day.
We made these for Christmas and added a dash of Chimayo red chile powder and they were wonderful! With the homemade eggnog from this site it was superb.
Although these have great presentation, I think the "Big Soft Ginger Cookies" recipe has better flavor. They had an aftertaste, as if there was too much baking soda. Next time I will only add 1 teaspoon.
Everyone LOVES these - and I'm asked for them very often. The only change I make is doubling the amount of ginger. I like a good ginger zing! Yumm-o!
Made this for a bake sale and was not happy with the first batch. The cookies were quite dry and didn't taste like ginger snaps at all- more like plain sugar cookies. So I did as one reviewer suggested and lowered the heat to 350 and doubled the ginger and the cinnamon and they turned out perfect. Excellent cookies, but they lose stars because I had to change the recipe.
I didn't think that I would like these because I am not a molasses fan...boy was I wrong! These were great tasting. I did make a few small changes, I didn't have cloves so I substitued nutmeg, and my oven runs high, so I preheated at 325 and baked for 7 minutes...PERFECTION!
If you want a soft cookie, bake them on 350 for 6 minutes. I did yesterday, and they turned out really soft and moist.
This recipie is great! I substitute 3/4 cup crisco for the vegetable oil, bake until they just crack (about 8 and a half minutes), and they are amazing!!
I wasn't impressed with the dough. It seemed way too soft and I thought the cookies would spread too much. But they didn't. When I pulled them from the oven, they were so beautiful! Great texture and flavor (yes, I boosted the spices according to the other reviews). I'll make this again for sure.
These cookies are so soft delish! They are very easy to make but, it is a good idea to double the spices. I added nutmeg too.
These are going to be "heirloom cookies" for me! Thank you so much for sharing it! So delicious and easy. I took some out early for softer, chewier cookies, and left some in longer for crisper cookies. I make these with the maple syrup apple cider recipe ( search allrecipes for "Hot Apple Cider") for a fall treat.
These were fabulous. Very addicting too! I was a little unsure of them at first (I tried one fresh from the oven) but once they cooled, they were awesome and perfectly crisp.
Wow! Are these ever good! Truly, they are the best. Easy to make too. I followed the advice of the other posts, and doubled the spices, I also added a teaspoon of vanilla. I didn't have any cloves, and they still taste great! Yuuuuummmm!
I did not change a thing in this recipe - there is no need to, as these cookies are perfect as they are - richly spiced, crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. One of the best cookies I've ever had, and I recommend you make this recipe as is before tweaking!
Easy to make... soft center and very tasty... most complemented dessert at this years house party!
My Mom used to make these when I was a kid every Christmas. It's one of my fav's! I'm always asked for the recipe when I make them. AWESOME cookie.
TEN stars! I love this recipe. Don't need to double spices unless you want to. Baking time was dead on, and my dough was not runny or oily. No need to set it in the fridge. Totally great!
Be careful not to overcook these! I found that if you get them out of the oven at the perfect time, they're amazing, but one minute more, and they're very hard and they carry a bit of a burnt flavor.
I love these cookies and can't stop eating them. Perfect with milk They look so wonderful and taste so wonderful, I sometimes can't believe that I have just made them myself from scratch. I follow the recipe exactly but do watch carefully at the time in the oven. They can easily be overbaked and turn a bit too brown. Take them out before they "firm"...they will firm up as they cool. 8-9 minutes is the maximum time for me and my oven. A Christmas holiday staple for sure. Thanks.
Beautiful cookies. I used a cookie scoop so all my cookies are about the same size. However, in doing this, the recipe only made 18...not 36 like the recipe says. The dough grows though so what I thought were going to be small cookies turned out to be normal sized. I was very happy with the results.
This was just what I was looking for. They are the classic ginger snap cookie -- just how I remembered eating them as a kid.
This is theee best recipe..I have used it every Christmas for years.. however I do add one more ingredient. Black pepper..yes pepper ,just a couple of dashes. It gives it an extra zip!!
despite the word "snap" in the name, I was hoping to make the cookies in the photo, which are clearly chewier. i followed the instructions to the "T", and the cookies were burned, flat, and crisp. Following another user's review, I lowered the temperature to 300 degrees and kept everything else the same, and they turned out MUCH better.
