by Audrey | Sep 25, 2016 | Christmas, Cookies | 52 comments
Soft Ginger Snaps just say fall, or any time of year, with the nice aroma of cinnamon and cloves. Let me tell you, these are so much better than the ginger snaps that you buy from a box. My mom use to buy them, and I always thought that they were going to break my teeth.
So, I just stopped eating ginger snaps. My grandmother had this recipe and so I decided to try it. They turned out so soft and delicious. I cannot make these very often because I have a hard time just eating one or two. My body must need more ginger. Yes, I am sure that is what it is.
What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Soft Ginger Snaps?
Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make these Cookies (scroll down for the full recipe):
- 1 1/2 cups butter (softened)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 tsp cloves
- 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp ginger
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- * 1 cup sugar for rolling dough balls in
How Do I Make Soft Ginger Snaps?
Here’s the simple steps you’ll follow to make these Cookies (scroll down for the full recipe):
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups softened butter, (I used 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil) and 2 cups sugar; beat until nice and fluffy.
- Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time.
- Add 1/2 cup molasses and mix.
- Add pinch of salt, 3/4 teaspoon cloves, 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 3 teaspoons ginger, and 4 1/2 cups flour, and mix until nice and blended.
- With a small cookie scoop, roll into small balls, coat in sugar.
- Place on a cookie sheet. (I do 3 across and 4 long, for 12 on a pan).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Don’t over bake or they will be crunchy.
What is the Secret to Making Soft Ginger Snaps?
- I think that the biggest secret to soft ginger snaps is to make sure that you do not over bake them.
If you make sure not to over bake these soft ginger snaps, they are a great change for something a little different. These ginger snaps are so soft and squishy. Your kids will love them, and I like to think that with the coconut oil and the molasses, they are a little healthier than your average cookie.
These cookies freeze well if there are any left. They also make great gifts for neighbors for Christmas, because they aren’t too sweet.No matterwho you give them to, they will love them.
My mom always bought the boxed ginger snaps growing up; I liked them okay, but they were so hard and crunchy that I needed a glass of milk for each cookie. These ginger snaps are great with or without milk. You choose.
Can Soft Ginger Snaps Be Frozen?
- Yes, they actually freeze very well, if frozen properly.
- Each cookie should be frozen individually after completely cooled.
- They should be placed on a baking sheet, not touching, until frozen solid.
- They can be frozen in layers; separated by parchment, wax, or freezer paper.
How Can I Reuse or Recycle the Plastic Bags From Cereal Boxes?
- Substitute it for Wax Paper.
- Many years ago, I found this tip. I decided that this is a great post to share this tip.
- The bags tend to be made from high-density polyethylene, and make a great substitute for wax paper when freezing cookies, burgers and other foods that you want to freeze separately from each other.
- Make sure that you wipe the plastic before using, so as to not contaminate it with other food particles.
- I have used this plastic for freezing foods, for many years and it works wonderfully. I feel like I can be pretty generous with my pieces, since it is technically at no cost!
I hope that you will try making these soft ginger snaps. You will be surprised at how many people love them. Fall is in the air and the other day my husband came in from mowing the lawn and he said, ” I was so excited to get done mowing the lawn because I could smell the soft ginger snaps outside”. I had the window open to get some fresh air.
Another thing about soft ginger snaps is that they are a little crunchy around the edges and so soft in the centers. If you get a chance to tell me if you bake these, let me know what you think. Some people like ginger and some do not. I really think that you will like these.
Tips and Tricks For Soft Ginger Snaps:
- Make sure the butter is soft before making the cookies.
- Do not over bake, or the cookies will go crunchy.
- Make sure that you have someone to share these with so you do not eat all of them.
- If you do not want such a big batch, you could 1/2 the recipe.
More Fun Cookies To Make:
Butterfinger Cookies
Copycat Crumbl Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
Honey Cookies
Yield: 5 dozen
Soft Ginger Snaps just say fall, with the nice aroma of cinnamon and cloves. They are a great change for something a little different.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time37 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter (softened)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 tsp cloves
- 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp ginger
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- * 1 cup sugar for dipping
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine butter, (I used 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil) and sugar; beat until nice and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Add molasses and mix.
- Add salt, cloves, cinnamon, soda, ginger, and flour, and mix until nice and blended.
- With a small cookie scoop, roll into small balls, coat in sugar.
- Place on a cookie sheet. I do 3 across and 4 long (12 on a pan).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Don't over bake or they will be crunchy.
Nutrition Information
Yield
60Serving Size
2
Amount Per ServingCalories 124Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 18mgSodium 84mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 0gSugar 12gProtein 1g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix
Audreyon June 19, 2018 at 12:38 am
These are the best soft gingersnap cookies that I have ever had. I will definitely make them again. Thank you for the recipe!
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Amyon June 19, 2018 at 12:41 am
Thank you Audrey, these gingersnaps really are good. So much better than the store bought one that my mother used to get. Enjoy!
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Laurieon December 10, 2022 at 9:19 am
In one of your paragraphs you mention that coconut oil is in the recipe… yet I dont see it anywhere?
“Your kids will love them, and I like to think that with the coconut oil and the molasses, they are a little healthier than your average cookie.”
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Amyon December 10, 2022 at 10:37 am
I used 1/2 cup coconut oil in place of 1/2 cup of the butter as explained in instruction #1. “In a mixing bowl, combine butter, (I used 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil) and sugar; beat until nice and fluffy”. I hope that that helps. It is totally OK to use 1 1/2 cups of butter, but I just like the coconut oil. Thank you for the question. I hope that you are able to make the cookies and that you love them as much as we do.
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Helen at the Lazy Gastronomeon September 21, 2018 at 8:12 am
Hi there – visiting from the Thursday’s favorite things party. I love gingersnaps, especially the soft ones!
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Amyon September 21, 2018 at 11:18 am
Soft gingersnaps are the best!
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Sandyon October 21, 2018 at 10:09 pm
Can you make these with self rising flour?
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Amyon October 22, 2018 at 12:05 pm
You could use self rising flour, the cookies just won’t spread as much, and they might be a little thicker, so I am not sure if they will be as soft. They will turn out, they might just have a different texture! Thank you for the great question and enjoy your week.
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Claudetteon October 22, 2018 at 8:43 am
Do you have to use the cloves? I made a ginger salad loaf bread and I didn’t like the taste, i think it was the cloves.
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Amyon October 22, 2018 at 11:49 am
No, if you don’t care for cloves, go ahead and leave them out. The molasses and cinnamon will give you plenty of flavor. Thank you for coming by and I hope that you enjoy these cookies as much as we do!
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Cindyon January 21, 2021 at 9:31 am
The best gingerbread cook I have ever made! Thank you for sharing it,
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Amyon January 21, 2021 at 10:31 am
Thank you so much, and than you for leaving a comment. We do love these Soft Ginger Snaps, and are happy that you enjoyed them too!
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Courtney Montgomeryon November 4, 2018 at 7:37 am
Hi i am going to be trying your recipe very soon and i was wondering if i could use just 1 cup of sugar for the cookies?thank you.
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Amyon November 5, 2018 at 12:55 pm
I can’t say for sure as I have never tried this recipe using half of the sugar. But if you are concerned about the high sugar levels, I would suggest using a sugar substitute like Stevia or Swerve. You could try using a little less sugar in the cookies, but it is not just the amount of sweetness that is affected; it is also things like how flat or round your cookies turn out, how crumbly, crunchy, soft they are, etc. I hope that that helps. Thank you for your question.
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Cara Brasseuron November 10, 2018 at 7:11 pm
These cookies are fabulous
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Amyon November 10, 2018 at 7:41 pm
Thank you. I’m glad that you like them. We really love them.
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Delilahon November 19, 2018 at 3:52 pm
What kind of molassas do you use
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Amyon November 19, 2018 at 4:06 pm
Thanks for the great question! I use Grandma’s original, all natural. I hope this helps! Thank you for stopping by! And have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
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Delilahon November 19, 2018 at 5:02 pm
Thank you so very much
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Amyon November 19, 2018 at 6:28 pm
You are very welcome.
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Allieon October 22, 2020 at 2:21 pm
Taste delicious but, Why did my cookies not flatten out as they look in your pictures?
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Amyon October 24, 2020 at 10:35 am
I’m thinking that it is probably the shortening that you used. Cookies tend to flatten out more when you use butter rather than shortening or margarine. Thank you for the question. I’m glad that you liked the way the cookies tasted.
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Jennifer Ron December 1, 2018 at 9:35 am
These sound great! What kind of ginger do you use? Fresh?
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Amyon December 1, 2018 at 4:18 pm
They are sooo good! I just use ginger spice out of a can or bottle.
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See AlsoMini Apple Tartes Tatin Recipe
Helen at the Lazy Gastronomeon December 2, 2018 at 2:01 pm
I love soft gingersnaps! Thanks for sharing at our Great Cookie Exchange!
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Amyon December 3, 2018 at 2:20 pm
I love them too! Thank you so much! Enjoy your Holidays!!!:)
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Renee Marleron December 2, 2018 at 6:21 pm
I just made this recipe, and it is so good. I love anything ginger and these do not disappoint. I would not change a thing about them. Thank you so much for sharing!
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Amyon December 3, 2018 at 2:19 pm
Thank you so much Renee! I really appreciate your sweet feed back. Happy Holidays to you! xoxo
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LuAnneon December 12, 2018 at 3:19 pm
These cookies are delicious! Mine didn’t spread as much so I flattened them a little before baking. Do they freeze well?
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Amyon December 13, 2018 at 1:13 pm
Thank you. They really are delicious and I’m glad that you like them. They do freeze really well. Thank you for coming by and leaving a comment. Enjoy your ginger snaps!!!
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Amyon December 14, 2018 at 8:46 am
One other thing when the altitude is different or even if you use butter or shortening, that makes a difference when baking! I always wish my cookies were not so flat! Ha ha! xoxo
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Meganon December 23, 2018 at 7:07 am
When making these, are you able to make shapes with them?
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Amyon December 23, 2018 at 10:44 am
You could try, but I don’t think that it would work very well. They are Soft and not really made for rolling out and making in to shapes. Thank you for coming by and good luck!
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Renee Strodderon December 27, 2018 at 8:22 am
I made these cookies they were simply delicious it brought back memories when I was little!!!! Better than the box. Could I also use a little fresh ginger to get more of the ginger taste?
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Amyon December 27, 2018 at 5:04 pm
I never thought of trying fresh ginger! I don’t see why you couldn’t! Please let me know what you think?
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Diana Lemmonon December 28, 2018 at 5:41 pm
This is a great recipe. I’ve made it twice in two weeks for Christmas. The cookies are soft. -a new favorite of our family. Thank you
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Amyon December 28, 2018 at 6:18 pm
Thank you for letting me know. It warms my heart when people let me know that they like the recipes that I share!!! This is one of our favorite recipes!
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Cameliaon January 5, 2019 at 11:46 am
Hi, Audrey!
Do you happen to have the conversion measures in grams please? Not sure about the size of the cups you use (Standard US or other?).
Thank you so much! Looking forward to try your recipeReply
Amyon January 6, 2019 at 11:29 am
We use standard US cups. I don’t have the conversion measures for the recipe. I did google conversion from cups to grams and found a chart, but I am assuming that you are able to do that and find the same chart, so I hope that knowing that we use standard US cups helps. I guess that I should look for a recipe program that will convert that. I had not thought about that, so thank you for bringing it to my attention. I hope that you are able to make the cookies and that you enjoy them as much as we do!
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Kelly @ Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treatson January 12, 2019 at 10:39 am
I love ginger snaps but am totally a soft cookie girl so these sound perfect!!! I can see why they were a favorite recipe of 2018!
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Amyon January 14, 2019 at 10:55 am
I like soft too, maybe it is because I am getting old and I don’t want to brake my teeth! Ha ha! Have the best week ever!
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Barbara Colauttion February 4, 2019 at 10:12 am
I took your advice about using coconut oil as well as butter and there was just a barely discernible hint of its flavour. Absolutely scrumptious!
I second your comment about giving some away otherwise you’ll scoff the lot yourself.
I’m off now to make my third batch …
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Amyon February 4, 2019 at 11:18 am
Barbara, you have made my day! Thank you so much for sharing. I hope you have the most amazing week ever! xoxo
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Bridgeton August 21, 2019 at 9:10 am
Best ginger biscuits I have ever made, thank you so much for sharing your recipe, I will mention that I put half of the amount of sugar in as my husband hasn’t got a sweet tooth, he loved them, on the other hand my son has a sweet tooth he also loves them so the amount of sugar works for us brilliant, I also left out cloves as neither of them like cloves and I am now on my second big batch for my fussy family. PS that was a good tip about watching the edges my biscuits/ cookies turn out perfect every time. I will definitely follow you thanks again Bridget
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Amyon August 22, 2019 at 9:25 am
You are so sweet!! Thank you so much. I have a picky family too.:) And I wish you the best. Have a wonderful week.
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Marilyn Lesniakon September 27, 2019 at 5:42 pm
Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!
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Lisa L Lombardoon December 15, 2019 at 7:26 am
My Gram used to make soft ginger snaps but they had more molasses…I think these look even more delicious!
Pinning and sharing!
Thanks for sharing your recipe on the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Party!Reply
Amyon December 15, 2019 at 11:51 am
We absolutely love these soft ginger snaps. Thank you for pinning and sharing.
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helloon December 23, 2020 at 6:17 pm
i made these with a gluten free flour mix, and substituted butter for coconut oil, as i am bringing these for a family Christmas, they aren’t cooked yet, (but the batter tastes great!)
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helloon December 23, 2020 at 6:21 pm
I also substituted molasses for golden syrup, as in Australia molasses are hard to find, and added a tsp of nutmeg.
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Amyon December 23, 2020 at 9:44 pm
Golden syrup sounds like a good substitute, although I have never used it. The nutmeg sounds like it would also add a burst of warm, nutty flavor. My brother spent a couple of years in Australia and loved it there. I have always wanted to go there and still hope to get there. My brother told me that when he retires, we can take our spouses and go. I really hope that that happens. Thank you for your suggestions.
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Amyon December 23, 2020 at 9:40 pm
I love that you tasted the batter! That reminds me of the good old days when I was a child and nobody told us that we weren’t supposed to eat cookie dough – and you know what – me and my siblings all survived! Thank you for leaving a comment. I hope that the cookies turned out to be all that you were hoping for. Merry Christmas!
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