Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (2024)

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This vintage old fashioned ginger snap cookies recipe makes the most delicious spiced cookies that are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Perfect for Christmas cookie swaps, gift giving or any time of the year!

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (1)

My blogger friends and I are sharing some of our favorite Christmas cookies. Be sure to check out the other four delicious cookie recipes at the end of this post!

Inspiration for Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies

These cookies are quite famous with my husband’s family. My mother-in-law has been making them for family gatherings and church bake sales for decades! She even brought them to Florida each year when she’d visit her other two sons and their families during the holidays.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (2)

I don’t know where the original recipe came from, but we have this tattered old copy that my husband estimates is at least 50 years old. When we got married, our favors for the guests at our winter wedding were bags of homemade ginger snaps!

Ginger Snap Cookie Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup molasses (I used blackstrap molasses)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (3)

How to Make Ginger Snap Cookies

The first step is to cream the vegetable shortening and sugar. I used these pre-measured sticks of shortening which made the job a lot easier!

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (4)

I recommend using an electric hand mixer to cream the shortening and sugar. It comes out light and fluffy. You can still do it by hand if you don’t have a mixer, though.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (5)

After you add the egg and molasses, sift the flour, baking soda and spices into the wet ingredients. I like to use my vintage sifter.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (6)

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (7)

Roll the dough into about 1 1/2 inch balls.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (8)

Roll the balls of dough in sugar.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (9)

Spread the dough balls about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (10)

Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on a metal rack. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (11)

I love the crackle texture of these dairy free ginger snap cookies! It’s easy to make small batch ginger snap cookies, too. I only baked one sheet of fifteen cookies and refrigerated the extra dough to make more later.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (12)

Grandma’s spice cookies came out so good! My husband gave me the ultimate compliment and said they tasted very much like his mom’s cookies.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (13)

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (14)

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies

This vintage old fashioned ginger snap cookies recipe makes the most delicious spiced cookies that are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Perfect for Christmas cookie swaps, gift giving or any time of the year!

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Christmas cookies, Cookies, ginger snaps

Servings: 45 cookies

Calories: 55kcal

Equipment

  • Electric hand mixer

  • Mixing bowl

  • Measuring cups and spoons

  • Wooden spoon

  • Sifter

  • Cookie Sheet

  • Parchment paper

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup extra for coating
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Cream vegetable shortening with an electic hand mixer. Add sugar gradually and cream until light and fluffy.

  • Add egg and molasses and mix until smooth.

  • Sift flour, baking soda and spices into the wet mixture and stir well.

  • Roll dough by hand into 2 1/2 inch balls.

  • Roll dough balls in sugar.

  • Place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  • Bake cookies for 12 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

How many calories in a gingersnap cookie?

There are approximately 55 calories in one old fashioned ginger snap cookie.

Can you use ginger snap cookies for nausea?

Yes! Gingersnap cookies are a good snack to combat nausea related to pregnancy or motion sickness. Ginger is well known to be a natural remedy that can help ease an upset stomach.

What to do with leftover ginger snap cookies?

Ginger snap cookies make great gifts! Put leftover ginger snap cookies in a tin and share them with family, friends or neighbors. What about ginger snaps for teachers? Send some extra ginger snaps to school with your children as a token of appreciation. They also freeze well for up to two months. Wrap gingersnaps in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer in an airtight container lined with aluminum foil.

I’m really looking forward to baking and hosting a cookie swap party this year! Besides these Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies, I’ll also be making my Holiday Coconut Apricot Bars. Oh, how I love Christmas cookies!

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (15)
Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (16)

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

These chocolate-dipped Christmas tree cookies decorated with white chocolate, pistachios and freeze-dried raspberries look impressive but are very easy to make. Your family and friends will love to receive these cookies as homemade Christmas gifts – that’s if you can bear to give them away in the first place!

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (17)

This Chocolate No Bake Cookie Recipe makes a quick irresistible chocolaty treat.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (18)

Christmas Magic Cookie Bars are rich, yet delicious with a buttery graham cracker crust layered with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut flakes then topped off with red and green m&m, baked to golden perfection, they make for the perfect holiday treat.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (19)

This festive Peppermint Snowball Cookie Recipe is a light buttery cookie from scratch. With a hint of peppermint extract, then rolled in crushed candy canes and confectioners’ sugar. It’s like Christmas in every bite.

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (20)

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (21)

Related

Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why didn t my ginger snaps crack? ›

Let's review a few reasons why you're cooked may not have crackled on top: You put the cookies in the oven before preheating. A hot preheated oven is important for getting a crackle top on your cookies. You didn't whip the butter and sugar long enough.

What is the difference between ginger snap and ginger cookie? ›

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

Why are my ginger snaps soft? ›

Freezing or chilling the dough will result in a soft and chewy gingersnap cookies. With crinkly tops and spicy flavor this version also makes the most delicious holders for ice cream. Baked immediately, you'll get crisp and crunchy gingersnaps – the kind that you can snap in half for proper dunking.

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.

Did Nabisco ginger snaps change? ›

“65 years I have been eating the original NABISCO ginger snaps, my favorite cookie. Now Mondelez has changed texture from soft and chewy to hard and crackey, flavor from sharp lasting ginger to bland ephemeral ersatz, size from generous to stingy, price from 3 dollars to 5 dollars.

How to get cracks in ginger cookies? ›

The best way to get crinkles on the top is to take the cookies out of the oven when cooked. While they are still soft, use a fork and flatten them slightly. Perfect crinkles every time.

Why are my ginger cookies so hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

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.

Why are my ginger snap cookies flat? ›

Check your oven

If your oven is too hot, the fat melts faster than the cookie can set, and you end up with pancake cookies. Always preheat your oven and invest in a good oven thermometer. Even new ovens can be incorrectly calibrated, so check the actual temperature every time you put a pan in the oven.

How healthy are ginger snap cookies? ›

Gingersnaps are a healthier alternative to other cookies, being that they are generally low in calories and have many benefits. The ginger that is in these cookies has anti-inflammatory properties, is known to help treat nausea and fight heart disease and other illnesses.

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.

Why do ginger snaps crack? ›

What Makes Cookies Crispy and Crackled? 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.

What ethnicity is ginger Snap? ›

Her exact ethnicity is unknown. She might be of Indian or Middle Eastern descent, for in the Thanksgiving book, she wears a blouse similar to Indian/Middle Eastern attire. In season four, Ginger Snap is the least featured of the four/five main girls. In the Playmates toys era, she only got a single doll.

Why is ginger snaps so good? ›

Because it has some excellent suspense sequences and a rather high amount of blood and gore. The werewolf is really cool looking,the acting by two lead girls(Emily Perkins,Katharine Isabelle)is excellent and the direction is well-handled. "Ginger Snaps" is a pure horror film,that is to be taken seriously.

Can you eat too many ginger snaps? ›

How much ginger should you take daily? 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 gingernut biscuits and ginger snaps the same? ›

In North America these cookies are usually called gingersnaps but in Australia and New Zealand they are called ginger nuts.

References

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