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

What is the difference between gingerbread and Ginger Snaps? ›

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 are my ginger cookies 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 did my Ginger Snaps go flat? ›

It most likely is the baking soda- thoroughly whisk all the dry ingredients together before blending in with the wet. Also another fact may be that the other ingredients in the recipe dont “get along” with the corn syrup.

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.

Are there benefits to eating ginger snaps? ›

Surprising benefits

Research shows it may aid in digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the common cold and flu. It's also believed ginger may support weight management, help manage arthritis and may also alleviate menstrual symptoms.

Did Nabisco change the ginger snaps recipe? ›

Some customers state that the Nabisco brand of ginger snap cookies is not only way over-priced, but the recipe has also changed for the worse, with one Amazon user saying the cookie's "flavor was non existent and they were too hard."

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 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.

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.

Is Biscoff a ginger snap? ›

Speculoos, the cookie family to which Biscoff belong, are often described as a type of gingerbread, but that's a little misleading. Aside from their use of caramel sugar, speculoos don't have quite the same bite; their spice blend tends toward aroma rather than heat.

Why do ginger snap cookies crack? ›

Cracks form when the exterior dries out faster than the interior. As they bake, the sugar draws out moisture from the surface, thus creating those beautiful cracks. Only use granulated sugar to get a crispy texture. As the cookies cool, the granulated sugar will help them harden a bit and be crispy.

Is gingerbread the same as ginger? ›

Originally, the term gingerbread (from Latin zingiber via Old French gingebras) referred to preserved ginger. It then referred to a confection made with honey and spices. Gingerbread is often used to translate the French term pain d'épices ( lit.

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.

Are ginger nuts the same as gingerbread? ›

Around the middle of the nineteenth century, however, gingerbread nut was superseded by ginger nut. The element nut presumably refers to the biscuits' smallness and roundness (ginger nuts seem originally to have been smaller than their twentieth-century descendants).

Why are they called ginger snaps? ›

These early ginger cookies originated in Europe and came with the German, Dutch, and English settlers to America. Gingersnaps were named from the German or Middle Dutch word snappen, meaning "to seize quickly."

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