These homemade Gingersnap Cookies are a must-make for the holiday baking season! They are soft and chewy and SO easy to make. Perfect for a cookie exchange!
My ABSOLUTE favorite thing about the holidays is all the baking! I know to some that might sound crazy, but if you know me, you know I LOVE to bake 😋 The cookies, the pies, all the food! Yum!
These Gingersnap Cookies are a particular favorite of mine because I learned to bake them from my grandma. Growing up, we would get together before Christmas and spend a whole day in the kitchen baking cookies. The Gingersnap Cookies were the first cookie I was in charge of baking all on my own. It was a very proud moment for me at the time 😎 They really are so easy to bake, so let’s get started!
Kitchen tools needed
You truly do not need many kitchen tools to make these cookies, because they are that dang simple. Here’s what you do need:
- Mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Baking sheet
- Cooling rack
Ingredients for Gingersnap Cookies
To make these thick and chewy cookies, there are a few ingredients you’ll need:
- Vegetable shortening
- Molasses
- Egg, slightly beaten
- Sugar
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Ground ginger
- Salt
How to make Gingersnap Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350F and oil or cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. I prefer making these cookies without a mixer so I don’t accidentally overmix the dough and end up with flat cookies. To get started, add the shortening, molasses, beaten egg, and sugar to a mixing bowl and mix by hand until combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix just until the flour is fully incorporated.
In a small bowl add about ⅓ cup of sugar. It doesn’t need to be exact, you’ll need just enough to roll the cookie dough balls into. Grab some cookie dough and roll into about a 1-inch ball, roll it in the sugar, and place it onto a baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes, cool slightly, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Some tips for success!
- Mix by hand – I know, I know. I love my KitchenAid mixer and I use it for everything! But not for these cookies. My grandma always told me not to use a stand mixer and I thought she was full of shit, so of course, I tried using a mixer and… flat cookies. So now, that’s some advice I follow and I recommend you do too!
- Freeze em! – If you can’t manage to eat all 2 dozen cookies, try freezing the cookies so none go to waste. Pop them in the microwave until they are soft again and enjoy them warm! They will stay good in the freezer for up to 12 months.
- Have fun with it – this isn’t really a success tip for the cookies, but I think it’s super important. Make it fun! Make the cookies with a friend or partner. Turn on your favorite music. Listen to a podcast or audiobook. It’ll make the process so much more worth it when you enjoy it a little more.
More cookie recipes from my kitchen!
Looking for some more cookie recipes to try?! Here are some more favorites:
Gingersnap Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350F and preparing a baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a mixing bowl, add the shortening, molasses, beaten egg, and sugar and mix by hand until combined. Next, add the rest of the ingredients and mix until the flour is fully incorporated.
- In a small bowl, add about a ⅓ cup of sugar. It doesn’t need to be exact, but enough to roll the cookie dough into. Grab a small bit of the dough and roll it into a 1-inch ball. Bake in the oven for 9 minutes, cool slightly, and then transfer to a cooling rack.