The BEST Gingersnap Cookies
If you aren’t sure you like gingersnap cookies, I am pretty convinced these will make a lover out of you. I brought a stack of cookies to my dad and he couldn’t stop eating them as he admitted, “and I don’t even like gingersnap cookies!” This family favorite Gingersnap Cookie recipes comes from my mother-in-law, who got it out of a newspaper in 1979. It has made generations of family, friends and neighbors smile with cookie cheer then begged for the recipe. While the cookie dough itself is almost 100% original recipe, I just couldn’t resist adding a few festive touches that make these cookies (and you!) all the merrier. The deeply rich molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves-packed dough gets rolled in cinnamon and sugar that crystallizes as the cookies bake so every bite is soft and chewy inside, cinnamon and sugar snickerdoodle outside. You can devour the cookies just like that — and they will make you smile! — or you can proceed to smother them with luscious, creamy and smooth eggnog infused frosting — and they will make you giddy! Soft and chewy Gingersnap Cookies with Eggnog Frosting — making your Christmas more merry and bright!
Soft Gingersnap Cookies Ingredients
These soft and chewy gingersnap cookies come together with mainly ingredients you have in your pantry:
All-purpose flour: I’ve never tried this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I can’t say whether that’d work or not. Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the dough and enhances the spiced flavor. Baking soda: Is an acidic leavening agent. Spices: I packed these soft gingersnap cookies with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. Butter: Do NOT microwave butter or your cookies will be too soft and spread when baked. Instead, let butter soften at room temperature.Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cookies without taking away from the spiced flavor. Molasses: Use regular (i.e. unsulphured) molasses. Eggs: Need to be room temperature before being added to the dough. Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. Cream cheese: Use brick-style cream cheese for this recipe. Eggnog: Can use regular or non-alcoholic. Just make sure it’s full-fat! Powdered sugar: Sift the powdered sugar before making the frosting, otherwise it might wind up being lumpy.
How to Make Soft Gingersnap Cookies
I’ve given detailed instructions in the recipe card below on how to make this gingersnap cookie recipe. Here’s an overview of the process:
Tips for Making the Best Gingersnap Cookies
To soften the butter and cream cheese: Do NOT microwave butter or cream cheese to soften for frosting or it will be too runny. Let soften at room temperature instead. Use full-fat everything: For the tastiest, richest cookies, use regular butter, full-fat eggnog, and full-fat cream cheese. Keep chilling the dough: You won’t be able to bake all the cookies at once. While one batch of cookies are in the oven, keep the remaining dough in the fridge so it doesn’t soften!
Can I Prep These Cookies in Advance?
Yes! If serving to guests, I recommend making the soft gingersnap cookies no more than 48 hours in advance.
How to Store Gingersnap Cookies
Unfrosted Soft Gingersnap Cookies: Can be stored in a airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days (if they last that long!). Frosted Soft Gingersnap Cookies: Should be stored in an airtight container in a single layer in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature before serving or microwave for a few seconds (they are so much better warmed!).
Can I Freeze Gingersnap Cookies?
How to freeze unfrosted cookies: How to freeze frosted cookies:
Fit as many baked cookies on a parchment/nonstick mat lined baking sheet without touching.Place the baking sheet(s) in the freezer and freeze until solid (about 1 hour).You can now freeze individual cookies by placing them each in sandwich bags, OR to freeze a batch of cookies:Top frozen cookies on baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper and layer with another layer of frozen cookies (that you have frozen on a separate sheet). Continue to layer and stack as needed.Wrap entire baking sheet securely in layers of plastic wrap.To THAW TRAY: Take cookie tray out of refrigerator and unwrap so that the condensation doesn’t form and make them soggy. Let sit at room temperature for several hours.TO THAW INDIVIDUAL COOKIE: Take cookie out of the sandwich bag and let sit at room temperature, warm in the microwave at 10 second intervals or warm it in the oven for a few minutes.
Looking for Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes?
Eggnog CookiesS’mores CookiesPumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting Peanut Butter Sandwich CookiesTurtle CookiesNutella CookiesCarrot Cake CookiesCaramel-Stuffed Brown Sugar CookiesAll of my Christmas desserts!
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