Description
Soft and Chewy Ginger Snaps – This recipe features warm spices like ginger and molasses for a quick and comforting treat. Crowd-pleasing and irresistible!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ground ginger (fresh, vibrant spice delivers the best flavor)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus ¼ cup for rolling
- ¼ cup (60ml) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap for a milder flavor)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 2 tbsp finely minced fresh ginger for extra zing
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare The Dry Ingredients In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until thoroughly combined. This even distribution ensures every bite of your Soft and Chewy Ginger Snaps delivers a perfect balance of spices. Take a moment to break up any clumps in the spices with your fingers for the smoothest texture.
- Step 2: Cream The Butter And Sugar In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and 1 cup sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t rush this step—proper creaming incorporates air into the dough, creating lighter cookies with the perfect texture. The mixture should visibly change to a paler color and fluffier consistency.
- Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The molasses may cause the mixture to look slightly separated at first—that’s normal! Just keep mixing until everything comes together into a smooth, caramel-colored base.
- Step 4: Combine Wet And Dry Ingredients Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Overmixing will develop too much gluten, resulting in tough cookies rather than tender Soft and Chewy Ginger Snaps. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky—that’s exactly what you want for chewy cookies.
- Step 5: Chill The Dough Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight). This chilling time is crucial for developing flavor and ensuring your cookies maintain their shape while baking instead of spreading too thin.
- Step 6: Prepare For Baking When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small bowl for rolling. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly for easier handling.
- Step 7: Shape And Bake Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion the dough into 1½-inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar until completely coated, then place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look soft and slightly underdone. The cookies will continue cooking on the hot baking sheet after removal from the oven.
- Step 8: Cool And Enjoy Allow the Soft and Chewy Ginger Snaps to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll firm up as they cool while maintaining that perfect chewy center that makes them so irresistible.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg