Ginger Snaps
Dark molasses and ground allspice come together in this vegetarian — 65 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and whisk. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Cream the softened butter and dark brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the molasses and the egg until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a soft dough comes together, then cover and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 175 C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then place the white granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Roll the chilled dough into balls about 3 cm across, roll each in the granulated sugar to coat, and arrange them well apart on the prepared sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops have cracked and the edges are set; the cookies will still feel soft but will crisp as they cool.
- Let the ginger snaps cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely for maximum snap.
You'll use: Oven · Whisk · Baking sheet
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
Tips & common questions
How long does Ginger Snaps take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Ginger Snaps vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Ginger Snaps is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Zu Zu Ginger Snaps advertisement in the Topeka State Journal (Topeka, Kan.), July 2, 1902, (LAST EDITION), page 3.jpg (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.