Gingersnap Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Gingersnap cookies are a Holiday favorite with their crispy exterior and chewy inside! These cookies are SO easy to make and make a big batch - perfect for a cookie exchange.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Cookie

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Author: Julia Foerster

Equipment

Cookie Scoop #20
Baking Sheets
Stand Mixer

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups shortening
3 cups granulated sugar plus 1/3 cup for rolling
3/4 cup dark molasses or light (fancy) molasses
3 large eggs
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
3 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine shortening and granulated sugar. Add molasses and eggs and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and beat until combined. The dough should be soft but not be overly sticky.
Pinch off small amounts of cookie dough and roll into 1-inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
Bake until cookies are rounded and slightly cracked about 10-12 minutes. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack. They will flatten and tops will crack more while cooling.

Notes

Instead of rolling the balls in sugar, you can also roll them in cinnamon sugar. To make cinnamon sugar, combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1 Tbsp of cinnamon.
This recipe makes lots of cookies. Perfect for edible gifts! But you could also half the recipe, using the slider in the recipe card.
If the dough is too sticky add some flour, one Tbsp at a time.
A cookie scoop works well to divide the dough into balls. I use a Large #20 Cookie Scoop which holds 3 Tbsp of dough.
Cookies will puff up in the oven and then crack while cooling down.
They keep for 3 weeks stored in an airtight container in a cool place (I use cookie tins).

Nutrition