These crispy gingersnap cookies (with no molasses) will soon become a favorite cookie in your house, just as it is in mine! Perfect for after school (or late night) snacking, these ginger snaps come together super quickly.
This is an easy cookie recipe that's a take on the classic holiday cookie recipe to add to your homemade cookie recipe collection, but suited for year-round enjoyment. And this amazing recipe for crispy gingersnap cookies contains no molasses.
Also try Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies and Brown Sugar Cookies with subtle hints of cardamom and cinnamon.
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Gingersnap Cookies without Molasses
Molasses is a common ingredient found in classic holiday cookies such as gingerbread cookies. Often paired with warm spices like cinnamon and ginger, these types of cookies are popular during the Christmas season as great holiday dessert ideas.
I know there are many of you out there searching for ginger cookies without molasses and eggless gingersnap cookies. And this recipe is it! I tried many variations on the original gingersnap cookie to land on this crispy cookie recipe.
These cookies capture all the warm flavors of the original recipe for most gingersnap recipes, but without molasses. In fact, there's no eggs in this recipe either! More on that later.
To achieve a similar flavor in these cookies to gingersnap cookies with molasses, I use dark brown sugar plus the warm spices of cinnamon and ground ginger. Afterall, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses in it! Brown sugar plays a few roles in this recipe - it adds moisture and sweetness as well as that hint of molasses flavor.
Crispy Gingersnaps
There are loads of different variations of ginger cookies out there. This one happens to be for crispy cookies versus soft and chewy ginger snap cookies.
To achieve the crispy texture, a high ratio of granulated sugar is used in this recipe. This recipe is also eggless. When eggs are added to cookie dough, they add structure, height and leavening to cookies. Adding only egg yolk would result in fudgier cookies while adding only egg whites would result in airier, cakey cookies.
Since we are going for a crispier cookie, omitting the eggs helps achieve this result. Instead of eggs, milk is used to help bind the cookie dough. And it works perfectly here!
If you prefer a chewy gingersnap recipe, I would recommend substituting some of the granulated sugar for brown sugar. Try ¾ cup granulated sugar plus ½ cup dark brown sugar.
If you like the crinkle-top look of these cookies, I recommend baking up some soft brown sugar cookies or chocolate sugar cookies. They are equally delicious, just fun, different flavors.
Ingredients Needed to Make This Recipe
To make this recipe, you'll need the following ingredients:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt - I like to use kosher salt, but you can use whatever you have. Adjust amount according to your preferences
- Baking soda
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves (optional) - I choose not to use cloves because I don't care for the flavor, but that's a personal preference
- Unsalted butter - make sure you leave it out on the counter for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour or more, before using to achieve room temperature butter that blends well with the sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Dark brown sugar - dark brown sugar has more molasses flavor than light brown sugar, that's why I recommend using dark vs light. If you only have light, that will certainly work here, however, the molasses flavor may not be as strong
- Milk - I use whole milk, although 2% / lowfat will also work just fine. If you wish to use non-dairy milk, that will work too!
How to Prepare this Recipe
To prepare these cookies, start by whisking together the dry ingredients including the spices in a large bowl. Next, cream together the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. A hand mixer and large mixing bowl may be used instead of an electric stand mixer.
Once the butter and sugars are light and fluffy, add in the milk followed by the flour mixture. Using a cookie scoop, form the soft dough into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Roll in granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Bake for 12 minutes. Using the flat bottom of a glass, press down gently on the hot cookies as soon as they are pulled from the oven, while they are sitting on the hot cookie tray. Allow cookies to cool. The cookies will get crispy as they cool.
Looking for more cookie recipes? Give these a try:
- Brown Sugar Cookies: This recipe is one of the most popular recipes on the blog! Not only are these Brown Sugar Cookies loaded with flavor, they also have cinnamon and cardamom in them making for a super delicious, subtlety spiced bite that's sure to please taste buds near and far.
- Salted Caramel Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cookies: These Salted Caramel Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cookies are also known as Better Than Sex cookies. Need I say more? They're huge and stuffed with ooey gooey melty caramel all wrapped up in decadent dark chocolate and topped with just the right amount of flaky sea salt. You can go no wrong with these cookies!
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies: This recipe will make you feel nostalgic for those days of scarfing down the cinnamony sweetness of this cereal while reading the back of the cereal box before heading off to middle school. These delicious cinnamon toast crunch cookies are packed with cinnamon sugar flavor, crisp on the outside and just the perfect dessert to make with cereal.
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FAQs
Can this recipe be made with fresh ginger?
I have not tried making this recipe with fresh ginger, however, if I were to try it, I would recommend finely grating the ginger and squeezing it well with a lint-free kitchen towel to remove as much moisture as possible before adding to the cookie dough.
What spices are in gingersnap cookies?
Classic gingersnaps contain ginger, cinnamon, cloves and molasses. In this recipe, no molasses is used and cloves are optional.
I have seen ginger cookie recipes with black pepper as an ingredient. Can I add black pepper to this recipe?
Sure! I would recommend adding ¼ teaspoon black pepper to this recipe for an extra layer of flavor and warmth.
How do I store gingersnap cookies?
Once cool, store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Can these cookies be frozen?
Yes! The baked and cooled cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply place cookies in a single layer on a baking tray and freeze for at least an hour. Once the cookies are frozen, place them in a freezer-safe food storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Can I make these cookies chewy instead of crispy?
The high ratio of granulated sugar is what helps these cookies get crispy. To make a chewy cookie instead, substitute some of the granulated sugar for brown sugar. Try ¾ cup granulated sugar plus ½ cup dark brown sugar.
You can also try baking the cookie dough without rolling the cookie balls in granulated sugar. I would also recommend skipping the step where the cookies are flattened.
More Holiday Recipes
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves optional
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 4 tablespoons milk room temperature (may be substituted for non-dairy milk)
- ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves, if using. Whisk together and set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar for about 5 minutes until very light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once. Add the milk and continue beating until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed to ensure everything is thoroughly combined.¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, 4 tablespoons milk
- Reduce mixer speed to low and stir in the dry ingredients. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Stir again for a few seconds to combine. Do not overmix, as this will result in tough, dry cookies.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop out 1 ½ tablespoon-sized pieces of dough. Roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth ball then roll in the ½ cup granulated sugar to cover all sides. Place the dough on the prepared baking trays leaving about 2 inches between.½ cup granulated sugar
- Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, rotating trays halfway through.
- As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, use the flat bottom of a measuring cup or a glass and press down gently. Allow to cool on the trays for 10 minutes. The cookies will crisp as they cool.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments
LYN
I made these today ..so good
I added 2 TBSP of ginger plus more cinnamon than called for
put in some chopped candied ginger
They are yummy will make them again for sure
Kimberlee Ho
Great! Love the addition of chopped candied ginger!
Brenda
Do you think you can prepare the dough and freeze until needed. I do this for my other cookies. I spend a day preparing all the different cookie dough recipes, roll into balls, flash freeze on waxed paper and store in ziplocks. This will be my first attempt at gingerbread cookies.
Kimberlee Ho
Sure! That should work just fine for this recipe. Happy holiday baking!