Soft and chewy, perfectly spiced Soft Gingersnap Cookies with intoxicatingly delicious Eggnog Frosting are melt in your mouth irresistible!
This is our favorite Christmas cookie and the only gingersnap cookie recipe you will ever need! The eggnog frosting takes the cookies to the next level and makes them completely irresistible!
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:
- Make the cookie dough: Make the cookie dough as you normally do (wet ingredients in one bowl, dry in another, combine the two, etc.).
- Chill the cookie dough: Pop the bowl of cookie dough into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Form the cookie dough balls: Roll the chilled dough into balls, then roll in a cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Bake the cookies: For soft gingersnap cookies, bake for 10 minutes at 350F. For crispier cookies, bake a little longer.
- Frost the cookies: Once the cookies have cooled, make the eggnog frosting and spread on top of the cookies.
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:
- Fit as many COOLED 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).
- Transfer to a freezer size plastic bag and freeze.
- To EAT: When you want to enjoy a soft gingersnap cookie, take it out and let it sit at room temperature, warm in the microwave at 10 second intervals or warm it in the oven for a few minutes.
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 Cookies
- S’mores Cookies
- Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
- Turtle Cookies
- Nutella Cookies
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Caramel-Stuffed Brown Sugar Cookies
- All of my Christmas desserts!
Gingersnap Cookies with Eggnog Frosting
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Ingredients
Gingersnap Cookies
- 3 cups AP flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground cloves
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened,
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon unsulphured molasses
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Snickerdoodle Coating
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Eggnog Frosting
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened,
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup full fat eggnog
- 2 ½ -3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger until well blended.
- In a stand or hand held mixer, cream butter and sugar together for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add molasses, eggs and vanilla and beat an additional minute. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes.
- Mix Snickerdoodle Coating of ⅓ cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Roll dough into balls using 1 heaping tablespoon dough then roll in Snickerdoodle Coating until evenly coated. Place balls 3 inches apart on a nonstick mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Keep unused dough in the refrigerator while preparing other batches.
- Bake 350 degrees F for 10 minutes on middle rack of oven. Let cool for 5 minutes then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. If you like a crispier cookie, simply bake longer.
- Eggnog Frosting: While cookies are baking prepare Eggnog Frosting. With a stand or hand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons eggnog and 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Whip in remaining 2 tablespoons frosting and 1 ½ cups powdered sugar until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar, a little at a time to thicken frosting to desired consistency. Frost cooled cookies and store in an airtight container
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Joshua Hampton says
I wouldn’t be able to stop eating these cookies too. Snickerdoodle and gingersnap in one bite, plus eggnog. I’d hoard them and eat them all.
Jen says
Thank you Joshua! and I agree! They are so irresistible!! Its a good plan to have people over to share them with so you can eat them all together 🙂
Serene @ House of Yumm says
Love these! Adding frosting to a cookie always takes them to a whole different level!
Jen says
Thank you so much Serene! and I completely agree! frosting makes everything better 🙂
Lynn | The Road to Honey says
I just love that your grandmother got this recipe from the paper many moons ago. That’s a true testament that it is delicious enough to stand the test of time. And I absolutely adore that eggnog frosting. I can see why you couldn’t stop eating these beauties.
Jen says
Thanks Lynn! Yes, truly a beloved recipe for years and years! I am tempted to make them all year round – even in July 🙂
Layne Schwabedissen says
Couldn’t stop at just one of these! Even Jesse, whose not a cookie fan, kept reaching for more!
Jen says
yay! I am so happy they were a hit! Thanks Layne!
Joleen says
Hi Jen!
Wondering if you have a suggestion for an alternative frosting when eggnog is not available?
Thanks
Jen says
Hi Joleen! I think a cream cheese frosting with a sprinkle of nutmeg could be yummy!