Vegan Gingersnaps are the perfect quick and easy vegan holiday cookie! Thin and crispy, full of buttery ginger flavour, and rolled in sparkly sugar for the perfect crunchy gingersnap texture. Ready in 30 minutes start to finish, and made from pantry staples!
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Today I'm putting the SNAP in gingersnaps! I've adapted my thick, soft, and chewy vegan ginger cookies to make thin, crispy, crackly, sugary, buttery, perfectly spiced vegan gingersnap cookies with satisfyingly crunchy outsides, slightly chewy middles, and the perfect snap!
These simple and festive vegan holiday cookies are quick and easy to make in less than 30 minutes with simple pantry staples. Whip up the gingery spice-forward cookie dough, roll balls of it in plenty of sugar, and bake to perfection.
Unlike a lot of cookies, you don't need to chill this cookie dough, so it's super convenient, and if you want to make them ahead, you can store the rolled cookie dough balls in the fridge for a few days (or the freezer for a few months) before baking.
Mel x
P.S. Looking for more holiday cookies? Be sure to try my vegan snowball cookies and vegan sugar cookies!
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour or plain flour if you are in the UK.
- Sugar - This recipe uses a mix of cane sugar (or white sugar) and dark brown sugar for very specific reasons. They are crucial for the correct p.H, spread, texture, snap, and flavour. You will not get the intended results if you use any other type or ratio of sugars.
- Vegan butter - I used Earth Balance (in the tub) to test this recipe. If you can't get Earth Balance, use any other hard dairy-free butter. The really soft margarine-style spread will not work as well.
- Spices - Plenty of ground ginger for a very ginger-forward flavour, some cinnamon, vanilla, and salt for more layered depth, and my secret ingredient, a touch of freshly ground black pepper for a subtle punch of background warmth and fragrance.
- Baking soda - Crucial in this recipe for the intended spread and snap. Baking powder will not work in the same way.
I don't think these cookies need any icing, but if you want to add some, the maple icing from this cookie recipe will work really well here.
Accuracy is Key For Best Results!
To avoid ending up with vegan gingersnaps that are thick, hard or dense instead of perfectly tender and snappy, measure your flour and sugar accurately with a digital scale. Cups are not an accurate way to measure, and you may not get the intended results.
Let's Make Vegan Gingersnaps!
Can't wait to make them? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. I recommend watching my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner:
Beat the vegan butter with the sugar until fluffy, then add the vanilla and mix gently again to combine.
Add everything else. Stir together (by hand or with a mixer) to form a stiff cookie dough.
Roll the cookie dough into balls, then roll in sugar. This step is important. Don't skip the sugar-rolling! (see my tip below if you're wondering why!)
Place the cookie dough balls on a lined baking tray. Leave quite a bit of space around each one to allow for spreading.
Bake the cookies. When you remove them from the oven, give them a good, hard tap on a heat-proof, firm surface. I have a gas cooktop with iron grates and tap the baking tray hard on there. You could also use a cutting board. This knocks out any trapped air, reduces puffiness, improves texture, and encourages a little more cracking. Let them cool completely on the tray.
Important Tip
Rolling the gingersnap cookie dough balls in sugar before baking draws moisture out of the cookie's surface as they bake because sugar is hygroscopic. This contributes to the overall texture of the cookies and the crackly tops. If you don't roll them in the sugar, the texture and appearance of your cookies will not be as intended.
Recipe FAQs
This vegan gingersnap cookie recipe is great for making ahead. The dough freezes really well. Scoop, roll, flash freeze and store in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven, remove the dough balls from the freezer, place them on a lined baking tray and bake for about 22 minutes at 325°F (160°C). The slightly lower temperature helps the cookies spread as they should when baked from frozen.
Yes! Allow them to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Be careful to lay them in a single layer, or to separate them with parchment paper so they don't stick together. To defrost, place the cookies on a wire rack so air can circulate around them as they defrost.
Yes, I think that will be fine. I wouldn't use more than ¾ of a cup, though.
Recipe
Vegan Gingersnaps
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220 grams) vegan butter
- 1 cup (200 grams) cane sugar , or white sugar (plus about ⅓ cup/66grams more for rolling)
- ¼ packed cup (50 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons baking soda `
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line 1 large or 2 medium baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter with the cane sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. You can do this by hand or with a mixer. Add the vanilla and mix again just enough to combine.
- To the butter mixture add the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper and mix gently to form a thick cookie dough. The mixture will be quite stiff and look a bit like thick, wet sand. Don't be tempted to add milk to the dough, or you won't get the intended results.
- Roll the dough into balls (I used a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop), then roll each ball in sugar and place on the baking tray, leaving at least 2 inches around each one to allow for spreading.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes until puffy-looking and cracked on top. They will feel soft while warm and firm up as they cool. With a light baking tray, 16 minutes will give you chewy, slightly underbaked centres. 20 to 21 minutes will give you crisper "snappy" cookies once they cool. Adjust depending on how you like your cookies. Note that if you use a dark baking tray they will be ready a little quicker.
- Remove from the oven and give the tray a very sharp tap to knock the air out of the cookies, improving texture and crackles. I bang it on my cast-iron stove top, or you can bang it on a wooden cutting board.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.
NOTES
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