Name: Vegan Ginger Cookies
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Holiday
Ingredients: 1/2 cup vegan butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/4 cup molasses; 1/4 cup plant-based milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 cup white sugar for rolling

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Have a craving for gingersnaps this holiday season? Try these crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside vegan ginger cookies to satisfy all your cravings!

Several cookies on top of one another next to sugar, cinnamon and ornaments.

One of my all-time favorite holiday treats are gingersnap cookies! Give this recipe a try and I bet you’ll fall in love with these crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside vegan ginger cookies!

These cookies have a lovely fall/winter flavor thanks to their spices: ginger of course, but also cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. This recipe is also very straightforward so you can whip these up in under an hour!

Read on to learn just how to make these cookies and everything else you might want to know about this vegan gingersnap recipe!

Vegan Gingersnaps Ingredients

Ingredients in bowls to make vegan ginger cookies.

Many of these ingredients are vegan staples so you’ll probably already have a lot of these on hand!

Vegan butter – Vegan butter has come a really long way since I went vegan in 2018! For this recipe, it might be best to find a vegan butter in stick form. Luckily, there are several brands that offer this now, including Miyoko’s and Earth Balance. There’s also Country Crock plant butter, which I’d recommend only if you can’t find the others as it contains palm oil (unfortunately Earth Balance does as well). Any vegan butter should work okay, though.
Brown and white sugar – You can substitute other types of sugar, but brown sugar works well. You should know, however, that many white and brown sugars are not vegan-friendly (at least in the U.S.). This unfortunate issue is due to bone char. Luckily, you can find vegan-friendly white and brown sugar online if not in your preferred grocery stores.
Molasses – Molassess is what's leftover after sugar crystals are removed from boiling liquid. It's honey-like in its consistency, and tastes sweet yet slightly smoky.
Plant milk – While you can simply choose your preferred plant milk, you may get a richer beverage if you opt for a creamier plant milk rather than one that’s more “thin,” i.e. more watery. Since this recipe also uses coconut milk, however, you don’t have to worry too much about that since it will add a nice creaminess.
Vanilla extract – It’s not a huge deal if you don’t include it, but vanilla extract definitely helps take this recipe to the next level!
All-purpose flour – Any kind of all-purpose flour should do the trick just fine. If you want to experiment with other types or go gluten-free, I can’t vouch for them! Please do let me know though how it turns out in the comments 🙂
Baking soda – This helps the cookies rise and a little goes a long way so stick to the recipe!
Salt – If you try to be health-conscious like me, it can be tempting to skip or reduce the salt, but don’t! Adding even a little salt really helps bring out the other flavors.
Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves – These are the spices that really bring home that wonderful ginger-y fall/winter taste! In addition to their nutritional benefits, you need these spices to get your classic gingersnap flavor!

How to Make Ginger Cookies

Step two: mix butter with sugar in a large mixing bowl. — Step Two

Step three: add the molasses, plant-based milk and vanilla. — Step Two

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter and sugar with a hand mixer.
Next, add the molasses, milk, and vanilla, and mix until well combined.
Now mix in the remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves), and mix together again until just combined.
Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to absorb the wet ingredients and the cookies to retain their fluffy shape as opposed to flattening out when baking. If you are short on time you can skip this step, but you will get a thinner, crispier cookie.
Use a 2-teaspoon cookie scoop to scoop out each cookie. Roll each ball between your hands while slightly flattening each one. You should be able to make between 16-18 cookies.
Roll each ball in the white sugar and place each cookie on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on a cooling rack before enjoying!

Recipe FAQ

A stack of cookies surrounded by Christmas themed items like fir trees and ornaments.

Why are they called gingersnaps?
The name “gingersnaps” comes from the German and Middle Dutch word snappen, which means “to seize quickly.” And in the U.S., gingersnaps were associated with Militia Day, which was a military/social event that the whole town would attend. Ultimately, they probably got the name because a crispy gingersnap cookie will really “snap” when you break it in two!

What’s the difference between gingersnaps and gingerbread?
This is a good question! The key difference between these two popular treats comes down to baking time and texture. Gingersnaps usually lean a bit more to the crispy side of things, whereas gingerbread tends to be on the chewier side. Also, gingersnaps are usually served in conventional cookie form (circle shapes), while gingerbread is often formed into shapes (like gingerbread men or other holiday shapes).

Why do you put cookie dough in the refrigerator before baking?
This is a great kitchen hack! By putting your cookie dough in the refrigerator before baking it, you’re helping to solidify the fat in the cookies. Then, when the cookies bake, the fat takes longer to melt. This helps the cookies spread less. Plus, the sugar in the dough will absorb liquid over time. If you bake them right away, there won’t be time for this to happen, and you’ll get the same effect as with the fat solidifying (more liquid and thus more spread).

A plate of cookies surrounded by cinnamon, fir tree branches, and a cup of coffee.

What if I prefer a chewier gingersnap?
No problem! Simply bake for 8-10 minutes.

What if I like my gingersnaps crispier?
You can skip the refrigeration step and bake for 10-12 minutes.

What do you pair these cookies with?
Whatever you like! You can’t go wrong with milk, coffee, tea, eggnog, etc.

How should I store these cookies?
Use an airtight container and these can be stored at room temperature for a week. They’re also super freezer-friendly for up to three months!

Why this Recipe will be Your New Go-To Holiday Treat

Several vegan ginger cookies scattered around parchment paper.

A ginger cookie cracked in half surrounded by other cookies.

I won’t be surprised if this vegan ginger cookie recipe becomes one of your new favorites! It’s a great Christmas treat to whip up as the temperatures start to drop thanks to its warm and cozy vibes (owed to the delicious spices).

The texture is on point – There’s something super addictive about these cookies and I think a big part of it is that amazing balance of crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
It’s easy –You can whip these up from start to finish in under an hour! Plus, it only requires one bowl, so clean-up is a breeze compared to many recipes.
It’s festive and perfect for the holidays – These cookies perfectly capture the holiday season. Thanks to their warm and cozy ingredients like cinnamon and ginger, these cookies will be sure to delight once the cooler temperatures arrive! Plus, they make a great gift or dessert to have at holiday parties.

A stack of ginger cookies tied up with red and white twine.

Let me know if you try out this recipe for vegan ginger cookies, and if you do, I would love it if you left a rating and review below! Make sure you are also following along on Instagram and Pinterest for more food inspiration.