I am so excited to be joining you today from Carlsbad Cravings with my Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting!
My name is Jen and I am a self professed foodaholic. Long before my food blog, I was creating my own recipes and indexing them in food binders and even geeking out enough to create my own picture indexes – never thinking anyone would see them. After my kidney transplant last October, I was bursting with more energy than I had in years so after urging from friends and family, I started Carlsbad Cravings in February 2014. So needless to say, getting to share my recipes brings me great foodie joy and hopefully eating my food will fill you with joy!
And I’m pretty sure these Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting will do just that.
With just a few minor alterations, this gingersnap cookie recipe is a family favorite on my husbands side since 1979. The first time I made the original recipe, I had no idea it made 6 dozen cookies! (don’t worry, this makes 3 dozen). I had gingersnap cookies for every neighbor in site. I brought a healthy stack of cookies to my dad and after he devoured the entire generous offering admitted, “I usually don’t even like gingersnap cookies.”
But these just aren’t any gingersnap cookies. These cookies are mega soft and chewy and if you aren’t going to frost them with the amazing frosting, then they get rolled in cinnamon and sugar that crystallizes as they bake to create snickerdoodle gingersnap cookies. Either way, its a win-win.
There is no doubt you won’t be able to resist handfuls of these rich gingersnap cookies plain while you are waiting for them to cool enough to frost – just as you won’t be able to resist licking the lemon buttercream frosting off every single beater whisk.
I first got the idea to combine this lemon buttercream frosting with these gingersnap cookies after I made my Hot Lemon Poke Cake (a MUST!!) and couldn’t get the lemon glaze out of my thoughts, my dreams, my everything – so I had to turn it into a frosting for these cookies, and I’m so happy I did. And you’ll be so happy I did.
The bright, sweet, citrus lemon frosting is positively addicting and perfectly compliments the deeply rich, molasses cookies with a slight ginger zing and spice of cinnamon, and cloves. Its a match made in heaven. And soon you’ll be in heaven, full of foodie joy once you make and devour these Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting. The perfect holiday gift…to yourself.
Wishing you very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Carlsbad Cravings!
Are Ginger Snaps and Molasses Cookies the Same?
There is a little difference between ginger snaps and molasses cookies.
The main difference is the texture.
Molasses cookies are soft and chewy.
Ginger snaps are crispier and snappy in texture.
They are both made with about the same amount of molasses.
Is Ginger Good For You?
Ginger has been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the flu and common cold, to name a few.
Can Ginger Snaps Be Frozen?
Ginger snaps freeze very well.
Place them on a sheep pan, in a single layer, and put them in the freezer.
Once frozen, transfer the ginger snaps to a freezer bag.
Ginger Snaps will keep up to 3 months.
Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Soft and Chewy Gingersnap Cookies with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Gingersnap Cookies
- 3 cups 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 butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsulphured molasses, + 1 Tablespoon
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- lemon zest, optional
- sea salt, optional
Snickerdoodle Option (if not using frosting)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
To make the cookies:
- 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 minutes.
- Roll dough into balls using 1 heaping tablespoon dough. (If not frosting, roll balls in a bowl mix of ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon.)
- Place balls 3 inches apart on a nonstick mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet and slightly flatten with your palm or bottom of a glass.
- 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 completely before frosting. If you like a crispier cookie, simply bake longer.
To make the Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
- Beat butter, lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add more sugar or lemon juice to taste (I usually use 3 tablespoons lemon juice total).
- Frost cooled cookies with desired amount of frosting (you might have some frosting left).
- Top with sea salt and lemon zest (optional but recommended!).
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
You might also like:
Overnight Creme Brulee French Toast
Toffee Pecan Caramel Pound Cake
I’m Jen, recipe developer, photographer and writer at Carlsbad Cravings. I’m a cystic fibrosis survivor, lung & kidney transplant recipient, LOVER of life and FOOD! I live in Carlsbad, California (north San Diego), with my husband, Patrick, and my furry, four legged daughter, Kiwi, where I create extraordinary flavors out of everyday ingredients that are mostly healthy, some indulgent but always delicious!
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Mel
Oh, I see that’s the name of your site! I’m going to add a little bit of chopped up basil to the cookie mix, we’ll see how it tastes. Basil goes with everything.
Mel
Jen, where is the basil? I see it’s “Sweet Basil” gingersnap cookies but I don’t know where the basil is supposed to go.
A very happy 2015 to you and yours.
Meg
These look delicious! I’ve been staring at this recipe for awhile now and want to make them this week for family. Quick question, I was hoping to make the dough ahead of time and leave in the refrigerator for 2 days before rolling into balls and baking. Do you think this is okay to do? Thanks!
Sweet Basil
As long as it is wrapped tightly you should be fine 🙂
Meg
Thank you! They turned out wonderful. Everyone was asking for the recipe. So much so, they said I HAVE to make them every year for the holidays 🙂
Erin | The Law Student’s Wife
Soft and chewy is exactly how gingersnap cookies should be! I’ll take two with frosting and two without, just for comparative purposes 🙂
Amanda
These look amazing!!!
David Kramer
I am presently fighting CKD due to an overdose of antibiotics and want to wish you well and continued health improvement in the future. I am going to your site now to view your other recipes. Thank you.