Chewy Vegan Ginger Snaps

Vegan Ginger Snaps Ingredients

These ginger snaps use simple, mostly pantry ingredients. You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.

• All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour works great, and so does a 50/50 mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. For chewier cookies, you could try bread flour.
• Crystallized ginger: Also called candied ginger, it adds sweet, spicy, chewy bites. Mince it finely by hand or pulse it in a food processor.
• Fresh ginger: Finely grated fresh ginger gives these cookies their spicy bite. A Microplane zester makes quick work of it.
• Ground ginger: It adds ginger flavor all through the dough.
• Molasses: Use unsulphured dark molasses for the best flavor, and skip blackstrap molasses, which is very bitter. Molasses gives these cookies their gingerbread flavor and soft, chewy centers. Maple syrup would work in a pinch, but I don’t recommend it, since you’ll miss out on that rich molasses flavor.
• Vegan butter: Use your favorite vegan butter at room temperature, like Miyoko’s or Earth Balance. Solid coconut oil may work too, but I haven’t tested it.
• Unsweetened applesauce: It binds the dough and adds moisture.
• Brown sugar and sugar: Brown sugar and molasses are a perfect match in these cookies. The sugar is for rolling, and turbinado sugar also works for the coating.
• Baking soda: It gives the cookies lift and helps create their crisp edges and crackly tops.
• Cinnamon, cloves, and salt: Cinnamon and cloves round out the warm spices. I use sea salt.

Add-Ins and Variations

• More spices: Add a pinch of nutmeg, cardamom, or allspice.
• Citrus zest: Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange zest for a subtle citrus flavor.
• Vanilla extract: Add 1 teaspoon for a subtle vanilla flavor.
• Nuts: Stir in a sprinkle of chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch.
• Vegan frosting: Make a simple glaze with powdered sugar, vanilla, and about 1 Tablespoon of dairy-free milk or maple syrup, or spread on my vegan vanilla buttercream frosting.
• Vegan chocolate: Half dip the cooled cookies in melted dark chocolate or vegan white chocolate, then sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger.

How to Make Vegan Ginger Snaps

Before you start, set the vegan butter out so it comes to room temperature. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. You’ll find the full instructions in the recipe card below.

PRO TIP: Grate the fresh ginger on a Microplane for the finest texture. There’s no need to peel it first, just scrub it well.

PRO TIP: These cookies don’t spread much while baking, so gently flatten the dough balls before they go in the oven for a classic ginger snap shape.

These pair wonderfully with a mug of homemade ginger tea, vegan Mexican hot chocolate, or my rich vegan hot chocolate. Giving cookies as gifts? Tuck in a jar of my homemade hot cocoa mix.

Toni’s Recipe Tips

• For smaller cookies: Use 1 Tablespoon of dough per cookie and bake for 10 to 13 minutes.
• Choose your texture: The thinner you flatten them and the longer you bake them, the crunchier they get. For barely flattened cookies, 12 minutes gives soft and chewy cookies, and 15 minutes gives crunchier ones.
• Measure the flour correctly: Fluff the flour in its bag, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it with the back of a knife.
• For cookies that spread more: Use half white sugar and half brown sugar instead of all brown sugar. Using some melted vegan butter instead of softened vegan butter also helps.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make ahead: Keep the unbaked dough in a covered bowl in the fridge for up to 2 days before rolling and baking.
• Room temperature: Store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Their texture will soften over time.
• Fridge: Keep them in an airtight container for 5 to 6 days.
• Freeze the dough: Roll the dough into 2 Tablespoon balls, roll them in sugar, and freeze them on a baking sheet until solid. Move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months, then bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
• Freeze the baked cookies: Freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, then store them in a Stasher bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

Vegan Ginger Snaps FAQs