Vegan Gingersnap Cookies (Soft, Chewy, Easy Recipe)

Easy vegan gingersnap cookies. Soft, chewy, with a rich ginger molasses flavor. Enjoy these homemade treats any time of the day.

NOTE: This post has been updated since it was originally published on March 16, 2023.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these homemade vegan gingersnap cookies. Their irresistible ginger molasses flavor will have you reaching for more.

When it comes to cookies, I’ll admit I am quite particular about the quality of the cookies I eat.

Store-bought are not the same. More often than not, they aren’t as healthy as homemade, and the quality is lacking.

This is one of the reasons why I make my own cookies, and this chewy vegan ginger cookies recipe will have you eating warm, out-of-the-oven, homemade delicious cookies in minutes!

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Tools Used For This Recipe

You do not need any fancy equipment to make this cookie recipe. Here are the kitchen tools I used to make these soft ginger cookies.

• electric hand mixer. You can also use a food processor. However, I like the hand mixer because it is easier to control when blending and mixing cookie ingredients.
• Baking Sheet. These large baking sheets are a beautiful set. They come with three baking trays, three silicone mats, and three wire racks.
• silicone baking sheet. If you do not have silicone baking sheets, you can also use unbleached parchment paper.
• Cooling rack. An important piece of equipment to prevent the cookies from getting too hard on the bottom. Many forego cooling racks but I highly recommend you don’t. Get in the habit of using them!
• glass mixing bowls. A must in every kitchen. Glass is non-toxic and very easy to clean.
• silicone spatula. Another nice tool to have in the kitchen but you can also use just a wooden spoon.
• Whisk. Great to blend all of the dry ingredients and to create air before mixing.
• measuring cups. Measuring ingredients in baking is essential, far more than general cooking. I highly recommend investing in a good set of measuring cups.
• measuring spoons. Similar to measuring cups when baking.
• glass storage container. I like using glass storage containers with tight-fitting lids.
• medium cookie scoop. The perfect size scoop for many of your cookie-baking needs.

Ingredients for Vegan Gingersnap Cookies

Vegan butter. I use vegan stick butter when baking.

Light brown sugar. You could also use dark brown sugar, maple, or date sugar as well.

Pure maple syrup. Best to look for pure maple syrup, one that does not contain any unhealthy ingredients like added sugar or corn syrup.

Unsulphured blackstrap molasses. The key to a delicious gingersnap cookie.

Pure vanilla extract. I prefer an alcohol-free version.

Ground ginger. The star player in this cookie recipe.

Baking soda. The key to the perfect soft and chewy texture.

Ground cinnamon. I prefer using organic Ceylon cinnamon.

Sea salt. You can also use kosher salt.

Allspice. If you do not have allspice, you can use nutmeg and/or ground cloves.

All-purpose flour. I like to use organic all-purpose flour.

optional ingredients to consider

Crystal sugar. You may want to consider rolling each cookie dough ball in crystal or turbinado sugar before placing them on the baking tray.

You can also roll these gingersnap cookies in regular cane sugar, coconut sugar, or more light brown sugar if you wish.

How To Make Vegan Gingersnap Cookies

For full instructions and exact measurements please see the printable recipe card below.

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl cream butter until smooth.

Step 2. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla to the butter mixture and combine until creamy and smooth.

Step 3. Next, add half of the flour to the butter mixture, along with the baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice.

Mix until just combined and then add the remaining flour. Blend again until all of the ingredients have formed a soft dough.

Step 4. Scoop out the dough, approximately two tablespoonfuls, and using your clean hands, roll it into a ball.

Place the ball in a bowl of crystal sugar and roll to coat the outside.

Gently place it on a lined baking sheet, leaving about one inch in between each cookie.

Step 5. Place the cookies in the oven for approximately 8-10 minutes and the tops have cracked.

Step 6. When done, take the vegan gingersnap cookies out of the oven and place them on a cooling rack.

Once cooled to room temperature, you can then safely store them in an airtight container on the kitchen counter or the fridge.

How To Store

These cookies store well in a tightly sealed glass container and can be placed on the kitchen counter for 5-6 days, or in the fridge for 7-8 days.

You can also store these cookies in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Vegan Gingersnap Cookie Recipe Tips

This vegan gingersnap cookie recipe is really quite easy but here are a couple of tips and recommendations, just to make sure your cookies come out perfectly.

Be careful not to overmix the flour when you are pouring it into the butter mixture. Otherwise, your cookies will turn out tough and dry.

For softer cookies, blend until the dry ingredients are just combined, then use the silicone spatula. This prevents overmixing and, in my mind, makes the perfect cookie.

If you wish to make a gluten-free version of this cookie, you can use almond flour, oat flour, or an all-purpose, gluten-free flour blend.

You can also use whole-wheat flour, or a 50/50 combination of all-purpose and whole-wheat flour if you prefer.

If you do not have allspice, you can use ground cloves and nutmeg instead.

Finally, make sure to cool these cookies completely before storing them in a tightly sealed glass storage container. Otherwise, the cookies will dry out quickly.

The Difference Between a Healthy and Clean Cookie

Cookies in general are not the healthiest but some cookies are better than others, and even the ones that aren’t very healthy can be improved upon based on the quality of the ingredients used.

There is a difference between a healthy cookie and a clean cookie.

Healthy Cookies. A healthy cookie contains ingredients that are good for you, ingredients that fortify and provide nutrients to your body.

Healthy cookies are those that contain whole, real, preferably organic ingredients such as oatmeal, nuts, and applesauce.

A healthy cookie should not contain any harmful chemicals or additives as well.

Clean Cookies. A clean cookie is a cookie that, although it may not fortify your body with healthy nutrients, doesn’t contain any unhealthy additives or chemicals like herbicides or pesticides.

Many processed store-bought cookies do. A clean cookie is devoid of unhealthy chemicals.

An important distinction to point out, however, is that a healthy cookie is considered a clean cookie but a clean cookie is not necessarily considered a healthy cookie.

VIDEO: How To Make Easy Vegan Gingersnap Cookies

Homemade versus Store-Bought Cookies

While it is easier than ever to find “healthier” cookies in the grocery store these days, store-bought options often contain less wholesome ingredients compared to homemade ones due to their manufacturing process and need for extended shelf life.

Commercially produced cookies typically require the addition of preservatives to extend their shelf life.

Preservatives in and of themselves are not necessarily bad for you, and some preservatives are better than others.

As an example, salt, sugar, and vinegar are used as preservatives and are not bad for you, as far as preservatives go.

But other preservatives are not healthy, such as potassium bromate which is known as a possible human carcinogen and is added to the flour of many packed baked goods including cookies.

Often unhealthy preservatives are added to commercially available products because they are cheaper to use than the more natural preservatives.

When a company makes high-volume commercially based products, every penny counts. So often, but not always, they will use cheaper ingredients.

Examples of this are cheap rancid oils instead of fresh butter and high-quality vegan butter, and corn syrup instead of organic sugar, high-quality maple syrup, or honey.

When you bake at home, you do not need preservatives for shelf-life stability, and you have the option to buy good-quality ingredients.

If I am not creating a healthy cookie, then I very much pay attention to making a clean cookie, which is what this vegan gingersnap cookie recipe is all about!

Additional Vegan Dessert Recipes

• Wholesome Delicious Apple Crumble Dairy Free Pie
• Delicious Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
• Lemon Zucchini Cake With Sweet Lemon Glaze (Vegan Recipe)
• How To Make The Best Buttery Vegan Spritz Cookies

More Healthy Recipes and Caregiver Support

Let’s Connect

I hope you enjoyed this article and will try making these simple Vegan Gingersnap Cookies.

There is nothing quite like the aroma of freshly baked homemade cookies coming out of the oven, and I am sure these vegan gingersnap cookies will become a favorite for you and your family.

QUESTION. What’s your favorite cookie? Are you a gingersnap lover?

Let me know in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you!

Printable Recipe Card to Enjoy