There are a few cookie recipes that immediately remind me of Christmas, and these gingersnap cookies are definitely one of them. One bite takes me right back to the beginning of my marriage, when my husband made a batch of the cookies he had loved since childhood.

Whenever he talks about the cookies his mom made while he was growing up, Grammysnaps are always the ones that come up.

His mom, whom everyone called Grammy, made these warm, spicy cookies for years. They’re slightly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle, and filled with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon.

To my husband, these gingersnap cookies taste like childhood, Christmas, and sneaking into the freezer for a cookie when no one was looking.

Of course, he still loves eating all of his cookies frozen. Some things never change.

The Story Behind These Gingersnap Cookies

Grammy was a truly remarkable woman whom everyone loved and adored.

She and my father-in-law had 35 grandchildren, along with more great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren than I could begin to count. Somehow, Grammy knew every single one of them.

She remembered birthdays and sent birthday cards every year, not only to her family, but also to friends and neighbors. I don’t know how she kept track of so many people, but that was the kind of woman she was. She made people feel remembered and loved.

Grammy and my father-in-law had been married for almost 76 years when they both passed away in 2025. They were remarkable people, and I feel very lucky that this recipe is one of the things they left with our family.

These gingersnap cookies aren’t simply cookies to my husband. They carry memories of his mom, the home he grew up in, and all those Christmases when there were cookies waiting in the freezer.

That is why we originally named them Grammysnaps. Grammysnaps are also one of the recipes that make my bakery-style cookie recipes so personal to me. The cookies may be extra-large now, but the memories behind them go back much further.

I wanted to keep that name because this will always be Grammy’s recipe. At the same time, these cookies now remind me of another very special woman.

My mom’s best friend, Melodie, has always been like family to me. When I asked her which cookie she would like me to name in her honor, she chose Grammysnaps.

I could understand why.

Melodie doesn’t like cookies that are overly sweet, and she loves the molasses and warm spices in these gingersnap cookies. They’re sweet without being too sweet, and they have that wonderful combination of ginger and cinnamon in every bite.

So, while they will always be Grammysnaps, I’m also calling them Melodie’s Favorite Gingersnap Cookies.

One recipe can hold the memories of more than one person, especially when both of those people have been such meaningful parts of your life.

Why These Gingersnap Cookies Taste Like Christmas

For me, it’s the spices.

The smell of molasses, ginger, and cinnamon filling the kitchen instantly makes everything feel warmer and cozier. Even if there isn’t a Christmas tree in the room or snow outside, these gingersnap cookies somehow make it feel like Christmas.

They can be left plain, and honestly, they don’t need anything else. Rolling the dough in sugar gives the cookies a slightly sparkly, crackled outside while the middle stays wonderfully soft and chewy.

For Christmas, you can also drizzle or dip the cooled cookies in melted white chocolate and add a few festive sprinkles. That makes them especially pretty on a Christmas cookie tray, although Melodie may prefer them without the extra sweetness.

Either way, this is one very cozy cookie.

How to Make Melodie’s Favorite Gingersnap Cookies

This is a large family recipe. It makes approximately two dozen extra-large, five-ounce gingersnap cookies or about six dozen regular, two-ounce cookies.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups melted butter
5 eggs
1 1/4 cups molasses
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup ground ginger
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
8 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
Additional sugar for rolling
Melted white chocolate for dipping or drizzling, optional
Christmas sprinkles, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. If you’re baking at an elevation above 4,000 feet, try 325°F instead.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter. Add the eggs, molasses, and sugar, mixing well until fully combined.
Gradually add the ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Mix until the dough is well combined.
Check the consistency of the dough. It should be thick enough that it doesn’t stick to your hands when you roll it. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until it can be handled easily.
For extra-large gingersnap cookies, use a four-tablespoon cookie scoop and portion out two scoops of dough. Combine them to create one five-ounce ball.
Roll each ball in additional sugar, coating all sides.
Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet, leaving plenty of room between them.
Bake extra-large cookies for approximately 14 to 15 minutes. For smaller, two-ounce cookies, bake for approximately 12 to 14 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Once the gingersnap cookies have cooled completely, leave them plain or drizzle them with melted white chocolate. Add sprinkles before the chocolate sets, if desired.

My Best Tips for Grammysnaps

These gingersnap cookies have been perfected over many years to give them a slightly crisp outside and a soft, chewy center. A few simple things can help you get that same texture in your own kitchen.

Start with eight cups of flour, then check the dough. Humidity, altitude, the temperature of your ingredients, and even the way flour is measured can affect how much flour cookie dough needs.

The dough should be soft, but it shouldn’t stick to your hands when you roll it. If it’s still too sticky, add more flour 1/2 cup at a time.

I also recommend baking one test cookie before baking the entire pan. If it spreads too much, add a little more flour to the remaining dough. If it holds its shape and develops a lightly crisp outside with a soft middle, the dough is ready.

At lower elevations, I recommend starting at 350°F. I bake at just over 4,000 feet, where I’ve found that 325°F works well for my extra-large cookies. Oven temperatures can vary, so watch your first test cookie closely and adjust the baking time if needed.

Be careful not to overbake the cookies. They may still look slightly soft in the center when you take them from the oven. Letting them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes allows them to finish setting without losing that wonderful chewy middle.

Storing and Freezing Gingersnap Cookies

Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container.

They also freeze beautifully, which is particularly fitting for a cookie my husband has been sneaking out of the freezer since he was a boy.

Place the cooled gingersnap cookies in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag, separating the layers with parchment paper if needed. For the best quality, keep your freezer at 0°F or below, which is also recommended in the USDA’s freezing and food safety guidance.

You can let a frozen cookie thaw at room temperature, warm it, or eat it straight from the freezer like my husband does.

When I want to warm a frozen cookie, I place it directly into a cool oven and then turn the oven to 350°F. Depending on the size of the cookie, I let it warm for about 8 to 12 minutes.

More Cookie Baking Tips

For more of the things I’ve learned through years of baking cookies, read my Tips for the Perfect Cookie for help with flour, spreading, texture, baking times, altitude adjustments, and more.

Another Christmas Cookie to Try

If you’re putting together a Christmas cookie tray, try my Peanut Butter Nutella Kiss Cookies too. They’re completely different from Grammysnaps, with peanut butter, chocolate, and a Nutella center, but they’re another extra-large cookie that feels right at home during the holidays.

Explore The Cookie Collection

Grammysnaps are a perfect example of why The Cookie Collection means so much to me. Some recipes begin with a new flavor idea, while others carry memories that were already part of our family long before I started creating giant cookies. You can browse all of my bakery-style cookie recipes for more family favorites, giant cookies, seasonal creations, and the stories behind them.

There’s something special about a recipe that can carry so many memories.

These gingersnap cookies remind my husband of his mom, Christmas, and the cookies he used to sneak from the freezer. They remind me of the first time he made them after we were married and how one bite immediately felt like Christmas.

Now they also remind me of Melodie, who loves their warm spices and the fact that they aren’t overly sweet.

Grammysnaps will always belong to Grammy’s story, but there is room in that story to honor someone else we love too.

I think Grammy would understand that.

Every cookie with a name has a story. And this one belongs to Grammy and Melodie.