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Cookie of the day · Saturday, November 14, 2026

Thin and Crispy Vegan Molasses Ginger Snaps

Thin, crackle-topped ginger snaps with dark molasses, lots of ground ginger, cinnamon and a little clove. They crisp all the way through as they cool, so they snap cleanly and hold up on a holiday cookie tray.

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Thin and Crispy Vegan Molasses Ginger Snaps
Total time
1 hr 50 mins
Makes
48 cookies
Oven
350°F
Ingredients
12

Includes 30 min chill and two 14 min bake rounds.

About these cookies

These ginger snaps are thin, with crackled, sugar-glazed tops and a crisp, clean snap from edge to center. Molasses gives them a deep, slightly bittersweet flavor, and a full tablespoon of ground ginger brings real heat, backed by cinnamon and a little clove. They keep well, travel well and hold their crunch on a dessert tray, and any extras crush into a spicy crumb for a pie crust.

Steps

  14. Tap a step to check it off.

Tips for success

  • Use regular unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap. Blackstrap is bitter and less sweet, and it can make the cookies taste harsh.
  • Use stick-style vegan butter, not a soft spread from a tub. Tub spreads contain more water, which makes the cookies bake up chewy instead of crisp.
  • Don't pull the cookies early. Wait until the centers have puffed and then fallen flat and the tops are fully crackled, usually 12 to 14 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Underbaked snaps stay bendy.
  • They will feel soft when they come out of the oven. They crisp as they cool, so judge them only after they have cooled completely on the rack.
  • Always put the dough on cool baking sheets. Dough placed on a hot sheet starts melting before it goes in the oven and spreads unevenly.

Swaps

  • Vegan butter: use 0.5 cup plus 2 tbsp of solid refined coconut oil, creamed the same way. The cookies spread a little more and turn out even crisper, but the dough is firmer once chilled, so let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling.
  • Dairy-free milk: use 2 tbsp of water instead. There is no noticeable difference in flavor or texture.
  • All-purpose flour: use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum. The snaps come out slightly sandier and more fragile, but they are still thin and crisp.
  • Granulated sugar in the dough: replace up to 0.5 cup of it with packed light brown sugar for a deeper caramel flavor. Expect slightly chewier centers, and add a minute to the bake time to dry them out.

Storing

Store the cooled snaps in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or freeze them in a sealed bag for up to 3 months. If they soften, re-crisp them on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes, then let them cool completely.

This recipe was developed with AI and checked for vegan ingredients and sensible baking times, but it hasn’t been test-baked in our kitchen yet. How our recipes are made.

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