Crunchy and slightly chewy Gingernut Biscuits, spiced with ginger and sweetened with honey. They are deliciously addictive and so easy to make. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
Gingernut Biscuits
There is a book shop in Zurich which has a large section filled with English books, and a curiously large section filled with American and British food for the expats.
I use the term “food” loosely because it is really only snack food (or, rather, junk food) on offer, but I suppose these are the sorts of things you miss when you move to another country.
Ginger Snap Cookies
The other week, my son eyed a packet of gingernut biscuits and desperately demanded that I buy a packet, even though he had never tried anything like it before.
I had my doubts that he would like the spicy, peppery taste of ginger biscuits. But he surprised me. Not only did he love the gingernut biscuits, he declared them to be the “yummiest biscuits ever”.
Not wanting to be beaten by a packet of shop-bought biscuits, I thought it was time to bake a batch of homemade Gingernut Biscuits (also called Ginger Snaps, depending on where you live).
Gingernut Biscuit Recipe
Once upon a time, pre-children, I used to bake quite a lot, and I recall a stage when I baked Gingernut Biscuits quite often.
This is a nice and simple recipe for Gingernut Biscuits which has been adapted from Bake by Rachel Allen, an Irish cookbook author. I adore all of her books, and making these Gingernut Biscuits again was something of a revival for me.
I ought to bake more often, and I ought to bake with my children more often.
This recipe for Gingernut Cookies is incredibly easy and foolproof, which makes it perfect for making with children.
There are no fancy ingredients required, no chilling the dough, and most of the hard work can be done with a stand mixer.
How to Make Gingernut Biscuits
I find it easiest to make these Gingernut Biscuits using my electric stand mixer. But you can, of course, make everything by hand with a bowl and wooden spoon.
Place the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat in the softened butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Slowly beat in the warmed honey until the mixture comes together into a sough.
Roll out small balls of dough, and then roll these balls of dough in some granulated sugar.
Place the balls of dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, and gently flatten them with a fork.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden.
So what did my son think of these homemade Gingernut Biscuits? Currently, they are “the best best best cookies in the world” 🙂 I hope you will agree!
Gingernut Biscuits
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Approx 20 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Australian
Crunchy and slightly chewy Gingernut Biscuits, spiced with ginger and sweetened with honey. They are deliciously addictive and so easy to make. You won’t be able to stop at one!
Print
Pin Recipe
RateIngredients
- 225 g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- pinch of fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (powdered ginger)
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 100 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 100 g (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 100 g (1/4 cup) honey
- granulated sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (without fan).
- Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Measure the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, ground ginger, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, and caster sugar into the bowl of a stand-mixer.
- Using the flat paddle attachment, gently mix everything together.
- Add the butter and beat lightly until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Heat the honey in a small saucepan over low heat until it is just warm and becomes runny in texture.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the warm honey until the mixture comes together to form a soft dough.
- If the mixture looks too dry and needs a bit more moisture, add a squeeze or two of more honey and continue mixing until it comes together in a soft dough.
- Sprinkle some granulated sugar on a plate.
- Roll pieces of the dough into small balls.
- Roll the balls of dough in the granulated sugar until they are fully coated all over.
- Place the balls of dough on the baking tray about 5 cm (2 inches) apart.
- Using a fork to slightly flatten the balls of dough.
- Bake for about 10 minutes until they are just golden. If the cookies are baked for too long and become too dark, they will taste bitter.
- Leave the cookies on the baking tray for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to wire rack to cool.
Kitchen Notes
This recipe produces Gingernut Biscuits which are crispy, but slightly chewy in the centre.
For a really crispy cookie, you can make them a bit thinner.
OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Per cookie
- Calories: 94
- Sugar: 7.8g
- Sodium: 112.6mg
- Fat: 3.5g
- Carbohydrates: 15.2g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 9mg
Update
This recipe was first published on 10 August 2011. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.
Wonderful post, short, simple and comforty. And gorgeous photos too. I’m already comforted and now i just need a taste x
Oh thanks, Julia! Have you made these before? I know that you’ve cooked a bit from Bake and I wasn’t sure if this recipe was amongst them? I’m addicted to these cookies at the moment – I’ve already finished half the batch on my own!
Ginger honey snap name is soothing itself… This looks delicious and lovely photographs.
Thanks
I love these cookies! I agree..tea and good biscuits always makes life better. x
Oh yes, a ginger biccie dunked in a steaming hot cuppa may be the secret to world peace! I love these as a generic these but have never tried RA’s recipe. I have a male friend who makes the most divine ginger bics and he plays with the syrup and butter ratio to produce biccies with more or less snap. He uses golden syrup not honey. Gorgeous Creme!
Gingersnaps are one of my favourite biscuits. I’d love to try these with a deep golden syrup, too!
My grans ginger snap biscuits are something i definitely crave if im feeling like i need a bit of homely nostalgia, i love the warmth of anything gingery but her biccy recipe hits the spot like no other! Your recipe looks pretty similar with a few substitutions (such as honey for golden syrup) so i can imagine that they are truly gorgeous, and your photos are simply wonderful! Beautiful indeed
I just made these fabulous Ginger Snaps. I did not have honey so I used Golden Syrup. I will definately try them with honey another time as I can imagine the background flavour adding more depth. Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe. This one is a keeper. So simple to make I never made Ginger Snaps before I usually buy them. Now I will make these more often.
Hi Tat,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂 I adore ginger snap biscuits and found these to be as good, if not better, than the shop-bought version. Just as well because they are not sold where I live! I haven’t made these in a while so thank you for reminding me.
OMG just wanted to let you know I made them again, with honey this time. I am in heaven. I could not stop thinking about them after the first batch was made and since it is so damn easy and quick to put together I just had to do it again. It is even better with the honey. I think I love you, LOL
Oh I’m so glad you tried this recipe again 🙂 It’s funny that you posted this comment because I had earmarked this recipe to make again this weekend. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Oh my gosh I need to try ASAP! This is delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
These are simply wonderful! I seriously can’t stop eating them. Will add more ginger next time for a deeper ginger taste
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I like my ginger snaps extra spicy too 🙂
Just awesome..
★★★★★
Thank you!
Quite nice but a but sticky so need to be careful as can stick together
★★★
Gorgeous recipe. Biscuits were crunchy with a bit of chew. Perfect with a cup of tea.
★★★★★