These Swedish Ginger Cookies (Pepparkakor in Swedish) are REALLY something special...thin, melt-in-your-mouth buttery and with just the right amount of warm spices. This is a cookie recipe I guarantee you will want to turn to again and again!
Slightly chewy on the inside and crisp around the edges, the texture of these Swedish Ginger Cookies is unique and somewhat addictive. The recipe comes from my Swedish great grandmother and has a long, delicious history in our family. And now I'm here to share this keeper with YOU along with all of the tips, tricks and step-by-step instructions you need to make perfect pepparkakor every time.
Why This Recipe Works
- The unique crisp/chewy texture of these Swedish Ginger Cookies is partially thanks to the inclusion of pastry flour in the dough. While pastry flour is not something you might normally stock in your pantry, these cookies are reason enough to pick some up (or see the FAQs below for an easy substitution).
- They are super thin and bursting with cozy warm spice flavor.
- These cookies are EASY and fun to make!
Ingredients
- Pastry flour. As I mentioned above, this ingredient gives these cookies their unique texture and thin appearance. For a substitute for pastry flour you can use 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour mixed with ¼ cup cornstarch. The cookies will not be as thin using this substitute but they will be tender and delicious!
- Molasses and sugar provide sweetness.
- Baking soda is our leavener, and cinnamon, ginger and cloves provide warm spice flavor.
- Butter brings richness to the dough and an egg adds a bit of structure.
See the recipe card below for specific amounts and instructions for making this recipe.
How to Make This Recipe
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
- Combine the butter, sugar and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low until the dough just comes together. Transfer the dough t a piece of plastic wrap and wrap tightly. Refrigerator for at least 2 hours or freeze for 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place ½ cup of sugar in a small bowl nearby and find a drinking glass with a flat bottom.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator or freezer. Tear off one small piece at a time. Roll the dough between your palms into a small ball about ¾ inch in diameter. Place the dough ball in the bowl of sugar and roll it around until it is completely coated. Place the dough ball of the prepared baking sheet.
- Continue with the remaining dough until the baking sheet is filled, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each dough ball on the baking sheet (the cookies will spread considerably). Dip the bottom of the drinking glass in the bowl of sugar and press down on each ball flattening it into a disk shape that is about ¼ inch thick. Dip the bottom of the glass back into the bowl of sugar each time you flatten a cookie.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are just set. Do not over bake. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough, re-chilling the dough as necessary to make it easier to work with (the dough will be stickier as it warms up).
Expert Tips
- Use pastry flour. The texture of these cookies when made with pastry flour is sublime. It is well worth the investment.
- Chill the dough thoroughly and keep it cold as you roll the cookies. Because pastry flour is so soft, this dough can be sticky and a bit difficult to work with. Make sure your dough is good and cold before you begin rolling it. I like to take just a portion of it from the fridge for rolling, leaving the rest in the refrigerator until I need it. If you find that the dough is becoming too soft to work with, put it back into the fridge or freezer and let if firm up before working with it again.
- Roll small balls of dough, no more than ¾ inch in diameter and leave plenty of room between cookies. These cookies spread as they bake and if you don't start with a small portion of dough, the ginger snaps will run together as they bake. I am usually able to get 5 rows of 4 cookies on each sheet.
- Dip the bottom of your glass in sugar before flattening each cookie. As I said, this dough is sticky and if you don't have a protective layer of sugar on the bottom of your glass, it will stick to the unbaked cookie. Also, that outer layer of sugar helps contribute to the delightful texture of the finished product.
- Don't over bake. The cookies will rise slightly in the oven and then fall becoming flat. This is when they are done. In my oven that takes about 8 minutes per batch.
- Cool the cookies completely before removing them from the pan. This helps them release cleanly without any sticking. If you try to remove them too soon, the pepparkakor have a tendency to stick to the parchment paper.
FAQs
After baking and cooling the cookies completely, simply store at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, see the FAQ about freezing below.
Yes! These cookies freeze really well. Be sure they have completely cooled before placing them in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container or freezer bag. They will keep for at least 3 months in the freezer. You can also freeze the dough if you prefer!
Pastry flour is a very soft, low-protein flour that produces exceptionally tender baked goods (pastry flour has approximately 9 percent protein while all-purpose flour has closer to 11 percent).
A combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch is a common substitute for pastry flour. For this recipe you will need 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch in place of the 2 cups of pastry flour. Swedish Ginger Cookies made with this pastry flour substitute will indeed be soft and tender, but they will not have that thin, crispy-chewy quality of the original. They are still delicious, but they will be slightly thicker and have a more chewy texture throughout than the pastry flour version.
"Peppar" means pepper and "kakor" means cookie or biscuit (it can also mean cake which can be a little confusing). While there is no pepper in this (and most) recipes for pepperkakor, it generally refers to the warm spices (think cinnamon, ginger, cloves) present in the dry ingredients.
Pepparkakor are uniquely thin but vary in texture from crisp and crunchy to slightly chewy depending on the recipe. Some ginger cookies are simply flattened disks (like this one) while others are meant to be rolled out and cut into shapes prior to baking. The cookies are often eaten plain but can be decorated with icing or glaze for a touch of extra sweetness and a little decoration. They are an excellent accompaniment to coffee tea or glögg (Swedish mulled red wine)!
Related Recipes
Looking for more classic Swedish cookies to bake at home? Give these a try!
I really hope you try these Swedish Ginger Cookies. They are truly one of a kind. Please let me know if you do in the comments below!
Recipe
Swedish Ginger Cookies (Pepparkakor)
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 2 cups pastry flour OR 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ cup butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 egg
To Roll Out the Cookies:
- ½ cup granulated sugar more if needed
Instructions
- Whisk pastry flour (or all-purpose flour and cornstarch), baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine butter, sugar and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. This will take longer if you are mixing by hand. Reduce speed to low and add the egg. Mix until fully combined.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Using a spatula, transfer dough to a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to one day or, alternatively, place dough in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. The dough will be easier to work with if it is well-chilled.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place ½ cup of sugar in a small bowl and find a drinking glass with a flat bottom.
- Remove a portion of the dough from the refrigerator. Tearing off one small piece at a time, roll dough between your palms into a small ball about ¾ inch in diameter. Dough will be sticky. Place dough ball in the bowl of sugar and roll it around until it is completely coated. Place ball on prepared baking sheet.
- Continue with remaining dough until baking sheet is filled, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each dough ball on the baking sheet. Dip the bottom of the drinking glass into the bowl of sugar and press down on each ball flattening it into a disc approximately ¼ inch thick. Be sure to dip the glass in the sugar before flattening each cookie.
- Place baking sheet in the oven and bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are just set. Do not over bake if you want the center of the cooke to remain slightly chewy. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough, rechilling the dough as necessary if it becomes difficult to work with.
Video
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Swedish Ginger Cookies (Pepparkakor) and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
Kristina N/A Kopacz says
I've made these for the last 3 years at Christmas, love them....
But can i use fresh ground ginger? I just happen to have some.
Kristi says
I've never tried using fresh ground ginger! I'm sure it would work but you might have a stronger, more pronounced ginger flavor. Please let me know if you give it a try!
Kristi
Genelle says
I loved watching your cooking demo at NORSK HØSTFEST this year and have made these twice since then. Once I made them with the blackstrap molasses I had on hand and the molasses overpowered the ginger a bit so I will add more ginger next time if I use that molasses. I like to weigh my cookies so they all cook evenly and 8-9 grams of dough per cookie is just the right size to get 80-90 cookies.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Kristi says
Hi Genelle,
You are so welcome! I'm glad you are enjoying the cookies at home. They are a definite favorite around our house. I hope to see you at Høstfest again next year!
Kristi
Eileen Balesteri says
Hi Kristi! I woke up early, and was searching the Internet for something good to bake while it’s cold outside, and I’ll be making these today!
My husband loves the boxed ginger snaps, so I’m excited to try these out.
Also, I read the comments about combining the all-purpose & cornstarch (which I plan to do) and wanted to share a tip. I don’t know the science behind it (there’s always science in baking!) but I was told that after combining, sift the flour & cornstarch together five times. The back and forth is a bit tedious (I just tap the flour through a wooden-handled, mesh sifter—seems quicker to me)but it’s not so bad, and worth it to get so much closer to actual pastry flour.
Thanks again for helping me plan my day with your cookie recipes! (I’m going to try the lemon cookies, too!)
Kristi says
What a wonderful tip, Eileen! Thanks so much for sharing it! I will definitely give that a try.
Happy Baking!
Kristi
Joanne Tanaka Cuerden says
Amazing recipe! Delicious cookies. I added 1 cup chopped candied ginger. I will try adding a full teaspoon of ground ginger next time. Cooking the cookies 9 minutes instead of 8 made them more caramelized. I also chilled the dough, cut smaller pieces before hand rolling and it made rolling into the ball shape easier. Thank you!
Kristi says
Hi Joanne,
So glad you enjoyed the cookies! They are a family favorite around here. I love the crystalized ginger idea.....yum! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. It is much appreciated!
Kristi
Ann Wearing says
Hi
Really want to make these but pastry flour is exhorbitantly expensive. Can I use cornflour instead of corn starch with the all purpose (UK plain) flour?
These look like the Nyaker swedish bisuits I was given for Xmas. Loved them!
Thanks
Ann
Kristi says
Hi Ann!
Thanks for your question! I'm not sure how cornflour compares to American cornstarch (which is very fine in texture). I'm inclined to suggest that you use all AP flour instead. They will still be amazing but probably not quite as thin.
Happy Baking!
Kristi
Dorothy Levandusky says
I have never made ginger snaps before and these were absolutely AMAZING! I have been searching for traditional Scandinavian baking recipes and am so glad that I found your site! I was wondering if you have ever tried freezing them?
Kristi says
Hi Dorothy,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the ginger snaps! I have frozen them many times with excellent results. Happy baking!
Kristi
Sarah Scully says
These are delicious. Mine are not as flat as yours, but beautiful and slightly soft. So, so good. I am eating them all.
Kristi says
HI Sarah,
Thanks for your comment! So glad you are enjoying them. Happy New Year!
Kristi
Mary Jane Lake says
Kristi, I just baked a batch of these awsome cookies after the webinar you and your daughter did for Vesterheim, yesterday. What a delight it was to actually watch the two of you working and laughing together. I'm an organic nut, so I used all organic ingredients including whole wheat pastry flour and blackstrap molasses from Wholesome. They are darker than yours and took 10 minutes to bake in my oven, but, oh my, they are now our favorite cookie! Thank you SO much for sharing.I now understand how they can disappear before you can freeze them.
PS I'm getting a pullman loaf pan with lid for Christmas so I can start baking Danish Rye Bread using your video and recipe!!!
Kristi says
Hi Mary Jane,
Thank you for the nice note! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cookies! It's good to know that the whole wheat pastry flour and stronger molasses work just fine as well. Emma and I had such fun doing that class on Saturday! It's very nice that the Vesterheim is creating ways for us to connect virtually this year. It is certainly better than nothing! Please report back once you make the rugbrød. It is one of the most popular recipes on my blog by far. I've had a few people say that they've had trouble finding the 7 grain cereal I ask for in the recipe. If you can't find the Bob's Red Mill brand, the 7 grain mix from http://www.nuts.com also works just fine.. Happy baking to you!
Kristi
Pat Casey says
Thank you for this, these are great. The technique of flatten them with a glass is brilliant. I used the bottom of a pint glass that had been dredged in sugar.
I decreased the baking soda by 1/2 teaspoon, my thinking was this would allow them to be very flat with little rise. They were flat and a bit crispy, like ginger snap.
And I increased the Ginger to 1 teaspoon, for a little extra ginger punch.
I really loved them thanks.
Pat Casey
Kristi says
Hi Pat,
Thanks for the feedback! I'm so glad you enjoyed the ginger snaps. They are a family favorite!
Kristi
Kristina Kopacz says
These were the best! I have tried for years to get the "snap" in ginger snaps, never could get it. This was perfect! I will probably add just a wee bit more of ginger next time! But thanks so much!
Kristi says
Hi Kristina,
So glad you enjoyed the ginger snaps! They are my favorite cookie, hands down. Happy holidays to you and thank you for the feedback!
Kristi
Viki says
Just made a perfect batch! I followed the recipe using the flour/corn starch. Yes it was sticky, but after the cooling process turned out surprisingly easy to roll. I love the tip about flattening with the glass. I made them thin to 1/4 of an inch. And yes they must be thoroughly cooled before removing them form the parchment paper. I made them for Christmas, but will have to make more as they are almost gone! My new favourite!!
Kristi says
Hi Viki,
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for leaving me a comment and letting them know how they turned out for you!
Kristi
Sue Corson says
I just finished baking these little gems. I am a lover of Ginger/ molasses cookies and have tried many recipes. These are by far the best! I just used regular flour minus the cornstarch ( because I missed seeing it) added a hint of cinnamon
To the sugar I rolled them in, otherwise I ended up with crisp thin cookies. I will most definitely be making them again!!Thanks for a super recipe!!!
Kristi says
Hi Sue,
Thank you for your comment! These ginger snaps really are wonderful. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Kristi
Dietrich says
Baked these today and they turned out great. Followed the recipe in using the flour/starch mix. Kept the cookie balls to about 8g each, which seems small but after flattening and baking they are just right in size. Will definitely bake these again.
Kristi says
Hi Dietrich,
Thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed the ginger snaps. They are one of my absolute favorite cookies of all time! Thanks again for taking the time to let me know how they turned out. I really appreciate it.
Kristi
Marge Mellendorf says
Mine get thicker, like Kathryn said, I use all purpose flour, however I have made so many for years that I will
continue, my brother would not be too happy if they were thin!
Kristi says
They are definitely good either way!
Kristi
Patricia Donovan says
We just made this recipe for a Christmas Eve treat. I will try again with pastry flour as they did not get as crispy as my son likes. I realize it's probably sacrilegious in terms of baking but we've always made our gingersnaps with Crisco shortening and they are quite delicious! They get really crispy but not flat.
Kristi says
Hi Pat!
These are definitely more tender than the really crisp variety of ginger snaps. If you bake them a little longer they will be crispier. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Kristi
Kathryn says
I made these cookies and they are delish! Only thing is mine did not turn out like the picture above. Mine are thicker and smoother. They flavour is fabulous but I was hoping for a thinner cookie.
Thanks for the recipe.
Kristi says
Hi Kathryn! I’m glad you liked them and thank you for the feedback! I’m wondering what kind of flour you used? Mine only get as thin as the ones in the photo when I use pastry flour. They are still delicious with all purpose flour or a combination of cornstarch and all purpose flour, just not as thin.