Are you looking for something similar to gingersnaps, but with a unique twist? Try our cardamom snaps, you'll love every bite of these fragrant, chewy cookies!
Are you craving more holiday cookies? We think you'll love our chocolate peppermint cookies and homemade gingerbread cookies.
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Ingredients
Curious about what you need to make cardamom snaps? You probably already have all these ingredients in your pantry.
- Fat: We use lard in this recipe, but shortening works equally well. I wouldn't recommend using butter, as the cookies will spread more and have a different texture.
- Sweeteners: We use both brown sugar and molasses to bring a depth of flavor and sweetness to the cookies.
- Spices: We use a mixture of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves for lots of flavors in our snaps. You can adjust the proportions or tweak the spices to your taste.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for our cardamom snaps recipe. You'll need all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, lard, egg, baking soda, and spices.
- Beat together the lard, brown sugar, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until well blended.
- Add the egg, molasses, and a couple of spoonfuls of flour to prevent the dough from curdling. A curdled batter, even if it becomes smooth, can sometimes negatively affect the end result.
3. Beat the mixture for cardamom snaps until fluffy and well mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure an even mix.
4. Dump in all the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Try to roll some of the dough into a ball; if it is too sticky, add an extra ¼ cup (30g) of flour and mix again.
5. Roll the snaps cookie dough into 1-inch balls, each weighing about 23g. Place the cookie balls on baking trays lined with parchment paper.
6. Mix together the white sugar and the cardamom. Roll the snaps in the sugar mixture.
7. Bake at 375°F for 10-13 minutes per tray. Let them cool on wire racks.
8. Serve them up these festive snaps for a holiday treat or pack them up in tins to give as gifts.
Recipe FAQs
They are a variation of gingersnaps, a chewy molasses cookie enjoyed at Christmas. They have a delightfully spicy fragrance from all the warming spices in the dough. These cookies keep well at room temperature for a few days and also freeze exceptionally well.
Cardamom is used to add sweet and aromatic flavor to baked goods such as bread, cookies, and other desserts.
Cardamon adds a pungent spicy flavor with some peppery notes of cinnamon, flowers, fruit, and mint. Its flavor is more pronounced when ground rather than kept whole.
If you are using cardamom pods, cut open the pods and remove the seeds inside. Place them in a clean spice grinder and pulse until a fine powder.
Store
- Make ahead: Make cardamom snaps in advance and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months in a tightly sealed container.
- Leftovers: Store the snaps in a metal cookie tin, not a plastic container. Plastic containers will make them go soft, changing their chewy texture. Also, make sure to store them in a tin by themselves, as they can absorb the flavors of other cookies, such as peppermint. They will keep for up to five days at room temperature.
- Freezer: It's best to store snaps sealed up in a zip-top freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months; then, defrost them by letting them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Add a couple of spoonfuls of flour to the dough when you add the egg. This keeps the dough from curdling.
- Make the cookie dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to bake.
- Want extra crunchy snaps? Bake for a few extra minutes, but watch them so their bottoms don't burn.
- Store snaps in a metal tin to keep them crisp and chewy. Plastic containers will make the cookies go soft.
- Freeze extra snaps and defrost them at room temperature for half an hour.
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Recipe
Cardamom Snaps
Ingredients
- ¾ cup lard, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
Making the Dough (15 min)
- Beat the lard until it's smooth in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the brown sugar, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again to fully combine.
- Beat in the molasses and egg with a few tablespoons of the flour to prevent the mixture from curdling. Scrape down the sides again, then add the flour all at once and mix until well blended.
Rolling & Baking (20 min + 20 min baking)
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the granulated sugar and cardamom in a shallow bowl until thoroughly mixed.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, weighing about 23g each, then roll each ball in the sugar mixture. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the baking stone or cookie sheet.
- Bake each tray one at a time at 375 F for about 10-12 minutes, until the cookies have cracked and the edges are set. Be careful not to overbake, since they will harden up as they cool.
- Let them cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack for them to cool and harden. Enjoy.
Notes
- Add a couple spoonfuls of flour along with the egg to keep the dough from curdling.
- Make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate, roll, and bake when needed.
- Want them extra crunchy? Bake for a few extra minutes, but watch them so their bottoms don't burn.
- Store these in a metal tin to keep them crisp and chewy. Plastic containers will make them go soft. Be sure to store the snaps separately from other cookies, or they may absorb their flavor.
- Freeze extras and defrost them at room temperature for half an hour.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Our cardamom snap recipe was originally published on November 10, 2017.
Karen
Exactly what I was looking for in a cardamom cookie. I’ve already made it multiple times.
Emma
That's lovely to hear, Karen! I'm so glad that you have enjoyed these cookies enough to make more than once!
Ellen
Thanks! And if I don’t have that either? I’m a newbie baker. Are these things I should have in my pantry?
Emma
If you don't have shortening or lard, the closest substitute would be butter. Just realize that butter has a lower melting temperature than lard or shortening, and it will change the texture of the cookies. I'd definitely recommend keeping a container of lard or shortening in your pantry if you're getting into baking.
Ellen
I don’t have any lard! Anything that would be a good substitute?
Emma
Vegetable shortening would be the best substitute. Happy baking, Ellen!
Anita Hoskins
These might be my new favorite cookies! I have always enjoyed ginger snaps but prefer these chewy, delicious cardamom snaps.
Emma
Thank you so much, Anita! I'm thrilled that you like cardamom snaps so much. ❤
Alex
The cardamom snaps are chewy, and the sugar coating adds some crunch. The cracks look cool on these cookies.
Emma
Cardamom snaps are definitely one of the best kinds of Christmas cookies! Thanks for your comment, Alex.
Beth
These soft brown cookies were rolled in sugar before being baked, which gives them a sparkly look. They have nice cracks on top. They smell AMAZING when baking, and they retain the aroma afterwards. These cookies are soft and chewy, and taste good with mulled apple cider!
Emma
Thanks for your kind words, Beth! I'm so glad that you like cardamom snaps.