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    Home >> Aunt Lou's Archives

    Cinnamon Snaps - A Cinnamon Lovers Cookie

    Modified: Feb 22, 2022 · Published: Nov 23, 2019 by Analida · • Word count:1353 words. • About 7 minutes to read this article. • This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A 100+ year old family recipe for cinnamon snaps. A really nice crunchy cookie recipe!| ethnicspoon.com

    Cinnamon snaps are for more than just Christmas. In this post I am offering another installment from my Aunt Lou Archives series - Cinnamon Snaps - a close cousin to the ubiquitous Ginger Snaps cookies. It's a cinnamon dessert that won't disappoint.

     

    old fashioned cinnamon cookies on an antique plate with a cup of tea in the background

    Jump to:
    • Spice cookie history
    • Visual steps to make cinnamon snaps
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Cinnamon Snaps Recipe Card - A Cinnamon Lovers Cookie

    Spice cookie history

    At first, I was somewhat skeptical about cinnamon snaps. Cinnamon Snaps just sounded a bit plain, but my husband convinced me that we had to try them out, at least once, in honor of Aunt Lou. Once again we were confronted with a culinary conundrum: how do you make them? This is because, not surprisingly we were staring at a list of ingredients without any specific preparation guidelines. After a couple of minutes of head scratching, I said to my husband, "How hard can it be?" So we proceeded to make these cookie the same way we make any other cookie. We loved the result! I took a batch of cinnamon snaps into my office and they were gone in a flash!  My colleagues asked me to please give out the recipe. I happily complied and now the internet can enjoy this old-fashioned cinnamon dessert.

    Spice cookies are popular in Europe. They were brought to the U.S by our European ancestors as part of their culinary tradition. In Germany for example, a spice cookie called Pfeffernusse is popular at Christmas time. It is a spice cookie with nuts that is rolled into small balls, baked and then dusted with powder sugar, and yes, there will be a recipe for this also. According to my German friend Iris, spice cookies are popular in Germany around St. Nicholas Day - December 6th.

    Tips for making spice cookies

    Cinnamon and ground cloves dominate the taste. Not all cinnamon is created equal!  My husband and I like to use organic Vietnamese cinnamon. You can buy it online with the link or find it locally in your market or gourmet store. The reason why we like this cinnamon so much is because it has a very sweet taste; not the "atomic fireball" cinnamon bite that one encounters often on some of the more common brands.

    cinnamon snap cookies and tea on antique china

    Ingredients for cinnamon snaps

    • Flour - All purpose flour is the one to use for these cookies.
    • Butter - I like to use a good European style butter as it bakes better. Look for Kerry Gold butter and always cream it at room temperature.
    • Sugar - Use the standard granulated sugar.
    • Molasses - Dark molasses unsulphured with no preservatives.
    • Cloves - Buy whole cloves and grind them in a coffee grinder as this will give the best flavor. I have a small coffee grinder dedicated to spice grinding.
    • Cinnamon - I prefer organic Vietnamese cinnamon as I mentioned above.

    Visual steps to make cinnamon snaps

    A collage of photos showing the ingredients and a stand mixer to make cinnamon snaps cookies.

    1. Gather all your ingredients and have them ready to go: flour, butter (room temperature), sugar, molasses, baking soda, water, ground cloves, cinnamon and salt. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
    2. In a small bowl dissolve the baking soda in 2 Tbsp. of warm water and set aside.
    3. Mix together the salt and spices in another bowl.
    4. In the bowl of your stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy on medium speed. This usually takes 2 to 3 minutes.
    5. Add the molasses to the creamed butter and sugar on low speed.
    6. Add the baking soda and water mixture.
    7. Mix together the spices and flour until well combined in a large bowl.
    8. Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl on low speed.
    9. Add a little more four if necessary. The dough should be soft and pull away from the sides of the mixer.
    10. Place the dough on the lightly floured surface and form a ball
    11. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about ⅛ inch and cut into shapes.
    12. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges get slightly dark. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • How long can I freeze these cinnamon snap cookies? You can freeze them in an airtight container with freezer paper between layers of cookies. Be sure they are completely cooled before storing. They will store nicely for up to 2 months. This is a great cookie to make in advance for Christmas.
    • Do I have to refrigerate the cookies? No, you do not. You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.
    • Can I store the cookie dough? Yes, wrap the dough tightly and you can store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can then remove the dough, let it come to room temperature, roll out, cut and bake.

    Cinnamon Snaps go great with coffee or tea, whichever you prefer. They are crunchy, flavorful and simply delicious. Did I say you can dunk them in a glass of milk? If not, by all means do.

    Want to try more old-fashioned recipes from our Aunt Lou? 

    Aunt Lou's Hermit Cookies - These are a classic spice cookie that are said to imitate the look of a hermit's backpack. 

    Aunt Lou's Chocolate Drop Cookies - These chewy, chocolatey cookies are great for dunking in milk. 

    Aunt Lou's Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake - A delicious chocolate cake recipe from a family cookbook that came with no instructions and vague measurements. We figured it out just for you, our readers. 

    Aunt Lou's $200 Cake - This is old-fashion cake really sparked our curiosity. It's between pound cake and birthday cake with and the strawberry frosting is the perfect balance. 

    Aunt Lou's Feather Cake - This cake is anything but simple. It's dense, not overly sweet, and the perfect ending to a dinner party. 

    Looking for more recipes?
    Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week!  You can also find me sharing more inspiration in Pinterest and Facebook.

    cinnamon snap cookies and tea

    Cinnamon Snaps Recipe Card - A Cinnamon Lovers Cookie

    Here is a 100+ year old fashioned family recipe for cinnamon snaps. You will love this molasses spice cookie with a nice crunch! These are very similar to ginger snaps so if you are a cinnamon fan and not so much for ginger this is the cookie for you! Dunk these in your tea, so good! 
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cinnamon cookie, crispy crunchy cookies, old fashioned recipe, scratch recipe
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 35 servings
    Calories: 1745kcal
    Author: Analida Braeger

    Ingredients

    • 4-5 cups flour sifted, all purpose
    • 1 cup butter softened (room temperature), unsalted
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup molasses
    • 2 tsp. baking soda
    • 2 Tbs. water warm
    • 1 Tbs. ground cloves
    • 1 Tbs. cinnamon I love Vietnamese cinnamon!
    • 1 tsp. salt

    Instructions

    Make the cookie dough:

    • Preheat oven to 350° F.
    • In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the warm water.
    • In another small bowl, mix salt and spices. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. (Moderate speed until light and fluffy.)
    • Add the molasses and the dissolved baking soda. Mix thoroughly on low speed.
    • In another bowl combine about 4 cups of the flour and spices together and slowly add to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly until the dough is soft. (Add more flour as needed on low speed.)

    Roll out and bake:

    • Form a ball and roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut in desired shape. A thickness of about ⅛ inch works nicely.
    • Bake on parchment paper for 20 minutes or until just sightly dark around the edges.

    Notes

    Makes 3 about dozen cookies.  These are a VERY crisp cookie with a "snap" and great for dunking! 
    Frequently Asked Questions:
    • How long can I freeze these cinnamon snap cookies? You can freeze them in an airtight container with freezer paper between layers of cookies. Be sure they are completely cooled before storing. They will store nicely for up to 2 months. This is a great cookie to make in advance for Christmas.
    • Do I have to refrigerate the cookies? No, you do not. You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.
    • Can I store the cookie dough? Yes, wrap the dough tightly and you can store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can then remove the dough, let it come to room temperature, roll out, cut and bake.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1745kcal | Carbohydrates: 281g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 63g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 2127mg | Potassium: 1861mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 151g | Vitamin A: 1890IU | Calcium: 313mg | Iron: 13.5mg

    You might also like to try these:

    • The Aunt Lou Recipe Archives from Post World War I America
      Aunt Lou Recipe archive
    • Aunt Lou's Old Fashioned Hermit Cookies Recipe
      A photo of hermit cookies on a white plate with two cups of coffee.
    • Hummus Made With Greek Yogurt Recipe
      A bowl with hummus and za'atar with a wooden spoon.
    « Pork Tamales Recipe and History
    Avocado, Black Beans, Queso Fresco Empanadas »
    1121 shares
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. dina

      February 02, 2014 at 10:28 pm

      i love classic cookies. thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Analida

        February 03, 2014 at 8:36 am

        You are very welcome!
        Let me know how they turn out!

        Reply
    2. dianna

      April 24, 2014 at 12:11 am

      I can't locate a list of Aunt Lou's recipes. Just one or two a page. What am I missing?

      Reply
      • Analida

        April 26, 2014 at 7:47 pm

        I just started adding Aunt Lou's recipes this year. I will be adding more in the coming months. You can get a list by clicking Recipes-> Aunt Lou Archive.

        Reply
    3. Amanda

      April 06, 2015 at 9:48 pm

      4 stars
      This recipe looks absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to try it and see if it is a hit with my boys. Stopping by from the Monday Madness Link Party!
      Amanda
      http://www.queenofthelandoftwigsnberries.com

      Reply
      • Analida

        April 07, 2015 at 9:01 am

        Thanks Amanda. They are really good and freeze well too.

        Reply
    4. Sharon Rowe

      April 12, 2015 at 10:50 am

      Oh I haven't had these in years! Thanks for sharing on Monday Madness link party 🙂

      Reply
      • Analida

        April 12, 2015 at 12:36 pm

        You are welcome! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Christy

      April 14, 2015 at 7:02 pm

      These sound like a delicious alternative to ginger snaps! They would be perfect with my morning coffee. Thank you for sharing with Idea Box link party! Hope to see you again this Thursday 🙂

      Reply
      • Analida

        April 14, 2015 at 7:42 pm

        They are so yummy. They freeze well too!
        Glad I could share.
        🙂

        Reply
        • Christy

          April 15, 2015 at 5:52 pm

          Hi Analida! I love these and will be featuring them at Idea Box this week! Thanks so much for linking up 🙂

          Reply
          • Analida

            April 15, 2015 at 6:14 pm

            Thanks Christy!!! I really appreciate it!
            🙂

            Reply
    6. Cyrus

      May 11, 2015 at 9:24 am

      5 stars
      Very nice recipe, Analida! I love the addition of cloves to your snaps 🙂

      Reply
      • Analida

        May 11, 2015 at 3:20 pm

        Thanks Cyrus!

        Reply
    7. Ramya Menon @ War and Cheese

      September 03, 2015 at 12:37 am

      5 stars
      I love this! My gran used to make the most amazing ginger snaps, perfect with some tea... these I think I would love even more, because I can see them being awesome with coffee too (which is my preferred hot beverage)

      Reply
      • Analida

        September 03, 2015 at 6:39 pm

        Yes, definitely with coffee!!!

        Reply
    8. Kim~madeinaday

      September 08, 2015 at 5:01 pm

      What a great fall recipe! Thank you so much for linking up to Merry Monday this week! I am sharing your post today on our MM Pinterest board We hope to see you next week for another great party! Have a great week!
      Best,
      Kim

      Reply
      • Analida

        September 08, 2015 at 6:54 pm

        Thanks Kim!!! Have a great week also.

        Reply
    9. Kristina

      November 30, 2015 at 9:41 pm

      I love Penzeys, and plan to stop by there this week (their shallot salt, oh my!). I will be picking up your suggested cinnamon too, thanks! maybe I'll use some for these cookies!

      Reply
      • Analida

        December 01, 2015 at 5:57 pm

        Kristina, do get that cinnamon; it is to die for!

        Reply
    10. laura@motherwouldknow

      September 13, 2016 at 4:54 pm

      I love gingersnaps and I'm a big fan of cinnamon. So I guess these cookies are bound to become favorites of mine. Love the idea of switching up the spice in the snap.

      Reply
      • Analida

        September 13, 2016 at 6:39 pm

        Thanks Laura. Yes, gingersnaps are so tasty, especially with a cup of tea or coffee. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Michelle

      September 13, 2016 at 9:09 pm

      These look like a great cookie for a holiday cookie exchange...something a little different from the kiss cookies I make every year!

      Reply
      • Analida

        September 14, 2016 at 4:25 pm

        I love the kiss cookies! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Michelle

      November 27, 2019 at 1:41 pm

      5 stars
      I love these cookies! I used to buy some similar in Canada and can't find them anywhere where I live now. These are on my list to make for Christmas! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

      Reply

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    Analida profile pictureI have been researching and creating ethnic recipes for over 20 years. I love to share "mostly healthy" easy and affordable ethnic recipes using fresh ingredients, with a bit of culture and food history sprinkled in.... Read more-->

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