Swedish Ginger Cookies Recipe (2024)

By Cathy Horyn

Updated Oct. 16, 2023

Swedish Ginger Cookies Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 30 minutes, after several hours' refrigeration
Rating
4(536)
Notes
Read community notes

There is little good in any Christmas cookie except the thought behind it. This may be doubly true for Swedish ginger cookies, a recipe that I have cherished for years, but I often feel it should come with a special warning. The principal ingredient in a batch of Swedish ginger cookies — the one that really does the trick — is ¾ of a cup of bacon fat. You can never be too certain these days about what people will allow themselves to enjoy. Their ideas about what is good for them may be circ*mscribed by their upbringing, their religion or their proximity to a pig. However, I suspect that the Swedish cook who came up with this recipe was simply hemmed in by her larder. She had a pan of drippings and some extra sugar and spices, and she made a thin, brown cookie that tasted sweetly of smoke.

Featured in: THE TALK; Season's Drippings

Learn: How to Make Sugar Cookies

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have

    10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers.

    Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Print Options

    Include recipe photo

Advertisem*nt

Ingredients

  • ¾cup bacon fat, cooled (from 1½ to 2 pounds Oscar Mayer bacon)
  • 1cup sugar, plus ¼ cup for dusting the cookies
  • 4tablespoons dark molasses
  • 1large egg
  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2teaspoons baking soda
  • 1teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

301 calories; 18 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 296 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Swedish Ginger Cookies Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Step

    2

    In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine all ingredients. Spin until dough forms.

  3. Step

    3

    Chill the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours. Drop the dough in 1-tablespoon lumps on a cookie sheet, form into balls, roll in sugar, space 2 inches apart and press flat with fingers. Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes until dark brown. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to finish cooling.

Ratings

4

out of 5

536

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Sheila Beck

This recope is virtually identical to one I got from my aunt and have given it to many friends. She used butter, no bacon fat. They're wonderful!

April

Why wouldn't you want to cook two pounds of bacon? Could be the best part of this recipe!

Sarah Jane Watson

Question: Could lard be substituted for bacon fat? then you wouldn't have to cook 2 lbs. of bacon.

Ulrika

I’m very surprised to see that these cookies are called “Swedish”. I’m Swedish and come from a family with several generations of avid bakers. I’m sure these cookies taste great and I wish everyone trying this recipe lots of joy, but of the many different versions of ginger cookies I have baked (using Swedish recipes), non of them suggest using bacon fat. Maybe the recipe is from times when butter was hard to get by.

Andrea

Interesting, delicious ginger cookie that will henceforth replace my traditional Finnish recipe! I used the ingredients exactly as cited in the recipe. Refrigerated the dough overnight, scooped balls with 1 TBSP melon baller, flattened to 1/4” with the bottom of a drinking glass. Spaced 2” apart, cookies did not spread excessively. Yield 60 2” diam cookies.

Kat

made this with butter and did add butter spices and sugar to food processor before adding the flour. Then rolled into a log wrapped in parchment paper and kept it in the fridge. when ready to bake I sliced the dough very thin 1/8” and baked. otherwise followed directions exactly and they are fantastic! if you use salted butter you do need to reduce the salt or they are pretty salty, but still incredibly delicious.

Emily

Two teaspoons of baking soda make these cookies taste mostly of baking soda. I recommend one tsp instead. If you'd like to spice it up a bit, add a little cayenne and/or black pepper and/or cardamom.

Barbara

chilled dough is important or cookies spread too much.

Beenzee

When I was a child my mother kept a coffee can on the stove into which she poured the bacon drippings. Nothing else was poured the can. She would use it for frying eggs, greasing pans, and making a hot spinach salad. She and my Dad lived into their 70'a so I guess it wasn't too unhealthy.

Jamie

Update—if you like these thin and crispy (I do), do not sub in any butter, and be sure to press them flat after rolling in sugar. I didn’t press our first batch and they are delightful but the result is crispy edges and chewy middles. The second batch produced a nice snappy cookie.

Waste

It's not necessary to pre-heat the oven for a few hours. I suggest pre-heating after chilling the dough, not before.

Annya

I agree with 1 commenter that it’s too salty if you use salted butter. But I’m confused about this because I used half salted and half unsalted and adjusted the salt down and they still came out too salty. Also the recipe actually calls for bacon fat and oat bacon fat famously salty?? Also they spread much more than expected and I should have used twice as many baking trays but the end cookies were probably the right thickness so again I’m confused. But good cookies!

sassy

Wonderful cookie! Made the dough with roughly half bacon fat, half butter. Chilled in fridge overnight (ran out of time to bake). Baked them in 3 different ways over a few days; flattened balls (came out thin and crisp), thick lumps/spoonfuls (came out thick and a bit chewy), and last-added chocolate chips to the lumps (favorite way- came out delicious!!!) I love how versatile the dough is- so try it and get creative!

Erik

Used mostly bacon fat, but made up the difference with shortening. I would say the Step 1 “Preheat the oven” should be done until closer to baking time, lol

Karen

Haven't yet tried this recipe, but have a similar one. I'm wondering if anyone added a little mustard powder ?

dylan olivia

So good! I substituted the bacon fat with 1.5 sticks of butter and ground ginger with fresh ginger from the freezer. I skipped dipping the cookies in sugar and they were perfect otherwise.

Mithu

To anyone who successfully made these with butter - was it a 1:1 substitution? I suspect not, because butter has a bit of water in it. Thanks!

Victoria

made these last week with my two year old. We used butter instead of bacon fat, but no other adjustments. They were fantastic! Easy recipe, great flavour & texture

Billie Davison

Did anyone freeze these cookies? If so, how did they do?

Susie

Wow! This is a great cookie! I used 1/2 cup bacon grease and 1/4 cup butter, and half the amount of cloves (not a fan) and they turned out GREAT! Crispy and delicious. I might use less salt the next time.

Manda

Added chopped up candied ginger to the food processor. Didn’t find them to be gingery enough with just the powder. Turned out great. Recipe works beautifully with 1:1 gluten free flour.

Anne

Years ago I printed this recipe from the NYT and use my ingredient splattered copy every year. It makes a perfect cookie. Written in my hand on the paper is, “Always double this”, which I highly recommend. Whenever I cook bacon I save the fat in the fridge or freezer, no need to cook the bacon at the last minute.

Waste

It's not necessary to pre-heat the oven for a few hours. I suggest pre-heating after chilling the dough, not before.

Sally

Not impressed. #1 - why do the instructions say to preheat the oven before any other steps when the dough has to chill for several hours? #2 - I reduced the bacon fat to 1/4 cup and used butter for the remainder. Even so, I don’t enjoy the tinge of bacon flavor.

Jamie

Update—if you like these thin and crispy (I do), do not sub in any butter, and be sure to press them flat after rolling in sugar. I didn’t press our first batch and they are delightful but the result is crispy edges and chewy middles. The second batch produced a nice snappy cookie.

LV

Used half bacon fat and half butter. It really all does just ‘come together’ in the food processor. I’ve never made an easier cookie. I used a cookie scoop which is felt was a necessity- the dough is very soft even after chilling overnight. I scooped, rolled in sugar, pressed flat w a glass (dipped in sugar). These puffed and spread quite a bit in the over (unlike another users results).

Private notes are only visible to you.

Swedish Ginger Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular cookie in Sweden? ›

What type of cookie is the most popular in Sweden? Pepparkakor. It's only eaten in december but then in larger quantity than all other cookies the rest of the year.

What's the difference between ginger snaps and ginger cookies? ›

The basic difference between two is that the Gingerbread cookies have comparatively soft texture than the ginger snaps. The ginger snaps are dry and hard, so they 'snap'. This is due to longer time for baking and use of molasses instead of sugar.

What does pepparkakor mean in english? ›

Pepparkakor or Pepparkaka means pepper cookie / pepper cookies. Peppar means pepper in Swedish and kakor or kaka means cookie, biscuit and can also mean cake so it can be a bit confusing.

What's the difference between speculaas and gingerbread? ›

This is a Dutch spice shortcrust cookie. In German they are called Spekulatius. The spices are very similar to gingerbread, but the ginger isn't the predominant flavour. Also white pepper and anise seed are included.

What is Sweden's most famous dessert? ›

Kladdkaka. Kladdkaka is a gooey chocolate cake that is a favorite in Sweden. It is a simple recipe that is loved by many. Kladdkaka is a popular Swedish dessert that is often described as a gooey, fudgy chocolate cake.

What is fika in Swedish? ›

When Swedes talk about fika, what they generally mean is a coffee break. The coffee can be switched out for tea or even lemonade, but some kind of non-alcoholic and preferably hot beverage is always a part of the deal.

Why are my ginger cookies so hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

Why is Ginger Snaps so good? ›

The strong female cast and biting satire of teenage life makes Ginger Snaps far more memorable than your average werewolf movie -- or teen flick.

Are speculoos and Ginger Snaps the same? ›

Speculoos (or sometimes spelled speculaas) is a Belgian cookie. Imagine a gingersnap on steroids. Bolder and much more aggressive than typical gingersnaps, Speculoos cookies are brimming with dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, white pepper, ginger, and cardamom.

What is a traditional Swedish Christmas dinner? ›

Christmas presents are under the lighted tree, candles shine brightly and the smorgasbord (or smörgåsbord, as it's written in Swedish) has been prepared with all the classic dishes: Christmas ham, pork sausage, an egg and anchovy mixture (gubbröra), herring salad, pickled herring, home-made liver pâté, wort-flavoured ...

What is a German gingerbread heart called? ›

Lebkuchenherzen have become a staple in German celebrations, especially around Oktoberfest and Christmas time. They're typically decorated with intricate icing designs and lettering, including endearing or funny messages. Try your hand at making them and share them with someone you love!

Is Pfeffernusse the same as gingerbread? ›

Both are sweetened with a mixture of sugar and honey/syrup, flavoured with warm spices and often use the same technique to make the dough. The difference, as you may have guessed from the name, is the primary flavour. Whilst pure gingerbread uses only ground ginger, pfeffernüsse use a full quintet of spices.

Is Biscoff a speculoos cookie? ›

Speculoos, the cookie family to which Biscoff belong, are often described as a type of gingerbread, but that's a little misleading. Aside from their use of caramel sugar, speculoos don't have quite the same bite; their spice blend tends toward aroma rather than heat.

What are the three types of gingerbread? ›

The three distinct types of gingerbread are brown gingerbread, wafer-based gingerbread and honey gingerbread.
  • BROWN GINGERBREAD.
  • WAFER GINGERBREAD.
  • HONEY GINGERBREAD.

What is on the bottom of German gingerbread cookies? ›

Oblaten Lebkuchen are distinguished by a signature edible wafer (collectively called Oblaten in German) on the bottom. The wafers are made from wheat flour, starch, and water.

What sweets do they eat in Sweden? ›

Swedish desserts
NameDescription
PrinsesstartaTraditional sponge cake filled with jam and cream, covered with marzipan
Punsch-rollChocolate biscuit covered in green marzipan
RulltårtaSponge cake rolled into a log and filled with cream, chocolate, or jam
SemlaSweet roll filled with cream and almond paste
20 more rows

What sweets to buy in Sweden? ›

11 of the best-loved Swedish candy, and healthy alternatives to sweet treats
  • Raspberry liquorice skull by Bubs. ...
  • Malaco Gott & Blandat by Cloetta. ...
  • Sour blueberry organic candy by JOM. ...
  • Ahlgrens Bilar by Cloetta. ...
  • Dark chocolate & lingonberry, by Malmö chokladfabrik. ...
  • Premium Liquorice Sweet & Salty, by Lakritsfabriken.

What is the famous Swedish chocolate? ›

Marabou chocolate is widely available in Sweden in assorted varieties. Freia and Marabou later merged, and, in 1993, were purchased by Kraft Foods for 3 billion Norwegian kroner. Marabou chocolate is available in a number of European countries and was until September 2011 sold by IKEA in Canada, Israel, and Poland.

What is the Swedish cookie you break? ›

In researching pepparkakor, I learned that it is tradition to hold a cookie in the palm of your hand. Make a wish, and with the index finger of your other hand, tap the cookie until it breaks into three pieces. Then, your wish will come true!

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Pres. Lawanda Wiegand

Last Updated:

Views: 6072

Rating: 4 / 5 (71 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Pres. Lawanda Wiegand

Birthday: 1993-01-10

Address: Suite 391 6963 Ullrich Shore, Bellefort, WI 01350-7893

Phone: +6806610432415

Job: Dynamic Manufacturing Assistant

Hobby: amateur radio, Taekwondo, Wood carving, Parkour, Skateboarding, Running, Rafting

Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.