Ginger nuts are the ultimate old-school biscuit tin classic - crunchy, spiced and ready in 20 minutes flat.
Love a good biscuit tin recipe? My ANZAC Biscuits and Jam Drops are just as old-fashioned and just as good, so grab a cuppa and let's get into it.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Ginger Nuts
🕒 Ready In: 20 minutes
👪 Serves: 24 biscuits
🍚 Calories: 123kcal per biscuit
🥣 Main Ingredients: self-raising flour, golden syrup, brown sugar, ground ginger
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, nut-free, freezer-friendly, Thermomix method included
⭐ Why You'll Love It: That proper old-fashioned crunch, made with pantry staples and way cheaper than the packet stuff.
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"These biscuits are yummo! So easy to make." - Colleen
Colleen's not wrong. If you're after more from the biscuit tin after this, try my Kingston Biscuits, Milo Biscuits, or if you can't get enough ginger, my Ginger Crunch Slice.
Jump to:
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Crunchy, snappy and perfect for dunking into a cuppa.
- Only a handful of pantry staples - no special shopping trip required.
- Team Thermomix? Both the conventional and Thermomix methods are in the recipe card, so you're covered either way.
- Freezer-friendly, so you can stash a batch away - or bake extra to crumble into my Gingernut Ripple Cake later.
Ginger Nuts Ingredients
You only need a handful of everyday ingredients for these - nothing fancy, just a few that are worth a closer look.
- Golden syrup - gives that deep caramel sweetness and the true ginger nut flavour. You can swap in honey or maple syrup if you're out, but the colour and flavour won't be quite as rich.
- Ground ginger and cinnamon are the whole reason these taste like ginger nuts, so don't skimp on either one.
- Self-raising flour and bicarbonate of soda - check the use-by date before you start. Stale raising agents are the number one reason ginger nuts come out flat and chewy instead of properly cracked and crunchy.
Variations
- Gluten-Free - swap the self-raising flour for a gluten-free self-raising blend. The dough's slightly stickier, so keep your hands wet when rolling.
- Add a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg along with the ginger and cinnamon for a deeper, more grown-up flavour.
- Fancy something zestier? Stir in some finely grated lemon zest for a zippy contrast to all that spice.
- Sugar-Crusted - roll the balls in raw sugar before baking for extra sparkle and crunch.
- Fold through a tablespoon of finely chopped crystallised ginger for little chewy hits of extra spice. A few readers have added chopped dark chocolate at the same time, and honestly it's a ridiculously good combo.
- Want something heavier and more traditionally spiced instead? My Easy Gingerbread Recipe is worth a look too.
How To Make Ginger Nuts
Quick bit of science before we start: that classic crackled top comes from a fast reaction between the bicarbonate of soda and the acidity in the golden syrup as the biscuits hit the oven's heat. Fresh bicarb and accurate flour measuring are what get you that proper cracked, crunchy finish rather than a smooth, puffy dud.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the ingredient quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Sift the self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl.
- Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Pour in the melted butter, golden syrup, brown sugar and egg.
- Step 3: Mix and shape. Stir until combined into a smooth dough, then roll heaped teaspoon-sized balls with wet hands and flatten slightly with a fork on the trays, leaving an 8cm gap to spread.
- Step 4: Bake. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crunchy, then leave on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Team Thermomix? The full Thermomix method, with exact speeds and timings, is in the recipe card below.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh self-raising flour and bicarb - stale raising agents are the biggest reason ginger nuts turn out flat and chewy instead of properly cracked and crunchy.
- Leave at least 8cm between biscuits on the tray. They spread more than you'd think.
- Don't overbake. Ten minutes gives you crunchy biscuits that aren't rock hard, so pull them as soon as they're golden.
- Wet your hands slightly before rolling the dough into balls so it doesn't stick to your fingers.
- Storage - keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing - freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month, then defrost at room temperature. If you're building up the lunchbox stash, my Rock Cakes and Finger Buns freeze just as well.
Ginger Nuts FAQs
That crackled top comes from a fast reaction between the bicarbonate of soda and the acidity in the golden syrup as the biscuits hit the oven's heat. If yours came out smooth, your bicarb might be past its best, or there was a touch too much flour in the mix. Fresh raising agents and accurate measuring are the fix.
Up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep the lid on tight or they'll go soft.
Yes. Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 1 month and defrost at room temperature when you're ready. They come back to full crunch with no fuss.
You can, though the flavour and colour will be a touch different. Golden syrup gives that authentic deep caramel taste, but honey or maple syrup will still get you a good biscuit in a pinch.
Not much beyond the name. Ginger nuts is what we call them here in Australia, NZ and the UK, while Americans call the same crunchy, spiced biscuit a ginger snap. Some ginger snap recipes use molasses instead of golden syrup, which gives a slightly darker flavour, but the crackled top and firm crunch are the same either way.
More Biscuit Recipes
Need to keep the biscuit tin stocked for hungry after-school kids? Here are a few more classic favourites worth adding to the rotation.
Ginger Nuts
Ingredients
- 300 g (2 cups) self-raising flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon bi-carbonate soda
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 125 g butter melted
- 40 g (2 tbs) golden syrup
- 200 g (1 cup) brown sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Sift the self-raising flour, bi-carbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger into a large bowl.
- Add the melted butter, golden syrup, brown sugar and egg and mix to combine.
- Form heaped teaspoon-sized balls with the dough and place onto the baking trays leaving a 8cm gap to allow for spreading.
- Press the dough balls down lightly with a fork.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
- Leave on the baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Line 2 baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
- Place the butter, golden syrup and brown sugar into the Thermomix bowl. Melt for 2 minutes, 80 degrees, Speed 2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Melt for a further 2 minutes, 80 degrees, Speed 2. Leave to cool slightly.
- Add the self-raising flour, bi-carbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and egg to the Thermomix bowl and mix for 20 seconds, Speed 2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat.
- Form heaped teaspoon-sized balls with the dough and place onto the baking trays leaving a 8cm gap to allow for spreading.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
- Leave on the baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use fresh self-raising flour and bicarb soda for the crispiest results.
- Leave plenty of room between the biscuits-ginger nuts love to spread into perfectly round shapes.
- Don't overbake-10 minutes yields crunchy biscuits that are not too hard to bite.
- Wet your hands when rolling dough balls to avoid sticky fingers.
- Add a sprinkle of raw sugar on top before baking for sparkle and crunch.
- Keep at least 8 cm between biscuits to prevent them from merging.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month-defrost at room temperature.
- For even baking, swap tray positions halfway through cooking.
Mike says
Any biscuits will keep practically forever in a container in the fridge, including these. I make a big batch of Anzac bikkies, biscotti or gingernuts every few months and they’re still crunchy when I come to make my next batch. Same applies for crisps, corn chips, crackers, taco shells, etc. This is because the because a fridge is dry, not damp, so there is no humidity to soften stuff or create bacteria. So everything stays crisp, crunchy and fresh for months. If you don’t believe me, put a few biscuits or a half eaten packets of crisps in the fridge and come back to them a week or more later - they’ll still be fresh and crunchy, guaranteed. So no need to scoff them all in a few days or freeze them whatsoever…. The fridge is your friend!
Colleen Limkin says
These biscuits are Yumo! So easy to make.
Betty Petrie says
I add Pinhead Scottish Oatmeal to my ginger nuts to give them an even crunchier bite
Lucy says
awesome!