In the US and Canada, gingersnaps are generally round drop cookies, usually between 1/8-inch thick to 1/4-inch thick and 2 to 3 inches in diameter, with prominent cracks in the top surface. They are usually twice-baked cookies, flavored with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg or other spices.

Other variations:

In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, most of the former British Empire, they are often called Ginger Nuts, not to be confused with pepper nuts, which are a ginger bread variety, somewhat smaller in diameter, but thicker, and contain pepper as a spice.

Scandinavian ginger nuts, also called ginger thins or ‘brunkage’ in Danish (literally meaning, brown biscuits) pepparkakor in Swedish and pepperkaker in Norwegian (literally, pepper cakes), are rolled quite thin (often under 1/8-inch thick), and cut into shapes; they have smooth tops, and are usually somewhat thinner and hence crisper (and in some cases, more strongly flavored) than most global varieties.