There’s something about the warm, spicy aroma of freshly baked gingerbread that instantly feels like home. This Gingerbread Cookies Recipe blends classic spices with a soft, chewy texture that’s simply irresistible. I promise, once you try these, your kitchen will smell like cozy holidays all year round!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve made plenty of gingerbread cookie recipes over the years, but this one truly stands out. The balance of spices and molasses makes these cookies flavorful without being overwhelming. Plus, the dough is forgiving and easy to roll out, which means less stress and more joy in the kitchen.
- Perfect Texture: These cookies turn out wonderfully soft and chewy, not rock-hard, even days later.
- Classic Flavors: The blend of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves feels nostalgic and comforting every single bite.
- Easy to Customize: Whether you want to add some extra spice or swap out the molasses, this dough takes modifications well.
- Great for Gifting or Parties: These cookies hold their shape beautifully and are perfect for decorating your way.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient here plays an important role in creating that classic gingerbread cookie we all love. A quick tip—using unsulphured molasses will give you a richer, cleaner flavor, which really makes a difference.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the sturdy base and structure to the dough without weighing it down.
- Ground ginger: The star spice that gives gingerbread its signature warmth and zing.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds a sweet, woody fragrance that complements the ginger perfectly.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise lightly and keeps them tender.
- Ground cloves: Just a hint adds depth and complexity to the spice blend.
- Fine sea salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter helps create a smooth dough and tender bite.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle caramel note that's key for chewy cookies.
- Unsulphured molasses: Brings robust flavor and that classic dark color.
- Large egg: Binds everything together and adds richness.
Make It Your Way
This Gingerbread Cookies Recipe is so flexible—I’ve tried it both as classic cut-out cookies for decorating and as thicker cookies that are more rustic and soft. Feel free to play around with the spices or swap molasses for honey if you want a twist.
- Add a Kick: I love adding a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg or even a drop of orange extract to brighten up the spice profile.
- Gluten-Free Version: Try swapping the flour with a gluten-free blend; just be sure to chill the dough well before rolling—it helps keep the shape.
- Vegan Swap: Replace the butter with coconut oil and the egg with a flax egg for a vegan-friendly batch.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Mix Your Dry Spices and Flour
Start by sifting together your flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt. I find sifting really helps avoid clumps and evenly distributes the spices, which means every cookie gets that perfect spice balance.
Step 2: Cream Butter, Sugar, and Molasses
Using a mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and molasses until the mixture looks light and fluffy—this usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Then add the egg and beat just until combined. This part is satisfying because you can really see the dough turning glossy and smooth.
Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on low speed until combined. The dough will be soft and a little sticky—that’s perfect! If it feels too sticky, a light dusting of flour when rolling will do the trick.
Step 4: Chill and Roll
Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and divide it into three disks. Wrap each tightly in plastic and chill for at least an hour. Chilling firms up the dough, which prevents spreading and helps keep your shapes crisp. When ready, roll out to a ¼-inch thickness—remember to turn the dough while rolling to avoid sticking!
Step 5: Cut and Bake
Use your favorite 4 to 5-inch cookie cutters to cut shapes. Don't worry if the scraps get a little warm; just chill and roll again. Bake the cookies on a parchment-lined sheet at 375°F for 9 to 10 minutes, just until the edges begin to brown lightly. Avoid over-baking if you want soft cookies.
Step 6: Cool and Decorate
Let your gingerbread cookies cool completely on racks before decorating. I use a simple powdered sugar icing with a touch of vanilla and milk to pipe fun designs or just a smooth glaze. It sets nicely, giving a perfect balance between soft cookie and sweet icing.
Top Tip
Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks that really make these gingerbread cookies shine—helpful for beginners and seasoned bakers alike.
- Chill That Dough: Never skip chilling! It firms the dough, reduces spreading, and makes the cookies easier to cut. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Soft butter and eggs mix more evenly, giving you that smooth dough texture without overworking.
- Watch Your Oven Time: Baking just until the edges brown slightly keeps the cookies tender inside. Check the first batch early and adjust from there.
- Roll Evenly: Rolling your dough to an even ¼-inch thickness helps all cookies bake uniformly—no surprises from thicker edge cookies!
How to Serve Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I personally love simple white icing with a sprinkle of festive sugar crystals—keeps it pretty without going overboard. But you could add mini chocolate chips, colored sugar, or even tiny candy beads for a fun look. Plus, these garnishes add a little crunch and snap to each bite!
Side Dishes
Pair your gingerbread cookies with a hot cup of spiced chai tea or a cold glass of milk for classic combo vibes. They’re also fantastic alongside warm apple cider or vanilla-flavored coffee. Trust me, it turns any afternoon into a cozy moment.
Creative Ways to Present
For holiday gatherings, I like to stack my decorated cookies on a tiered plate stand, mixing shapes and colors to create a festive display. Wrapping some in clear cellophane with ribbons also makes adorable homemade gifts that anyone would cherish.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
After baking and cooling, I store gingerbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh and chewy for up to a week—just make sure they’re completely cooled before sealing to avoid sogginess.
Freezing
This dough freezes beautifully! I shape it into disks, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to two months. When you’re ready, thaw overnight in the fridge, then roll and bake as usual. Cookies fresh from frozen dough taste just as amazing.
Reheating
If you want to warm a cookie slightly, I pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds. It softens up the cookie while keeping that cozy spice scent—you get that "just baked" feel again.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can substitute molasses with honey or dark corn syrup, but molasses gives the cookies their distinctive rich flavor and color, so the result will be slightly different. I recommend sticking to unsulphured molasses for the authentic taste.
Chilling the dough for at least 1 hour is essential to make it easier to roll and to keep the cookies from spreading too much. You can also chill it up to 24 hours for deeper flavor development and even better texture.
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature once they’ve fully cooled. Adding a slice of bread inside the container can also help retain moisture and keep your cookies soft for several days.
Yes! Gingerbread cookies are perfect for decorating ahead of time. Just make sure the icing is fully set and hardened before storing them in an airtight container, so the decorations stay intact.
Final Thoughts
This Gingerbread Cookies Recipe is one I always fall back on every holiday season (and sometimes just because). It's simple, reliable, and yields those melt-in-your-mouth moments we all crave. I’m excited for you to try it and hopefully find this little slice of sweetness as comforting and fun as I do. Now go get that molasses out and start making some memories!
Print
Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Classic gingerbread cookies made with warm spices and molasses, perfect for holiday baking and decorating. These soft yet sturdy cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate with icing and sprinkles.
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cookies:
- 2 ⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses or dark molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoon milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Icing:
Instructions
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt into a medium bowl, ensuring they are well combined and free of lumps.
- Cream Butter and Sweeteners: In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, brown sugar, and molasses until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium/high speed.
- Add Egg: Add the egg to the butter mixture and continue beating for 1 minute until well incorporated.
- Combine Dough: Add the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on medium/low speed until just combined; the dough will be soft and moist.
- Chill Dough: Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. If sticky, dust with flour to handle easily. Divide dough into 3 pieces, flatten each into a disk, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours until firm.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 375 ̊F (190°C) with a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Roll and Cut: Roll out one disk of dough on a well-floured surface to ¼-inch thickness, turning frequently to prevent sticking. Use 4 to 5-inch cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Gather scraps and chill again before re-rolling.
- Bake Cookies: Place cookies on prepared baking sheets at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are barely turning brown. Avoid over-baking for softer cookies.
- Cool: Transfer baked cookies to cooling racks and let cool completely.
- Decorate (Optional): Stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to make icing. Adjust consistency by adding powdered sugar or milk as needed. Decorate cooled cookies using piping bags or squeeze bottles. Let icing set before storing.
- Store: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
- For thicker icing, add more powdered sugar; for thinner, add more milk gradually.
- Use piping bags with small tips for detailed decorating or zip-top bags with a small corner cut.
- Chill dough scraps before re-rolling to maintain dough consistency and cookie shape.
- Sprinkles in various festive colors add a fun touch for decorating parties.
- Ensure butter and egg are at room temperature for better mixing and texture.
- Do not over-bake cookies to maintain a softer texture; they will firm as they cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
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