Soft in the center, warmly spiced, and made for decorating, these gingerbread cookies are the kind of holiday bake
that deserves a spot on the cookie tray every December.
There’s something especially cozy about making gingerbread cookies around the holidays.
Between rolling out the molasses-rich dough, cutting out little trees and gingerbread people,
and smelling all that ginger and cinnamon as the cookies bake, the whole process feels like Christmas.
And these aren’t the hard, crunchy gingerbread cookies you might be used to.
They’re softer and chewier, with just enough structure to hold their shapes in the oven.
A quick chill makes the dough easier to work with, and once the cookies have cooled, they’re ready for icing,
sprinkles, and whatever decorations you have on hand.
Make them for a holiday party, turn decorating into an afternoon project with the kids, or tuck a few into cookie boxes for friends and family. They’re festive, fun, and just as good with a cold glass of milk as they are with something warm to drink.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
There’s a lot to love about these gingerbread cookies, but the texture might be my favorite part. They have that classic gingerbread flavor without baking up overly hard or crisp.
They’re soft and chewy. Molasses, dark brown sugar, and butter give the cookies a tender texture that gets even softer by the second day.
They hold their shapes. The dough is rolled before chilling, then placed in the freezer for 10 – 20 minutes. That little bit of chilling makes it easier to cut and helps the cookies spread less as they bake.
They’re full of warm spices. A tablespoon of ground ginger leads the way, with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg rounding everything out.
They’re made for decorating. The smooth royal icing can be piped onto gingerbread people, snowflakes, trees, stars, or any other holiday shapes you like.
They’re a great make-ahead cookie. The finished cookies keep well at room temperature, and they can also be frozen once the icing has fully set.
Gingerbread Cookies Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour – gives the cookies their structure and makes the dough sturdy enough to roll, cut, and decorate.
- Ground Ginger – the star spice here! It gives the cookies that warm, slightly peppery flavor that makes gingerbread taste like gingerbread.
- Ground Cinnamon – adds a cozy sweetness and works beautifully with the ginger and molasses.
- Ground Cloves and Nutmeg – you only need a little of each. They add extra warmth and depth without overpowering the other spices.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – help the cookies rise just enough while baking without making them too puffy or taking away from their cut-out shapes.
- Salt – a small amount balances the sweetness and brings out all those warm spice flavors.
- Dark Brown Sugar – adds sweetness, moisture, and a subtle caramel-like flavor that pairs perfectly with molasses.
- Unsalted Butter – gives the cookies richness and helps create that soft, tender texture. Keep it only partially softened so the dough is easy to work with and the cookies spread less.
- Egg Yolk – adds richness and helps bind the dough without adding too much moisture.
- Vanilla Extract – a little vanilla rounds out the molasses and spices and gives the cookies an extra layer of flavor.
- Molasses – this is where the deep, classic gingerbread flavor comes from. Be sure to use regular molasses, not blackstrap, which would be much stronger and more bitter.
- Milk – helps bring the dough together. Start with the amount called for in the instructions and add more only if needed.
For the Royal Icing
- Powdered Sugar – creates the sweet, smooth base for the icing and gives it the right consistency for piping.
- Meringue Powder – helps the royal icing become firm and set after decorating, which is especially handy if you want to stack or package the cookies.
- Water – thins the icing to the right consistency. Add it gradually so the icing doesn’t become too runny.
- Vanilla Extract – adds a touch of flavor to the icing so it tastes just as good as it looks.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- The full recipe card below contains the exact measurements and instructions, but here’s a closer look at how these gingerbread cookies come together.
Start with the dry ingredients
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- There’s a generous amount of ginger here, and that’s exactly what gives the cookies their unmistakable gingerbread flavor. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg add another layer of warmth without overpowering the molasses.
Make the gingerbread dough
- Next, cream the dark brown sugar and partially softened butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla, followed by the molasses and 1 Tbsp milk.
- With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients. If the dough needs a little help coming together, add the additional milk as needed.
Roll and chill
- Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll each one between sheets of parchment paper until it reaches 1/4-inch thickness.
- Then comes an important step: chilling. Place the rolled dough on a cookie sheet and freeze it for 10 – 20 minutes, or until firm.
- Once chilled, use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out the dough. Gingerbread people are classic, but trees, snowflakes, stars, and other holiday shapes work beautifully too.
Bake the cookies
- Carefully transfer the cut cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly set. For soft gingerbread cookies, you don’t want to overbake them. They should still leave a slight indentation when touched.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the icing
- Once the cookies are cool, it’s decorating time!
- Combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder in a stand mixer. Add 4 Tbsp water and the vanilla and mix on low until everything comes together.
- Add additional water as needed, then increase the speed and whip until the royal icing becomes glossy and thick. Tint it with food coloring if you’d like, transfer it to piping bags fitted with tiny round tips, and decorate the cooled cookies.
- Let the icing set completely at room temperature before storing them.
Expert Tips
A few small details make a big difference when you’re working with cut-out gingerbread dough.
Keep the butter on the cool side. It should be softened about halfway but still hold its shape well. If the butter becomes too soft, the dough can be more difficult to handle and the cookies may spread more.
Don’t skip the chill. Those 10 – 20 minutes in the freezer make the dough much easier to cut and transfer. Chilled dough also does a better job of keeping those carefully cut shapes intact in the oven.
Roll the dough evenly. Aim for the specified 1/4-inch thickness across the entire sheet of dough. This helps the cookies bake at the same rate and gives them their soft texture.
Watch the cookies closely near the end. Eight minutes goes quickly! If you want soft gingerbread cookies, take them out when they’re just slightly set. Baking longer will give you a crisper result.
Let them cool before you decorate. Warm cookies and royal icing aren’t a great combination. Wait until the gingerbread is completely cool before reaching for the piping bags.
Give the icing time to dry. If you’re planning to stack the cookies or package them as gifts, let the royal icing set completely first.
Recipe Variations
You don’t have to change the gingerbread dough to make a completely different batch of cookies. Keep the recipe the same and have fun with the shapes and decorations.
For classic gingerbread people, use white royal icing to pipe faces, buttons, cuffs, and other simple details. Add colorful sprinkles or candies if you like.
For Christmas trees, cut the dough with tree-shaped cutters and decorate the cooled cookies with tinted royal icing and sprinkles.
For snowflakes, keep the icing white and pipe delicate lines and dots over the cookies for a simple wintry look.
You can also turn gingerbread people into reindeer. Flip the cookie upside down and decorate the shape as a reindeer face.
Prefer your gingerbread on the crispier side? The recipe allows you to bake the cookies longer for a firmer, crisper texture.
Storage & Reheating
These gingerbread cookies are a handy recipe to make ahead, especially when holiday baking gets busy.
Once the icing has fully set, transfer the cookies to an airtight container. They’ll keep at room temperature for up to about 6 days. And there’s a nice little bonus to waiting—the cookies are even softer on the second day.
For longer storage, place the completely set cookies in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 2 months.
There’s no need to reheat gingerbread cookies before serving. If they’re frozen, let them thaw before enjoying.
Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 cups (425g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (165g) packed dark brown sugar
- 10 tbsp (142g) unsalted butter, softened about halfway
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (172g) molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1-2 tbsp milk
For the Icing
- 3 cups (420g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp (15g) meringue powder
- 4-6 tbsp water
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar and butter until well combined, occasionally stopping and scraping down bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients. Mix egg yolk and vanilla. Mix in molasses and 1 Tbsp milk.
- Bring the dough together. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined, while adding additional milk as needed just to bring dough together.
- Roll the dough. Divide dough into two equal portions, then roll each portion out evenly to 1/4-inch thickness (into more of an oblong or rectangular shape so it will fit on a cookie sheet) between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Chill and cut. Chill on a cookie sheet in freezer 10 - 20 minutes, or until firm, then cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
- Transfer and bake. Remove from paper using a thin metal spatula or pastry scraper if needed, then transfer to parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 1-inch apart, and bake in preheated oven 8 minutes or until slightly set.
- Cool completely. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough.
- Prepare the icing. Add powdered sugar and meringue powder to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle attachment, add in 4 Tbsp water and the vanilla then mix on low speed until combined.
- Adjust and whip the icing. Add more water to thin as needed and increase speed and whip mixture until it is glossy and thickens up. Tint with food coloring if desired. Transfer to piping bags fitted with tiny round tips.
- Decorate the cookies. Decorate cookies with icing and add sprinkles if desired. Let icing set at room temperature and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 158mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.3mg
Serving Suggestions
I love these cookies exactly as they are, especially when the icing has just set and there are still a few stray sprinkles scattered around the kitchen.
For a holiday cookie tray, mix gingerbread people with trees, snowflakes, and stars to create a variety of shapes from the same batch of dough.
They’re also perfect with a mug of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea, or with a cold glass of milk for a simple afternoon treat.
If you’re having friends or family over, you can turn the cookies into a decorating activity. Bake and cool them ahead of time, then set out the royal icing, sprinkles, and decorations and let everyone make their own.
And if you’re looking for an easy homemade holiday gift, let the icing set completely and package a few cookies in a festive tin or cookie box. They’re the sort of treat that feels right at home at Christmas.
Recipe FAQs
1. Why do I need to chill the gingerbread dough?
Chilling the dough makes it much easier to cut and helps the cookies hold their shape while baking. For the best results, freeze the rolled dough for the full 10–20 minutes, or until it feels firm, before using your cookie cutters.
2. How do I keep my gingerbread cookies soft?
The key is not to overbake them. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or until they are just slightly set. They should still have a slight indentation when touched. They will firm up as they cool and become even softer by the second day.
3. Why did my gingerbread cookies spread?
This can happen when the butter or dough is too warm. Make sure the butter is only softened about halfway and still feels cool. Also, don’t skip chilling the rolled dough in the freezer before cutting and baking. Keeping everything cool helps the cookies hold those cute shapes.
4. What kind of molasses should I use for gingerbread cookies?
Use regular molasses, not blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap has a much stronger and more bitter flavor and will change the taste of the cookies. Regular molasses gives them that rich, classic gingerbread flavor and helps keep them soft.
5. How do I know when the royal icing is ready?
The royal icing should be glossy, thick, and easy to pipe. Start with the 4 Tbsp water called for in the recipe and add more only as needed. If you’re decorating with detailed lines, keep the icing a little thicker. Once the cookies are decorated, let the icing set completely at room temperature before storing or stacking them.
