Soft Gingerbread Cookies

These soft gingerbread cookies are the kind of holiday treat I want with a warm mug of coffee and a cozy afternoon at home.
They have tender centers, lightly crisp edges, and that unmistakable combination of
ginger and molasses running through every bite.
Dip them in thick maple glaze, add a few festive sprinkles, and they’re ready for a Christmas cookie platter.

What I especially love about this recipe is that you get all that classic gingerbread flavor
without rolling out dough or reaching for cookie cutters.
Just scoop the soft dough into balls, roll them in sugar, and bake.
As they cool, they settle into soft, crackly cookies that are so good with the sweet maple topping.

If traditional gingerbread cookies are a little too crisp for you, give these a try.
They’re simple, soft, warmly spiced, and made for holiday baking.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There’s a lot to love about these gingerbread cookies, but their texture is what really makes them special. They’re soft in the middle, with slightly crisp edges and a sugary exterior that gives each bite a little contrast.

They’re wonderfully soft. Instead of the firm texture you might expect from a cutout gingerbread cookie, these stay tender in the center.

They have plenty of gingerbread flavor. Molasses brings richness and depth, while ground ginger adds that warm spice that makes these cookies taste instantly festive.

There’s no rolling or cutting. Scoop the dough into balls, roll them in granulated sugar, and they’re ready for the oven.

The maple glaze makes them extra special. Maple syrup gives the thick powdered sugar glaze a subtle maple flavor that pairs beautifully with the molasses and ginger.

They’re perfect for the holidays. Add a few festive sprinkles while the glaze is wet, and these cookies look right at home on a Christmas dessert table or tucked into a cookie box for someone you love.

Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients

You only need a handful of familiar baking ingredients to make these soft gingerbread cookies. Here’s what each one does in the recipe:

Unsalted Butter – softened butter gives the cookies richness and helps create their soft, tender texture.
Granulated Sugar – sweetens the dough and helps the cookies spread as they bake. You’ll also need extra granulated sugar for rolling the dough balls before they go into the oven.
Egg – binds the dough together and adds moisture, helping the centers stay soft.
Molasses – this is where that deep, classic gingerbread flavor comes from. Unsulphured molasses is the best choice here; blackstrap molasses isn’t recommended because it’s less sweet and has a stronger flavor.
All-Purpose Flour – gives the cookies their structure. The amount of flour is especially important in this recipe because it affects how much the cookies spread.
Baking Soda – helps the cookies spread and gives them their characteristic soft centers and slightly crisp edges.
Salt – balances the sweetness and brings out the flavors of the molasses and ginger.
Ground Ginger – adds the warm, spicy flavor that makes these cookies unmistakably gingerbread.

For the Maple Glaze

Melted Butter – adds richness and helps give the glaze a smooth finish.
Pure Maple Syrup – adds a subtle maple sweetness that pairs beautifully with the ginger and molasses.
Powdered Sugar – forms the base of the glaze and gives it the thick consistency needed for dipping.
Milk – loosens the glaze until it’s thick but dippable. Add only a tiny bit more if needed.
Salt – just a pinch balances the sweetness and rounds out the maple flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

These cookies come together with a straightforward mixing, scooping, and baking process. The most important thing is not to add extra flour unless you’ve tested a few cookies first, because the amount of flour has a big effect on how much they spread.

1. Preheat the Oven

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make the Butter Mixture

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses; mix until incorporated.

At this point, the molasses gives the mixture its deep color and starts building that classic gingerbread flavor.

3. Finish the Dough

Add flour, baking soda, salt, and ginger. Mix until a soft dough forms.

The finished dough should be soft. If you’re concerned about spreading, resist adding extra flour right away—you can bake a few test cookies first.

4. Roll and Bake

Scoop into balls – I like them slightly larger than a golf ball, but you can make them smaller, too. Roll in sugar. Bake for 9-11 minutes; let them rest on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. They will flatten slightly as they cool.

That final roll in granulated sugar gives the outside of the cookies a pretty finish and a delicate sugary texture.

5. Add the Maple Glaze

Whisk maple glaze ingredients together until smooth (it will be very thick – if it’s too thick, just add a teaspoon more milk at a time until it becomes dippable, but we want this to be very thick so it sets nicely). Dip one side of the cooled cookies into the maple glaze, run the edge of the cookie along the side of the bowl to remove excess drips, set on a piece of wax paper, and add a few festive sprinkles before the glaze sets!

Then, give the glaze time to set. After an hour or two at room temperature, it should become dry to the touch.

Expert Tips

A simple cookie recipe can still change quite a bit depending on how you measure and bake it. Here are a few things worth keeping in mind before you start.

Weigh the flour if you can. This recipe calls for 307 grams of flour, and using a kitchen scale is the easiest way to get a consistent result. A small difference in flour can change how much the cookies spread.

If you’re using measuring cups, scoop the cup directly into the flour until it’s full and overflowing, then level the top with a knife.

Bake a test batch. Not sure whether your cookies will be as thick as you’d like? Bake just 2-4 dough balls first. If they spread too much, mix 1 tablespoon more flour into the remaining dough.

Choose unsulphured molasses. Grandma’s brand works well here. Blackstrap molasses has a less sweet, more intense flavor, so it isn’t recommended for this recipe.

Don’t thin the glaze too much. It should be quite thick. If you can’t comfortably dip the cookies, add milk just one teaspoon at a time until the consistency is right.

Wait until the cookies are cool before dipping. This helps that thick maple glaze stay on the surface and set properly.

Decorate while the glaze is wet. If you’re adding holiday sprinkles, put them on right after dipping each cookie so they stick.

Recipe Variations

I wouldn’t change much about the cookie dough itself—the combination of molasses, ginger, and sugar is what gives these cookies their gingerbread character. But you can easily change the finishing touches.

For a festive batch, scatter holly sprinkles or other holiday sprinkles over the maple glaze before it sets. It’s a small addition, but it makes the cookies especially pretty for a Christmas cookie tray.

You can also make the dough balls smaller than the suggested slightly-larger-than-a-golf-ball size if you prefer smaller cookies.

And if you’re packing the cookies for travel, there’s another option for the topping. Instead of the maple glaze, melt 1/2 cup white chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon coconut oil. This coating sets more firmly, so it can be a better choice when the cookies need to be transported.

Storage & Reheating

Keep the cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for 3-5 days. Once the maple glaze has fully set, they’re easy to store and bring out whenever you want something sweet.

You can also freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container. If you’re making them ahead for the holidays, I’d freeze them without the glaze and add it closer to serving.

For the prettiest finish, glaze the cookies within a day of serving, especially if you’re planning to transport or gift them.

There’s no need to reheat these cookies. They’re meant to be soft and delicious right at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

These cookies feel especially at home during the holidays. Put them on a platter with your other favorite Christmas cookies, add them to a homemade cookie box, or simply keep a batch on the counter for an afternoon treat.

I especially like the idea of serving them with hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or cold milk. The warm ginger and molasses flavors pair naturally with cozy drinks, while the maple glaze adds just enough sweetness.

For a holiday gathering, arrange the glazed cookies on a large platter and finish them with festive sprinkles. The pale maple glaze against the warm brown gingerbread makes them simple but beautiful—and once you bite into that soft center, you’ll understand why these are worth adding to the holiday baking list.

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Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Maple Glaze

These tender gingerbread cookies combine warm ginger and rich molasses with a lightly crisp exterior and soft center. Each cookie is rolled in granulated sugar before baking, then finished with a thick maple glaze for a sweet, creamy topping.

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Gingerbread Cookies with Maple Glaze, Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Maple Glaze

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Servings: Cookies

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup molasses (I use Grandma’s brand)
2 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (307 grams – see notes for flour measuring tips)
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
granulated sugar for rolling

Maple Glaze

1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (180 grams)
2 tbsp milk (and a very tiny bit more if you need more)
pinch of salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream them together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and continue mixing until fully incorporated.
Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground ginger. Mix until the ingredients come together into a soft dough.
Scoop the dough into balls slightly larger than a golf ball. Smaller cookies can also be made if preferred. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, then arrange them for baking. Bake for 9–11 minutes. Leave the cookies on the pan for a few minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Expect the cookies to flatten slightly as they cool.
To prepare the maple glaze, whisk the melted butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, milk, and salt together until smooth. The finished glaze should be very thick. If it is too thick for dipping, add additional milk one teaspoon at a time until it reaches a workable consistency. Keep it thick enough to set properly on the cookies.
Once the cookies have cooled, dip one side of each cookie into the maple glaze. Gently run the edge against the side of the bowl to remove any excess glaze and prevent dripping. Place the glazed cookies on wax paper. If using festive sprinkles, add them before the glaze has time to set.

Notes

Nutrition

Per serving (1 cookie, based on 24 cookies):

Nutrition values are estimates and can vary depending on the specific brands used and how much rolling sugar and glaze ends up on each cookie.

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Recipe FAQs

1. Why did my gingerbread cookies spread too much?

Flour makes a big difference with these cookies. For the best results, use 307 grams of all-purpose flour. If you’re worried about the cookies spreading, bake 2–4 cookies first. If they turn out flatter than you’d like, mix 1 tablespoon more flour into the remaining dough before baking the rest.

2. What kind of molasses should I use?

Use unsulphured molasses for the best flavor. Grandma’s brand works great in this recipe. I don’t recommend blackstrap molasses because it’s less sweet and has a much stronger flavor, which can change the overall taste of the cookies.

3. How do I know when the gingerbread cookies are done?

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 9–11 minutes. They’re supposed to be soft, so you don’t want to bake them until the centers are firm. Let them rest on the pan for a few minutes after baking, then transfer them to a cooling rack. They will flatten slightly as they cool.

4. Why is my maple glaze so thick?

The glaze is supposed to be very thick so it coats the cookies and sets nicely. If it’s too thick for dipping, add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until you get the right consistency. Be careful not to add too much milk or the glaze may become too thin.

5. Can I make these gingerbread cookies ahead of time?

Yes! You can bake the cookies ahead and store them without the glaze in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve them, thaw and add the maple glaze. For the prettiest results, I recommend glazing them within a day of serving.