Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (2024)

Gingerbread Cookies are a favorite Christmas cookie and this makes the best gingerbread cookie recipe! Fun to make and delicious to eat!

Looking for more delicious holiday treats? I think you’ll love my Chocolate Fudge, Sugar Cookies, and easy Cracker Toffee.

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (1)

What I Love About This Recipe:

  • Soft and Chewy:My gingerbread cookie recipe makes perfectly soft and chewy gingerbread cookies every time! Yet they still hold up well for baking, decorating, and sharing.
  • Easy Recipe:My gingerbread cookie recipe is an easy recipe made of flavorful ingredients.
  • Make Ahead Friendly: The holidays are busy! I love to make the cookie dough or the soft gingerbread cookies and frosting ahead of time. See my tips to make ahead and freeze below.

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (2)

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (3)

Gingerbread cookies are made of the following simple ingredients: butter, brown sugar, molasses, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla extract, egg, baking powder, baking soda, and flour. I also like to include espresso powder to add depth to the flavor of my gingerbread cookies.

Make the Gingerbread:

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (4)
  • Cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in molasses and mix until well combined. Mix in the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and egg until well combined.
  • Whisk together baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Slowly stir these dry ingredients into the molasses mixture.
  • Divide the dough in half and wrap it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Roll the Gingerbread dough:

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (5)
  • Once the dough has chilled, take one piece of dough out of the refrigerator. Roll the dough on a piece of parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Roll the dough to 1/2-inch thickness.
  • You may use a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar under and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to the table or rolling pin.
  • Cut shapes with a cookie cutter and place them onto prepared baking sheets. At this point you can bake immediately, but I also like to pop them back into the freezer for about 15 minutes before baking to prevent them from spreading.
Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (6)

Bake the Gingerbread Cookies:

  • Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
  • Bake gingerbread cookies until they are lightly browned along the edges, about 10 minutes, or until they feel firm. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating if desired.
  • If baking from frozen, bake for approximately 12 minutes or until done.
Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (7)

Decorate the Cookies:

Decorate the cookies with icing and your favorite candies, as desired. Have fun decorating with family and friends. This is a fun activity to do with children throughout the Christmas season! This really is the best gingerbread cookies recipe!

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (8)

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

To make ahead. Make the gingerbread cookie dough, wrap it well with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to roll and bake, remove from the refrigerator and follow the recipe.

To freeze cookie dough.Make the gingerbread cookie dough, wrap it really well with plastic wrap, and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.Allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to roll and bake, remove from the refrigerator and follow the recipe.

To freeze unbaked cookies. Place cut-out cookies onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and place into the freezer until the unbaked cookies are firmly frozen, about 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container layering the unbaked frozen cookies between parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake from frozen, add about 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.

To freeze baked cookies. Allow the baked cookies to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container layering between parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Here’s my gingerbread cookies recipe. I hope you love them as much as we all do!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 36

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (213 g) brown sugar, packed, (light or dark)
  • 3/4 cup (255 g) molasses
  • 1 teaspoon (2.6 g) kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons (5.2 g) ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons (3.6 g) ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon (0.57 g) espresso powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.35 g) vanilla extract
  • 1 large (50 g) egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
  • 3 1/2 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
  • confectioners’ sugar, optional

Instructions

Make the Gingerbread:

  • Cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in molasses and mix until well-combined. Mix in the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, espresso powder, vanilla and the egg until well-combined.

  • Whisk together baking powder and baking soda into the flour and then slowly stir these dry ingredients into the molasses mixture.

  • Divide the dough in half, and wrap well. Refrigerate for 1 hour up to overnight.

Roll the Dough:

  • Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

  • Once the dough has chilled, take one piece of dough out of the refrigerator. Roll the dough to 1/2-inch thickness.

    Note: You can use dust the worksurface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar under to keep the dough from sticking.

Cut out the Gingerbread Cookies:

  • Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake and Decorate the Gingerbread Cookies:

  • Bake gingerbread cookies until they are lightly browned along the edges, about 12 minutes, or until they feel firm. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating, if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

To make ahead. Make the gingerbread cookie dough, wrap it well with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to roll and bake, remove from the refrigerator and follow the recipe.

To freeze cookie dough.Make the gingerbread cookie dough, wrap it really well with plastic wrap, and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.Allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to roll and bake, remove from the refrigerator and follow the recipe.

To freeze unbaked cookies. Place cut-out cookies onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and place into the freezer until the unbaked cookies are firmly frozen, about 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container layering the unbaked frozen cookies between parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake from frozen, add about 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.

To freeze baked cookies. Allow the baked cookies to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container layering between parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 138mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Join today & start saving your favorite recipes

Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes.

Save recipe

Happy Baking!
Robyn xo

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (10)

Categorized as:All Recipes, By Cooking Style, Christmas Recipes, Cookie Recipes, Cooking, Dessert Recipes, Essentials, Freezer Friendly Recipes, Holiday and Occasion Recipes, Make-ahead Recipes, Recipes

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

Read more about Robyn

Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe

45 mins

The Best Brownies Recipe Ever

40 mins

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

1 hr 40 mins

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe

7 mins

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? ›

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft? Soft gingerbread biscuits are ideal. They ought to be flexible. However, they should still be somewhat elastic, and if you hold them too firmly because you're so excited to eat them, you might even be able to leave your fingerprints on the cookie!

What is the difference between gingerbread and ginger cookies? ›

While molasses cookies and gingersnaps are rolled into dough balls and then baked, gingerbread is rolled flat then use cookie cutters to cut your desired shape. This Gingerbread Cookie recipe is foolproof and SO easy to make.

Why did my gingerbread cookies come out hard? ›

“There are some gingerbread recipes that are hard right after baking and need to sit for a few days to soften. Molasses and honey hardens gingerbread, but as the sugar absorbs moisture, it will get softer.”

Can you use maple syrup instead of molasses in gingerbread cookies? ›

Are there any substitutes for molasses? It won't taste exactly the same, but maple syrup can work in a pinch.

Which molasses is best for gingerbread? ›

Medium Or Dark Molasses

“It adds enough bold flavor and sweet notes with a hint of bitterness to any recipe, which is exactly what you want for making gingerbread cookies.” Bourdon added that it's also versatile and can be used for marinades, baked beans, sauces, breads and recipes for other foods.

What is the most popular cookie ever? ›

America's favorite cookie and the one dubbed “the American cookie” is the Chocolate chip cookie. Chocolate chip cookie is simply tantalizing both in flavor and in texture.

Why didn't my ginger molasses cookies crack? ›

Molasses cookie dough won't have those signature cracks on top if the dough is too wet. The cracks happen when the surface of the dough dries up. Rolling in sugar really helps this because the sugar binds the moisture and dries out the dough.

Are gingerbread cookies healthier than other cookies? ›

Ginger cookies can be high in sugar and fat content. Ginger cookies fall into the category of "empty calories," according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's dietary guidelines.

What happens if you add too much molasses to cookies? ›

Doubling up on molasses softened the cookies significantly.

Molasses is a thick, goopy ingredient, so it wasn't a surprise that my dough came out on the stickier end of the texture spectrum when I used too much molasses.

How do I know when gingerbread cookies are done? ›

Gingerbread Cookies are done when they are set and begin to brown slightly at the edges. They will harden further as they cool, so avoid overbaking so you don't end up with hard, crunchy gingerbread! Underbake slightly to achieve soft, slightly chewy gingerbread cookies.

What is the secret to soft cookies? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

What is the dark history of gingerbread? ›

​Superstitions about gingerbread flourished in the 17th century. Witches supposedly made gingerbread figures, ate them, and thereby caused the death of their enemies. Dutch magistrates went so far as to declare baking or eating molded cookies illegal.

What is the best gingerbread in the world? ›

Victorian cook Sarah Nelson invented Grasmere Gingerbread® in 1854 in the English Lake District village from where it gets its name. A unique, spicy-sweet cross between a biscuit and cake, its reputation quickly spread and it is now enjoyed by food lovers all over the world.

What is gingerbread called in England? ›

In Medieval England gingerbread meant preserved ginger. The hard cookies were a staple at Medieval fairs in England and on the continent. These became known as “gingerbread fairs” and the cookies called “fairings”.

How can you tell when gingerbread cookies are done? ›

Gingerbread Cookies are done when they are set and begin to brown slightly at the edges. They will harden further as they cool, so avoid overbaking so you don't end up with hard, crunchy gingerbread! Underbake slightly to achieve soft, slightly chewy gingerbread cookies.

Should cookies be hard or soft? ›

Fully cooked cookies should have a slightly crisp edge with a soft and chewy centre. If the cookie tastes raw or doughy, it needs more time in the oven. Flavour development: Cookies often develop more flavour as they cool down. If the taste is slightly lacking, allow them to cool entirely before finalising.

Should cookie dough be soft or hard? ›

The perfect cookie dough consistency should be soft and pliable, but sometimes the texture of our cookie dough comes out dry and crumbly, which may lead to some dry cookies. Some of the common reasons you may have dry, crumbly dough include: Not Enough Fat.

Top Articles
Best Bacon & Egg Breakfast Grilled Cheese Recipe
Actually, the Best Vegetarian Chili Recipe Ever | Ambitious Kitchen
The Shoppes At Zion Directory
Helicopter Over Massapequa Now
Capital In The Caribbean Nyt
What Will It Take for Spotify’s Joe Rogan Deal to Pay Off?
La Qua Brothers Funeral Home
Herman Kinn Funeral Home Obituaries
Craigslist Shallotte
Steve Bannon Issues Warning To Donald Trump
Georgia Vehicle Registration Fees Calculator
Westelm Order
Giantesssave
How To Start Reading Usagi Yojimbo [Guide + Reading Order]
The Obscure Spring Watch Online Free
Smith And Wesson Nra Instructor Discount
Shore Lodge Webcam
Rick Harrison Daughter Ciana
Stolen Touches Neva Altaj Read Online Free
O'reilly Auto Parts Near Me Open Now
What Does FYP Mean on TikTok?
Espn Masters Leaderboard
What happened to Gas Monkey Garage?
Cool Motion matras kopen bij M line? Sleep well. Move better
eUprava - About eUprava portal
Rochester Ny Missed Connections
Mapa i lokalizacja NPC w Graveyard Keeper - Graveyard Keeper - poradnik do gry | GRYOnline.pl
Abby's Caribbean Cafe
Gunsmoke Tv Series Wiki
Claw Machine Random Name Picker
Sam's Club Stafford Gas Price
Craigslist Labor Gigs Albuquerque
neither of the twins was arrested,传说中的800句记7000词
Journal articles: 'New York (State). First Congregational Church' – Grafiati
Music Lessons For Kids Penshurst
Late Bloomers Summary and Key Lessons | Rich Karlgaard
Paul Mauro Bio
Chevalier Showtimes Near Island 16 Cinema De Lux
Busted Newspaper Mugshot
Broussard’s Mortuary Major Dr.
Investment Banker Salary and Bonus Report: 2023 Update
Mercy Baggot Street Mypay
Myxoom Texas Account
Baywatch 2017 123Movies
Obituary Sidney Loving
Santa On Rakuten Commercial
Do Diversity Visa Lottery Winners Need Affidavit Of Support With Green Card Application Is Affidavit
Minecraft Skin Tynker
Intoxalock Calibration Locations Near Me
2045 Union Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507 | Estately 🧡 | MLS# 24048395
Fintechzoommortgagecalculator.live Hours
Classic Forbidden Romance: 6 Reasons To Watch C-Drama “Love Between Fairy And Devil”
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Twana Towne Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 5891

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (44 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Twana Towne Ret

Birthday: 1994-03-19

Address: Apt. 990 97439 Corwin Motorway, Port Eliseoburgh, NM 99144-2618

Phone: +5958753152963

Job: National Specialist

Hobby: Kayaking, Photography, Skydiving, Embroidery, Leather crafting, Orienteering, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.