Perfect Iced Gingerbread Cookies
on Mar 19, 2025
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Iced gingerbread cookies are the perfect festive treat for any occasion! With a warm, decadent, chewy center, these cookies are guaranteed to be a hit with any crowd.
If you are looking for the best iced gingerbread cookie out there then look no further! These easy-to-make gingerbread cookies have it all — a soft, chewy texture, the perfect blend of warm, sweet flavors, and a light icing to bring everything together.
The molasses helps keep these cookies from drying out, meaning they are going to last longer than other cookies. This cookie dough also freezes great! When it comes to late night snacks, few things are better than a warm, fresh-baked cookie. By freezing this dough you can bake a single gingerbread cookie whenever you’d like!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Iced Gingerbread Cookies
- Make-Ahead Marvel: The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for a couple of months, perfect for planning around your busy schedule.
- Perfectly Soft & Chewy: The molasses in these cookies keeps them from drying out so they stay perfectly soft and chewy much longer than the average cookie.
- Balanced Flavor Profile: Not too sweet and perfectly spiced, these cookies appeal to sophisticated palates while still delighting children.
- Gift-Worthy Creations: These beautiful cookies make heartfelt homemade gifts for teachers, neighbors, and holiday gatherings.
🍽️ I start making gingerbread cookie dough for the freezer during Fall so I’m ready to bake up dozens of cookies when the holiday mood strikes!
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter — Salted and softened.
- Sugar — White granulated sugar
- Egg — Just one large egg.
- Molasses — Adds a deep, rich sweetness to your cookies.
- Vanilla — Balances out the richness of the molasses.
- Baking Powder and Soda — Helps the cookies rise.
- Flour — All-purpose
- Pumpkin Pie Spice — Fills the cookies with warm fall spices.
- Powdered Sugar — The base of your icing.
- Whole Milk — For the icing.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Iced Gingerbread Cookies
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°. Cream the butter and granulated sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Step 2: Add the egg, molasses, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully incorporated.
Step 3: Gently whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice.
Step 4: Divide the cookie dough into 12 evenly sized balls.
Step 5: Flatten each ball slightly into a disc and space them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake for 12 minutes and then let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.
Step 7: While the cookies are cooling, whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and remaining vanilla.
Step 8: Top each cookie with a spoonful of the vanilla icing.
Recipe FAQs
These cookies are going to spread a little bit, but they shouldn’t spread so much that they merge together when spaced at least 2 inches apart. If your cookies are spreading too much then you will want to chill your dough. Simply cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and throw it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will help firm up the butter, causing your cookies to spread less.
If you don’t have any molasses on hand then don’t worry! There are a few other ingredients you can use instead. You can substitute the white granulated sugar for dark brown sugar, which is made using granulated sugar and molasses. You can also replace the molasses with dark corn syrup.
Absolutely! For a milder cookie that appeals to sensitive palates, you can reduce the pumpkin pie spice by half. You’ll still get that wonderful gingerbread character without overwhelming little taste buds.
Expert Tips
- Make It Easy: I like to use pumpkin pie spice since it is easy to get a hold of and then I don’t have to measure out all my different spices. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice or would rather measure out your own spices, you will want ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon of cloves, and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg.
- Butter Tip: If you only have unsalted butter then you can add ¼ teaspoon of salt along with the other dry ingredients.
- Chill Before Icing: The cooler your cookies are the quicker the icing will set. If you are in a hurry then you can chill your cookies in the fridge for about 15 minutes and then spoon the icing on.
- Spreading Issue: These cookies should not spread too much. If your cookies are merging together when spaced at least 2 inches apart, try chilling your dough for 30 minutes in the fridge.
How to Store Gingerbread Cookies
You can store your cookies iced or un-iced. Either way, you can keep them on the counter for up to a week.
If you want to be able to reheat your cookie then I recommend storing them un-iced. You can reheat an un-iced cookie for about 15 seconds in the microwave.
This cookie dough is great for freezing! Separate your cookie dough into discs and then place them in a large ziplock bag or rubbermaid container. You can keep this cookie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.
One of the best parts of freezing this dough is being able to bake just one cookie at a time. Bake your cookies from frozen for 14 minutes at 350°F.
More Gingerbread Recipes To Try
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
The Perfect Icing for Gingerbread Cookies
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
The Best Gingerbread Recipes: Your Kitchen’s Holiday Magic
Simple Gingerbread Recipes
Homemade Gingerbread Syrup: Cozy Holiday in a Bottle
Muffin Recipes
Spice Up Your Morning With Gingerbread Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Iced Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Add the butter and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the egg, molasses, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue mixing until the egg and molasses are fully incorporated with the creamed sugar.
- Reduce the speed of your hand mixer and gently whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Divide the cookie dough into 12 evenly sized balls. Flatten each ball slightly into a disc and space them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes and then let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire cooling rack.
- While the cookies are cooling, whisk together the milk, powdered sugar, and remaining vanilla. Top each cookie with a spoonful of the vanilla icing. Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to use pumpkin pie spice since it is easy to find and then I don’t have to measure out all my different spices. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice or would rather measure out your own spices, you will want ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon of cloves, and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg.
- Your cookies can be stored on the counter for up to a week in an airtight container. The molasses will help keep these cookies chewy and prevent them from drying out.
- If you only have unsalted butter then you can add ¼ teaspoon of salt along with the other dry ingredients.
- The cooler your cookies are the quicker the icing will set. If you are in a hurry then you can chill your cookies in the fridge for about 15 minutes and then spoon the icing on.
