Soft Gingerbread Cookies
on Nov 10, 2017, Updated Aug 21, 2024
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This Classic Gingerbread Cookies recipe includes molasses and makes soft, sweet and lightly spiced cookies. It’s the perfect cookie for shaping and decorating! We love making gingerbread men, Christmas trees and snowflakes, but really any shape would work!
Everyone asks for this recipe after they try it – even if they weren’t gingerbread cookie fans before. I’ve made this recipe at least 100 times and know that it’s perfect. Let me show you how to make the best gingerbread cookies in town. These are the stuff family traditions and memories are made of. I love to decorate them with royal icing.
You need this recipe and you need it stat! HUNDREDS of people have made and loved these cookies, just check out the comments below! This recipe comes from my chef sister-in-law. Beth went to culinary school and her emphasis was baking! Seriously, she’s amazing. And now she’s my neighbor, how lucky is that.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- I made these cookies for the county fair and they received a blue ribbon! I feel like stating that these are Blue Ribbon Cookies makes them pretty legit. Blue ribbon status is a big deal in my neck of the woods. 🙂
- The combination of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves creates a warm, aromatic profile that epitomizes the holiday season, making each bite a delightful experience.
- The dough can be refrigerated for several days or frozen, allowing you to prepare in advance and bake fresh cookies whenever needed.
- This recipe holds its shape well, making it perfect for cutting into festive shapes and decorating with icing, sprinkles, or other creative toppings.
Ingredients
- Butter – Use the real stuff here, no margarine please! It gives it such a nice, chewy, soft texture and a richer flavor. Margarine just doesn’t cut it.
- White sugar – This helps the cookies to hold their shape and have a nice texture. It also gives the sweetness to balance the spice of warming ginger, cinnamon, and cloves!
- Egg – One of the keys to keeping these cookies soft and helps them rise just enough.
- Molasses – Classic for gingerbread cookies’ color and deep flavor. If you prefer no molasses, try my gingerbread cookies without molasses.
- White vinegar – Helps the cookies to rise and stay soft, and I promise it doesn’t give any vinegar flavor. It can be subbed with apple cider vinegar.
- Flour – All-purpose white flour works the best for this recipe because it will rise best and creates a nice, soft texture. If you are looking to be gluten-free, try my gluten-free gingerbread cookies.
- Spices – Ginger, cinnamon, and cloves
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Gingerbread Cookies
Step 1. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the egg, molasses, and vinegar, mixing well.
Step 2. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and mix until the dough forms.
Step 3. Divide the dough into two pieces, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30-90 minutes.
Step 4. Roll out dough to desired thickness, cut into shapes, place on a lined baking sheet, and bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Cool before decorating.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The cookies will last 2-3 day ahead of time store in an air-tight container at room temperature. These are a great make-ahead cookie for parties! You can also make the dough and hold it in the fridge for 2-3 days before baking it.
1. Royal icing to add pretty patterns, clothing and face details, and anything else your creativity sparks!
2. Candies for buttons, noses, eyes, or other festive designs.
3. Sprinkling sugars over top the icing to add some sparkle.
4. Rubber stamps for some printed designs.
5. Candy melts to top cookies with a chocolatey topping.
6. Sprinkles because sprinkles are always good on any cookie!
I wrote a huge post all about decorating these cookies if you want more specifics and details. You can find 6 Simple Ways to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies right here.
Use light, dark, or “fancy” molasses in this recipe. Do not use blackstrap or cooking molasses as your cookies will be bitter if you use the latter two. Here’s a post on how to make gingerbread without molasses.
Expert Tips
- If you like your gingerbread on the crispy side, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thick and bake for 11-12 minutes. If you like it nice and soft (though still very sturdy), roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and bake for 10 minutes. If you play around with the thickness of the dough and the baking time, you’ll discover a cookie that meets your liking. I really like these thick and soft.
- Use real butter because it really makes the softest, richest tasting cookie.
- Don’t forget the resting time in the fridge. The dough should be tacky but not gloopy like glue when you put it in the fridge. When it comes back out of the fridge, it should be very firm. Resting time and chilling the dough let’s it set up so that it’s easier to work with and holds its shape better. You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days before using.
- This recipe is not for making gingerbread houses. The dough is too soft. I love making gingerbread houses and I normally use this How to Make a Gingerbread House recipe for a sturdy hard cookie that is good for construction.
- If you are in need of a cookie cutter set, I’ve had this one for almost 11 years and we use it all the time.
How to Serve and Store Soft Gingerbread Cookies
Pair these gingerbread cookies with a glass of milk, hot chocolate, or spiced tea for a cozy treat. Other fun deserts to arrange on platter for holiday gatherings or gift them in decorative tins are Christmas magic cookie bars, christmas peanut butter cookies, and Grandma Lucy’s Christmas sugar cookies.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The baked cookies freeze very well. Just bake and cool (but do not add icing), store in a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 6 weeks. You can pull the cookies out as needed when guests show up, or thaw the whole batch for decorating all at once. I froze bags and bags of these to prep for my neighbor goodie plates, and loved having the baking done ahead of time.
More Cookie Recipes to Consider
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Classic Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- large bowl I love these because they have lids and double as serving bowls.
- baking sheet These are a go-to that every kitchen should have.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, 2 sticks, at room temperature (salted or unsalted) (226 grams)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar, 220 grams
- 1 egg
- 1 cup light or dark molasses, do not use blackstrap or cooking molasses (325 grams)
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 22 grams
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, 625 grams
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 9 grams
- ½ teaspoon salt, 3 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 3 grams
Instructions
- Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about three minutes, using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment on your stand mixer. Scrape down the sides as few times as needed.
- Add the egg, molasses, and vinegar. Beat to combine well. The mixture will look a bit curdled.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to the bowl and mix to combine well. The dough should come together when you press it in your hands and shouldn’t be crumbly. If anything it’ll still be a little tacky to the touch. That’s ok.
- Divide the dough into two even pieces, wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 90 minutes. Don’t skip this step, it helps the cookies to keep their shape.
- When the dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working in sections, roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface; cut into desired shapes.
- Place shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Gather and reroll “scraps” of dough as needed, using all of the dough.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, and then move to a cooling rack.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Leave plain or decorate (here are 6 Simple Ways to Decorate Gingerbread Cookies if you are looking for some inspo).
Video
Notes
- If your dough is too tacky you can add additional flour as needed, it will be a little sticky (and firms up when you refrigerate it) but it shouldn’t be overly wet.
- If you like your gingerbread on the crispy side, roll it 1/4″ thick and bake for 11-12 minutes. If you like it nice and soft (though still very sturdy), roll the dough 1/2″ thick and bake for 10 minutes. If you play around with the thickness of the dough and the baking time, you’ll discover a cookie that meets your liking. I really like this thick and soft.
- SEE MORE NOTES in the tips and tricks section of the blog post.
- The dough can be held in the fridge for 2-3 days before using without any issues.
- You may need to add up to a 1/2 cup more flour as needed so the dough is workable. I’m cooking from an arid kitchen.
- I’ve used both salted and unsalted butter for this recipe and haven’t noticed much of a difference, use what you have.
- You can substitute the white vinegar with apple cider vinegar without any issues.
- Use light, dark, or “fancy” molasses in this recipe. Do not use blackstrap or cooking molasses as your cookies will be bitter if you use the latter two. Here’s a post on how to make gingerbread without molasses.
- If you refrigerate your cookies longer than the recommend time, let them rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling them out so help the dough not be too stiff.
- The dough can be made ahead of time and frozen or you can bake and freeze the cookies. Both are great options for making this recipe ahead.
- This is not the recipe that I use for Gingerbread Houses, this gingerbread house recipe is a bit thicker and much sturdier, it also comes with 2 free gingerbread house templates!
Hello! I have tried a few different gingerbread cookie recipes and haven’t found a favorite yet. None of them have called for vinegar, like this one. What does the vinegar do??
It reacts with the baking soda to help them rise and have a soft texture!
Can you use apple cider inegar?
Yes, works just fine!
Can I use something else instead of white vinegar? I don’t have any vinegar in the house, of any kind right now 🙁 I have orange juice?? Lmao
I think lemon juice would work, heck, I’d try orange juice! Let me know if it works!
These cookies expanded quite a bit, even when the dough was refrigerated overnight. I was only able to put about two on each pan in order for them to avoid getting squished by another cookie.
You might need to add a bit more flour to yours?? I should weigh out the flour next time so that you can get a good measurement. They definitely shouldn’t spread when baked, that’s what I love about them. Did you use real butter?
Mine spread more than I expected, my flour was fresh though (not sure if that made a difference) next time I’ll make sure my flour measurements are exact. I’m taking these to work tomorrow if they’re a hit I’ll be sure to update! This was a really easy receipe to make, even with my mixer out on loan lol!
I made the gingerbread cookies and my conclusion is the proportions are wrong. The dough is the consistency of sand and I did it exactly according to your recipe. I would not waste my time and ingredients on this recipe again. Total flop.
I’m positive this recipe is solid and correct as written. I’ve made it a dozen times in the last 6 weeks just as written. That being said, did you use real butter? If it’s sandy I assume that you had too much flour. Do you use the scoop and level method for measuring your flour? Did you use all-purpose flour? I bet we can figure out what happened!
Maybe you should specify the brand of butter that makes your cookies deliciously soft. And yes, I used leveled method for the all-purpose flour.
Hi Melissa! Not sure if you’ll see this, but: I made these last year and they were an absolute hit! I just went to make them again today and my dough is super crumbly. I haven’t changed anything, so not sure what’s going on. I’m about to try for the third time but could use some advice as to what to do. Decrease flour a bit? Add a little extra butter or egg? Thank you!
How odd! I’m sure it’s just a mismeasurement… happens to the best of us! I’d try adding a little more butter and egg? I’m sure it was an issue with too much flour…. what did you end up doing?!
Thank you so much for replying! I realized that I forgot to tell you that I’m in Colorado (not sure where you live?), but as I said, I made this last year without any issues AT ALL and got rave reviews. I’m going to try adding an egg (if you think that’s okay?), and decreasing the flour and adding more in as needed. Thoughts? Many thanks again – I know you’re super busy right now as well!
I’m in Utah so I’m actually baking at a pretty high altitude too. I hope that adding a little something will help it to work itself out and that you get someone edible out of it. Keep me posted!
Did u forget the egg? I almost forgot the egg and the consistency was very dry. I looked back at the recipe and saw the egg. That fixed it. The cookies are yummy!
I rarely comment on recipes I try on the interwebs but I love this one so much I felt compelled to take the time. I loved the texture and flavor of these-they baked up beautifully and my house smells amazing! Most recipes for gingerbread cookies I have made are too hard or dense to enjoy beyond decorating/aroma but these are lovely to decorate and to eat!
Thank you for taking the time to write! I’m so glad you loved them. I didn’t love gingerbread either until I tried this one. SO good!
Yes, yes! We are on our second batch! Everyone loves them. Everyone loves you! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
You’re the best! Merry Christmas to you!
How do they hold up in the freezer? And should i hold off on decorating them until after they thaw?
Yes! They hold up great! I just did a double batch and kept it in the freezer for two weeks. I did wait to decorate until the day I was ready to give them away (I think the icing will get cold and brittle and fall off in the freezer). I just opened up my freezer bags when I let them thaw so any condensation/moister in the bag didn’t get the cookies a little soggy. I think they would be ok for up months in the freezer just FYI! I’m making another batch today to keep in the freezer and just pull out here and there when the kids want a treat. I won’t worry about decorating them if I’m not taking them somewhere… it’s just a garnish, the added sugar isn’t a must for these cookies! ENJOY! You are going to love these.
Do you recommend ground ginger or fresh ginger?
Dried and ground. I’ll make a note of that! Thank you for asking.
Thanks for the quick reply! I’m excited to make them this week with my kids!
Thanks for the quick reply! I’m excited to make them this week with my kids!
It’s dried! Happy baking friend!
You having Beth and her skills as a neighbor and partner in crime is similar to me having a backpacking partner who is a masseuse. How can we go wrong!! Your cookies are the cutest! I’m not sure if I am ready to try gingerbread again, its never been pleasant, but I will ponder it for awhile! Happy day!
Ok we are making these this weekend. Thanks!
I don’t even usually like gingerbread and I thouht these were amazing! I took a few to work and my staff went nuts for them. I had to put the rest in the freezer because I loved them so much Santa was about to miss out! I didn’t end up icing because they were so perfect.
Thank you so much!
Hoooooorrraayyyy! This is the kind of great comment that keeps me going! Thank you for taking the time to leave it, that means to much to me.