Soft and chewy Gingerbread Cookies recipe made with a simple gingerbread recipe and decorated however you like! Everyone loves this classic recipe and they taste delicious!
Looking for more holiday treats? Don't miss our Ginger Molasses Cookies, Caramel Popcorn, or Chocolate Fudge! And don't miss my Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas!
When I was young, we often decorated the “kids” Christmas tree with gingerbread cookies and it made the house smell amazing. This is the BEST recipe for soft, chewy gingerbread cookies.
What I LOVE about them:
- Soft and Chewy: Gingerbread cookies have a reputation for being hard and crispy, but not this recipe! Follow my baking tips and they will turn out perfectly soft and chewy.
- Make Ahead or Freeze: You can prepare the chewy gingerbread cookies or dough in advance. See tips below in the post.
- Fun to Decorate: Kids of all ages love decorating Christmas gingerbread man cookies so plan it for your next Christmas party! You can make the soft gingerbread cookies and frosting ahead of time so that the kids can just enjoy decorating.
How to make Gingerbread Cookies:
Gingerbread is made with the following simple ingredients: brown sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, butter, milk, and molasses!
Make the Gingerbread: Mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add chunks of butter and incorporate them with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the molasses and milk until combined.
Refrigerate: Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours or overnight.
Roll the Dough: When ready to bake, roll out the dough to ½ inch thickness, use cookie cutters to cut gingerbread men, and place them on your cookie sheet. Bake them for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Once cool, frost and decorate, if desired! You can use any kind of frosting or icing, and candy. It really is the best gingerbread cookies recipe!
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Make the gingerbread and store it, well covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Roll out and cut into cookies when ready to bake. You can also bake the cookies and freeze them.
To Freeze: wrap the dough really well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Freeze for 2-3 months. Allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before attempting to roll. Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
For more holiday magic, try roasting chestnuts!
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Recipe
Gingerbread Man Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer optional
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 g)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar , packed (150 g)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda (4 g)
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (8 g)
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger (6 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (1 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons butter , room temperature, cut into 12 pieces (170g)
- 3/4 cup molasses (dark molasses) (180 ml)
- 2 Tablespoons milk (30 ml)
For the frosting:
- 2 Tablespoons butter , room temperature (28 g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)
- 2 Tablespoons milk (30 ml)
Instructions
- Add flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt to a mixing bowl and mix.
- Add the butter pieces and use a pastry blender to cut the butter in until the mixture resembles fine meal.
- With a mixer running on low speed gradually add the molasses and milk and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Divide the dough in half, forming each into a ball. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, or place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until firm, if you’re in a hurry. (Refrigeration is mandatory or the dough will be too sticky to handle).
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove one dough sheet from the fridge/freezer and place on a well floured counter. Lightly flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin and roll out the dough (dust with a little more flour if needed), until it’s about ½ inch thick. Cut gingerbread men and place them on prepared baking sheets.
- Refrigerate the gingerbread men for 5 minutes (meanwhile you can roll out the other dough ball).
- Bake the cookies until set in the centers and the dough barely retains and imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 11 minutes (depending on the size of your cookie cutter). Do not overbake!!
- Remove the cookies to a wire rack. Allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Store gingerbread cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
For the frosting:
- Add butter, milk, and 1 cup of powdered sugar to a bowl. Mix until smooth. Add additional cup of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add frosting to piping bag if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe December 2018. Updated December 2020 and November 2022.
Process photos by Nikole from The Travel Palate
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This is my second year making this recipe and it is a winner. The softest and best tasting gingerbread cookies.
These are by far the best gingerbread cookies I’ve ever had. My family and I loved ❤️ them so much that I decided to make a batch on this chilly January evening.
Question: Is it okay to freeze the dough? I would love to make it in large batches and freeze them. Thank you.
Yes, you can do that!
I always hated tooth breaking hard gingerbread cookies, but loved the flavor of them. Im soooo glad I found this recipe by accident. Absolutely delicious and the best ever. I made unicorns (as i didnt have the men cookie cutters)Lol, and received nothing but compliments. THANKS for sharing!!
I’ve never had soft baked gingerbread cookies before. As a matter of fact Ive only made gingerbread cookies once and it was a disaster. These are delicious and was so easy to make. I’m bummed I didn’t stumble upon this recipe sooner. Thank you Lauren for sharing.
Wan Tito make these to decorate with the grand kids. Was wondering if the recipe can be doubled. Thank you
Yes, that’s fine! Enjoy.
Can you use light brown sugar if you don’t have dark??
Yes, thats fine.
Hi! How long could this dough keep in the refrigerator? For example, we’re spending some time in the mountains and I was wondering if I could make the dough at home and take it to the mountains to bake and decorate there. Would the dough be okay for 1-2 days? Thanks!
Yes, it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days! How fun!
My daycare made these today and soooooo yummy!
Soft and chewy.
Hi Lauren
I’m a novice when it comes to baking. My sister is the baker in my family. I thought I would try baking as a fun family tradition with my kids.
I searched for Gingerbread that was moist and I found your recipe. Boy, did you make me look good!
To my surprise the cookies turned out great. I even got the nerve to share them with some people at church. They were a hit!
I just followed your recipe.
It will become a part of our family memories.
Thank you 😊
Used this recipe many times- brilliant recipe!
I made this gingerbread recipe for the first time to make Christmas cookies and it is perfect! It’s my new favorite! The gingerbread was soft just as promised. That was the most important requirement. I don’t like hard gingerbread so choosing a recipe that would deliver as promised was key.
I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for coming back to comment.
Can anyone tell me what 12 tablespoons of butter might be I
in grams? What weight in grams for dry ingredients ie I cup = 200g dry or mls wet?
Isn’t half inch too thick? Cut out mine little less than 1/4 in and I got 16 cookies out of one ball of dough. Half inch you won’t get many cookies?? bbb
Okay I want to make this recipe but I want the frosting recipe you used to decorate them too!! I don’t see it here? I HATE hard gingerbread cookies. I only ever see them hard! I have a recipe I love for soft ones but I’m going to try this one this year!!
Me too– only soft! Same goes for sugar cookies! 🙂 I don’t use a recipe–I just make a regular buttercream frosting with butter, powdered sugar, a splash of milk and vanilla and make it the right consistency I want by adding a little more powdered sugar or a little more milk. Here’s a recipe you could use: https://www.twosisterscrafting.com/buttercream-frosting/ Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!